The really "Old School" boating thread

[gn7]

If you click on my video from the 1st ever Boat racers reunion (I know you've seen it) you'll hear Nick say he's been full time in the biz since 1958 and as a hobby since 1948. He actually says 42 years ago and 52 years ago and the video was shot in 2000.

I'll keep my eyes open for a Brummett ad.

Yeah, 58 sounds about right, but remember, by that time Joe Mandella has been dead for over a year, and Rudy is already making glass flat bottoms. Nick got into the game just as glass was taking off. Not a lot of wood boats under his belt as a builder.
He told me the same thing. He always knew he would never take over his sheetmetal shop. Boats were his thing long before he went into the business. Once Joe had built Rudy the first plywood structural v drive, Hallett was right there shortly later. Nick and Hallett were kind of like Joe and Rudy. But when Joe died in '56, Rudy's move was to glass, and was selling them by 1958. and Nick stayed with the wood until some in the early 60s. Based of this ad, maybe as late as 1963. In this ad the company is still Barron Boat Works. Later it becomes Hallett Fiberglass Boats. Some of the earliest cast metal badges say by "Barron Boat Works"

If you have the 1958(august??) Hot Rod with the first Rayson Craft ad on the last page, I believe there is a Lou Brummett ad in that.