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* Not sure of the news value of this, but here’s the Tribune…
When Gov. J.B. Pritzker was caught speeding on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin last month, he was driving a sleek, custom-built wooden speedboat that’s among the most expensive on the lake. […]
The boat Pritzker was driving is a brown, 28.7-foot wooden craft built in 2010 by Van Dam Custom Boats, a luxury wooden boat maker based in Boyne City, Michigan, according to a copy of the June 7 warning Pritzker received and the boat’s Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recreational vehicle information report, documents obtained by the Tribune. […]
The Don Don model is described on the Van Dam website as a “contemporary boat with exotic automotive style,” built with “mahogany milled from a single log” and a stainless steel steering wheel, and able to reach speeds of more than 60 mph.
Brian Jahns, a sales executive at Gage Marine on Williams Bay, who has sold wooden boats in Lake Geneva for 27 years, said the Don Don is “ultrarare.”
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:40 am
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I once ran into Pate Philip when we were on vacation on Michigan’s UP, he wasd riving a boat that looked like navy surplus, must not have been a Don Don.
Comment by Give Me A Break Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:46 am
God bless the reporter who had to chase down a boat salesman to get a quote on the rarity of JB’s ride. What would we do without this information?
Comment by PJ Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:47 am
My 1972 Ford Pinto is rare too. Just sayin’
Comment by Skeptic Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:49 am
You get a nice mix at Lake Geneva - from regular Joes bringing their family in a minivan to billionaires
Comment by Grand Avenue Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:54 am
Wealth is tolerated if you have the proper liberal political views to go along with it.
Comment by Unpopular Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:54 am
Sweet is right. As my grandma used to say, tucking two dollars into my pocket, “whether you are rich or poor, it’s always good to have a little money. “ I was 43.
Comment by Langhorne Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:54 am
Governor Pritzker is rich and owns expensive stuff? I had no idea! Thank you Tribune!
Comment by slow down Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:55 am
I’m shocked, shocked. A rich dude with an expensive boat. Who would have guessed. Thank you Tribune and contact reporter Mr. Obvious.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:55 am
It’s as much of a news story as Rauner’s nine homes.
Comment by Yacht Rocker Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:55 am
Nice boat, but clearly a step below the Don Don Donnnnnn.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:58 am
If JB just had the political savvy to just drive around in an old van like Bruce, then we would all forget how rich he is /s
Comment by ike Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:58 am
The Don Don is an ultra rare boat with ultra high fuel consumption too. Not going to get the Green vote jetting around Lake Geneva in that boat.
Comment by Yacht Rocker Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 9:59 am
The real news story is, does Pritzker’s Don Don have a toilet?
Comment by Cocoa Dave Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:00 am
If you got it, flaunt it.
Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:06 am
Give the guy a break. He’s rich. We all dream of winning the $500 million lotto and buying toys.
Comment by SW Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:11 am
I am guessing the family has a decent sized home on Lake Geneva and visiting the VanDam boats site and seeing those absolutely stunning woooden boats they built I would expect nothing less from him.
Certainly less ‘compensating’ that some fiberglass monstrosity.
Rich dude has sweet, sweet boat is about as much of a story as Rauner’s houses.
Then again this story did allow me to go look at some sweet boats, so there is that.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:12 am
Googled the Don Don.
Wow, a beautiful watercraft. Good on JB.
Comment by danray Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:14 am
Only difference between men and boys is the price of the toys.
Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:16 am
I’ll choose a person so comfortable in their skin they can have a boat like that and it’s not a gaudy centerpiece.
The one I’ll reject will be someone who believes mocking “rubes” by wearing costumes and having vehicles or showpieces “just like us” because who they are… makes themselves uncomfortable.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:16 am
real “man of the people” stuff
Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:20 am
Kudo’s to JB. It’s a beautiful craft.
A wooden boat is a bear to maintain. I realize the cost is not an issue for the gov., but a wooden boat is like a work of art that requires significant annual maintenance.
Having owned a 1/2 dozen boats, I’ve never aspired to owning a wooden one.
Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:23 am
Pritzker needs to bring that ride over to the big creek next time he visits forgotonia!
Comment by Red ghetto in a blue state Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:26 am
Jahns estimated that when the Pritzker family bought the boat, it was valued in the $500,000 range and is now in the $700,000 range.
Got to respect a man whose depreciating assets aprreciate
Comment by Leon Durham Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:28 am
=Jahns estimated that when the Pritzker family bought the boat, it was valued in the $500,000 range and is now in the $700,000 range.=
Being a boat owner - a boat that is viewed as an asset rather than a financial liability is truly remarkable.
