The History of Burns-Craft began in 1968 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This beautiful area of North Alabama is composed of the Tennessee Valley through which flows the mighty Tennessee River. There are four cities which comprise the "Quad Cities" or "Muscle Shoals" area. The four cities are Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals. The Muscle Shoals area is well know for popular music recording studios and houseboat manufacturing. At one time, Seagoing, Kingscraft, Island Queen, and Burns-Craft were manufactured in this beautiful area, home of TVA, Hellen Keller, W.C. Handy, father of the Blues,T.S. Stribling, 1933 Pulitizer Prize winning author of "The Store", a beautiful novel of the old South, centered in Florence, Alabama. Just north. in mid-Tennessee, near Nashville, NautiLine, CarlCraft, Gibson, and Harbormaster houseboats were built (Some are still being manufactured). Gallion houseboats were built to the south, in Pell City, Alabama.

In 1968, my brother, Charles, was manufacturing Automotive Automatic Transmission parts in Sheffield, Alabama and operating the fixed _base_d operation and Piper Aircraft Dealership at the Muscle Shoals Airport. Mr Paul Donaldson and Mr. Jim Beam were manufacturing Seagoing houseboats in Florence, Alabama. Mr Beam would often charter Charles to fly him to appointments and was responsible for getting Charles interested in houseboats. Charles expressed a desire to own a houseboat and Mr Beam suggested he build his own houseboat!

In early 1969, Charles purchased 35 acres in the Muscle Shoals Industrial Park. which was located next to the airport. A large building and offices on the property became the home of Burns Manufacturing, Inc. At that time I was in my senior year of college at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas and joined my brother in boat manufacturing on September 1, 1969.

Several emloyes from Seagoing were hired and the first boat produced was a 31' Burns-Craft Houseboat. The first 31' boat went to Titusvulle, Florida and the second one was shipped on a Burns-Craft tractor-trailer to Hundley Chris-Craft on Lake Dallas, Texas. During the next decade, many lengths of houseboats were manufactured up to and including a steel-hulled 52' houseboat. Many Burns-Craft dealers sold Burns-Craft houseboats from Pittsburgh to the Delta River country of Northen California.

During these years, Charles server as President of Burns Manufacturing, Inc., and Burns-Craft. I served as Purchasing Agent, Sales Manager, and eventually became Co-Owner and Vice-President. During this decade, we purchased the molds and beautiful design of Gallion houseboats of Pell City, Alabama. The 43' Gallion modified tri-hull design was eventually incorporated into the intire Burns-Craft line.

NautiLine Houseboats of Tennessee, was eventually sold and moved to Lexington, Alabama and the molds and designs were purchased by Burns Manufacturing, Inc. and incorported into the Burns- Craft line.

In the late seventies and early eighties, Burns Manufacturing, Inc. made a gradual shift from manufacturing houseboats to cruisers and eventually yachts, the largest being a 48' Aft-Cabin Motor Yacht.

In the early eighties the Burns-Craft houseboat molds and designs were sold to Harbormaster in Tennessee and production at Burns Manufacturing, Inc. then centered on cruisers. Cruiser and yacht production continued until 1986 when continuation became financially unviable. The Burns-Craft cruiser and yacht molds and designs were then sold to SunRunner Yachts, Inc. of Washington State. Charles Burns continued with SunRunner for a period of time and I moved to Texas and entered the retail Yacht Sales and marina management on Lake Texoma in North Texas.

Charles, 75, is now in Cardio Vascular Intensive Care in the Huntsville, Alabama, hospital cared for by Dr. Randy Burns, his son. I reside in good health and happiness in Dallas, Texas. If you pray, please remember my brother, Charles Burns.

Personally, I am very proud of my heritage. From our father, Charles Clark Burns, a minister, comes a heritage of Ministry, and with my brother a tradition of boat building. My resume is in Ministry and Boat Building and Selling. We had good years and during the almost two decades of Boat Building and Ministry, met boaters such as Eddie Arnold, Hank Williams, Jr. The Oak Ridge Boys, ZZTop, and Mrs, Hubert Humphry, the Vice President's wife, as well as many wonderful people, many of whom still own a Burns-Craft.

Jerry W. Burns
BurnsCraft38762.1116550926

Very interesting info Jerry. It makes me want to redouble my efforts to get my old Burns in top shape, learning about the history of the company and all.

