Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-09
n. Y. Exhibit Feature
An-PIastic Cruiser;
Throng at Opening
By Malcolm Lomborne, Jr.
Stor Stoff Correspondsnt

NEW YORK, Jan. 8.-ThouSandS
Of boating enthusiasts Of all ages
and a wide range Of interests
surged into Grand Central Palace
here today as the seth Annual Ma
tional Motor Boat Show opened its
first full day of exhibition Of what
the nations boating industry has
to offer for 1919.
With only a letup tomorrow, the
show will continue through next
Saturday from II am. to II pm.
additionally, the show is closed on
Sundays.
Last nights preview crowd was
below previous first nights and for
time gave a record number Of 238
exhibitors doubts as to Just how
high interest is in this $500,0 900
industry.
Then, the doors Of the big palace
opened this morning to admit one
Of the largest Saturday turnouts in
recent years. Things began to pick
up as order blanks came out and
prospective boat owners took the
plunge.
Most Items Ready for Delivery.
Several things stand out in this
show. Imitation still is a factor
with many builders and manufac-
turers. Prices of several we'll known
cruisers are up slightly from last
year. On the other hand, one
large builder of custom cruisers and
another builder of a popular one
design sailboat have reduced their
prices.
Another important development
is the fact that the industry gen.
orally has caught up with its ire
mendous backlog Of orders built up
during and right after World War
II. You'll find that most items on
exhibition can be purchased and
delivered Immediately or within a
reasonable time.
Yachtsmen also will find increased
use of plastics, fibrous glass, alumni
mum. magnesium, sheet steel and
moulded plywood in a wide range
craft from little sailing dinghies to
42-foot cruisers.
But. this doesn't mean that the
wooden hull yacht is on the wane.
There will always be group of
boat lovers who will swear by craft
planked only in good stout timbers.
Fuel Tank Now on Outboards.
One of the most talked of de-
velopments in the industry Is the
new cupboard engines featuring gear
shifts. Just like the conventional
marine engine, both johnson Motors
and Scott-Atwater Manufacturing
Co. are showing such models.
For the cupboard owner who has
fused with engines-when they
finally get going-start off without
any prior warming up and only go
one way, he can say its about
time For 40 years, cupboard
engines have relied on the direct
drive theory.
Now the owner can warm up his
engine, back away from the dock
and then shift gears into full steam
ahead. johnson has added another
innovation. Its gear shift model is
equipped with 5-gal1on fuel tank
that can be placed some distance
from the engine. The two are con-
nected with pressure-fed, self
sealing fuel line.
Heretofore fuel tanks have been
an integral part of the cupboard
and because an effort was made to
keep down weight, the tank never
held enough fuel for q long run.
Now, one may count on several
hours Of cruising speed before wor-
rying about refueling.
238 Exhibits on Four Floors.
Also an exhibit causing much
comment is the Winner Manufac-
turing Co.'S all-plastic 28-foot
cruiser. The hull is produced all
in one piece, making it the largest
such hull ever mol6ed. The boat
on display is owned by the Navy
which plans to use it for general
utility work.
Inc boat Is produced from a low
pressure resin reinforced with fl
brous glass in mat form. Builders
say the hull is three times stronger
than wood. Being ell in one piece,
naturally 1t presents no problem
Of caulking or leaking. In addi-
ton. worms and other marine
growth apparently aren't fond Of
the taste Of the plastic hull and
stay clear.