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John A. Birdsall · 04-05-2010, 02:39 PM

Well you have to go back one step in the spring of 1957 my father launched his boat that he had building all winter. an 11' plywood boat, He put the biggest motor the plans called for on it, a 6 hp elgin. He launched the boat on the south side of Echo Point, and took it directly around the point to the boat house. just a two hour tour.....he went and got the car and trailer and put it away and went to the boat dealer and bought a 12 HP Elgin. that piece of junk was on and off the boat all summer. In the fall we pulled the boat and on the way home stopped at the kingston boat dealer and did a good trade, He got every penny back on the 12 HP and bought an 18 HP which we picked up in the spring of 58. well this boat woud go fast. And I was just 12 and relatively light weight so I could not operate this by myself. In the winter of 58-59 my dad and I built a 6' boat. It was supposed to have a outboard made into an inboard and away we go. But we put the 6 hp on it.
I got into the boat and sat in the back and it would push water, not go fast until I leaned on the bow, If it did not hit 40 it is a miricale. Grandma was on the peir taking movie pictures. On monday morning dad was going to work and by orders of my mother he was to take the outboard home with him. That boat was fun, but it was dangerous too. It turned up as a tobogan one winter for the neighbor. and then it was a garden. Oh yeah 1959 was perhaps the last time my father was allowed to drive the Puddy-tat, which is yet another story.

04-05-2010, 02:39 PM	#20
John A. Birdsall Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norwich, CT Posts: 599 Thanks: 27 Thanked 51 Times in 35 Posts	my first boat Well you have to go back one step in the spring of 1957 my father launched his boat that he had building all winter. an 11' plywood boat, He put the biggest motor the plans called for on it, a 6 hp elgin. He launched the boat on the south side of Echo Point, and took it directly around the point to the boat house. just a two hour tour.....he went and got the car and trailer and put it away and went to the boat dealer and bought a 12 HP Elgin. that piece of junk was on and off the boat all summer. In the fall we pulled the boat and on the way home stopped at the kingston boat dealer and did a good trade, He got every penny back on the 12 HP and bought an 18 HP which we picked up in the spring of 58. well this boat woud go fast. And I was just 12 and relatively light weight so I could not operate this by myself. In the winter of 58-59 my dad and I built a 6' boat. It was supposed to have a outboard made into an inboard and away we go. But we put the 6 hp on it. I got into the boat and sat in the back and it would push water, not go fast until I leaned on the bow, If it did not hit 40 it is a miricale. Grandma was on the peir taking movie pictures. On monday morning dad was going to work and by orders of my mother he was to take the outboard home with him. That boat was fun, but it was dangerous too. It turned up as a tobogan one winter for the neighbor. and then it was a garden. Oh yeah 1959 was perhaps the last time my father was allowed to drive the Puddy-tat, which is yet another story.