I have a 1976, 43' Burns-Craft houseboat. It has V drives powered by Mercruiser 233 MIE engines. I noticed when I looked at others that the cuddy seemed more narrow on mine than some. Were some only 12' wide?

We were first time houseboat owners when we bought this one and have had a blast. We actually met the Pirate while shopping and he spoke VERY highly of Burns boats (along with OHB and others). Thanks again for the additional history.

Dear Shayne,

Thanks for the post to my history(Brief) of Burns-Craft. Yes there were two models of 43 footers. First, in the seventies we purchased the molds of the Gallion 43 Houseboat, manufactured in Pell City, Alabama. In my opinion. The Gallion 43 was one of the best looking and best built houseboats at the time. We manufactured this 12' wide model for some time. As the years progressed, the trend was to wider cabins and we used the semi-tri hull of the Gallion, widened it and incorporated the semi-tri hull (beautiful and good performance) into our entire line. We then came out with a wide body 43. I believe you have one of the original 12' 43's. A very good design.

Happy houseboating,

Jerry W. Burns

When did you build the wide body. Charles told OHB and I that the molds were sold in 1976 to Clyde head of Harbormaster and he never made a 14 wide 43 just the Nautaline by Nautacraft. I was a dealer for you guys.

Thanks for your question. Prior to the puchase of the 43' houseboat from Nauticraft, Burns build many 43' Houseboats with a 14' beam and the semi-tri hull. I see many of them these days on Lake Texoma, as Loes Highport on Texoma was one of our largest dealers in those days. Also I see almost daily B-C 43 x 14 houseboats here in Dallas on Lake Lewisville, formally Lake Dallas. The freeboard forward was 51" and the Freeboard Aft was 42" the Walkway Width was 18" and the Draft was 20". I have a brochure that I will be happy to scan and post with your helpful instructions. Please let me know. The brochure pictures were taken in St Petersburgh, Florida and printed there by our dealer who also sold several B-C 43, 14 wide houseboats. Prior to our very bad fire in either 96 or 97 and sell to to Mr. Tom Easter (Mr. Easter was President - Mr. Clyde Head was Sales Manager at that time) the 43 with a 14' beam was one of our main houseboats along with the 32 and 50. After the fire and purchase of Nautiline, we opened the plant in Lexington, Alabama and produced a few 43' Nautiline by Burns-Craft houseboats alone with our 41' Sedan Cruisers. Charles consentrated on the Automatic Transmission Parts business in the facilities at Muscle Shoals and I was in charge of the the boat building at the Lexington plant. Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Jerry W. Burns
BurnsCraft38760.1975

As an addition to the posting of the brief history of Burns Manufacturing, Inc./Burns-Craft, Inc., following is a complete list of the models of houseboats, cruisers and yachts produced during the two decades of the seventies and eighties.

31 Houseboat w/ shallow vee-hull

32 Houseboat w/ semi tri-hull

35 Houseboat w/ shallow vee-hull, deep keel

43 12' wide Houseboat

43 14' wide Houseboat

43 Nautiline by Burns-Craft Houseboat

44 Houseboat w/shallow vee hull

45 Houseboat w/ semi tri-hull

49 Houseboat w/ shallow vee hull

50 Houseboat w/ semi tri-hull

52 Houseboat w/ steel hull



37 Convertible Sedan Cruiser

38 Express Cruiser, (Mid Cabin)

38 Express - Flybridge Sedan Cruiser

40 Aft-Cabin Motor Yacht

41 Convertible Sedan Cruiser

48 Aft-Cabin Motor Yacht

I hope this contributes to the understanding of the history of Burns-Craft.

Jerry W. Burns

Jerry,

Thanks for the history lesson. My husband and I are very interested in the history of Burns-Craft and looked at a sedan bridge before we bought our 1976 32 houseboat. This is our first boat and we are very happy to have it. Looking forward to finishing our most recent project and enjoying our boat once again!

Carol Thornton (aka Boatgal)

 Hi Jerry, I have recently purchased a 48' Burnscraft aft cabin motor yacht. We love the boat, but, as with all old boats, it needs some TLC. I wondered if you may have some original sales brochures and performance information that I could get a copy of ?. I need to install mufflers on the boat as a previous owner removed them. I have 6V-92 Detroit Diesels. Any information you could provide would be appreciated. I live in Fort Myers FL. and will send you some pictures if you are interested. Thank You, Joe