Evening star., 1952-01-13
Baltimore Exhibitor
ForecastsCufbacks
Because Of SHORTAGES
By Malcolm Lomborne, Jr.
Special Correspondent of The Star

NEW 1ONh, Jan. 1Z.-InOu-
sands of boating fans from all
sections of the country swarmed
into Grand Central Palace today
in the first full day of the 42nd
annual National Motor Boat Show.
Their interest in boats and gadgets
cheered an industry concerned
about what the future holds.
The show is closed tomorrow but
reopens Monday for a six-day run
from II am. to IL pm. each day.
New York's June-in-January
marine show got off to fair start
last night, perhaps because those
who planned to attend had heard
about crowded conditions on past
opening nights and decided to
wait until today. AS a result,
Grand Central Palace was as JAM
packed today as any Washington
store shortly before Christmas.
Some Old Exhibitors Missing.
Old hands at boat shows note
there is more room among ex-
hibits this year. In fact there are
only 222 exhibits compared with
238 last year. Missing are such
old timers as Matthews. Skanea-
teles and Davis of Solomons, Md.
The latter, builders of the popular
Cruis-Along, are busy producing
craft for the Navy.
The one big Chesapeake Bay
yard exhibiting is Owens Yacht
Co. Of Baltimore, which is showing
handsome, mahogany -hulled 30
footer priced under $500. Chuck
Owens. company official. says he
can promise delivery in 60 days
and then comes a big "but."
BY Tuesday, he believes he will
have to stop taking orders be-
cause the short supply of such
critical materials as aluminium
and copper. Owens believes boat
production will be halved by mid
summer.
His advice is to order now if
you want a boat this season.
$4,000 Cruiser Is Flagship.
The shows flagship is a 48-foot
triple cabin, twin-engine de luxe
cruiser by Wheeler Yacht Co. The
price tag is $4,000 and the line
forms to the right.
And so maybe you only have
500 and want to 60 boating. Well,
there are some firms exhibiting
which are right up your creek.
They offer inexpensive knock
down kits you assemble at home
or in the back yard. Roberts
Industries, Inc. of Branford, Conn,
has five kits from an 8-foot plan
ing sailing pram to an 18-foot
outboard cruiser. Chris Craft,
noted for years for its big luxury
yachts, has moved into the field,
too. It has a rowing pram for
around $42 and a sailboat~ for
about 500.
There is another trend that
augurs well for the family who
wants to get af1oat on a limited
budget. It's the outboard cruiser
More Outboard Cruisers Shown.
A year ago, Topper Boat Co. of
Baltimore was the only exhibitor
of an outboard cruiser and it's
exhibit was tucked away on an
upper floor. This year. Topper is
on the first floor with the big boys
and the firm has four competitors.
Topper offers an 18-footer with
two hunks. enclosed cabin with
glass windows, open cockpit, gal
ley space and other comforts. The
price is 81 ,250 at Baltimore. Figure
in another $500 for a 1O-horse-
power outboard motor and you are
ready for business.
One of the boats cruised 1850
miles from Baltimore to Miami
last year in IL days. Speaking of
the design generally, Jesse No.
land, company official, comments:
1--WE pushed them when everyone
else considered the outboard cruis-
er as dead dog and an imprac-
tical toy"
Sailing Craft on Display.
Don't for a moment think it's
an all-power show. The sailing
fan will find Al windjammers OF
all sizes and prices on display.
Perhaps the biggest news in this
field is the fibreglaSs Raven, the
first one-design to use this syn
thetic material for hulls. The
Raven heretofore was built only
of nodded plywood, but class Of
flcials decided to give hbreglass
a try. The Raven is a 24-foote1
and fast.
Sandy Douglass of Painesville
Ohio, who has raced in Washing.
ton, is on hand with a Thistle
and Highlander again. Douglass
is the National Thistle champ
having won the honor at st
Michaels. Md, last summer.
Nodded Products, Inc, O.