The Foss Waterway Seaport Maritime Museum in Tacoma, Washington has some powerboats on display.
Young-built Poulsbo 16’ inboard
Ronald Young prided himself on building boats that would not tip.
Double-Ended Young-built Poulsbo inboard
This double-ended Young-built boat is not as common as the 16’ inboard. The boat frame and interior were made of Douglas fir, oak, and mahogany. The planks were cut from western red cedar. The frame pieces were softened with steam to bend them into the required shape.
1938 Chris-Craft Triple Cockpit Runabout
In 1874, at the age of 13, Chris Smith built his first wooden boat, Soon he had a reputation as a master boat builder and teamed up with his brother Ryan to keep up with the demand for his boats. The iconic Chris-Craft brand was launched in 1924, building sleek racing boats and boats catering to wealthy clients. According to the Museum:
“The boat boasted superior design and luxury materials such as mahogany and brass.”
In the 1920s, pleasure boats were only available to the super rich. Chris-Craft soon changed that by applying the assembly line manufacturing process, which had been successful in making automobiles affordable, to manufacturing powerboats. In 1927, they brought out the Cadet, a 22-foot powerboat which was affordable. According to the Museum:
“The boat came with a brand-new ad campaign promising a piece oof ‘the good life’ to a growing American middle class. They sold the boats on an installment plan, making them one of the first powerboats available to the general population.” (bold in the original)
Sales to the middle class ended with the Great Depression. The 1938 Triple Cockpit Runabout is a higher-end custom build.
Willits Launch
The Willits Brothers were famous for their canoes. Built in 1929, this 20-foot boat utilized the same cedar double-planked method found in the canoes.
Note: These photographs were taken on March 9, 2023.
More museum exhibits
Museums 101: A collection of outboard motors (photo diary)
Museums 101: Some boats with outboard motors (photo diary)
Museums 101: Some skiffs (photo diary)
Museums 101: Some rowboats (photo diary)
Museums 101: A Collection of Boats (Photo Diary)
Naval Destroyer Museum: Turner Joy boats and marina (photo diary)
Naval Destroyer Museum: On the deck of the Turner Joy (photo diary)
Museums 101: A couple of deep diving vessels (photo diary)