1916 Canadian Racing Launch 20ft “Redskin”

This 1916 racing launch is believed to have been built in Ontario and was first campaigned by Atlantic City Yacht Club member F.W. Van Loon of Philadelphia. The president of the Antique Automobile Club of America, D. Cameron Peck, purchased the vessel from Van Loon in 1948 and commissioned a restoration by Ralph T. Buckley in Atlantic City. The vessel was restored again in 1984 by us at Sierra Boat Company, thereafter earning first place at that year’s Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance. The boat was put into storage in the late 1980s before being acquired by a new owner in 2003 and brought to operational status in time to earn Best Engine of Show at the 2003 Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance.

Power is from an inboard Wisconsin Journey 449ci inline-four that was reportedly installed in 1917. The 20-foot oak hull is finished in red, white, and black with varnished decking. This racing boat was donated to the Tahoe Maritime Museum in 2003.

It was stated that the boat was designed in 1912 and fabricated between 1913-1916. The vessel measures 20 feet long and features a beam of five feet as well as a two-foot draft. The planning hull is constructed of oak and features a bronze stem band and rib rails. The sides are painted red above a white bootstripe and black underside. The forward deck is finished in white, while the gunwales, aft deck, and transom are varnished wood. The 1948 restoration involved replacement of the transom and decking.

The open cockpit features a flat floor made of varnished wood planks. A single seat located in the center wears green upholstery and a button-tufted lower cushion. A tan canvas cover for the forward cockpit also protects the engine.

The wood steering wheel operates the rudder via a pulley system and cables that run along the inside of the starboard hull. Instrumentation includes a 2,200-rpm Corbin tachometer and an oil pressure gauge. A vintage Buffalo fire extinguisher is mounted beneath the steering wheel, and a boat hook is affixed on the port side.

The original two-stroke Watertown six-cylinder engine was replaced in 1917 with a Wisconsin Journey 449ci inline-four, which was rated at 110 horsepower at 2,200 rpm when new. The T-head Wisconsin engine is said to weigh 875 pounds and features a twin-spark ignition system and six-volt electrics. The hand-operated fuel pump reportedly provides pressure and the engine is said to have run under testing when fuel was poured into the priming cups, though the #2 priming cup passage needs cleaning and the fuel tank is filled with bad gasoline.

The vessel was last in the water in 2003. A wooden cradle is included in the sale.

• ID: REDSKIN
• Year: 1916
• Builder:
• Model: Canadian Racing Launch
• Length: 20ft
• Engine: Wisconsin Journey 449ci inline-four, 110 hp
• Trailer: None
• Price: $10,000.00