1953 Shepherd Model 110-S Runabout Preservation

“VOODOO CHILD” – 1953 22-Foot Shepherd Model 110-S Runabout, Powered by 1953 Chrysler 331 Hemi, Dual Quad Four, V-Drive

Voodoo Child is one of only two 331-Hemi-Dual-Quad Four-V-Drive powered 22-foot, Model 110-S runabouts built by the Shepherd Boat Company in 1953. Chrysler had not yet released this engine for general sales, but agreed to supply two of them to Shepherd.

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.

Her original engine and transmission was completely disassembled, ported, polished and balanced 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. 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
1. Released, stripped original mahogany planking to bare wood and sealed with three coats of CPES
2. Released inner skin
3. Below-waterline framing stripped to bare wood, sealed with three coats of CPES and painted with three coats of Pettit Bilge Paint
4. Installed new inner skin of 1.8” Aquatek Marine Plywood, sealed with three coats of CPES and bedded in 3M5200
5. Installed original planks bedded in 3M5200, and sealed with three more coats of CPES
6. Applied five coats, alternating between gray and white, of Interlux 2000E Two-Part Primer – barrier coat
7. Applied three coats of Pettit Hard Racing Bronze Enamel
Topsides, transom, decks, ceiling and covering boards
1. Stripped to bare wood, sanded fair, stained, sealed with three coats of CPES;
2. Varnished (20 coats) with Pettit Easypoxy Hi-Build Varnish;
3. Varnish allowed to cure for 30 days and then buffed; and
4. Mahogany and yellow Sikaflex payed into deck and covering board seams to conform to original specifications.
Hardware
1. The cutwater and hardware were preserved and plated to show chrome standard by Jim McDonald, Custom Metal Restoration, Holyoke, MA,
2. 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
1. Released, stripped bare, sealed with three coats CPES
2. 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
1. Fireboy MA2-150-227 Automatic Discharge Clean Agent Extinguishing System
2. Fireboy MIR-1 Gasoline Fume Detector