Penn Yan Archives - Snake Mountain Boatworks

October 29, 2021January 10, 2023

1951 18′ Stern Drive Penn Yan President Inboard

My 1951 18’ Penn Yan President finally got her sea trial, which she blasted through, but, just as we reversed her away from the dock and Joe hit the throttle, my GoPro shut itself down. Then my iPhone said, “I can do that, too, and did. So we have a disappointingly short sea trial video to which I spliced her debut video.

With so much super-generous guidance from renowned 1000 Island boat collector and restorer, Charlie Santi of Horseheads, NY, we have been able to return her to as close as we possibly could to the finishes, materials and color pallet she boasted the day she left the Penn Yan, NY factory in 1951. Thank you for both your generosity and patience, Charlie! I will allow the clip tell you the rest of the story, but, first, here is a bit of history I dug up researching this oh-so unusual Penn Yan inboard…

German-native Charles A. Herrman founded the Penn Yan Boat Company in 1921, with Headquarters in Penn Yan, NY. Penn Yan produced a wide range of wooden powerboats, rowboats, canoes and sailboats at its founding, but switched to all fiberglass vessels in the early 1960s. No records are known to survive. The name Penn Yan is synonymous with the Car Topper, which it introduced in 1936. Designed to be light and narrow enough to fit on top of most cars of that era, Penn Yan marketed it as being easily lifted by two people Herrman was an innovator as well. Among his most notable inventions is the Tunnel Drive, which Penn Yan patented. Using a cavity that partially enclosed the propeller and drive shaft, Penn Yan’s tunnel drive system delivered higher boat speeds and hull stability.

According to Bob Speltz (Real Runabouts), “A Penn Yan inboard could take the tightest turns, either way with a perfect “gravity” bank. There was no skidding whatsoever. Running down wind in a heavy sea will find a Penn Yan being able to run wide open because it is light in the bow and heavy in the stern. “Many of the smaller length inboards built back in the 1930s through ’50s had the habit of nosediving when the throttle was cut way back. Penn Yan inboards with the front seat loaded to capacity and the stern seat empty, and ignition switched off at full speed to drag the propeller, will instantly lift its nose and settle into the water like a duck. A Penn Yan takes a wide-open throttle from a standing start. It lifts its nose instantly and “gets up and out of the wet” in a hurry. Penn Yans were also easy to steer; with the engine and rudder mounted so far aft, the constant fight of the rudder just disappeared. “The stern engine arrangement used by Penn Yan was used ever since 1932 and enjoyed great acceptance by all who owned such boats. Each Penn Yan inboard came equipped with a safety strut which was one-piece bronze casting attached to the transom carrying both the prop shaft and rudder stock. It was so rugged it could hardly be destroyed. “It has the effect of boat length behind the motor without hull buoyancy in that position, and that produced running characteristics we have already mentioned that were hard to believe. A safety feature lies in the fact that the prop is not under the bottom of the boat, and in any collision or grounding could not be driven up through the bottom of the boat, thus resulting in a sinking. The prop and rudder could be inspected, freed of weeds, or changed with the boat afloat. No stuffing box is required on the rudder stock, thus eliminating a possible source of leakage”

Well, I can tell you that this Penn Yan performed precisely as Speltz describes. She was on plane already at 1,000 RPM, and by 2,000, she was kicking up a rooster’s tail. Joe cranked the wheel and she simply carved a turn without any slippage.

What an incredible design, one that is both iconic and a joy to use for romping across the water.

July 20, 2020January 10, 2023

1953 Penn Yan Swift CZT Water Test

May I say it? The mother of all milestones just swept past us and is quickly disappearing into her wake. Preserving this rather stunning 1953 Penn Yan 12’ Swift CZT, HIN CZT 2351, her period-correct electric-start 18 HP Johnson Seahorse and her TeeNee trailer has reached the finish line and soon will be trekking to her home waters in Seattle, WA.

I was stunned on her arrival by how complete, how original and how rot-free she was. Now she’s the stuff of museum displays, but, happily for her, she will soon be romping across the waters of a small lake in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.

