Martin Smith Antique & Classic Boat Collection – Offered Exclusively By John Allen Marine Engines / St. Lawrence Restoration
Sadly Martin Smith died unexpectedly last month at the age of 51. He and his father Lou were big into boat collecting and restoring in the 1990’s prior to Lou’s death. And now the collection is for sale.
Though Martin lived in San Jose, California and many of his boats were there, he did all of his boating in the Thousand Islands, New York.The Smith family has an estate on Washington Island, near Clayton, New York. Because of this, half of his collection is in San Jose, and the other half in Clayton. The entire collection is being sold exclusively by Martin’s friend John Allen, of Allen’s Marine Engines in San Jose, California, and friend Don Price, of St. Lawrence Restoration in Clayton, New York.
Additional photos and information regarding this rare collection of boats and motors is currently being uploaded to the St. Lawrence Restoration website early this week. In fact they have been working through the weekend to make this happen. We will update when the site is live. The following is a current list of the boats offered from the collection, the contact information for both John Allen at John Allen Marine Engines and Don Price at St. Lawrence Restoration is listed below. This is what they would send you in an email if requested. If you don’t want to wait for the site and have a need for Al Capones boat, you might want to beat the crowds.
Martin Smith Collection
April 23, 2012
East Coast Boats
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1934 28’ Hutchinson triple cockpit (Spinster) with V-8 marine engine 302 cubic inch-original name NY Old Mole – We saw this boat getting refreshed when we were there picking up our top. Stunning boat..
1914 35’ Gilbert (Charmalee) Launch with original 6-cylinder Sterling engine
18’ St. Lawrence Skiff (year unknown) built by Gordon Kenyon
(Photo not available at press time)
1929 28’ Gar Wood 28-40 Raised Deck (Why Walk) (owned by Freyhoffer family in MA, originally purchased by R.W. Hollenbeck on Lake George) with 440ci Chrysler V-8, West System on bottom and sides. Hull number 293150
1928 39’ Robinson Seagull Commuter (Flying Cloud) originally built for Ransom E. Olds (REO) later sold to Al Capone. With 502ci Chevy V-8 engine Completely restored including modern bow thruster for easier handling. We did a story on this boat a couple years ago. Amazing stuff.
Al Capone in Flying Cloud
1921 24’ Hacker Race Boat (Miss Mary/Miss Katanning) with extremely rare Peerless 6-cylinder original racing engine. Predecessor racing boat to Miss Mary II/EL Lagarto
2002 35’ Clarion (Decked Out) with twin 350 cubic inch Chevy engine. Very elegant Custom built by Clarion Boats of Ontario, Canada
1929 24’ Chris Craft triple cockpit with Chrysler Hemi
(Photo not available at press time)
East Coast – Miscellaneous and Marine Engines
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4-cylinder Brennan Import with gas engine and transmission
Lee and Co. transmission rebuilt/Joe’s Gear completely rebuilt and new appropriate for Liberty or high horse power marine engine
12-cylinder Liberty V-12 aircraft engine 400hp, 1,650ci
West Coast Boats
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1938 28’ Gar Wood (Hey There V) with Scripps original V-12 engine. It was originally sold new at Obexer’s at Lake Tahoe – fully documented history since new. One of only 10 original Scripps V-12 powered 28-footers. Hull number 6042. One of only two 1938 model 28-footers
1954 26’ Greavette Streamliner with walk through cockpit with original Buick nail head V-8 engine
1925 29’ Rochester triple cockpit (Chuckle). This was the catalogue boat for the 1925 New York Boat Show. She accidentally sunk in the late 1920’s and was recovered in the 1980’s. Professionally restored to Concours condition including original type Hall-Scott LM-6 200hp 6-cyl engine. One of three in existence.
1936 18’ Electracraft electric launch built in Syracuse, NY (Brik-A-Brac)
1912 26’ Fry Launch with 4-cylinder Universal 4-cycle engine. An original boat to the Thousand Islands-much documented history
West Coast Engines
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Curtiss D-12 V-12 1,145ci Capitol marine conversion 435hp. Completely restored and on a display stand
Hall Scott LM-6 unrestored engine that turns over, 100% complete with unusual down draft carb set up. 200hp, 825ci
Hall Scott LM-6A older restoration in show condition. 225hp, 825ci
1915 Van Blerk 6 cylinder (might be stationary engine)
Scripps 202 6-cylinder. Completely restored including new pistons, valves, oil pump, water pump, gears and bearings. The block and heads have been ground and polished before paint. Probably the nicest restored 202 in existence. 200hp, 678ci
1920s Sterling Dolphin 6-cylinder 235hp, 1,052ci overhead valve, very rare large engine
2- Liberty V-12s in unrestored aviation condition. Each is mostly complete
Sterling T-head 4-cylinder stationary engine. Was a back-up power source for an electric lift bridge in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nice condition including a Sterling dash panel with script gauges
Chrysler Majestic 8-cyl early version with downdraft Holley DD-5 carburetor.
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For more information please contact –
Don Price at St. Lawrence Restoration at 315-686-5950, slr@boatrestoration.com (Don is in Clayton NY.)
or
John Allen at John Allen Marine Engines at 408-605-4910, allenoldmarine@aol.com (John is on the west coast in California)
.
Owning more boats might be nice, except I blinked and already missed summer this year. With only a week or two between winters, it is hard enough finding the time to use one boat!
Maybe I could find a way to use the Curtis D-12 to heat the garage or something.
I’ve got chills. What a remarkable collection!
RIP Mr. Smith…..a really nice guy, and a true “motorhead”.
Matt or Texx….. can you try to doa story on the 29ft rochester boat CHUCKLE before its sold….. underwater for sixty years??? Now that would be a story…. Think of the headlines. That wouldnt a BARN FIND that would be a ?????? Find.. some people have all the luck. Anyway this was a good story for the day
OK…I’ll bite….a “BARNacle” find?
On the Chuckel,not Chuckles as I thought for a while too,it was named after Chuck and Eloise.
It was underwater for 51 years and only about 1% of the original wood was actually used in the rebuilding. The wood was really really rotten.
But it was a real beauty as is the new Chuckel.
The hull number on the 28′ Gar Wood suggests that it was built in 1937.
This is a spectacular collection.
The hull was built in 1937, but was sold new to Obexer’s new in the spring of 1938 and recorded in the factory ledger as a 1938 model 836. Next to that was the model 746 crossed out. It has the cabinetry of a ’38, but the hull of a ’37.
I think “Classic Boating” did an article on “Chuckle” when it was found and recovered.
The 746 was the model number that indicated year, 1937, length and engine. Obviously when sold in 1938 they would change the model number. And they did change elements of their model indentification yearly. Hulls were pretty much the same for 1937 & 1938.
My boats model number is 723.
Anyone know where the 6 cyl Sterling Dolphin is currently 8/26/14