Accessible Show Winner, Winner, Rubber Chicken Dinner!

Like the day it was delivered. Drive it to a show, win and go Woody Boating! Done!

Thanks to Fellow Woody boater Dave Bortner from Freedom Boat Services, for sharing this fine example as proof that Classic Boating can be affordable and fun! Take it away Dave!

Flawless original interior

Perfect, doesn’t need anything, except your fat aft sitting on it!

Original down to the original name plate

1955 Larson, Johnson 25, note upholstery (perfect), stamp on seat bottom denoting “new wood preservative”,

cool original trailer, hasn’t been in the water for at least 20 years, bottom has been fiberglassed but appears to be a factory option,  and it fits in the newly-popular proletarian price category ($5,995), proof that even Freedom can find, and participate in, the accessible end of the market!

Original trailer!

Last registered (1992) as a 1955 model, Dane, does that look right to you? Looks older, but the Larson decal on the boat looks 1955?

Factory bung work

Clumsy MN numbers

Original Decal

Perfection

25 Johnson!

The place it was purchased?

Electric start.

So, here it is,  an easy affordable way to be a preservation snob at the fancy pants boat shows. You don’t have to spend a cent on any varnish, NOTHING! In fact if you do that you may destroy the value. It’s perfect just the way it imperfectly is! Just like you! You can start your journey into the passion of classic boating, RIGHT HERE, at Freedom Boat Service. Now, look around and see how far you can escalate your passion. But for now, you can get your fix with this Larson, that you don’t need to even fix!

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

    Nice Boat, and Freedom Boat Service is a great company to work with. What more can you ask for.

  2. floyd r turbo
    floyd r turbo says:

    Unmolested, nice. Wish I had my uncle’s Larson back. He sold it for $400 in the 70’s in Maine to someone from Florida, I think.

  3. floyd r turbo
    floyd r turbo says:

    I can remember about 58 years ago crammed into the front cockpit with my 3 cousins (me 8yrs old and my cousins about 5 yrs old helping hold an old canvas tarp down with my uncle navigating, full throttle across Sebago Lake in a driving rain storm and my Aunt Marilyn yelling, “you can’t see a damn thing” and my uncle yelling back over the engine noise and thunder claps, “no fool would be out in weather like this.” Lol. RIP Uncle Ralph, Larson’s had that telltale fairlead on the bow and this boat had a cockpit forward, bridge deck and open utility rear with engine box like a CC Rocket and I think it was strip planked mahogany not batten seam construction for topside anyway.

    • Dane
      Dane says:

      Floyd,
      That’s amazing. What was your Uncle doing with a Larson out in Maine?
      These did have very unique strip construction. The bottoms were similar to the Falls Flyer Inboard bottom.

      • Roger moberg
        Roger moberg says:

        Dane, That windshield was not original. Paul used the three brackets with flat panels. Inland was one of the biggest retail dealers. It is possible Inland, in that they were such a huge hardware dealer, might have taken delivery of the DSR-14 and added the hardware. Fo r the most part either Atwood or Perko was what was ordered when you ordered at the Boat Works. Cedar strip on the planking with the concave-into-convex edgeing, and quite possibly Port Orford cedar on the decking….Much like my ’57 same model. The glass coated bottom was called Armor Glass, another of Uncle Paul’s additions following many years with canvas, then interrupted with NO covering which resulted in many complaints (another story that takes too much space here), and then either factory new until the model was discontinued or done on a freebie recall. Rog Moberg (Larson cousin #6)

      • Roger Moberg
        Roger Moberg says:

        Hi Dane!
        Not quite “factory fresh” on the DSR-14 Larson. Please note the windshield. Uncle Paul used flat glass, 3 bracket (sorry I don’t know the manufacturer) 2 piece windshields. However, if that particular model was ordered from the Boat Works “naked”, or without hardware, in that it came from Inland Marine, they could have possibly put on their own brand/s of hardware they retailed. Inland was a huge distributor or supplier of marine hardware. However, boats coming direct from Larson were ordered with either Atwood or Perko hardware….catalogs which sat in the showroom for prospective customers to do their own “adds”. Another thing I’d question is the apparent “cap” on the aft end of the cedar strip planking as noted in the transom picture. I’ve never seen this on this model before.
        Re. the “fiberglass” below the water line there is an interesting story. Originally, many of the larger and more expensive models that were mainstays in the catalog had canvas covering at least below the waterline or spray rails. Obviously, this helped with “first time in the water seepage”. This idea was dropped for a couple of years at least on this model. Complaints came in! Paul decided to put on his “Armor Glass” layer where the canvas had been. This was standard but I can’t remember just which year it started though suspect it was about early 1950. He also volunteered a gratis retrofit for those who had complained about the “leaking”. That was his trade name for the glass treatment and you’ll find it ink stamped in the catalogs which covered several years of production.
        The Deluxe Speed Runabout (DSR-14) is still my favorite Larson! Love my ’57! Rog Moberg, (Larson cousin #6)

        • Dane
          Dane says:

          Roger,
          Thanks for chiming in. I was hoping to get your insight on this boat. Dave was going to check the front deck for center post screw holes.

  4. m-fine
    m-fine says:

    LOL, the problem with thinking you are the only person dumb enough to be out on the water is that there is ALWAYS someone dumber!

  5. Pete Johnson
    Pete Johnson says:

    My Son and I have a 1951 18 foot Larson Cabin Special that has the same stamp on the seat .

    • Dave Nau
      Dave Nau says:

      Another great example of how a small outboard boat can get you started. Also, besides ACBS, you can also join AOMCI and see a whole other wonderful side of classic boating.

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