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CHRIS SHULTZ, is a truly remarkable, and creative artisan. Born July 3, 1956 in Raleigh/Bartlett, Tennessee he began at a very early age to show his deep love for nature. Much of his youth was spent roaming the then sparsely populated hills, and river bottoms of the Wolf River. The somewhat hilly area (then a sleepy little community removed from the noise and chaos of Memphis, Tennessee), afforded him the opportunity to grow up carefree, and nurtured his deep love for the South and it's peoples. Much of his young teenage life was devoted to building and racing some of the first multi-hulled Cougar Catamarans to be found on the Mississippi River. This love of the river mirrored what his father (Captain Phil Shultz, Ret.) must have found. Not long out of high school, Chris sought employment as a deck hand for a River Barge Line. Starting in the engine room as an "Oiler", and later serving in most all other capacities as a river bargeman, he finally made it to the position of River Pilot. At the young age of 24, Chris became one of the youngest captains on the western rivers. In reality I guess this all sounds a lot like a story about old Sam Clemens. Ever restless, his sailor's heart longed to roam the open seas, to own and sail his own ship and be his own captain. This became a near obsession with him, and would not be put to rest until he had acquired a large 40 X 60 foot Catamaran. The boat became his home, and the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mississippi Sound, became his playground. Knowing that this large boat had, at one time crossed the Atlantic, and was sailed from the Canary islands, surviving a sizeable hurricane, by the previous owner and his wife, Chris felt sure of its ability to withstand the seas had been proven. The need of repairs however was a different matter. Realizing this, he put her on the yard for repairs at a small port outside of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, situated in a cove known as Simmons Bayou. Here another story begins. Living on board his boat while making the necessary repairs, he enjoyed the warmth of the climate and the hospitality of the little community known as Gulf Park Estates. Ah! T'was truly a sailor's dream (if he had to be dry-docked). There seemed, in this area, to be an inordinate number of young ladies, many of whom seemed enchanted by this large, bearded, rather roguish looking young sailor. He must have thought he had died, and gone to heaven. Those that know him quickly assured him that this was not the case. To shorten this story, Chris was living in this environment that I first met him. Being an old sailor myself, of sorts, and enjoying the laugh and smile of this young adventurer, we quickly found a common respect, and enjoyed each other's company. But I was an old married man, and we saw each other seldom. Then one day while I was working at the Marina, doing some carpentry work for the owner, Chris showed up. He wished me a happy birthday, which really surprised me (it had already passed), but the next thing he did was telling me that he had a birthday present for me. "What", I asked? His reply astounded me "I'm giving you my boat"! Which he did and that too is another part of a long story. Chris had met a very beautiful young lady, a scientist who worked at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratories. His devilish smile, and rugged individualistic charm took her, in return he was totally smitten by this lovely little blond scientist. Even so Chris spent a lot of time working on his boat, even after he and Joanne were married. This led to an understanding that he wisely understood, either he and the boat would sail off into the sunset, or he would have to become a landlubber. Being an intelligent person, he gave me the boat rather than risk loosing the most wonderful thing that had ever happened in his life. Well I guess after reading this I am leaving you with a lot of unanswered questions. For now they will just have to remain so. I have since retired,and have moved to the beautiful Arkansas/Missouri, Ozark Mountains. My wonderful wife Audrey and I, are still very close friends with Joanne and Chris, and we spend much time together both here and on the coast. Chris has started a custom boat building business that he has done well with, Joanne is still working, but now with NOAH. Now starts the building of the Digeradoo, These classic beauties speak for themselves, Their tone and quality are outstanding, and very pleasant, and to some, arousing to the ear. Chris has learned to play quite proficiently, and along with his beautiful boats now has a new gift to be offered to those demanding craftsmanship and beauty. These are all authentic as to style, and decoration. Most are created from Black Gum (that he harvests himself), and have natural beeswax mouthpieces. The stylized painting is done with care and painstaking accuracy to reflect the mood, and mysterious meaning of the original designers, the Aborigine's of Australia.
Take a look, and enjoy your visit. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Your inquiries and input will be answered and appreciated.
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