Mullins Steel Boats
By David T.
Dufresne
Once the world's
largest manufacturer of boats, the name of Mullins is little known to the
antique boating world today. Constructed mainly of galvanized steel, more than
100,000 boats of many types and models were produced for 40 years at their factory
in Salem, Ohio. My goal is to introduce you to these boats .
William Mullins
was the owner of a sheet metal works based in Salem that existed in the late
19th century. His products included Victorian decorations such as gargoyles,
weathervanes, roofing, and statues just to name a few. Located on a spur off
the Pennsylvania Railroad Pittsburgh-Ft. Wayne line, Mullins was ideally situated
to deliver his goods to all points.
While on a duck
hunting trip up north, Mr. Mullins and his hunting friend were quickly
overtaken by the frigid waters of a marsh due to the failure of a wooden boat.
Imagine the work involved in the 1890ís in travel, gear, and launching a boat
just to have the trip ruined by such a disaster. Well, this is the spark that
started the wheels in motion that put the Mullins engineers on a quest to
create a boat of sheet metal that would make the wooden boat obsolete.
When most people
hear of a steel pleasure boat, a thought of a heavy burdensome weight pops into
their minds. But the opposite is true; Mullins boats were mainly made from several
plates of double galvanized steel gradually shaped by heavy drop presses to
blueprint specifications. Plates were then lapped, countersunk riveted, and
soldered to create a smooth hull. This procedure would continue until the end
of the manufacture of the Mullins boat.
Mullins started
with a 14í duck boat named the Get There that resembled a kayak made of
steel. His boats were first offered in galvanized steel, manganese bronze, and
aluminum. Manganese bronze was intended for salt waters, while aluminum was the
premium priced option that offered a great reduction in weight, a very important
consideration in those days. Most boats came with a structure consisting of
wooden ribs joined only where necessary to prevent distortion of the hull,
should the wood warp.
Mullins line
expanded in the late 1890ís and included flotation tanks in all boats to
prevent a sinking in the event that water filled the hull. Airtight sheet metal
floatation tanks became the standard for most of the Mullins boats until the
end. Aluminum soon disappeared as a hull option perhaps due to a weakness, but
would reappear in the twenties. Soon after, manganese bronze was deleted as an
option, leaving the galvanized steel as the main ingredient. A boat trailer
known as the Handy Cart, manufactured by the Lawrence Carriage Company of St.
Paul Minnesota, was offered in the 1890ís that would hitch to a wagon and make
launching a breeze. It was to be Mullins use of mass production in the boating
industry that would put his boats in the market in great numbers at an
affordable price. Into the 1900ís Mullins increased the lineup, improved the
processes and worked on getting a motorized boat to market. 1902 saw the start
of the automobile body business for Mullins, using presses to make body parts
for the new horseless carriage industry.
In 1905 Mullins
offered motorized boats for the first time. The Beaver Tail Auto-Speed Launch
was offered in either 21 or 30-foot lengths. The 21-foot version equipped with
a 12 horsepower motor delivered a speed of 15 miles an hour. Also offered in
1905 was a choice of a 16 or 18-foot Torpedo Stern Launch, weighing 700 pounds and
equipped with a single cylinder 3 horsepower engine that propelled the boat to
8 miles an hour. The Mullins product gave a smooth, lighter hull that would be
offered with modest power plants; putting all the controls within reach of the
driver was the priority. Though made of steel, the interiors contained finished
wood and hardware that added a touch of elegance. The Automobile Boats, Special
and Leader Launches proved to be lasting designs that made their way to many
boat liveries of the day. The low maintenance along with a durable hull gave
Mullins the edge on the purchase decision. Mullins would continue to adjust the
models offered to gain a foothold on profit in the boating industry.
In 1912 a
Mullins hydroplane with a guaranteed speed of 28 miles per hour was offered for
$1,000.00 . With a 15 foot 11 inch hull, a 52-inch beam and weighing 950 pounds,
it could seat three. Powered by a 3-cylinder Pierce-Budd dual carburetor, 25
horsepower motor weighing 217 pounds, the Hydroplane offered style, automobile
control and speed for a modest price. As always Mullins presented a boat with
less maintenance, no caulking, no gain in weight and no leaks to spoil the day -
guaranteed.
Into the 'teens
Mullins continued on with boats of steel and added wooden boats and cedar canoes.
It was stated that the demand for wooden boats was there, and Mullins had the
means to produce them. One of these, the Mullins Arrow, measured 25 feet and
equipped with a 35 horsepower Sterling motor sold for $2,375.00. With other
wooden and steel boats offered in 1917, this came to a total of 40 possible
choices. Mullins Cedar Canoes were produced during this time offering several
models and sizes. With a cedar frame, oil soaked to prevent the absorption of
water, the canoes were covered in canvas with two coats of filler applied. Building
canoes gave Mullins steady employment, avoiding a seasonal hiring practice and
the training of this newly hired help. Models included such names as the
Princeton, the Harvard, the Yale, and the Sponson.
Another
innovative boat produced by Mullins was the sixteen-foot Tunnel Stern Launch.
This was a wooden hull boat that could operate in only six inches of water . Three
moderate power options were available with a Universal 10 horsepower motor capable
of 8 miles an hour . The boat was a mid-engine, side steered model that once
again gave the operator all controls within easy reach.