She retrains her original canvas, all of her original hardware, including her incredibly rare water-skiing and her original mooring cover bows.

Other than a couple very minor Dutchman repairs, which Joe challenges anyone to find, every spec of her wood is original.

Fran Secor, Otego, NY, once again transformed a good engine into something very, very special. These electric-start 18 HP Johnson Sea Horse engines are incredibly scarce, so Fran was under special pressure that he handled with his typical good humor.

We are honored to have had this opportunity to complete a thorough, museum quality preservation on one of Penn Yan’s most iconic models.

She will travel in an enclosed trailer, but only after we’ve run her engine one last time without being connected to the tank so we do not leave any gas in the carburetor.

The Seahorse will be mounted on and shrink-wrapped to an engine stand which we will lash to the trailer’s wall.

Her newly-restored-and-painted tank will also be shrink-wrapped and likely stowed in the tow vehicle. (We did the land run test using her restored tank, but then emptied it. We’ve used a shop tank to run her now.)

We recommend running a 24:1 gasoline to 30-weight, two-cycle oil mixture (4 oz oil per gallon of gasoline) using only fully synthetic BIA certified TC-W3 two-cycle outboard motor oil, such as Star-brite Super Premium 2 Stroke Oil TC-W3.

We will spend some time doing some final adjustments, waxing her, ensuring every detail is ready for prime time. (We will be smiling when she leaves, but the smiles will be bittersweet for sure.)

Rather than type out all the materials’ names and source links correctly each time, you can find a comprehensive roster here.

June 22, 2020January 10, 2023

1953 Penn Yan Swift CZT Engine Test

This 12-foot, 1953 Penn Yan Swift (HIN CZT 2351) is as original a boat that has ever entered the shop.

She is complete and original down to her Penn Yan optional waterskiing bracket.

We will shoot and issue a detailed video covering her preservation soon. Today we are executing her on-land engine trial.

We are using, and her owners MUST use only Ethanol-free premium gasoline lest they destroy her Johnson outboard’s seals, hoses and other “soft” parts in a few outings.

The correct mixture is 24:1, even though some owners run 32:1 in an effort to reduce smoke, even though they are risking damage from insufficient lubrication.

Fran Secor, Otego, NY, once again executed and absolutely museum-quality restoration and conversion of this 18 HP Johnson from manual to electric start.

Fran disassembled the engine down to a pile of parts, pieces, nuts, bolts, screws and on and on. The video hardly does justice to his accomplishment.

One challenge remains, sourcing five- or 6-foont throttle and shift cables, as the standard 8-foot cables just cannot be shoehorned in the space available behind the helm station, which is aft in the CZT. Fran is hunting, and I’m sure he’ll produce a pair so we can finish assembly, enjoy her sea trail on Lake Champlain, and be loaded into the enclosed trailer that will squire her to her home in Seattle, WA. Note: we will release the engine for the cross-country trek, less it beat up the transom in the process. The Johnson will be secured to a strong stand, which will be lashed to the “V” in the front of the trailer. Only thing left is finding my own CZTM, the Swift that was fitted with mahogany trim. I am a buyer

March 12, 2020January 10, 2023

1951 Penn Yan 18′ President Preserved!

I walked around the house’s corner and there in the garage sat the most unusual inboard I have seen to date. The helm station seating looks as though it was borrowed from a local church as it is more like a pew than a helm station bench seat.

And it was perched way forward, which produced a truly tiny, all but out-of-proportion foredeck. What looked to be the engine box was attached to the amidships bench seat back.

Lifting this odd dog house exposed a Gray Marine Phantom SIX-112 with dual carbs.

And then the owner/seller said, “Actually, you haven’t seen the most unusual part yet,” as he led me around the stern and brought this huge, cast bronze thing – the Penn Yan trademark Safety Strut into view.

