Cool "Pen Yan" Wooden Boat for sale in Columbus, Ohio

L

Larry Eckart

Well-known member
Guys (and Dani),
Check out this "Pen Yan" boat for sale. I've never heard of the company. Note the extra instruction on the name plate for safe boating. This is a neat looking piece of boater's art.

Larry

https://columbus.craigslist.org/boa/d/hilliard-boat-penn-yan-footer-wooden/7087605291.html
 
wow

never heard of Penn Yan [;)]

that's a car topper - I have one that is in rough shape- got it to restore but once I got the fiber glass off I am not sure it will make it

Penn Yan (named after the town) was on Keuka Lake in NY's finger lakes region

they made some beautiful wooden boats and Canoes - the company died off when fiberglass took over - they tried but never managed to compete in the modern material
 
I am familiar with them for their bigger boats, and the tunnel drive hull. The one I was aware of were in the 20-26 foot range and were straight inboards, I believe. A friends family had one when I was a kid at their summer house on Long Island. I have seen a few of them around over the years. I would think one of the NY state people here would know more.
 
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like I said - a builder of wood boats from canoes to larger boats

the model shown was the car topper, a cross in construction between a canoe and the bigger boats - a slightly heavier built row boat line was the trail boat -

then there were runabouts-


from the Finger Lakes Boat Museum

"Penn Yan Boat Company (1921-1935) - Founded by Charles A. Herrmann in Penn Yan, 1921. Became Penn Yan Boats in 1936. Built full line of wooden boats until 1966 when production was converted to fiberglass. The largest of the Finger Lakes Builders, in Penn Yan.
Penn Yan Boats - Successor to Penn Yan Boat Company (listed above)."
 
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Good morning, Larry~


Truly one to take my breath away!


I believe there is something very primal in us vertebrates that are attracted to any vessel who shows her ribs. Had I an "Adirondack Great Room", I would hang that Pen Yan upside down from the rafters - alongside an Adirondack Guideboat. They are fine art.


Thanks for posting!


SJS

 
LOL

PeNN Yan- for those with an interest in history - this will just bore you otherwise

this part of NY was divided up into land grants to pay off the soldiers of the Revolution. Those grants went by area to veterans from New England (lots of it to Connecticut's troops) and to NJ and Pennsylvanians. You can still tell who went where because the towns farther north in the region where the Yankees settled will be laid out with town squares that often still exist, while the towns farther south populated by NJ and PA pioneers largely do not. As well as the names brought along for the towns

But - early surveyors made some mistakes and in the Finger Lakes the claims of those Yankees from Connecticut and the veterans from PA overlapped and the same land was being given out twice - it nearly became a shooting war between the two groups.

a settlement was reached - and further claims to the west of the Connecticut interests where preempted (and Preemption Road was set on that line and still exists )

on the north end of the east fork of Keuka lake the two sides agreed to settle together sharing the land - and formed a town named after both the Pennsylvanians and the Yankees

Penn Yan Boat company took its name from that town

not duck related (almost no one hunts ducks on the lake now since it has become crowded with high dollar summer homes) but just a odd bit of history for those that enjoy it

my dad's side came up from the NJ/PA direction and my mom's from the CT direction
 
Rick,
That is a very interesting and odd piece of American history. Thanks for sharing.

I agree with Steve. Would that boat not make a great conversation piece while drinking bourbon with friends!

Larry
 
[size 4] Larry,

What a neat boat. If conditions were different, it would be worth the ride to C-bus just to look her over in person.
 
that is not a bad price for a really nice one

this is my wreck of a cartopper project that I have, i found it at the south end of Keuka Lake

it was poorly glass covered, the rails on the outside do not belong there but the "handyman" that redid it added rails to the sides(with a matching piece on the inside, I expect it was done to stiffen it. To do it he drill a large hole on either side through every rib, as well as the planking. The gunnels in and out are just 1/2 by 1 strips of wood bolted to the sides, they are broken in several places

the fiberglass came off with a heat gun- did not do too much damage to the planking which is very thin cedar

the good news is everything is there for a pattern.

the later ones (they were made from the 1930's to the early 60's) were covered in a Dacron like material





View attachment IMGP4538.JPGView attachment IMGP4539.JPG
 
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Larry,
Wow that is a beauty.

Rick L.,
Nice project boat Rick. Looking forward o the restoration process. How you post up for all of us to see.
 
Very nice boat. It reminds me of the boat my father and first used on Lake Michigan to fish for salmon. We always referred to it as a Wisconsin Guide boat. It looked very similar. Wood construction with layers of fiberglass added later on. We would also take it up to the Wolf River when the white bass were running. My dad bought it from a friend who had it for years. it is hard to say how many fish had been caught in that boat.

Tom
 
zane Every said:
Rick L.,
Nice project boat Rick. Looking forward o the restoration process. How you post up for all of us to see.
Click to expand...

if i go forward I will. i have some serious concerns about the strength of the ribs with the hole drilled in them

I would have no issue replacing a few ( I did several on the sailing canoe I restored) but replacing them all [whistle]

may as well make a new boat
 
What a lovely boat. It's a little small--I'd prefer 14'--but it would be just perfect for someone with a camp on a little trout or bass pond. Rising trout on dry flies or poppers for bass back in the lily pads.
 
they did make a 14 foot cartopper - they are not nearly as common

i just looked at the finger lakes boating museum's web site - I see they had a 14' in the auction site - but i think that was last years list -notice the fourth seat

a0d46c_0cbabd5108b8498e897471cfb280add1~mv2.webp

 
another light weight (not as light) boat in the Penn Yan line was the Cottager - that was 14'

http://www.antiqueboatamerica.com/Boat/14_Feet_1939_Penn_Yan_Outboard_Cottager_39414

i did see a restorable 12' cartopper on eBay

these are still coming out of barns around here - I looked at a couple trailboat and cottager models before i got the cartopper
but as I said - with the damage to the ribs, not sure it's a candidate
 
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