interesting woodie

[zelatore]

I was out at Delta Boat Works yesterday and found this little puppy in the slings.

And for all the marbles, 100 bonus points, and a big 'ol attaboy...

Who can identify it?

Some hints:

It's not from around here...by a long shot!

The transom really does taper down to about 8", it has almost no freeboard at the stern.

In the cockpit there is a removable hatch allowing access to clear the prop - the river she orriginally opperated on has a lot of trash.

She's older than she looks - I would have guessed at least a decade newer.

She has a good size keel.

http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz85/zelatore/IMAG0015.jpg

http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz85/zelatore/IMAG0016.jpg

[Ghost]

I don't know what it is, but I love it. I'm guessing English, very late 40s or early 50s. Eager to hear the answer, as I suspect I am WAY off.

Also curious what else you found out about the history of this boat. Cool find.

[fogducker III]

25ft Electric Slipper Launch

Beam 5ft Draught 1ft 8in
Built 1992 by Peter Freebody & Co.
Mahogany on oak
Nexus 2kw electric motor
Onboard battery charger
Removable forward cuddy
Comfortably seats 4/5
2 Lloyd Loom chairs
Removable mid-cockpit picnic table
Pram hood fastens to cuddy
Boat Safety Certificate expires 22nd February 2011
Location: Windsor, UK

[jl1962]

Freebody slipper stern launch.
About 25'.
Built in the UK.

See page 25 of Maynard Bray Guide to Wooden Power Boats.

I would say the body of water it currently boats on could use a good landscaper!

[jl1962]

25ft Electric Slipper Launch

Beam 5ft Draught 1ft 8in
Built 1992 by Peter Freebody & Co.
Mahogany on oak
Nexus 2kw electric motor
Onboard battery charger
Removable forward cuddy
Comfortably seats 4/5
2 Lloyd Loom chairs
Removable mid-cockpit picnic table
Pram hood fastens to cuddy
Boat Safety Certificate expires 22nd February 2011
Location: Windsor, UK
.

3 stinking minutes!!!!
:bonk:

[zelatore]

Wow - you guys are good.

I don't know if it's a Freebody or not, but it is a Thames slipper launch.

The owner wasn't present, I spoke to the travel lift operator who knew that the owner had it shipped over from London. He though it was a 30's hull that had been restored and converted to 48vdc electric power. That surprised me as it didn't look that old, but looking around later I found that the designs did go back even before that.

The interior was out of it in the photos, but it should have the wicker chairs forward and a bench aft.

In the photos I took it's hanging bow high as she was taking on some water at launch and they were waiting for her to swell a bit.

And the 'landscaping'....well, that is a pretty stagnant area at the end of dead-end cut to get to the back of the yard where they have their lift. Not a lot of water movement back there to flush out the weeds. It's an ongoing problem here in the delta.