It’s Time To Play, What Iz It….With A Twist And A Whole Lotta Name Dropping!

Jayne Grant Boat Image

Hull number look familiar?

We got this wonderful email from fellow Woody Boater Geoffrey Reynolds for Jayne Grant requesting info for a friend (Carol Prell) on a long lost boat of her dad. All she has is this photo. Eeeeeouch! It’s a needle in a hay stack, But…. hey…ya never know. Ya can’t find out if you don’t ask, and this is the place to ask. So here we go, all the tips we have.. And they are kinda all over the place..From one of Geoffreys contacts,  Geofry and David Scholten think the boat most looks like a 1946-1949 Chris-Craft 16′ Special Runabout (Rocket). Here is a link to Rocket info on the ACBS site.

Herre is the Chris Craft Rocket from the ACBS site.. mmmm????? Could be??? Maybe,

Herre is the Chris Craft Rocket from the ACBS site.. mmmm????? Could be??? Maybe,

So.. What do you think? AND, is there anyone that knows the original owner? Or history of the boat? I told you.. Needle in a hay stack!

Take it away Jayne

Matt,  unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of additional information for you.  The picture you have is the only one.  Her dad’s (Carol Prell) name (deceased) is Frank Williiams.  His home was in Holland, MI.  Boating would include Lake Macatawa (Holland) and Lake Michigan.  Also, to/from, around the Saugatuck MI area.  She is not sure, but possibly he kept it at a marina on the south side of Lake Mac.  It would appear the picture was taken on a car ferry*.  He sold the boat around 1949, prior to getting married. He used the money to buy property and build a home.

Here is a blow up of the numbers

Here is a blow up of the numbers

*At that time there was not a Mackinaw Bridge.  Car ferries shuttled between the Lower and Upper Peninsulas.  Frank did live in the UP for a time as a boy.  Other possibilities would include a ferry to/from Wisconsin.
Jayne
/27 Comments/by
27 replies
  1. Al Benton
    Al Benton says:

    An awsome old photo! The cars appear to be post-war vintage. The boat appears to a 16′ Special Runabout. The Rocket model of early 1947 was blue with a rocket ship on the side.

  3. Wilson
    Wilson says:

    Ask young Chris Smith….He’s lived in Holland forever……On the other hand some from UP like Tom Flood might know.

  4. RiverRat
    RiverRat says:

    The big marina at the end of Lake Mac before the channel out to the big lake is Eldean’s now but beforwe that it was Jessick’s I believe. As far as the boat i have no idea. Before my time. Maybe the guys at Macatawa boats works would know? Long shot!

  5. Alex
    Alex says:

    So… this is for a guy, who’s asking on behalf of a friend, who’s asking on behalf of friend who is asking about something her father owned… right?

    Reminds me of this line from Ferris Beuller.

    “Um, he’s sick. My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it’s pretty serious.”

    But then, I’m ADD. So everything reminds me of everything.

    • m-fine
      m-fine says:

      That is so 80’s. These days, if Ferris got sick at 31 flavors in would be on twitter and Instagram and every teen in Illinois would see the pictures within minutes.

  6. m-fine
    m-fine says:

    Are you sure that is Bob Kays in today’s header photo? He looks um…a bit furry.

    Also, as far as I know, there still is no Mackinaw bridge in northern Michigan. Maybe Alex can investigate it and let is know.

  8. TommyHolm
    TommyHolm says:

    Definitely a car ferry, steel. I just spent three days on a carferry with the century boat club work projects. Didn’t see any speed boats just a lot of brass and wood work. Geoffrey probably asked old man smith and Ed Easter all ready they still hang out near lake Mac (black lake).

  10. Bob VandeVusse
    Bob VandeVusse says:

    I’ thinking this photo was taken aboard The Straits of Mackinac. It was the only ferry in the ’40s and ’50s that had any openings on the sides of the car deck. Lake Michigan car ferries had completely enclosed sides.

  12. Chuck Salmon
    Chuck Salmon says:

    This is mine, I got it when I was 12 years old it’s been in storage ever sense I worked on it for a short period of time. Looks identical to the one in the picture though same trailer and all.

    • Troy in ANE
      Troy in ANE says:

      So if you got it when you were 12 and it has been in storage ever since. How old are you now?

      Has it been 5 years or 50 years?

  14. steve bunda
    steve bunda says:

    Found this 16 foot special back in one of our storage buildings this morning. I purchased the chris craft years’ ago from a fella that wanted to make a bar out of it. He bought the boat from an older gentlemen that lived on Pewaukee Lake. I have the build sheet , R 16 961 shipped to Inland marine Sales, Williams Bay Wisc Shipped 6-4-48 via dealer truck.

  15. Chuck Salmon
    Chuck Salmon says:

    I bought this boat in 1995 from my guy in Irons Michigan I don’t recall where he originally was from it was downstate somewhere. He had it outside underneath a tarp follow holes and was basically falling apart. I got it and put it in dry storage started to work on it a little bit and it’s been sitting in a barn ever sense.

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