It’s Time To Play Another Round Of, “Look What’s In My Drawers”

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It’s been a while since we had some fun in our drawers and showing all our goodies to fellow Woody Boaters. Today Bob Kays from Lake Hopatcong would like to start today out by showing us his goodies. Let her rip Bob!

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Bob found this cool brochure of a Fantail. Designed by Mr Johannes Plum.. Wait, is that Professor Plum? Right here on Woody Boater?

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60 mph! Yikes thats fast. Here is the letter to prove it. From a Mr Horenburger! not to be confused with Hornblower, a captain who lives in literature, unlike Professor Plum who lives in Games.

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OK, wonder how it got its name? Now you know. Right about now there is some guy with a grey pile of wood in his backyard screaming at the screen, THATS MY BOAT! THATS WHAT IT IT? I thought all that stuff was added later. THATS IT, MARGE, LOOK ON WOODY BOATER! THATS MY BOAT. Yup new reader, its even grey just like yours.

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It even anchors

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YIKES! Thats alotta boat going that fast

Thanks again to Bob for showing us his fantail in his drawers today. Anyone else want to share?

17 replies
  1. Troy in ANE
    Troy in ANE says:

    WOW! All the stuff in my drawers is boooooooring compared to Bob’s drawers.

    My deduction is that it was Professor Plum, in the Fan Tail, with 4K pounds of lead pipe.

  2. John Rothert
    John Rothert says:

    Ok, so in the small print on the cover page we see that this testimonial was the work of a “syndicate”….in the Big Apple Oh Oh!
    and then we see it originated on “Madison Avenue”..(an address well known to our fearless leader)….so factor that in.
    But whoa…..then there is the deposition by the MIT guy and the Navy man…..can’t go wrong there. 60 MPH! That was really getting down water in those days and even now. Very neat stuff.
    Enjoy old literature like this period piece. Golden age of boat technology. Check your drawers……post more.
    John in Va.

  3. mike S
    mike S says:

    Plum was an early pioneer in stepped hull design and the use of adjustable trim planes. The Fantail was 38 ft long and had about 500 hp according to an article in the Apr/May 2004 issue of Professional Boatbuilder. She was built by Purdy Boat Works on Long Island in 1927 and weighed around 12,500 lbs when empty. 63 mph was attained with 24 people on board. A 2″ step combined with the air-actuated adjustable whale tail increased lift and dramatically reduced the wetted surface of the hull making the high speed possible. Wish I knew what the power plant was.

  4. John Rothert
    John Rothert says:

    wow! unreal speed with all that weight of people. Sounds like the power plant was an Atlas rocket!

    John in Va

    • mike S
      mike S says:

      Found it!
      The power was a Wright Typhoon which was a 1950 cubic inch V-12 aircraft conversion that weighed in at around 2000 lbs. 525 hp at 2200 rpms with 5.3 to 1 compression ratio.
      Helen A, a 1939 Hacker 33′ runabout achieves the same 63 mph speed with the same power plant, but with much less weight and a more traditional hull.
      This stuff is so cool!

  5. Dick Dow
    Dick Dow says:

    Notice there are no pictures of it turning at speed… That could give an entirely new meaning to “catching an edge”! Interesting.

    • Briant
      Briant says:

      $805 in 1941 dollars is about $13,500 in 2016 dollars….so where can I buy a brand new CC for that amount of cash today?

  6. Brian Robinson
    Brian Robinson says:

    I can envision the fate of this one like that of Miss Dee-Wite II with the aft 8 feet chopped off and the remainder turned into a fishing boat.

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