1926 RAISED DECK CABIN CRUISER DREAMBOAT SHIP MODEL

New Launching

CLASSIC 1926 LAKE UNION

"DREAMBOAT"

Copyright 2008 by Land and Sea Collection, All Rights Reserved

The model features a beautifully shaped hull with plumb bow, raised foredeck, and large enclosed pilot house. Extensive detailing includes glimmering decks, a black boot top over red bottom paint and a spade rudder . Everything about this model is exceptional. This is a near museum quality model, at an unrealistically low price. If you've been browsing on the internet, you will be hard pressed to find something that represents boats that are North American in design, and are executed as finely overall. You can spend a lot more money for so called "museum quality" detailing, but you can get the same satisfaction from our line of moderately priced, high quality models.

Mounted on a varnished wood stand she makes an incomparable model. A perfect addition to your home, den or office

Teak Foredeck

Teak and Holly Cockpit Deck

Cast Metal Bell, Teak Deck

As Recently Seen on Lake Union

OUR LINE OF QUALITY MODERATELY PRICED BOAT MODELS includes,  in addition to the Lake Union Dreamboat,  in motor vessels we offer the Chris Craft Barrel Back, the Garwood Speedster, and a classic 1920 motor yacht. In sailboats we have the Crosby cat, the Marshall 18, and Beetle cats, two different sizes of the Schooner Bluenose, a Friendship sloop, Schooners Adventuress, America, Amistad in two sizes, the much admired Herreshoff's, 12.5 ,  "S" boats, and New York 30,  J Class Rainbow, Endeavour, Enterprise, Shamrock, each as full models or half hulls, and  also the three masted lumber Schooner WAWONA and Sparkman & Stephen's ocean racer Dorade, yawl Odyssey, and Concordia yawl.  We are constantly adding to our line of quality, reasonably priced, classic design models.  Please tell us which ones you'd like to see at auction.

HISTORY: In the early 1920's, West Coast boatbuilding yards, as though synchronized, awakened to the marketing potential of stock-designed motorboats "for the average man."

 

In a 1924 edition, Pacific Motor Boat Magazine predicted that boat buyers would soon be able to "walk into a sales room and pick from boats actually on display," following the trend that had been established by motorcar dealers.

 

While East Coast yards such as Elco had already developed a few stock cruisers, the rush toward production boats did not unfold in the Northwest until the mid-1920's, when the premier builders-led by N.J. Blanchard Boat Company and Lake Union Drydock of Seattle-began to produce "standardized cruisers."

 

N.J. Blanchard, which had built its reputation on large, custom motoryachts and elegant sailing vessels, turned to designer Leigh Coolidge for what became known as their "Standardized Raised-Deck Cruiser," a perfectly proportioned 36-footer. After successfully producing custom yachts for 15 years, the first Blanchard stock cruiser slipped into the water in 1924, launching a wave of competition that would continue for six furious years-until the Great Depression nearly shut down all pleasure-boat yards.

 

One of Blanchard's neighboring yards, Lake Union Drydock and Machine Works, began producing their copyrighted "Lake Union Dreamboat" in 1926. The Lake Union Drydock boats were similar to the Blanchards, but with greater volume. (Most were 42 feet in length, with some at 45 feet, compared to Blanchard's 36-footers.)

 

The owner of Lake Union Drydock, Otis Cutting, had designed his first raised-deck cruiser in 1910, nearly a decade before founding Lake Union Drydock, while working as a young draftsman at the Moran Shipyard in Seattle. His first boat, built by Taylor Grandy on Vashon Island in 1911, became the inspiration for Cutting's line of Lake Union Dreamboats, which went into steady production in 1926.

 

Blanchard built 25 of their 36-foot Standardized Cruisers between 1924 and 1930. Lake Union produced a similar number of 42- and 45-foot Dreamboats, and other Northwest boatbuilders joined the raised-deck rush, including Grandy Boat Works, Vic Franck, Jensen Motorboat Company, Karl Rathfon and a few others. Despite Lake Union Drydock's copyrighted "Lake Union Dreamboat" term, most of the Northwest's raised-deck cruisers became generically known as "Dreamboats."

 

Why did raised-deck cruisers, as a style, flourish in the first place?

 

In the Northwest, where boating is a year-around activity-often under rain clouds-the design made tremendous sense. The boats were long, lean and easily-driven (Blanchards were 36' by 9'); they had full headroom below, cozy cast-iron stoves and bright, airy pilothouses-welcome when cruising in the often-gray Northwest. And, as stock models, they were "ready to cruise" the moment they left the showroom.

 

While Blanchard and  Lake Union produced dozens of "standardized cruisers" during the 1920's, they obviously were not "standard" in quality. Stock models rivaled custom motoryachts when it came to fit and finish, and most of the Northwest's raised-deck cruisers are still around, being restored and enjoyed.

The foregoing is a summary adapted from an outstanding article by Marty Loken titled “Dreamboats from the Northwest: Elegance for Everybody in the 1920's”. It is reprinted here with permission and is protected by the author's copyright as well as our own. Any reuse, reprinting or secondary publishing is specifically prohibited.

OUR UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTEE: If not completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within three days of receipt in its original condition and packaging. Returns must be insured for their full value. All that is required is a prior email authorization by us for the return. Unfortunately, no refund can be made for the cost of shipping, packaging and handling.

International buyers welcome, but inquire first.  We have satisfied customers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Chile, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Nova Scotia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, USVI and the Eastern Caribbean.

Buy this very special vintage cabin cruiser model Now!  What a great model for that special collection that includes only the finest and most noteworthy.

THE FINE PRINT: We take extra special care in shipping by FedEx Ground and require the item be insured for your protection and ours.  Payment should be made within 5 days . The preferred method is by PayPal. We ship worldwide, but request that international customers contact us before bidding.

Copyright 2008 by Land And Sea Collection, All Rights Reserved