1927 RacineWis "Sport" Square Stern Canoe

[Iceboat]

A few months go I put an inquiry in the wrong forum heading asking about The Racine Boat Company, or RacineWis. Here is an update on the rare RacineWis we just had restored. We also had a stern "guide seat" installed as we wil never use an outboard motor on her. Benson, thanks for the update on the catalog CD. I actually sold you some vintage Old Town eBay stuff back in the 1990's


Racinewis "Sport" Square Stern Canoe....Description

The outboard motor enthusiast will like the racy lines of this model. The 60" deck with a cowl similar to that used on a sport runabout gives it the appearance of a speed boat. It's broad flat bottom makes it stable in shallow water where a heavier boat cannot go. The built-in sponsons or air chambers assure safety and the rails extending the length of the sponsons act as fenders to protect them.
Furnished with polished bronze cleat and Mahogany finish throughout.
Transom well braced and planking securely fastened to make it perfectly rigid and to withstand motor vibration indefinitely. Equipped with oarlocks and oars, it can be used as a light, fast rowboat.

Length-16' Inside and Outside stems of oak
Beam-40" Open gunwales
Deck-60" Guard rails full length of sponsons
Depth-15" Three seats
Price- $120.00 F.O.B. Racine. Finished in any color.
$100.00 without sponsons

Weight 135 lbs. Shipping Weight 185 lbs.

On the Racinewis flyer sheet they show outriggers for possibly use on the boat. We will be having two sets of Shaw and Tenney- Rushton bronze outriggers installed.
The $120.00 price tag in the 1920's would be $1684.00 in today's money.
I know a picture says a thousand words...
Enjoy the pictures...

 

[Kathryn Klos]

What a beautiful boat! And you've done a magnificent job restoring her... you must draw crowds when stopping anywhere with this beauty in tow!

Kathy

 

[Iceboat]

1927 Racine

What a beautiful boat! And you've done a magnificent job restoring her... you must draw crowds when stopping anywhere with this beauty in tow!

Kathy

Thanks Katherine. Tom Jordan, Oneida Boat Works of Harshaw, Wi. did the restoration. Tom probably does the best wood boat restoration in the State. He has won best restoration at the prestigious Hessel, Mi.Boat Show. We have had a number of boats done by Tom.

She turned out even better than we expected. My wife and I are into rowing boats more than canoes. I used to live on Lake Winnebgo and was introduced to rowing at a very young age. When I was young it was a rare sight to see a canoe on Winnebago. Rough water and fast storms...Since most people look at rowing or paddling as "work", I did the rowing for the old farts on Winnebago, duck hunting, set lines, etc.....now I am the old fart, still rowing. We rowed in the roughest waters Winnebago had to offer.

The boat rows true and fast. We have had over thirty rowboats. I used to buy anything that was a rowboat. The only other canoe-type boat we own is a 1966 Struer Rob Roy Kayak made in Denmark. There is a clone of her in the Mystic Seaport Museum.

If you would be interested I could post pictures of some very interesting oars and oarlocks.

Regards,
Greg/Libby Seibold

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Please post pictures of your interesting oars and oarlocks!

I too grew up rowing boats-- at a resort my grandparents owned in MN.

Kathy

 

[Dave Osborn]

Greg,
Tom did an excellent job!!
I saw it in the rough...
Best!
Dave Osborn

 

[Iceboat]

1927 Racine

Here are some oarlocks and outriggers. I will send some oar pictures next...
I am sure with you being around Minnesota resorts you heard of boatbuilder, ole' Hugo Gross, Hugo Boatworks, Onamia, Mn. I had Hugo build me one of his 16' cedar strip rowing skiffs, similar to aWhitehall design. Had to wait two years from my order time...that was 1980...cost $1000.00

 

[Iceboat]

1927 Racine

Greg,
Tom did an excellent job!!
I saw it in the rough...
Best!
Dave Osborn

Hi Dave,
Tom never disappoints does he. Here are some "rough pictures during restore...I saw that motorized Old Town at the Minocqua show. Neat.

 

[Iceboat]

Please post pictures of your interesting oars and oarlocks!

