Rich Sima on the right, Along with Ed Greve, Rich awards the 1985 Greve trophy to Rich Taylor for his 1963 Resorter 17'.
This sad news in from Fellow Woody Boater Frank Miklos…
The founder of the Century Boat Club, Rich Sima, passed away November 23. Back in 1979 Rich placed an ad in a local Chicago newspaper requesting anyone who owned wooden Century boats to contact him… Rich along with his wife Barb, George Hajas, and Bob Speltz started the Century Boat Club…
By the time of the first Newsleter in 1980 nearly 50 members joined…. Rich was the first vice president of the club… When Hajas lost interest Rich took over the president position and held it for a number of years..
Rich owned two Century Boats a 1957 Arabian and a 1937 Seamaid split cockpit…
After leaving office Rich had remained a proud member of the club. His membership number was 2…
Rich came to the annual show last year 2010 … if you click on the link above there are some great old snap shots of Rich and the club. From the shot below it is clear why ..He will be missed…the true spirt of what our lifestyle is all about!
Rich, in 1987.. now thats a President I would follow..
A classic case of one person making a difference! In 1984 when I was 22 Debra and I bought our second boat. A 1967 Century Resorter with a fiberglass hull. I joined the Century club later that year. Never knowing that it was only a few years old. My father now owns the Resorter and I have a 1994 Resorter behind the house on a lift. Sure sorry to read this news as I would liked to have thanked Richard for his efforts. Without him knowing, his efforts ultimately played a part in keeping me in the classic boating community throughout the last 27 years.
I am hopeful that family members are reading to receive my thanks to him.
Bummer. I am losing friends I have had for 44 years and some I have never even met. My condolences to his family and friends.
Scott you are exactly right.. One person making a difference… Rich was one of those people who just wanting to unite with people of like interests, as we all do here on Woody Boater. Rich just found a way 32 years ago without the internet… The A.C.B.S. was around that time;but many ACBS people looked down at Century Boats, some still do…
That is one of the main reasons Rich started the Century Boat Club in 1979 … The CBC now maintains on average 2,500 members… Which is 3rd as far as antique clubs go only to A.C.B.S. and The Chris Craft Club… Not bad for a club that started by an want ad placed in a newspaper…
Again Thanks Rich for all you did, you will be missed..
My condolences go out to the family, friends, and the Century Boat Club.
As a long time member of the Richardson Boat Owners Association, I couldn’t help but notice the 31′ Richardson Express in the background of the picture with Rich Sima.
David that boat was owned by Ken Jilbert a Manistee area school shop teacher. That teacher built two dingies that looked like Century Boats…One a Seamaid and one a Thunderbolt… The photo was taken at he second annual Century Boat Club Show in 1985, Manistee, MI.
We were using the PA system from the Richardson…