What Iz It? Mr Hass Wants To Know!
Itz made of wood!
Fellow Woody Boater Don Hass picked this little varnish sucker up a month ago and is wondering WhatIz It? Now….. this is Dons first woody… insert awkward giggle here….. Ok, back to aduthood, anyway this is Dons first foray into this. And is not just asking what it iz, but I am sure some will have some opinions on it. Here is Dons note to us all. Take it away Mr Hass.
A couple of months ago I picked up a “free” mahogany outboard runabout from Craig’s List here in southern Oregon. Initially I thought it was a 50/60s vintage based on the Evinrude controls that were on the boat. It seems however, the boat is from the 30s based on the oval steering cutouts on either side of the transom and that it is a batten/seam construction, Airondack style seats . The planking seems to be in pretty good condition. The deck needs to be completely replaced though. I am currently in the process of replacing the inner plywood transom and transom knee and various other parts I found back there.
I have attached a couple of pictures in hopes of finding out what I have. The cutwater is quite distinctive, have not seen another like it in my internet browsing This is my first wooden boat, hope my learning curve keeps up.
Thanks, Don Haas
Medford, Oregon
It’s a Asket Ace ?
Thanks for your reply. I Googled Asket Ace and couldn’t find anything. Do yo possibly have any additional info? In the meantime I’ll keep looking.
Add a B to asket, and a C to ase. It’s *possible* someone is joking with you. Welcome to WoodyBoaterville!
Sorry but that’s funny. ?
We need more of that right about now. Very clever KW.
Sorry Don, early morning fun ?
Was suppose to read Asket Ase
The unique cutwater will be the best clue. I have no idea, but somewhere that design may show up in an ad or feature on a manufacturer. I’m guessing the helm was in the aft cockpit originally – the holes in the panel look about right for it and that is the only way one could keep the old outboards running…
Neat boat – good luck!
Your right about the rear cockpit set up for steering. The steering wheel that came with the boat is a Vollrath. Aluminum with a black ring and two spokes. Don’t know if it the original or not.
Vollrath is a company that makes machines and parts from various materials for various industries. Mostly now, they make aluminum and stainless steel items for the foodservice industry. Your steering wheel is likely a generic stock part they made, or it may have come from another machine altogether. Might have started life as a control wheel for a large dough mixer!
If its set up for an outboard. What are the rectangles on the transom for?
The rectangles are for the steering cables that mount to the outside of the motor.
So, it seems that my learning curve is going to be a little steeper than I first imagined. However in my Googling I found a very similar looking boat called ???? Ace. Thanks for that anyway.
I don’t think the steering wheel came off a mixer. It’s attached securely to a cable pulley setup – just like a real boat.
I don’t know what it is but either the cut water was refastened or added later on it the boats life since it is held on with phillips head screws that showed up I believe post war. Another hint is the planks seem to be nailed on not screwed on.
The cutwater is attached with Frearson screws. The planks are cinch-nailed to the battens and attached with Frearson screws to the frames, spaced about 14 inches. I ruined quite a few screws with a phillips bit before I learned.
“A later cross drive system referred to in ANSI standards as Type 2 recess. It was developed by an English inventor named Frearson and was produced from the late 1930s to the mid 1970s by the former Reed & Prince Manufacturing Company of Worcester, Massachusetts (was liquidated in 1990 with the sale of company assets). Today it is mostly referred to as Frearson but occasionaly still by its former name of Reed & Prince. This drive is very similar to a Phillips but has a more pointed 75 degree V shape. It is found mainly in marine hardware. The tool recess is a perfect cross, unlike the Phillips head, which is designed to cam out.
http://www.instructables.com/id/When-a-Phillips-is-not-a-Phillips/step9/Reed-amp-Prince-or-Frearson/
I had one very similar to yours that I offered to a good friend. He turned it down as he said he no longer heated with wood.