Should We Have A Zoom Call For Zoomer?

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Is this the key to unlock the truth of ZOOMER? It’s all I could find on the internet. Anyone have info on Welch Brothers?

A couple days ago we did a classic Whatizit story for Zoomer, and you all came up with some amazing insights. Bo Muller chimed in “My best guess is a Welchcraft. The Welch brothers sold lots of kit boats in the 20’s and 30’s Lots were inboards.”

Jim Grant with a link to some — RABBIT HOLE ALERT,—- Its a deep dive. Motorboating Magazines stories on kits back in the 20’s HERE.

 

Before MotorBoating was Motorboating. Times change.

Now behind the scenes on the “I’m Bored Of Directors” email chain, Troy and Chad pointed out there is no way some of the old photos are Zoomer, BUT in fact are the row boat pictured. For the record, I used those old photos from a previous story on Zoomer. I did not notice the detailed differences.

This photo says alot

Here is Chads comment “The boat in the shop has deck frames. The boat next to Zoomer on the water is a row boat. Look at the saw horse in the completed photo and in the build photo. Look to be the same design”.

Troys art work

Troy NOT TOYE BTW….Said “Went back today to check in on the Zoomer story and I see that BrianT claims that they are the same boat. And after looking through the pics of the story again I think I found the boat that the man is standing next to in the build pic. Take a look at these pix. In particular the soft chime, the way the amount of tumblehome on the stern, and the way the stem protrudes the deck (red circle in both pics). Not sure if this discussion is worth another story, but as far as I am concerned this is the boat in the build pic.”

The Row Boat, with Troys art work

And then Paul Harrison said.. NOTE, the shortest conversation Paul has EVER said.. But cracked me up. “Anything that aggravates Toye is to be encouraged and in fact, celebrated.….”

Brain T has done amazing work to preserve ZOOMER for sure

NOTE TO ALL. BrianT enjoys the back and forth and he not shy to get into an internet battle. Like M-fine. Poking the Tiger is part of the fun. We all have our rolls here in this ongoing sitcom I suppose. I do know this, if we all were sitting around a table, the laughter would be filling the room.

The only Zoom calls I like. Thanks Mike Mayer for the laugh

There ya have it, the ship behind the scenes, and an inside look at how we are just a family of a bunch of folks having fun at each others expenses. On my end of it all I was on Zoom calls from 8AM yesterday until 8PM, yes 12 hrs of solid business calls. I was doing them from the railway while others helped with Sweet Pea. Money in, and Money out. It was needless to say a day of Zooms stuff. And those Bored Of Directors emails and comments on WB cracked me up and kept it all fun. So, today we keep this going. WHAT IZ IT? Do we have a final consensus? Other than aggravating BrianT seems to be part of the fun for some. But they did help!

21 replies
    • Rick
      Rick says:

      Things boaters hate to hear. We’re out of hotdogs, have you seen the price of marine fuel and WHERE IS ALL THAT WATER COMING FROM!

  1. Gary W Van Tassel
    Gary W Van Tassel says:

    Further to my initial guess yesterday that Zoomer may be a Bay City kit I am attaching some catalog pages from the 1940 and 1949 catalogs. These are extensive catalogs some 50 or so pages.
    I scanned the covers and the section of the runabouts. Design 218 has similar profile and the telltale vertical transom. Back when Zoomer was built the design could have been different and 218 maybe a derivative of Zoomer design. The last page is of design 2235. I know this boat well as I grew upon it, it was my dad’s. Assembled in 1936 in Freeport, NY. My dad owned it from 1948 until the late 80’s just before he passed.

  2. Troy somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
    Troy somewhere in the swamps of Jersey says:

    OK Chad!

    You got me on the deck frames, but the saw horse, REALLY?!?

    I would suspect it is the same shop and builder so of course they are using the same saw horse! GEE WIZZZ!

  3. Chad
    Chad says:

    You have gotten your signals crossed. I never said the old shop photos weren’t Zoomer. I was debating Troy’s claim that the boat in the shop photo was the “row boat” in the yellow circle photos.

    I’d listen to Gary, he seems to be headed down the right path.

    NEVER follow Troy down any path.

  4. briant
    briant says:

    Wow. A lot of great new information and insights.

    The family told me that the boat in the old photos being built was Zoomer. Could in fact be the rowboat off to the side. I was just relaying what was said to me. Nothing here is etched into the bedrock.

    To quote Jed Clampett, “Im gonna have ta study the situation.”

    And what the hell did I ever write or say to the Cussin Canadian to get his purple panties in a bunch?

    Seriously, I do really appreciate all of this info as we have been searching for quite some time now as to what the hell Zoomer is. Bumping into the builder’s son at last weekend’s boat show and him swearing that it was from a kit renewed the search.

  5. Mark
    Mark says:

    I also think that Gary is on to sumtin’.

    The fore deck on Zoomer is very flat as are the boats in the scanned images.

  6. Tommy Holm
    Tommy Holm says:

    William and James Welch started Century Boat Co. in Milwaukee, Wisc. In 1926. William was a naval architect. Their father had sold a Chicago bus line and they had plenty of money. In 1929 Century was sold and moved to Manistee, MI. William continued in the boat business in Milwaukee and developed an extensive parts catalog with included 27 boat plans and advertised “build your own boat”.. Often the company was referred to as White Cap boats or JB Welch, inc.

  7. Jim G
    Jim G says:

    You can’t go by stem height. There are made longer then they nee to be. Because they are attached to the strong back when the hull is being built. Then depending on what type of boat they might by left tall or cut down so the deck covers them.

    Also if it was an open like the one pictured. Then the hull being built thats pictured wouldn’t have front deck beams and carlins that help form the support for the covering boards.

    • briant
      briant says:

      Just counted the front deck beams – same number as in the old photos.

      I am sticking with the boat on the side as being Zoomer.

      Same carlins as well.

  8. Jim G
    Jim G says:

    Also Vol 7 is the book you want if your after the really neat plans. Also the hardest one to find. It has the most Hacker plans. Including the Miss APBA boat that a lot of people have built over the years.

  9. m-fine
    m-fine says:

    I spent 7:30 until 1:00 on zoom calls this morning. Nearly missed this story. Would prefer not to have another one this century!

    I think the family is lying to BrianT. Zoomer is a counterfeit antique built by Mike Mayer just over 10 years ago and carefully reliced. The photos are all photoshop deep fakes.

  10. briant
    briant says:

    M-fine’s bit holds no water.

    I have owned and had in the garage, Zoomer since 2006 June. Mayer builds perfect boats, and this baby aint perfect. And it has been at least since 2006 that I have ticking off folks like the Cussin Canadian. I guess.

    Oh, and I know of another wood boat owner that used to jump out of this boat as a kid when the owner / builder used to go down the lake at full tilt….and this guy is old.

    Oh and I have sending money to Hagerty since 2006 too!

  11. briant
    briant says:

    Gary’s #218 is very close and perhaps the numbers from 1929 to 1940 or so would have changed.

    Zoomer:
    Length 17’ 9”
    Beam 5’ 10”
    Freeboard bow 2’ 4”
    Freeboard aft 1’ 6”

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