The end of the 'teens
left Mullins producing its V Bottom steel boats that offered greater speed with
an increase in power. Top of the line was a 25-foot V bottom motor boat powered
by a Scripps 75 horsepower motor that propelled it to a breath-taking speed of
26 miles an hour. The V Bottom boat line would last into the twenties and the
launches and automobile boats would soon be phased out of the lineup. Wooden
boat production ceased before 1920. One of the economy motorboats that emerged
from the mid 'teens was the Outboard Special, a beefed up version of a rowboat
designed to operate with the primitive hand crank starting outboards that were
growing in popularity. I own an Outboard Special that is seaworthy and in
original condition. I used it for the 2000 boating season with a 1926 ELTO
battery-ignition Ruddertwin. Both now are undergoing restoration for the 2001
season.
The twenties
would show Mullins boats continuing an evolution in design and speed to match
the propulsion industry. The new Sea Hawk line sported a hydroplane hull made
with corrugations toward the stern that increased the surface area for easier
planing and increased stability by reducing sideslip. These were outboard boats
that were offered in different models to fill, hopefully, the needs of the
boat-buying public. Sea Hawks were produced in galvanized Armco ingot iron and
also offered in aluminum alloy. With speeds of up to 28 miles per hour listed
in a 1928 brochure, the ever-increasing
power of the outboard promised to soon make 30 miles per hour a reality. The
aluminum models were highly polished and painted with clear lacquer. Production
aluminum boats came from Mullins long before it became commonplace. A standard
Sea Hawk, the Lady Sparton, is shown in a 1929 brochure winning the Milwaukee
to Chicago marathon. Of the 49 boats that started only 6 made it to the finish
line, and the Mullins was the only one with a crew of two.
Other models
were the Duplex Hull Red Arrows which came in an inboard or outboard configuration. The 16-foot Red
Arrows of 1928 were a double cockpit for the inboard, or a triple cockpit in
outboard form. An operator could still add two outboards on the inboard model
if desired. In the outboard model two of the largest outboards could be mounted
on the stern with the steering tightened up to allow the boats to be steered by
rudder. The 20-foot models were the same but added another cockpit to each. I
own a 1926 16-foot Red Arrow Twin Outboard restored and ready for the 2001 boat
shows.
It was in 1927
that the Mullins engineers came up with the idea for the Sea Eagle inboard
runabout. They wanted a low cost runabout that was reliable and stylish. The
twenties ended with the Outboard Special and the Prince rowboat surviving and
an updated boat trailer that attached to the bumper of your car. The thirties
would see drastic changes and a reduction in the lineup of Mullins boats.
1930 brought on
a new era of Mullins boats that would only last for the year. The onset of the
depression overtook the 1930 lineup and cuts were made to simplify production
for 1931. The 1930 catalog offers new names to old hulls and some innovative
products that were, unfortunately, crushed by hard times. Boats named
Albatross, Dolphin and Flamingo were updated Steel Kings and Sea Hawk models
from the twenties. Added were two step-plane racing hulls measuring 13 feet 6
inches long and with a beam of 51 inches offered a sturdy place to run the new
high-powered outboards. The Torpedo, that seated one, and the Tarpon,that
seated two or when racing had a cover for the forward cockpit, were a couple of
beauties with top speeds of 40 to 50 miles per hour. The Lark was the new name
for the Outboard Special and the Prince rowboat was renamed the Penguin.
1931 introduced
the well-known Sea Eagle, a sleek inboard runabout that ran 30 miles an hour
equipped with a 40 horsepower Lycoming four-cylinder motor. Measuring 15-feet 6
inches with a 63-inch beam the Sea Eagle weighed 1,380 pounds. Later it gained
3 inches in length, believed to be from the addition of the Sea Eagle emblem,
and engine power increased later in the thirties. This Sea Eagle incorporated
the corrugated hydroplane hull that was common on the 1920ís Mullins Hawks.
Only three boats accompanied the Sea Eagle into the 1931 lineup, the Dolphin,
the Lark, and the Prince rowboat. The Penguin name was out for this model and
the well-known Prince name returned.
A 1932 ad shows
the Sea Eagle reduced in price to $695.00, a new Deluxe Sea Eagle and the addition
of a Camp Mate tunnel hull inboard boat that would operate in ten inches of
water. The Deluxe Sea Eagle contained an options package and other additions
that made the deal worth the extra $100.00. Other variations would be offered
in the Sea Eagle line in the years to come including the addition of 5.5 inches
to the freeboard, claiming a more appealing look and increased seaworthiness.
Mullins Boats
moved to Oil City Pennsylvania in the mid thirties where the line finally died
sometime later. The name changed to the Champion-Mullins Boat Company in 1943,
Champion Boat and Folding Bed Company in 1945 continuing on until 1950 with "boat"
deleted from the company name.
Mullins gave us
mass produced boats with safety and ease of use features early on for the boat
industry. They presented us with boats built like the autos of the time-of
steel with beautiful finished wood and comfort. Mullins offered aluminum hulls
long before they were commonplace, and non-wooden hulls to lessen our time spent
refurbishing, leaving more time for family, friends, and fish. Many of the
boats survived but go unknown due to the lack of knowledge of their existence,
or the loss of their maker's tag. Some are scrapped to clean up a yard or stripped
for the vintage inboard motor.
I am in the
process of gathering all the information that is out there on these wonderful
boats. I will create a database to help those seeking information on their
Mullins boat. Being located in Salem, Ohio I will ensure that the local
historical society has the information here, should I move, lose interest or
otherwise. If you have a Mullins or know of one please contact me with the
particulars. Pictures are needed for further publications and a website on the
boats. The website can be found by entering Mullins boats into a search engine,
or by e-mailing me at ddufresne@neo.rr.com. Spread the word so that the
remaining Mullins boats will find appreciation and new homes in order to
survive the next one hundred years.