Original 1953 Chrysler M45S 331 Dual Quad Four V-Drive Hemi Powered Best of Show July 2018 Lake Champlain ACBS Antique and Classic Wood Boat Show
Offered at $76,750
Voodoo Child is one of only two M45S 331-Hemi-Dual-Quad Four-V-Drive-Powered 22-foot, Model 110-S runabouts built by the Shepherd Boat Company in 1953. Her engine plate reads M45S–HRF– 1066V. The engine is stamped 7-6-53.
Chrysler had not yet released this engine for general sales, but agreed to supply two of them to Shepherd.
She was originally outfitted with the rare mid-cockpit third seat.
That said, whoever owns her owns a boat that only one other person in the universe can own. She is one of two. Her sister vessel has survived, but we understand she is in poor condition.
Save for a replaced garboard and several Dutchman repairs, Voodoo Child, by contrast, triumphed her May 2017 marine survey, with the surveyor declaring she is in Bristol Condition throughout. She confirmed his assessment in July
2018 when she won Best of Show at the Lake Champlain ACBS Antique and Classic Wood Boat Show.
Her original engine and transmission were completely disassembled, ported, polished, balanced and completely rebuilt by Robert Henkel, Peter Henkel Inc., Marine City, MI.
The boat is completely original, with nary a single piece of wood replaced, save for the inner skin of her True 5200 bottom and one section of garboard. Her molded plate glass windshield panels are original. Dutchman repairs to her stem and several small spots on her topsides were executed during her preservation.
Voodoo Child has gone through a comprehensive structural and cosmetic preservation:
- Bottom – True 5200 bottom installed
a. Released, stripped original mahogany planking to bare wood and sealed with three
coats of Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES)
b. Released inner skin
c. Below-waterline framing stripped to bare wood, sealed with three coats of CPES and
painted with three coats of Pettit Bilge Paint
d. Installed new inner skin of 1/8” Aquatek Marine Plywood, sealed with three coats of
CPES and bedded in 3M5200
e. Installed original planks bedded in 3M5200, and sealed with three more coats of CPES
f. Applied five coats, alternating between gray and white, of Interlux 2000E Two-Part
Primer – barrier coat
g. Applied three coats of Pettit Hard Racing Bronze Enamel - Topsides, transom, decks, ceiling and covering boards
a. Stripped to bare wood, sanded fair, stained, sealed with three coats of CPES
b. Varnished (24 coats) with Interlux Perfection Two-Part Varnish
c. Varnish allowed to cure for 30 days and then buffed and
d. Mahogany and yellow Sikaflex payed into deck and covering board seams to conform to
original specifications - Hardware
a. The cutwater and hardware were preserved and plated to show chrome standard by
Mickey Dupuis, Custom Metal Restoration, Holyoke, MA
b. Stainless rub rails were preserved and polished by George Beer, American Metal Polishing
in Shrewsbury, MA - Gauge panel – preserved mechanically and cosmetically by Kocian Instruments in MN
- Upholstery – preserved to exactly match the original by Mark’s Upholstery, Middlebury, VT
- Floor
a. Released, stripped bare, sealed with three coats CPES
b. Marmolean the matches the original precisely installed - Steering wheel – preserved to original specifications by Pear Craft Steering Wheels, Rowville,
Australia - Gas tank – new stainless steel tank fabricated by RAYCO
- Safety equipment installed
a. Fireboy MA2-150-227 Automatic Discharge Clean Agent Extinguishing System
b. Fireboy MIR-1 Gasoline Fume Detector
10. She rides on a custom-built, titled, 2016, tandem-axle, aluminum Sea Lion trailer
Voodoo Child Engine Test and Post-preservation videos
- Hemi Engine Test: https://youtu.be/xL8SinMeiQ8
- Debut: https://youtu.be/LemJFKlGgVg
- Sea Trial: https://youtu.be/A9PT66ZEYno
"Voodoo Child" 1953 Shepherd Runabout II
