During the twentieth century, one of the popular ways to power boats, particularly smaller boats, was the outboard motor, a portably motor which was usually attached to the stern of the boat. Shown below are some of the boats with outboard motors displayed in the Foss Waterway Seaport Maritime Museum in Tacoma, Washington.
Mojean 15’ Runabout
This boat was made at Mojean Boat Company in 1948. It features caravel planking, a method of boat building where the hull planks are fastened edge to edge.
Lady Clipper 18’
Irving and Earnest Sigler owned and operated the Liberty Clipper plywood boat manufacturing company which made boats in the 1940s and 1950s. This is a Cruiser, a type of powerboat with a small cabin.
Skippercraft 17’ Comet
This is a classic 1958 runabout from Larsen Marina’s Skippercraft. It features mahogany side panels, room for eight, a convertible top, and an outboard motor mount. Larson Marina produced plywood boats from 1947 to 1964. Plywood boats were popular for their cheap cost. However, with the development of fiberglass boats in the 1960s, production of plywood boats stopped.
More Museum Exhibits
Museums 101: A collection of outboard motors (photo diary)
Museums 101: Some skiffs (photo diary)
Museums 101: Some rowboats (photo diary)
Indians 101: Coastal canoes (museum exhibit)
Naval Destroyer Museum: Turner Joy boats and marina (photo diary)
Naval Destroyer Museum: On the deck of the Turner Joy (photo diary)
Museums 101: A couple of deep diving vessels (photo diary)
Museums 101: A Collection of Boats (Photo Diary)