vintage runabouts

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DuckDogTitus

New member
how many of you have had some classic runabouts or still do? I'd love to see them. I am always fascinated by the old fin fiberglass boats, and the classic wood chris craft style runabouts.

Some days a little runabout seems like just the ticket to enjoy a 90F day on the water :)
 
I don't own a classic, currently (did own a 1958 Zin Craft a long time ago).
The photo below is from the navigators seat in a 1982 26 foot Streblow.
This belongs to one of our very best friends, and we get a ride in it each time we go to Pickwick Lake in Tenn. It lives in a boat garage, on a railroad. You get in the boat via a staircase and platform, and push the remote control, the boat is lowered into the water, another click and it decouples from the cradle, and then the cradle is pulled back up out of the water. After the run, the cradle is backed into the water, click latch the bow, tighten the stern lines, and up your go--step out down the staircase.

The boat has 22 coats of varnish, and is completely chamois cleaned after each launch.

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The second photo is of a sister ship. On Lake Geneva when they are built.

MVC-002F-15.jpg

Love those classics--but the work to care for them…..way beyond my pay grade! Thank heavens for those who love them!
 
At one time in the distant past I had a 12'8" Aristocraft complete with fins and Johnson 35. Pretty snazzy. Being young, a genius and immortal I took it to Catalina island :shock:
 
Not a runabout, but we had a 1956 Bell Boy 16' Express with twin 25 hp outboards for a number of years, originally built in my home town of Bellingham WA. In many ways it was similar to the 16 C-Dory. Not sure how to insert photos here but they have been added to my album.
 
Carpy,
What a collection!--eclectic and beautiful to say the least! Love the concept of a "dog boat" It brought back many memories for me. I learned to water ski on a boat very similar to your resorter--had a 60 hp Grey Marine as I recollect. I owned a 14 foot Wolverine, with a 25 hp Johnson, which is very similar to your Penn Yan Swift.

Photo below of a restored Wolverine, appears to be the same model I owned.

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The Wolverine is very similar to the Yellow Jacket in my pics. The hull was made of laminated birch plies. They were very strong and many of them are still in use. A company in Canada made the hulls, bundled them without transoms and shipped them to boat builders all over the country who finished them differently. There was a huge boom in recreational boating after WW2 that developed with post war economy and the more powerful and reliable outboard motors.
The Switzers were first built in the basement of a department store near Chicago.

The Penn Yan was built much like a canoe with light oak ribs and cedar planking covered with canvas.

In the fifties people were starting boat companies almost like they are opening breweries today. For a fun look at these boats have a gander at :
http://www.fiberglassics.com

Carpy
 
Thanks on the information on the laminated hulls. I had wondered about why there were several hulls which were similar. I bought the Wolverine in 1958 and there was already some rot near the transom (that was how I could afford the $50 for the hull! I built the trailer, and got the outboard as a "non runner" for another $100. No major issues, needed a water pump, carb cleaning and new plugs). I had to laminate a few pieces of veneer to "cure" the rot. I had a fair amount of experience with resorcinol glues, and just had to figure out how to clamp the wood until the glue set up.
 
I love vintage boats! it takes me back to my days as a teenager. I think I spent more time trying to get the worn out outboards running again, but Ill never forget cruising the lakes in that old glass.

Wooden boats are so beautiful but I don't have the time and patience to own one.

My favorite old boats were made by Skagit Plastics of LaConner in the 1950s and 60s. ive never owned one but I always admire them when I see a nice one.

The annual La Conner vintage boat and car show is a cool place to check out some old boats and yachts. Its August 9th this year.
 
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