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:

  1. 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
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Gauge panel – preserved mechanically and cosmetically by Kocian Instruments in MN
  5. Upholstery – preserved to exactly match the original by Mark’s Upholstery, Middlebury, VT.
  6. Floor
    1. Released, stripped bare, sealed with three coats CPES
    2. Marmolean the matches the original precisely installed
  7. Steering wheel – preserved to original specifications by Pear Craft Steering Wheels, Rowville, Australia
  8. Gas tank – new stainless steel tank fabricated by RAYCO
  9. Safety equipment installed
    1. Fireboy MA2-150-227 Automatic Discharge Clean Agent Extinguishing System
    2. Fireboy MIR-1 Gasoline Fume Detector

She rides on a custom-built 2016, tandem-axle, aluminum Sea Lion trailer.

1953 shepherd dutchman repair stem

1953 Shepherd: How to use a Dutchman to Repair a Stem

Our January 24, 2015 workshop included a clinic led by John La Fountain on using ...
1953 shepherd dutchman repair stem

1953 Shepherd: How to Repair a Stem with a Dutchman (update)

What a nice way to end the week! John has continued working on the Dutchman ...
1953 shepherd dutchman repair stem

1953 Shepherd: How to Repair a Stem with a Dutchman (update II)

John continued fabricating two Dutchmen blanks for his stem repair, so here is an update ...
1953 Hemi-331-Powered Shepherd Model 110s Sportsman Comes Home

1953 Hemi-331-Powered Shepherd Model 110s Sportsman Comes Home

UPDATE: I am well into her deconstruction today - Saturday, Nov 7, and just found ...
1953 shepherd sportsman removing bottom plank fasteners 112015

1953 Shepherd Sportsman Removing Bottom Plank Fasteners

There is no glory in removing fasteners from the bottom of my 1953 Shepherd Sportsman ...
Flipping Our 1953 22' Shepherd Sportsman! OMG!

Flipping Our 1953 22′ Shepherd Sportsman! OMG!

Even with her 331 cubic inch Hemi V8 out of her hull and on a ...
1953 Shepherd Sportsman 22' Starboard Bottom Planking Update 11 27 2015

1953 Shepherd Sportsman 22′ Starboard Bottom Planking Update

I am halfway home on the first step of installing a true 5200 bottom on ...
1953 shepherd sportsman varnish stripping

1953 Shepherd Sportsman 22′ Varnish Stripping Update

My wife keeps asking, “Why is it taking you so long to just strip the ...
1953 shepherd sportsman - releasing her keel

1953 Shepherd Sportsman 22′ Releasing Her Keel

I spent much of this afternoon scraping frame members, during which I could not help ...
1953 shepherd sportsman 110s fabricating a stem dutchman

1953 Shepherd Sportsman 110 S Fabricating a Stem Dutchman

The survey completed immediately after she was flipped made clear that the 1953 Shepherd Sportsman ...
1953 shepherd sportsman 110s true 5200 bottom update

1953 22′ Shepherd Sportsman 110 S True 5200 Bottom Update

We reached a critical milestone in this preservation project this morning. The repair and preservation ...
1953 shepherd sportsman 110s 5200 bottom progress

1953 Shepherd 110 S Sportsman 5200 Bottom Progress

The port face of my 1953 22’ Shepherd Model 110-S Sportsman is one plank course ...
1953 shepherd sportsman 110s 5200 true bottom update

1953 Shepherd Model 110 S Sportsman True 5200 Bottom Update

The July 9 ACBS show in Gravenhurst, Ontario is racing at us. We are committed ...
1953 shepherd sportsman 110s sportsman flipped

1953 Shepherd 22′ Model 110S Sportsman Flipped & More

Finally! The True 5200 project was completed with the application of one final coat, of ...
1953 shepherd 110s cleaning filler deck seams

1953 Shepherd 110S: How to Clean Filler Out of Deck Seams – the Easy Way

Removing Sikaflex and caulk of all sorts from a wood deck seam is tedious process ...
1953 shepherd sportsman 110s sportsman bleaching

1953 Shepherd Model 110S Bleaching Milestone is in Her Wake

We bleach using Daly’s A & B Bleach, which is available via their Web site ...
1953 shepherd sportsman 110s sportsman hull staining

1953 Shepherd Model 110 S Staining the Hull is in Her Wake

Bleaching is in our wake. Now the real fun begins. Bleaching is easy. Apply it ...
1953 shepherd sportsman 110s sikaflex and varnish

1953 Shepherd Model 110S Time for Sikaflex and Varnish

It is Monday, so must be seam-semi-filling day. John, RJ and I have been wrestling ...
1953-Shepherd Model 110S Sikaflex Varnish

1953 Shepherd Model 110 S Time for Sikaflex and Varnish

With the entire hull sealed with three coats of clear penetrating epoxy sealer (CPES), one ...
1953 shepherd sportsman 110s update

1953 Shepherd Model 110S 22′ Project Update

No, we have not banished my 1953 22’ Shepherd Model 110-S to storage. As reported ...
1953 shepherd model 110s update

1953 Shepherd Model 110S Update

Honest, the Shepherd has not been neglected. There is just so many time a video ...
1953 dual quad four hemi 331cu chrysler v8

1953 Dual Quad Four Hemi, 331 Cu In Chrysler V8 ROARS!

Wow! Voodoo Child’s Dual Quad Four 331 Hemi V8 has a bark for sure... and ...
1953 331 dual quad hemi drops in shepherd engine bay

1953 331 Dual Quad Hemi Drops Into the ’53 Shepherd’s Engine Bay

It was not without a bit of tension in the room as we raised the ...
1953 shepherd sportsman 110s voodoo child finish line

1953 Shepherd 22′ Model 110S VOODOO CHILD at the Finish Line

My 22’ 1953 Shepherd Model 110-S Runabout’s preservation is so, so close to the finish ...
1953 shepherd m110s dual quad four v-drive hemi

1953 Shepherd M110 S Dual Quad Four V-drive Hemi 22′ Runabout Post Preservation Debut

Voodoo Child arrived here from Pointe au Beril, Ontario, CA on October 27, 2015. Now, ...
1953 shepherd m110s dual quad four v-drive hemi sea trial

1953 Shepherd Model 110 S Dual Quad Four 331 Hemi Sea Trial

Here we are at the Lake Champlain ramp, ready to launch Voodoo Child for the ...
1953 shepherd runabout final varnish

1953 Shepherd Runabout: How to Apply Final Coat of Varnish

Yes, she is Voodoo Child, and if all goes well this fall and winter, you ...
1950 22 foot Shepherd Runabout True 5200 Bottom

1950 Shepherd Runabout True 5200 Bottom Complete

Yes! Our 1950 22-foot Shepherd’s True 5200 Bottom has been fully fabricated, installed, filled-and-faired, and ...