Okay, You Started It, Bold Claim Week Most Beautiful Production Woody Boat Made? The Barrel Back? The Baby Gar? Everything From Canada?

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The 1941 19′ Chris Craft Custom Runabout, AKA The Barrel Back. And yes this was my boat

Yesterdays story may have confused many, when I meant BOLD styling, I didn’t necessarily mean nice styling. I qualified that for two reasons. One it can be rather subjective, and two, I can milk this theme for another day! So, here we go. This one is going to be a mess, which is ironic since its all about beauty.  I will start. WHY?, well because if I dont, there wont be a story today. THE BARREL BACK. Period, end of claim.

Those amazing lines. The absolute nicest version is the pig skin interior, and orange seams and boot stripes.

Even as a pile of twiggs, its basic design is perfection

The Barrel back came in 4 sizes. 16, 17, 19, 23 ft. With the 16’s being the first to appear. And yes that is a 17, 19 and 23 this would have been shot for the 1941 series. Note the 19, has just two bear claws and the snub nose. The 19 always just seemed like its lines were the most natural

Although, I will claim, the 16 is the nicest. Even from above. A work of art. Not that art….

They look amazing out of the water KATZS MARINA

You can even paint a skunk cutting a fart on it and they look good

But in the water. WOW.

Okay I could go on and on about the gauges, the parts. All of it. They all just come together in perfect harmony of this model. But, now you get a chance for your argument? Like I said, this could be an endless story, since about 99% of woody boats are amazing. Well? POKE POKE! JAB JAB

32 replies
  1. tparsons56
    tparsons56 says:

    Ok – I admit that I am prejudiced towards barrel backs. Years ago when I decided to enter the classic boat world I went to look at another classic boat when I noticed this 1941 19′ in the back and I was instantly drawn to her. After 10 years I still get a thrill every time I take her out. Only four months until she’s in the water again!

    Reply
  2. Troy in NC
    Troy in NC says:

    Maybe it’s just me, but the orange just does not seem quite right to me. Maybe I just don’t have that artistic eye.

    I am pretty sure Electra is a 1941 in the 27′ to 30′ range. Maybe Charlie in ME will chime in (He’s a lurker that doesn’t comment much)

    Reply
    • Greg on Indian Lake (currently Lake Dora)
      Greg on Indian Lake (currently Lake Dora) says:

      Electra appears to be a 1940 23ft. For 1940 orange deck seams with pig skin interior was standard on the 17 and 19 footers while the 23 and 27 models got the green/ green combo. There were special ordered variants. The 1940 25 sportsman also received the green/green treatment.

      Reply
    • floyd r turbo
      floyd r turbo says:

      This looks like the 28′ triple which is my favorite because it has much more eye pleasing tumble home than the 26′ triple whose transom sheer angle looks like they just moved the “cut line” 2 feet forward on the planking.

      Reply
  3. Matt
    Matt says:

    In fact I am tortured by them. Everytime my A.D.D kicks in Seth smacks me in the face and says I have the perfect boat. And then I just go droll elsewhere. This one on MORIN boats website is INSANE. And the one at last years Dora almost had me. There is also one up n NH for sale that that Bo and Kathy did, which hurts to click away from. AHHHH, Dam you Brock DAM YOU, now I wont be able to focus

    Reply
  4. Tim Robinson
    Tim Robinson says:

    Milgrom, the 19’ hanging in the slings at Katz’s is a boat that I restored over 20 years ago. I recognized it by the windshield that was a special order on this boat. The boats previous name was Good Grief and run on Tahoe for many years. A LA county Fireman friend of mine spotted the boat rotting under an oak tree in the Southern California foothills. The folks at Katz’s did a nice job on the refresh and possible bottom replacement. In the early days we were using door skin for the intermediate diagonals that did not hold up over time. We learn by our mistakes, all diagonals are now done with BS1088 certified marine plywood, sealed with smiths penetrating epoxy.

    Reply
  5. Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P )
    Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P ) says:

    Barrel Backs are just the coolest! BTW, if you are reading this , and this is your boat 👍 it is a beautiful boat. Takin in Hessel. I think in 2021

    Reply
  6. Ern Mink
    Ern Mink says:

    Damm! I missed out on yesterday’s conversation. I have been a U-22 believer all my life. My grandfather had a 1947 that I grew up with; later having Tom Cuthbertson restore in the early 1990’s. Today I have a 1946 U-22 that I restored in the image of my grandfather’s, the Camaleóna. I believe the U-22 is the best riding for Algonac’s North Channel.

    Reply
  7. Dennis J Mykols
    Dennis J Mykols says:

    While I like the barrel backs, the one Chris Craft style that caught my eye in that “oh man, someday ” moment was the mid-sixties CC Super Sport. In fact, I named her “STYLE”. From the pointed bow nose to the white sweeping wrap around sponson detail, the boat screamed 60’s STYLE.

    Reply
  8. floyd r turbo
    floyd r turbo says:

    How did they get that sheer plank to make that severe twist without splitting on the 16′. It surely would be easier on the longer 19 and 23 footer with the added length. But the shorter transom on the 16’s would make it the most difficult I would imagine.

    Reply
    • Mike Green
      Mike Green says:

      The original planks on the 16′ Hydro we very thin and were a bit over 1/4 thick. The whole boat was made very light. They used non-kiln dried wood as well to build the boat originally and had steam available. We replaced the sides of the boat with 3/8 planking and steamed the wood, also made special wood blocks that fit the profile to clamp with. We were wondering if it would crack but they never did.

      Reply
  9. Max Mueller
    Max Mueller says:

    I had a 1950 18 foot Century Vagabond that the Miklos family eventually did a fantastic restoration. I had maintained it myself for years but decided to have it restored by a guy who turned out to be a wood butcher. I put it away as I couldn’t stand to look at it and cried because I couldn’t undo the damage. I got rid of it and it ended up on eBay. Miklos boys brought it by Marble lake, put it in the water and allowed me to drive it again. I’m happy with my 1977 CC Supersport well built fiberglass boat with absolutely no structural wood cores to rot and reliable GM/CC V8.

    Reply
  10. Steven Anderson
    Steven Anderson says:

    While I love my Continental, my two dream boats would be a longer barrelback or a 19′ 1956 Capri. Those bigger sedans are also very cool.

    Reply
  11. Dane
    Dane says:

    The top of my list is populated with Hacker Designs.

    Mid 20’s Belle Isle Super Bearcat 30 (Sigrid, Ondine, Horace)
    Mid 20’s Hacker 32-33 foot triple (Rebel, Evangeline)
    1930 Hacker 30′
    Mid 30’s Hacker 28′ Triple (Seaflow, Shooting Star)

    Reply

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