I left there with her behind me. Today, some two plus years later, her complete preservation is finished. I can hardly wait for the 2020 ABM Boat Show and Auction because 1000 Island boats is this year’s theme. Our eighteen-foot Penn Yan President is registered for and will be in a covered slip at the show.

I will allow the clip tell you the rest of the story, but, first, here is a bit of history I dug up researching this oh-so unusual Penn Yan inboard, followed by an excerpt from the Real Runabouts, by Bob Speltz.

German-native Charles A. Herrman founded the Penn Yan Boat Company in 1921, with Headquarters in Penn Yan, NY.

Penn Yan produced a wide range of wooden powerboats, rowboats, canoes and sailboats at its founding, but switched to all fiberglass vessels in the early 1960s. No records are known to survive. The name Penn Yan is synonymous with the Car Topper, which it introduced in 1936. Designed to be light and narrow enough to fit on top of most cars of that era, Penn Yan marketed it as being easily lifted by two people Herrman was an innovator as well. Among his most notable inventions is the Tunnel Drive, which Penn Yan patented. Using a cavity that partially enclosed the propeller and drive shaft, Penn Yan’s tunnel drive system delivered higher boat speeds and hull stability. According to Bob Speltz (Real Runabouts), “A Penn Yan inboard could take the tightest turns, either way with a perfect “gravity” bank. There was no skidding whatsoever. Running down wind in a heavy sea will find a Penn Yan being able to run wide open because it is light in the bow and heavy in the stern.

“Many of the smaller length inboards built back in the 1930s through ’50s had the habit of nosediving when the throttle was cut way back. Penn Yan inboards with the front seat loaded to capacity and the stern seat empty, and ignition switched off at full speed to drag the propeller, will instantly lift its nose and settle into the water like a duck. A Penn Yan takes a wide-open throttle from a standing start. It lifts its nose instantly and “gets up and out of the wet” in a hurry. Penn Yans were also easy to steer; with the engine and rudder mounted so far aft, the constant fight of the rudder just disappeared.

“The stern engine arrangement used by Penn Yan was used ever since 1932 and enjoyed great acceptance by all who owned such boats. Each Penn Yan inboard came equipped with a safety strut which was one-piece bronze casting attached to the transom carrying both the prop shaft and rudder stock. It was so rugged it could hardly be destroyed.

“It has the effect of boat length behind the motor without hull buoyancy in that position, and that produced running characteristics we have already mentioned that were hard to believe. A safety feature lies in the fact that the prop is not under the bottom of the boat, and in any collision or grounding could not be driven up through the bottom of the boat, thus resulting in a sinking. The prop and rudder could be inspected, freed of weeds, or changed with the boat afloat. No stuffing box is required on the rudder stock, thus eliminating a possible source of leakage”

February 5, 2020January 10, 2023

1953 Penn Yan 12′ Swift CZT Preservation Complete!

Here we are, with her preservation complete, and still we have failed to find either offensive aftermarket “stuff” that was added, or any evidence of any “woodwork” since this Penn Yan 12’ Swift, CZT-2351, left the factory in Penn Yan, NY in 1953.

She is original through-and-through, and elegantly so now, what with 24 coats of Pettit Hi-Build Varnish, and Total Boat Jade Green topside paint adorning her decks, seating and hull. No effort was spared in brining her back to as-new and absolutely show-ready condition.

“All” that remains is making her Tee Nee trailer look like this one. Oh, and Fran Secor, Otego, NY, who is an outboard engine rebuilder and restorer without equal, must finish restoring her 18 HP Johnson Seahorse.

Then, sometime next spring, but not before we “must” execute a thorough sea trial, she will be on her way home in Seattle, WA.

Now, if only I could find an early 50’s 12’ Penn Yan Swift CZTM of equal originality to store and add to our personal collection! Contact me if you have one that could be for sale!

January 9, 2020January 10, 2023

1953 Penn Yan Swift CZT Varnish Update

We are sooo close to completing the varnishing of this incredibly original 1953 12’ Penn Yan Swift CZT!

