Miss Behave
Tony & Mary Mollica
Name/Title
Miss BehaveEntry/Object ID
1985.037Description
The Gar Wood Speedster was a special racing version based on their standard 16-foot split cockpit runabout hull. Gar Wood's younger brother, Phil, who enjoyed taking his girlfriends for a thrill ride on the Detroit River, initially inspired the Speedster concept. The prototype was developed in 1934 and immediately caught the attention of Frederick Bourne (BOURNE DIED 1919 - JP,2010) who was Commodore of the Thousand Islands Yacht Club. (NOBLE?)Bourne thought it would be an ideal boat to resume the sport of gentlemen's racing once more on the St. Lawrence River. He encouraged a few of his fellow yacht club members to participate with him and establish a fleet Gar Wood Speedsters. Miss Behave was delivered to George Bourne in 1935 along with other similar Speedsters and good-natured racing became popular once more in the Thousand Islands. Sitting just ahead of the transom in the Speedster places the driver in a position where clear visibility exists at idle speed or at high speed. When the bow rises prior to getting the hull on a full plane, forward visibility is lost. At high speed the visibility is wonderful because the boat rides perfectly flat on top of the surface. Miss Behave has spent her entire life in the Thousand Islands. Over the years she was equipped with a variety of more powerful engines as well as several go-fast innovations. At one time she was powered with a V-8 Ford Interceptor that raised her speed to 60 MPH. She also inspired the construction of several replicas beginning in the 1950s. The first series of replicas were built at Rogers Marina in Alexandria Bay and marketed under the trade name Miss Behave Speedsters. The 1980s saw the Wellington version of the Speedsters constructed over a fiberglass hull that was laminated with mahogany and powered with modern V-6 engines. The Turcotte Brothers built precise replicas of Miss Behave during the 1990s. The 16-foot Gar Wood Speedster is a thrilling boat to drive. It brought lots of potential customers into dealer's showrooms. However, most customers who admired the sporty little craft ended up purchasing the more traditional runabout styles with greater passenger capacity. The Speedster was remarkably popular, but very few were actually sold. There have been more replica Speedsters built than there were original Speedsters. It has become a far more popular symbol of the 1930s among current boaters that it was for Gar Wood. Of the fourteen original Gar Wood Speedsters built, only a few have survived and each one has become very precious. It has been often said, that pound for pound, the Gar Wood Speedster is one of the most valuable runabouts of its time. Below comments from Chris Johnson, ACBS judge, 8/2010) Keep the hatches closed so no one will ever see the Crusader engine. Do not ever run it because there is no room for a flame arrestor. It has a dangerous in-line automotive fuel filter. I would just display the boat without an engine as it should have a Chysler Crown. The boat is correct for the most part except for the following: * The seven scoops on the bow deck are all wrong * The throttle belongs on the wheel * The shift lever is missing * There should be a thumbscrew in the stern pole-socket, not a bolt * The stern pole is the wrong shape * The top of the stern pole is wrong. * the two little vents by the transom are on backwards * There should be one three-inch exhaust pipe * I also believe the side vents are wrong.Collection
BoatsAcquisition
Accession
1985.037Source or Donor
Larkin, June Noble, Mrs.Credit Line
Noble SmithMade/Created
Manufacturer
Gar Wood Boat DivisionDate made
1935Place
Location
Marysville, MI, USAEdition
Model: SpeedsterNotes
Early Date: 1935 Propulsion: inboard gasoline Engine: Chrysler Crown 6/Universal King MPH: 40 0.0 Cylinders: 8 HP: 103Dimensions
Width
5-5/16 ftLength
16 ftLocation
*Don Doebler Collections Storage Facility
*Cleveland E. Dodge Memorial Launch Building