Detroit Barn Find Three Years In The Making

Thanks to long time fellow Woody boater Mark Edminson who sent us in this cool story of a wonderful Classic Boat Barn find up in Detroit that was worth the wait. Woohooo, We are headed to Port Huron soon. Maybe we will find one! Take it away Mark

Three years ago while working storm duty patrolling for down wires, we headed down Alter Drive to the Detroit River. In this area there are small canals with  many run down boathouses and at the end of a small street was a small marina “.”   Sitting outside cover with many old tattered tarps she sat a 1940 25′ Red and White.  Totally in tack,  run done but not butchered. I greeted an old gentleman in the doorway of the shop. I asked if she was for sale. “Nope. I plan on restoring her”


I gave him my card and told him if you ever change your mind give me a call…
Three year later, last Christmas holiday I got a call  I guess I will let her go, said Richard the marina owner said.  I went the next day on a cold day on the river and climbed through her. Everything was there nothing missing. Inside his shop was some of the original hardware that had been remove and the original engine an MSR. the boat was delivered to Gregory’s Marine 1940 a few canals down where the original owner pick her up. She has never left this canal since.

(The old black & white photo was taken in the early 50’s) We picked her up and brought her back the Lexington.

 

15 replies
  1. Johnny V.
    Johnny V. says:

    Very cool! Love those boats! Curious about the engine-usually the “S” suffix is a “speed drive 1.5-1 reduction” and the R suffix is a 2-1 reduction. What exactly is a “MSR”?

  2. Kurt Van Conant
    Kurt Van Conant says:

    And the ole girl will get the proper face lift and reconstruction in Mark’s hands.
    Can’t wait to see the end result.

  3. JimF
    JimF says:

    Great to see another one saved. I have a 1940 model myself. There are not many pre-war models out there.

  4. Dick Dow
    Dick Dow says:

    Welcome to the Red & White club! Great to see another one discovered and being saved. I have a lot of information on these and will be happy to share – feel free to call/email.

  5. Ron in Seattle
    Ron in Seattle says:

    A shameless plug for my friend Mr. Dale. It is been brought to my attention that he knows more about red and whites than most anyone in the country.

  6. Don Palmer
    Don Palmer says:

    Here is the culprit Mr Dale errr I mean Mr Dow. He is a year older now and needs a haircut, but you would still recognise him.

  7. Stan Petersen
    Stan Petersen says:

    Can’t help but wonder if this boat was from the same neighborhood as Little Nell II,a 1946 model, originally owned by Dr. Dusty and Nell Rhodes. I had the pleasure of helping to give Little Nell II a second life. I sold her to a gent in CA, who then sold her to a family in NJ, where she still lives. Great boats!

  8. Glen
    Glen says:

    I grew up down there in the fifties and sixties the only place you would have seen more red and whites would have been the entrance or the exit of the factory. Between the little canals you speak of clink Island Harbor Island and then every Marina from there to the roostertail there would be a couple just about every location

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