Once today’s coats of varnish have cured, Joe will hand sand the decks, rub rails and coamings one more time using P500 grit paper. Then she will be moved to the paint booth’s dust-free interior for a final two coats of varnish using Pettit Hi Build, (which has now been replaced by Pettit Flagship High Build Varnish 2015)

Reassembly will be next, after which we will set her back on her Tee Nee trailer for a trip to Marine Canvas of Vermont, where Chris Hanson, working with her owners, will fabricate two sets of seat cushions.

When she returns, we will move her to a different trailer so we can restore her Tee Nee to this standard.

While all these activities are proceeding, Fran Secor of Otego, NY, who consistently wins class Best of Show awards for his outboard engine restorations at the annual ACBS show in Clayton, NY, is working apace to restore her 18 HP Johnson Sea Horse to as-new and show-ready condition. We will finish this wonderful project by spring and be ready to transport her to her home waters in Seattle, WA.

We will not ship her before we can enjoy doing a thorough sea trial on Lake Champlain, so fingers are crossed that we get an early and warm spring!

December 27, 2019January 10, 2023

1953 Penn Yan 12′ Swift CZT Hull Preservation Milestone

1953 penn yan swift czt hull preservation

Yes, our bad. We’ve been silent on our preservation of this incredibly original 1953 Penn Yan 12’ Swift CZT for several weeks.

Our defense? Applying coats of Pettit Easypoxy jade green topside paint to her canvas exterior, while other crew climb beneath her flipped hull to strip, clean and apply multiple coats of Sikkens Cetol Marine varnish to her interior surfaces is just not the stuff of informative video reporting. However, this morning we blew through this milestone and have flipped her aright so our attention can turn to her decks, gunwales and transom trim.

Anthony has been preserving all of the released interior seating and other components while we have been attending to the hull.

Our next task involves folding small strips of 80 grit paper in half and sanding every seam just enough – so that we have nicely sharp edges and have cleared all old varnish and stripper residue from them.

Would it be “OK” to just sand the surfaces fair, run the vacuum along the seams and call it good?

No. Doing so means shortcutting, something we will not do. More critical, however, is leaving all that residue in the seams risks spreading contamination throughout the varnish.

Once we’ve cleaned the seam channels and sanded the decks and all related surfaces fair, they will be bleached, stained and then sealed with at least three coats of Smith’s Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES).

Varnishing is next. In that connection, Pettit has updated its product line and replaced its EZ-Poxy Hi-Build varnish with 2015 Z Spar Flagship High Guild Varnish. We cannot see much, if any difference between the old standard and this new product, but Pettit seems to believe it has reinvented the wheel, particularly as regards UV protection:

2015 Flagship Varnish is considered the traditional standard in the marine industry, with reliable service, versatile application and tough yet flexible durability.

Flagship’s blend of resins and oils achieves excellent brushing performance that levels and sands with the same outstanding characteristics as 1015 Captains Varnish. Flagship boasts the highest screening of damaging UV rays for longer varnish life. This is accomplished through an ultraviolet light filter in conjunction with a hindered amine light stabilizer.

These filters warm woodwork to a light amber hue which will enhance the rich, classic brightwork appearance. A deep rich mirror-like finish increases with each coat of Flagship Varnish, which has the highest build and film depth per coat. Each coat also increase the outstanding abrasion resistance of Flagship Varnish.

November 25, 2019January 10, 2023

1953 Penn Yan Swift CZT Hull Painting

Working from a Benjamin Moore color card supplied by her owners, George Kirby, Jr. absolutely nailed custom mixing and matching the rich green color chosen by the Swift’s owners.

The second coats of the Kirby topside paint had just been rolled on as I shot this clip, so it has not flattened out as it will when cured.

We are treating this painting process much as we would were we finishing the hull bright. Three to four build coats will be applied, followed by hand block sanding with 120 grit. Additional coats will follow, with block sanding using ever finer grits after every three-coat application segment. Once we are satisfied and the paint has a week to cure completely, we will flip her upright and begin working on the decks and gunwales.

Assembly will likely commence before the New Year. Yahoo!

