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Visitors to the Poulsbo Marina in July of 1981 were intrigued by a small raft-up of classic wooden Chris-Crafts anchored in front of the waterfront park. Five member vessels of the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club were holding the first ever Puget Sound Chris-Craft gathering. As the lovely old boats posed for photos, no one present would have ever dreamed that an immense Pacific Northwest Chris-Craft Rendezvous would one day be born, and would grow into the world-class event we now know.
When Milo and Monnie Moen of Classic Yachts brokerage in Des Moines, Washington, began publicizing the first official Rendezvous in the winter of 1989, they utilized their prime location at the Seattle Boat Show to register interested Chris-Craft owners. That summer, the first Rendezvous took place at the expansive Port Orchard Marina, attracting 50 Chris-Crafts of all ages, styles, sizes, models and conditions. The formula for the popular event has stayed the same over the years: a broad welcome, plenty of family fun, great activities for the participants, a warm reception from the lovely people of Port Orchard, and a belief that every Chris-Craft is special.
Over the years since its founding, the Rendezvous has attracted a vast majority of the active Northwest Chris-Craft cruisers and runabouts to Port Orchard. The largest gathering was a record-setting 137 boats in 1996. Over 100 boats from the United States and Canada typically attend every year. Famed Chris-Craft historians Jerry Conrad and Chris Smith have brought their expertise and knowledge to several of the events.
The Rendezvous founders, Milo and Monnie Moen, retired from the chairmanship of the event in 1998, and were succeeded by Jerry and Jackie Rudd. Hundreds of Rendezvous participants over the years have been greatly blessed by the leadership, wisdom, patience and good humor of these four wonderful people. With the 2005 event, the chairmanship passes to John Deane, who promises to dedicate all of his efforts to retaining the special family appeal of the Pacific Northwest Chris-Craft Rendezvous well into the future.
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