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The 1970 Riva Ariston
A long time client and good friend of ours called a few weeks ago to tell us that he was sending his most precious lake accessory down to us so we could look at some staining problems on the laminated hull sides. He had told me in a passing conversation a year or so ago that he had purchased a Riva, and we were all impressed that he had that kind of expendable income and thanked God for good clients like him - but none of us here at the shop really had any interest in seeing the boat. Our major interests have always been early displacement launches, early one-design sailboats, hydroplanes and other hi speed plywood boats; and we have always stayed clear of standard hard-chined V-bottom runabouts. There are a ton of restoration shops that specialize in these popular watercraft, and they love them to pieces. To this shop, they are too common and mass produced. Nothing against a beautiful Garwood S-cockpit, it is just not our cup of tea. On a Wednesday in October, my son Chris and I went to meet the transport guy and bring the boat back to the shop. We both had our best " it is just an overpriced Italian Chris Craft" faces on and were determined not to be taking in by it's vampy looks. We hooked up to it and headed back to the shop. I gave it the normal glances in the rear view mirror to make sure that it was traveling well, and I noticed that it didn't look like a Chris Craft. Furthermore, I noticed it was getting a lot more attention from people we passed than a Chris Craft does. Back at the shop, Chris grabbed the camera and started the documentation process, mandatory before disassembling the boat. Except, he was taking many more photos than he usually would, punctuated by "Dad, look at this.." and "Cool! Check this out....". Kids are so easily impressed. "Come on, Toph, it's a laminated hull. What's the big deal?" I begrudgingly came over to investigate his discoveries. What is impressive about this hull is what is not there. It is a nice hull design supported by a very simple frame structure. In this 1970 model, the frames have plywood gussets over the keel and chines. There are a minimum amount of battens cut into the frames to support the molded side, deck and bottom panels. Every joint is smartly fit and fasteners are where they should be and no where else. There is no evidence of " more is better" in the boat. It is a "use what works best and don't compromise" boat. Seriously, this is one of the simplest and cleanest hulls I have seen in a long time. It reminds me of an early wooden Jack Sanger flat bottom or Herald Ruark hydroplane. Suddenly, it occurred to me why I was warming up to this design - it looks hand crafted, with the clean execution of a master. People think that Rivas are lavish boats that are over accessorized. But, after spending a day disassembling this Ariston, I have to tell you that this isn't true. When you get beyond the flawless finish on every piece of wood that makes up the hull, you begin to appreciate the brilliant attention to functional detail invested in this design. From the simple mahogany floor grating to the beautiful laminated dashboard that actually is part of heavy structural cockpit coaming piece, to the entire array of refined hardware - it is clear to me that no component or structure used on the boat was released to production without agonizing over its final evolution. This boat wasn't constructed, it was born through Italian passion and focused vision. Do I love this boat? Hell, yes. Is it worth the money they bring? Probably. Could a boat like this be built in America? Definitely. I have seen boats built in America that are in the Riva class. They are not production built boats. They are craftsmen built boats by individuals or small yards. And that is what makes a Riva so impressive - they were production built boats. I will be posting this Riva Ariston's restoration progress this winter. I guarantee you will want one next summer.
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