November 20, 2019January 10, 2023

1953 Penn Yan Swift CZT Filling & Fairing the Canvas

This 12’ 1953 Penn Yan Swift CZT, hull number CZT 251, continues to impress us with her originality and excellent condition. We have yet, and now will not, sighted any rot anywhere in the hull.

While the exterior paint could not be saved, and simply began flaking off down to the canvas as soon as we touched it with 100 grit sandpaper, her canvas is in excellent condition, is tight on both the hull and transom, and appears to be original.

We stripped the paint and filler using Jamestown’s Circa 1850 Heavy Body Paint and Varnish Remover, a process that loosened the canvas a bit as it was wetted by the stripper, but once dry, it is drum tight over the entire hull and transom.

As she is the first canvassed Penn Yan Swift we’ve preserved, I reached out to Charlie Santi, who is renowned for his preservation of Finger Lakes, NY region boats, including scores of Penn Yans, for guidance in filling and fairing the canvas Penn Yan used.

Based on his advice, we are priming the hull and its canvas with TotalBoat Topside Primer. Fairing with 3M Marine Premium Filler, followed by two to three more coats of the TotalBoat primer will complete the topcoat preparation. Her owners, who live in Seattle, WA, chose a very rich British Racing Green for her hull. As I type, George Kirby, Jr., George Kirby, Jr. Paint Company, New Bedford, MA, which is renowned for its marine paints, is custom mixing semi-gloss marine topside paint that match the owners’ choice for us. (You should think about Kirby the next time you need paint. George and his wife, Sheri, offer a wide array of modern and classic colors, and are simply fantastic to work with).

We will have her ready for topcoat painting as soon as George can get the paint to us. We will keep you in the loop as we progress toward the day we can flip her over and continue working on her decks and interior. (We have cleaned and scuff-sanded her bilge and interior hullsides, and applied the initial coats of Sikkens Cetol Marine varnish to them, but must wait until she is upright to complete these tasks.

October 9, 2019January 10, 2023

1951 Penn Yan President Bleaching Milestone

My 1951 Penn Yan President blasted through several major milestones this week.

• With the application of the final two coats of Penn Yan Chinese Red gloss enamel, the is fully preserved below the waterline. (We sourced the Chinese Red from T.J. Amato, Penn Yan Parts and Accessories. The paint supplied by T.J. is formulated precisely as Penn Yan did, and it is an excellent paint in terms of application and drying.)

• Her transom and topsides have been stained, sealed with three coats of Smith’s Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer, and received their first 15 coats of pettit hi build varnish. (We sanded after coats 5, 8 and 12, and will sand them again with 400 grit before applying the final 5 – 10 coats.)

• Every square inch of her interior was stripped, sanded and sealed with CPES, before we applied 4 coats of Sikkens Cetol Marine (satin) to her hullsides and interior transom surfaces, and three coats of SANPACO gray bilge paint to her bilge. • After flipping her upright yesterday, we sanded her decks and covering boards fair.

• Today is bleaching day. As we shot the video, Joe and RJ had been applying bleach repeatedly and keeping her wet for almost three hours. As is our practice, we will continue applying Dalys’ stronger mixture – 3 parts B to 1 part A for the next three hours, and then we will leave her overnight.

Joe and I erred by referencing white Sikaflex seams. In fact, the seams will be filled with mahogany Sikaflex 291 LOT.

The seams will be only half filled, which enhances the seams’ contribution to the decks’ overall visual impact.

Her decks will be stained to match her topsides and transom, while her covering boards will remain blonde, as she was when she left the factory.

If all goes according to plan, We will stain her decks using Mike Mayer’s Lake Oswego Boat Company Custom Jel’d stain, which is now our standard.

We will stain the covering boards using Mike’s Chris-Craft Blonde Jel’d stain. Varnishing will commence once the stain is dry and three coats of Smith’s CPES have been applies.

Assembly cannot be that far away, but probably is… and winter will be here before then, so she will not splash until next spring. Darn!