• Images - scroll through images here. Enter fullscreen at bottom right
  • Request Details - send us a message directly to ask about this listing
  • Make Offer - make an offer on this listing and we will communicate to the seller
  • Email listing - send this listing to yourself or a friend by email
  • Print Boat - print this listing for future reference
  • Boat Summary - full details on this listing are available here
  • Help - Click here to bring back this guide

40 Feet 1894 Gas Engine & Power Company Glass Cabin Launch

40 Feet 1894 Gas Engine & Power Company Glass Cabin Launch

No Reserve (USD)

Boat ID: 39286

Request Details
Email Listing
Favourite
Print Boat
Contact us directly - 800-675-4089
Learn how the process works (FAQ)
Boat Summary
No Reserve (USD) SOLD
Boat ID: 39286

Virginia was built in the early 1890s by the Gas Engine and Power Company, makers of naphtha powered launches and small yachts. In the late 19th century, recreational boating as we now know it was in its infancy. In particular, the powered pleasure boat was a new invention. Some were made with steam engines, but steam power was inconvenient for small boats, as the boiler and fuel were very heavy and took up a great deal of room. Also, due to the high boiler pressure a licensed engineer was required to operate a steam engine. In the 1880s, several alternatives to the water-based steam engine were invented, one of which was the naphtha engine. These lighter, smaller engines allowed for the creation of smaller power boats, bringing recreational boating within reach of many people who had not been able to afford a yacht. It was the beginning of the widespread culture of pleasure boating in North America. Virginia represents this period exceptionally well. In its earliest incarnations, the small power boat resembled its larger predecessor, the steam yacht. Virginia, with her clipper bow, fully enclosed passenger space, opulent interior decorations and complete equipment such as a head and cookstove, all contained in 40’, is one of these earliest of small power boats. Within a very short space of time, boats like this were out of favor: impractical details like the clipper bow were left behind, more open-plan cockpit layouts were favored over the glass cabin, and the décor of the Gilded Age was out of vogue. Before long, small power boats in this market were made to resemble automobiles rather than larger yachts and ships. This shift in design is a marked change, and boat design and marketing have remained tied to that of the automotive world ever since. The technology of naphtha was short-lived as well. These engines operated on similar principles to the steam engine, but replaced water with a petroleum distillate, the low boiling point of which made for a smaller, lower-pressure system. This petroleum product, naphtha, also powered the burner. The Gas Engine and Power Company was founded to make naphtha engines and naphtha launches. As explosive gasoline engines became the dominant technology, GE&P adapted and eventually became part of the Charles L. Seabury Consolidated Shipbuilding Corporation. Virginia spent her life on Moosehead Lake, Maine and operated as a shuttle and mailboat before she was purchased by the donor. Although restoration work is needed, she is very charming and her interior work is very detailed and beautiful. She was last operated in summer 2012. Historically significant, she would make a fine addition to a private collection. The primary goal of ABM in the disposal process is to place her in a good home where she will receive the care and attention she deserves.

Location:
Clayton, NY
Views:
5,344
Boat Details
Year:
1894
Manufacturer:
Gas Engine & Power Company Launch
Model:
Glass Cabin Launch
Length:
40
Beam:
Engine Details
Year:
Make:
Saab 85 HP
Cylinders:
Hours:
Max Speed:
Fuel Type:
Trailer Details
Year:
No Trailer
Manufacturer:
Axles:
Capacity:
Brakes:
Comments:
NO TRAILER
Other Information
Boat Cover:
No
Stereo:
No
Tonneau:
No
Spotlight:
No
Side Curtain:
No
Convertible Top:
No
Fume Detector:
No
Fire Extinguisher:
No
Comments:
People who viewed this boat also found these interesting