Extreme Small Boats & Yachts: Retro Coolness

"QUANTUM SHOT" #838 Link - article by Avi Abrams "I'll Float Away in Glory..." I'll Float Away, Hallelujah! Summer is all around us, and the prospect of boarding a neat boat (or yacht) for a breezy cruise seems mighty fine and dandy... with all these ideas and day-dreaming material in this article, you'll be all set to fantasize, or even start planning to turn some of these dreams into reality. We will start with some vintage "boating dream" advertisements, which often combined great private boat imagery with beer and happy smiles all around - (1950s ad for the Corby's Whiskey; and advertisement for the Johnson's motors) Streamlined and Shark-Finned Vintage Boats and Yachts Here is a lovely photograph of a Q.E.D. streamlined yacht from the pages of "LIFE" magazine, 1938: (images via 1, 2) This beautiful boat was designed by William Atkin for the Dutch aviation pioneer and aircraft manufacturer Anthony Fokker. It only lasted two seasons and then sunk due to a fire incident; it did however, participate in the New York Yacht Club cruise in 1938. Another beautiful boat from the 1950s is the Cadillac Sea Lark - a neat fiberglass boat with space-age shark fins, advertised as a "sweetest boat afloat". Interestingly, the legendary shark fins appeared on this boat in 1956 - first time on any consumer product - several years before the shark fins on the 1959 Cadillac. The boat was designed by Brooks Stevens and displayed a the 1956 New York City Boat Show (see video): (images via 1, 2) This October 1945 boat was cleverly advertised as the "Rewards of Victory!" - a smooth progression from powerful war-time military boats to similarly impressive pleasure craft: (image via) More wonderful wooden goodness: check out these Chris Craft boats for the 1948: One of the neatest and most charming retro wooden boats: this one was spotted at Loch Fyne in Scotland: (image credit: Timothy Monger) Vintage boat illustrations from Soviet Russia This wonderful picture from Soviet "Tekhnika Molodezhi" magazine is the catamaran icebreaker and tanker ship combination: (via Tekhnika Molodezhi, Russia) Another great cut-away image shows the Netherlands-owned ocean research catamaran vessel "Duplus", built in 1969 and serving as a diving support ship and seabed drilling standby vessel: (via Tekhnika Molodezhi, Russia) "God's Tear" from 1983 - boat smashed to pieces, owner rescued from probable death Will you cross the Atlantic in this little thing? This diminutive boat has a unique shape and is pretty sturdy - its builder Wayne Dickinson did just that, crossed the Atlantic from Massachusetts to Ireland in 1983. "Unfortunately, his beautiful boat was smashed to pieces when he was driven ashore at Arranmore Island in a force 10 gale after 142 days. Luckily, an Irish lighthouse keeper, Charlie Boyle, rescued him from probable death" - (image via) Another interestingly-shaped retro boat is "Vraad" from 1904 - built by Ole (Abe) Brude. "This gaff rigged steel lifeboat was sailed with a crew of three from Norway to Boston in 162 days. It was reported to be "shaped like an English Walnut." - (image via) Speaking about strangely shaped boats, perhaps nothing could beat this duck boat, which shipbuilder Christian Bohlin sailed across Stockholm harbor in 2011: (image via) We will continue shortly with the next part, featuring modern fantastic boats and even super-luxurious yachts of the rich and mighty. Stay tuned. Article by Avi Abrams, Dark Roasted Blend. CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE! -> Also Read "PLEASURE BOAT & RV VEHICLE COMBINATION!" -> Read the rest of our popular "BOATS & SHIPS" category ->