I too grew up rowing boats-- at a resort my grandparents owned in MN.

Kathy

Katherine...here are a few of the oars I have. I row a 17' Whitehall. I use outriggers and 9' Pete Culler oars. In the pics the oars with the blue "tips"are 9' Culler's. Love the Culler oars. John Burke used to work with Culler and he built them for me. Burke has written a few marine books featuring Culler boats and oars, also. I personally like Sitka or Northern spruce oars.
In the pictures the 9' maroon colored pin oars are made of ash and were used by an old sturgeon poacher. He had a big 18' Lake Winnebgo fantail. They weigh a ton.

 

[Dave Osborn]

Greg,
That 1925 Old Town Motor Canoe was purchased by a collector/customer of mine. It comes to my shop on Friday to start restoration...
Dave

 

[Iceboat]

Greg,
That 1925 Old Town Motor Canoe was purchased by a collector/customer of mine. It comes to my shop on Friday to start restoration...
Dave
View attachment 32711

Dave,
I'll have to stop by. That restoration should be worthy of a "WoodenBoat Magazine Feature"...
By the way, the wall mounts you made for the Struer are still supporting her. Thanks,
Greg

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Beautiful collections, Greg. Thanks for sharing. I also love the way you've displayed your oarlocks and outriggers-- seeing this may encourage others to pull things out of drawers and boxes and use them in a display.

Kathy

 

[Benson Gray]

Can you tell us some more about the Struer? I have one as described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?11431&p=58846#post58846 with some pictures. Thanks,

Benson

 

[Iceboat]

Can you tell us some more about the Struer? I have one as described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?11431&p=58846#post58846 with some pictures. Thanks,

Benson

Benson,
Your pictures look like the like the same model. I contacted Struer years ago and they really had little, if any, information on our 1966 Rob Roy, other than the flyer...I will have to search my "archives"... (Boxes) to find the original. The Denmark company that exported this Rob Roy is no longer in business as well as the designer could not be found when I researched it. I have seen other examples of this Struer RR, also.

Years ago a friend of mine, Ed Rosenfeld, marine enthusiast, writer for National Fisherman in the 1970's, had a collection of uninique wooden boats of which the Rob Roy was one of them. When Ed passed away his estate asked me to sell his boats. I purchased this one and Ed said the sister boat to her was in Mystic Seaport. Edward had this Struer custom built for him.

Benson, if you can look up names of Old Town owners you might find his name or you may have known him. Anyway, another of his boats was a pristine 16' Old Town Rowing Canoe. Ed said this particular one was one of , if not of the last rowing one Old Town made. I gave all the paperwork/history to the person who purchased her and did not make any copies.
Hope that helps,
Greg

 

[Benson Gray]

The page at http://www.struerkajak.com/collections/discontinued-models has more details about the different Struer models including both my Rapido for racing and your Rob Roy for touring. The scanned Old Town build records don't appear to include a reference to any "Rosenfeld" but this is not unusual since most of their products were shipped to dealers rather than directly to customers. The Old Town rowing shells are great fun but they were only available for a few years in the early 1980s. Thanks,

Benson

 

[Iceboat]

The page at http://www.struerkajak.com/collections/discontinued-models has more details about the different Struer models including both my Rapido for racing and your Rob Roy for touring. The scanned Old Town build records don't appear to include a reference to any "Rosenfeld" but this is not unusual since most of their products were shipped to dealers rather than directly to customers. The Old Town rowing shells are great fun but they were only available for a few years in the early 1980s. Thanks,

Benson

Yup, same info they had years ago. Ed had a couple of interesting boats, especially an African Mahogany, English made, single rowing shell. Beautiful. He also had a fiberglass Rushton copy "Wee Lassie". And a bonus of a couple copies of Rushton's HB book that I picked up. I used to have lots of Old Town canoe seats, seat backs, paddles, catalogs, straight and spoon oars.

I have only been to out to see OT in Maine once...BTW...didn't you used to live in St. Louis?

 

[Benson Gray]

BTW...didn't you used to live in St. Louis?

No, New England and Arizona but never in between.

Benson