Pic of a essex River scull boat- circa-1930s

Donald

Donald

Active member
this float- built by Charles Hart from Glousc. was what was used in the essex river basin, he invented this style float- its a two man boat- with a weight pocket for one man use- always painted white- he made smooth side floats- like this and lapstreak floats- my grandfather made 4- in the 1930s- and one in 1957

this pic was one of the floats i learned on- it was taken at clammers beach- essex mass.-

well i have been working on getting one back- and the deal is done- i am getting a sailing model- it has lee boards- two sculling oars- smooth sided- the sail is rotted but i will replace that- a rudder- made 1915 by Hart- it is to be delivered next week- been in storage for 50 yrs- and no rot- need to be recaulked- and painted-

but this will be the float i will teach my boy in earnst on- and scull it-if my wrist hold out- next season-

i love the lines- and the inverted bow-

DLHO

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Donald,
would you have any info on this boats builder? I recently bought and old boat on the North Shore that is very similar. I believe it to be 50 to 60 years old. This photo is from last year when I brought her home. I have completely rebuilt her, just a little more glass work and she will be ready for paint.

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hi- there were 3 guys that built essex river floats- the first - Charles Hart- W. glous- next Capt. Henry Oakes also W. Glous- he built 4 and 1 with Dick Barnett and my father- in 1957 and Jess Fuller from essex mass- made a few-

love to see the float- i could tell by the way it was made who made it-

was it white? as all of them were white - I had seen one that was painted drab green- any sculling oar with it?

Nice Boat!!

DLHO-
 
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She's 16 feet long, plywood over mahogany ribs. Where there is a joint in a rib, there is a patch of 1/4 plywood on each side and brass screws through. She has been fiberglassed at least twice, and drab green may have been the original color. The transom may have been replaced at some time, there is no hole to mount an oar. The outer shell of the boat may have been replaced at some time in the past, nails were used to attach the plywood, not screws. If your interested in seeing her as she is now, let me know, I'm in Chelmsford. I will take some pictures of her this week and post. Here are a couple more of when she came home.

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steve- there was another guy in Amesbury that built floats/boats like that- i had one- it had a drop center board- hi name escapes me- he lives in Newton NH- he was a friend of my fathers- his first name is Tony- god i am getting old-

I will remember it- i would call him-

give me a few minutes to dig up his name-

Tony-----------

DLHO-
 
Tony Noonan-

Thats him- look in the phone book- in newton NH- I do not think is a Essex river float-But he can help out- Great guy and i would love to see pics!
are you going to put in a scull hole?


were do you gun?

Take care- Donald
 
Thanks for your help Donald, I will definitely give him a call.

I probably wont put in a hole right away. I bought a little 6 hp and will play with that a while.

I don't gun anywhere yet, I am a fresh return to the sport. I grew up hunting pheasant, quail and dove in CA years ago. Recently I have been doing some goose hunting with my brother-in-law on the Maryland Eastern Shore, which reinfected me with the bug. If all goes well this will be my first year out.
Thanks again Donald,
Steve
 
Steve - call Tony he is a super guy- tell him i said hello- he was not working at the trade much- illness from the sawdust if i remember right-he is a wealth of info-

if you ever get to southern maine ring me- bring her and we can try her out-

good luck- nice to see an old craft saved-

i use to shoot at the Castle haven gun club in cambridge MD - and at Porter Hopkins Farm for geese- and Crows Point gun club- on the choptank- 10 yrs ago now- nice shooting-



Cheers- DLHO
 
Donald, been reading up on sculling, looks very interesting. If I was to put a hole in, would you have advice as to location (above water line, from edge of boat)? From what I've read, both hole and oar are lined with leather?
Thanks,
 
i have used it two ways- the old way was to line the hole and have no leather on oar- ot have a metal- bronze is best sculling port- then line oar with leather- sew the leather on- use a baseball stich with stiches on top- i am using with the new float a leather scull hole and took leather off oar- need size of stern to know were to put hole-

Donald
 
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