TOPIC: Garfield Wood Tiller Steering Boat.

Hi out there, I have just acquired a rare custom Gar-form Tiller Steering Boat, owned by Garfield Wood himself. It was in storage since the late 60's. It is in need of restoration. I am looking to sell it or info on restoring it and looking for a Garwood flag. Can anybody help me on more history on this?

Articles have been published on Garform fiberglass boats in the Boathouse magazine on several occasions. www.acbs-bslol.com . Dave Doner has one and he has done a fair amount of research and written a number of articles.

The Antique Boat Museum at Clayton, NY (NOT the Antique & Classic Boat Society) has tons of Gar Wood materials. Tony Mollica has donated most of everything he has ever gathered on Gar Wood to the Museum.

There are several books published on Gar Wood. There was a connection with Chris Smith pre-1922, therefore any history of Chris-Craft that discusses the pre-1922 work will have information on Gar Wood.

Andreas

G: This is quite interesting story .. I know the present owners / builders of the Gar wood name at this time . They are in Bryant Lake , upstate New York . or one of the book authors on the subject is Anthony Mollica .

. If you have a flag picture , most any E-bay vendor can sew. I know a nice lady out of VA. What city / state are you located.
Gray color almost looks Military hull .?

Hi GWSO1,

I have a 1940 Gar Wood Custom Utility. (thought is was a 39 till Tony Mollica set me straight!) Do you have any idea of the year built of your boat? Or have you found the hull #? Hull numbers can be stamped in a number of places, mine has it on the front seat and one of the engine supports. I've worked with Michael Gomes on updating the Gar Wood registry in the past so I have some info on hull numbers and boats. On Gar Wood boats the hull number is somewhat indicative of the year built, at least the year the hull was made. The hull number of our boat is 6442. The hull was made in 1939 but it's a 1940 boat. I really don't know anything about the Garform in paticular, but anything I can do to help, I gladly will.

Jerri

Me again,

I just found this on bigfinboats.com The question was..... Is Garform a part of the GarWood company. The answer:

"Yes/No.

Garwood Junior started the Garform Boat Company. The company started in Wagoner Oklahoma and later moved to Tulsa Oklahoma.
They were making Radar Dish or something like that and then decided to make boats. Garwood Sr did give some advice as far as I have been able to read so far.

Garform started making boats in the late 40's (1949 for sure) through 1958 or so. I have seen pics of the 1949 that Paul Showman raced until he was 87. He lived here in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and the boat has been restored by a person here in Broken Arrow. So that is the 49. By the way the number on the side of the boat was 49 also and was a two tone green. I have seen two 58 garforms in the 16 foot length and one 18 foot.

Hope to learn a lot more in the future as the person I am purchasing this from has a ton of knowledge on the Garforms"

Maybe Googling "Garform boats" will provide more info.

Jerri

The firm was called Wood Engineering not Garform Boat Company. They were a fiberglass products producer in Oklahoma. Garfield A. Wood, Jr. started the firm.

And yes, it was a completely seperate entity from Garwood Boats, which made wooden boats in Michigan.

I doubt that the serial number/hull ID of the fiberglass boats fit the same scheme as the wooden baots made by a different company.

I have some information on both firms but alas it is all packed away ready for my move in a couple of weeks.

But your best source of information is Tony Mollica and his archives which are at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY (NOT the Antique & Classic Boat Society).

Andreas