TOPIC: 100 years old!

Here's a really cute little 1915 cruiser that was at the Mt. Dora show this past weekend:

Reminds me of my father in law. That was his "style".
Beautiful.
Thanks for sharing.

Lovely lines missing on today's pop out of a shell, can't tell one from the other models.
Something about the aroma of old varnish and the soothing creaking sound that they emit at anchor will just lull one into complete relaxation. Forget the smell of the oily bilge...that don't count

The most unique ship at the show!

If I'm not mistaken it is powered by a 22hp diesel engine. It sounded really cool when under power.

Does the stainless pipe go down to a potbelly stove?
Three steam whistles on the roof are neat as well.

Yes, the stove pipe is connected to a little stove. This boat was at the ACBS show in Seneca, SC about 5 years ago, same docks where I berthed the Elco 57...five miles from my house. It was "for sale" but I could never get the guy to give me a price. He never did launch it and at the end of the show, he took it back to Florida. I was ready to buy it on the spot. I noticed the same owner's name on the display card at Tavares so obviously he decided to keep it.

To ALL,

When I lived (and was stationed) in MD, I came within an hour of buying a 62 foot, circa 1916 "Bay Built" in GREAT shape. = While I was gone to the bank to get the $$$$$$, the administrator of the estate sold it to a cousin for HALF of my offer.
(I was NOT happy.)

Note: Less than 18 months later, the new owner sunk the MV MINNIE S. on the way to SC.

yours, satx

That sucks! Sorry for your loss. I always carry a $100 bill in my wallet to close deals. The cash deposit ties up the deal until I can get to the bank. I've "skunked" other buyers at least three times with $100 deposits: 1958 Chevy coupe, 1965 Buick Riviera and a 1947 Chevy woodie wagon. A $100 receipted cash deposit beats a "be back" every time.

By the way, when I got home after depositing $100 on the 1958 Chevy Impala and right in the middle of my wife chewing my butt for buying it, a guy called me up (who had arrived at the car five minutes after I left) and offered me double what I paid. I asked my wife what she wanted me to do. She said, "What's it worth?" I replied, "At least triple." She said, "Don't sell it!" Women! I sold it for a little more than triple a year later.

Nautilus,

What's worse (especially for those of us who value our nation's marine heritage) is that the MV MINNIE S. was one of the few privately-owned vessels that, during WWII, were "re-powered", "lightly armored" & armed (with WWI-era heavy MG & other WWI weapons) against the German Navy by the USCG. She was also "an active participant" in the MD/VA Oyster Wars.

When that "clueless moron" took her out into offshore waters in bad weather, without proper seamanship skills and/or preparation and she went down in deep water, a significant piece of our Republic's history was irretrievably lost forever.
(Also, I lost the MV that I had planned to live aboard on the Bay.)

yours, satx

I absolutely hate it when owners have no respect for history or the importance of antique vessel preservation. I also have a very sad story. Get out your handkerchief...

Here is a photo (click for larger image) of "Matriarch," our 1940 Elco 57' motor yacht which I restored over a period of 18 months full time work. (As an amateur restorer, 2004-2005)




We used it in our wine and cheese cruise business on Lake Keowee, SC. In 2012, it was sold to a guy with too much money and about zero knowledge or experience, after he had a complete survey done and a diver's inspection of the bottom. He sent someone down to handle things for him...an idiot. He hired a crane to lift it from the lake which they did with just two straps and no spreaders. I protested but I no longer owned the boat. It was lifted at about a 15 degree angle, stern down and why it didn't slip out of those two straps is a miracle. Then it was loaded onto a truck, which the idiot also hired, and set down at about a 10-15 degree list to starboard with 1/2 the boats weight at the bow sitting on a steel plate about 6" x 12". Keep in mind that the boat had been in the water for 7 years. The truck rounded a 90 degree left turn at about 30 mph (I was following) and I thought the whole nine yards was going to end up in the Waffle House parking lot. Somehow, it stayed on the truck. When we arrived at the storage area, the truck was unhooked from the trailer and away they went. The boat weighed about 80,000 lbs. I would guess that at least 30,000 lbs was sitting on that steel plate. In the week that followed, the boat sunk down into that steel plate by about 18", breaking the keel in half and most of the forward ribs, buckling the galley floor and basically destroying the nicest galley in an antique boat you're ever likely to see. Eventually, they removed the trailer, chocked the boat and sent down some guy to try to repair the damage, which required totally gutting the entire galley of everything, including the flooring. I heard from a third party that the estimate to do all structural repairs properly came to $940,000. That was three years ago and since then, I have been able to find ZERO information about the yacht...no posts, photos, announcements, restoration plans...nothing. I believe it has been destroyed. Of course, you could argue that it was destroyed sitting on that trailer. Only seven Elco 57s were ever built. Of those, mine was one of the three extant.

The restoration photo log of "Matriarch" can be seen here: www.nautilusrestorations.com/main/1940-elco-57/

A video of the shakedown cruise can be seen here:

Nautilus,

I could have gone all week W/O your SAD story.

The MV MINNIE S was NEVER designed for operating in the open Atlantic Ocean, being rather shallow-draft. = Her demise made me (and a bunch of other MD/VA/DE "boat-folks", too) physically ILL.
(The Bay is MOSTLY shallow, so "bay builts" are generally shallow-draft.)

Fyi, the clueless FOOL who took her "far "out on the salt" nearly lost him life to Davy Jones, too, as he had NO proper life-raft.
(Several brave USCG folks risked their lives "retrieving" him in a storm, as well.)

yours, satx

Sorry guys I'm late to this. Very sad stories in deed. I had the chance to get a free Elco that was advertised on here by G3Jim, unfortunately I had no way to get it from Connecticut to here. Probably a good thing by the way the Admiral is acting with just the 18' Century. lol I cant remember how Long she was I believe it was in the 50's. Someone had modified her and put a fly bridge on top. (Boo) I don't know if anyone actually picked it up, it may be kindling now also.

Bob