Comment by Joe Procol Haram Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:31 am
Beautiful boat..But I can’t see where the livewells are or a place to reapply the catfish stinkbait, so it seems impractical for me. Will stick with the 1972 Fisher Marine
Comment by Anotheretiree Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:34 am
A boat hand built by skilled craftsmen in the Midwest. The horror.
Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:38 am
=== Wealth is tolerated if you have the proper liberal political views to go along with it. ===
Wealth is tolerated if the holder is NOT trying to enhance his/hers at the expense of those who don’t have it. There I fixed it for you.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:40 am
Norseman,
Seriously? “Not trying to enhance…”
Need you be reminded of Governor STD’s (Scheme to Defraud) toilet debacle? He was clearly trying to put a greater property tax burden on other’s by reducing his.
Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:55 am
Anyone else think the only reason he was stopped for speeding was so the ticket issuer could get a closer/better look at the H20 Mobile?
Any other trespass to get a good look would be breaking and entering.
If he lived on the coast, it’d be a yacht.
If he lived on an island, a cruise ship.
If he lived next to Miller, it would be a Griswold worthy festooned Pontoon.
In Lake Geneva, a Cigarette Boat. Cullerton probably wants to triple the taxes on it for it’s name alone.
Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 10:56 am
This is what really rich people do. They spend money on fantastic toys.
No surprise and no news value.
Comment by Nonbeliever Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 11:07 am
Meh, it’s not like Pritzker is going to win the annual Chicago to Mackinaw race. He is not a boater in the class of Commodore William Hale Thompson, Jr., whose racing schooner, “Valmore,” was 81 feet in length.
Comment by Practical Politics Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 11:12 am
It holds 80 gallons of fuel. Will he be filling up the tank in Illinois at least to help fund the capital bill?
Comment by Just Me 2 Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 11:28 am
What? We’ve got no lakes to speed on in Illinois?
Comment by Behind the Scenes Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 11:29 am
== What? We’ve got no lakes to speed on in Illinois?==
He knows better to bring it to Lake Springfield and swamp Rich’s pontoon boat.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 11:32 am
Downstate, the inference in the original comment was that folks were letting JB skate because he was liberal. When in fact, nobody should really care if he has an expensive speedboat when it doesn’t impact any of us. Of course your run to the toilet doesn’t change that point since JB was rightfully pilloried for that action by foe and friend. Perhaps that’s why he paid the money back.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 11:42 am
Used to run my chris craft on lake Geneva, wonderful times
Comment by foster brooks Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 11:48 am
I want to hear from the DNR officer about how much fun they had giving the Gov of IL a speeding ticket in his fancy boat.
Comment by Hamilton Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 11:51 am
Geneva Lake and Lake Geneva are separate lakes my fellow flatlanders. Wonder when JB is going to change his residency to WI for tax purposes.
Comment by BoSox Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 12:22 pm
Have to say JB had good taste in boats.
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 12:24 pm
If Rauner had that boat, these commenters would be losing their spit.
Comment by Token Conservative Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 1:50 pm
===If Rauner had that boat, these commenters would be losing their spit.===
If Rauner had this boat he’d call it a “garbage can boat” and deny its value, saying “it’s a small boat, I’m thrifty, had it for decades”
So, there’s that.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 1:51 pm
==The real news story is, does Pritzker’s Don Don have a toilet?==
That would be the “John Don”…
(sorry)
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 1:59 pm
The only surprise here is that the Trib didn’t slam him for using a private boat in lieu of a DNR owned garbage scow.
Comment by oh? Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 2:01 pm
Breaking News From The Tribune: J.B. Pritzker owns an expensive house. “Be sure to subscribe today for this and other important news of the day”
Comment by Bourbon Street Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 2:46 pm
….”JB was rightfully pilloried for that action by foe and friend. Perhaps that’s why he paid the money back.”
A bank robber is always willing to give the money back after he gets caught.
Comment by Downstate Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 3:39 pm
Nice boat, governor. My lottery dream boat was a Chris Craft… Until now.
Comment by Cheswick Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 4:14 pm
===If Rauner had this boat he’d call it a “garbage can boat” and deny its value, saying “it’s a small boat, I’m thrifty, had it for decades”===
And we’d also have to endure him wearing a captain’s costume, like Ted Knight in Caddyshack.
Comment by Nick Name Tuesday, Jul 2, 19 @ 4:17 pm
We come on the Sloop J B
My grandfather and me
Around Nassau town we did roam
Drinking all night
Got into a fight
Well I feel so broke up
I want to go home…
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Jul 3, 19 @ 9:05 am