The following is reprinted from the July 1932 Power Boating magazine. We like to amuse ourselves from time to time with a contemporary look back at the way things used to be. What we usually discover is: it's funny how little things have changed. 

Choosing a Small Runabout
A careful consideration of the various features possessed by different types and what they mean to the intending buyer

By Gordon B. Hooton

Well, here goes for a lot of opinions on runabouts. They are my opinions, and many of you will not agree with them; but at least they are based on experiences, so that will help some. Anyway, all of us like to talk boat, whether we agree or not, so I hope this will be a pleasant half-hour for us both.

This matter of choosing a runabout is a serious one; almost as serious when you haven't got the money and couldn't buy one anyhow as it is when the taxes are all paid and some cash remains in the old sock. Boatmen are that way. They can get more real fun and spiritual uplift just dreaming of boats than most hobbyists can get in actually owning the real thing. So let's you and I "buy a boat."

Probably most of you know right now whether you want an inboard or outboard, as the types are fairly distinct in characteristics and price range. If you are on the fence, analyze your uses for the boat, and make your choice according to the qualities which are most important to you. In general, the outboard is chosen for its portability, low initial cost, and ability to navigate shallows and be beached easily. The faster outboards provide the very maximum of thrill per dollar; while the runabout types give a mighty pleasant all-around performance for those who require portability and low investment. 

The inboard types, costing a little more, give certain advantages in silence, dependability, and convenience of operation. If you can moor or boathouse your craft, and want maximum ease and confidence while on big water, your choice will probably be for the inboard. In these, the motors are installed below deck, with the noise housed down and the spray housed out; the motor is of the four cycle type, similar to the one in your car, and can be started and driven by most anyone in very much the same way. It is always ready to go, and, like your car, can be depended upon to bring you back.

In this chapter I am going to talk to those who want the inboards, as there is a big difference in the inboard types themselves. It is important for you to again analyze your needs, in order to pick the proper sort of boat. 

Let us suppose, for instance, that you are a married man, with possibly a youngster or two. The missus is perhaps a little timid on the water, at least dislikes the thumping and spray of big waves; and maybe you don't consider the kids old enough yet for deep-water navigation. You will prefer to do most of your boating on protected waters, don't need a very large craft, and can enjoy a good bit of speed. You are fortunate, for the majority of small runabouts are built to fit just this market, and you will find an excellent crop to choose from. These boats range from fifteen to nineteen feet in length, have from thirty to sixty horsepower, carry from four to six people easily, and make from twenty-five to thirty-five miles and hour, Ð usually about thirty on full throttle. This is plenty of speed for a real thrill, and your guests will declare they were doing better than forty, and Oh those turns!

And speaking of turns, these runabouts do cut a pretty caper. They are mostly of the V-bottom type, and will bank themselves beautifully to the inside on any turn, like a racing car on a banked track; only they are wider, have a lower center of gravity, and the quicker they turn the more they bank It is a real joy to drive one of these babies, and the best of it is that such fun is absolutely safe. These boats are mighty dry, too and can run fast in any direction over a sharp chop without throwing spray over the passengers. There is usually enough Vee section in the bottom to take the unpleasantness out of the rapid thumping of the waves, yet just enough action remains so that the ride is plenty exhilarating and one which is not quickly forgotten. As to all this the super-thrill of riding and aquaplane, - standing on your two feet about thirty feet behind the speeding boat, with nothing between those feet and the tapping waves but a single board plank, - and you will see what fun is in store for you and your family this summer when the dream-boat is really yours.

In choosing your particular boat of this class, you will naturally be governed largely by price and somewhat by your leanings toward speed or capacity. Remember that it is important to buy plenty of boat for the load you expect to carry. When overloaded, these Planning type runabouts are slow, wet, pull an awkward swill after them, and must be run at full throttle all the time to maintain even a semblance of near level-riding. But with correct load, they are just the opposite; fast, lively, dry, and full of response, with plenty of reserve power and lessened strain on the engine. It is my experience that the fifteen footers had best be limited to not more than four adults; while the eighteen footers eighteen footers will handle six people nicely; other sizes in proportion. Of course the load capacity for good performance varies also with horsepower, width, weight of outfit, design etc.., but for average types you will find the above a safe rule to go by.

How many of you remember the good old days,-or were they so good?- when the engine was installed just forward of amidships, and all the occupants rode aft of it in the big cockpit? Raincoats and sou'westers were the uniform of the day, for even if your hull was an allegedly "dry" design and threw the spray far out from the bow, you could count on a good cross-wind bringing it back to you before the not-too-fast hull slipped by. So the good old-fashioned owners began cutting little cockpits in the forward deck, so that at least two of the guests could enjoy the ride free from blowing spray. Then a few owners, more modern in spirit, began specifying their own seats forward to keep dry, letting the guests take the spray in the rear seats if they wanted to ride that bad. One thing led to another, until at last we have the modern types, with most of the party ahead of the engine, where it is quieter and dryer, the "rumble seat" effect useful mostly for luggage, aquaplaners, and radio crooners. Boy! what wouldn't I give to take a couple of those warblers "for a ride" in a fast rumble seat on this so-called "Pacific" ocean I am viewing as I write this. I'll venture they would learn a few new quavers, not to mention a gargle or two. But up for'd the riding is nice, no kidding;' and that's where we ride in the modern runabouts.

This brings us to the snappy class of runabouts which mount the engine in the extreme stern, driving the propeller shaft by various gear arrangements. In these outfits all seats are forward of the engine and everyone enjoys a quiet, satisfying ride. Such an arrangement is dryer, not only because one sits farther forward, away from the blowing spray, but also because the weight of the engine in the stern tends to let the bow ride more lightly over the chop, with the result that less spray is thrown in the first place. Naturally, the added cost of the gear-drive makes the purchase price of these boats a bit higher; but if a man has the means to afford the difference, he can enjoy the benefits mentioned, plus about three miles an hour of extra speed, thanks to the improved planing balance obtained with such an installation. And some of the gear-units are even arranged to permit steering with the propeller and will tip up safely in passing over obstruction., thus bringing to the inboard boat this important advantage of the outboard class. To own such an outfit is to become the center of much interest and envy among your local boatmen; and you will get no end of enjoyment from the surprisingly lively performance of your craft. Let us hope that engine builders in the near future will offer us more of the light engines of reliable type, for stern installation, together with matched gear-units in such numbers that the price can be within the reach of the majority of buyers.

I haven't said much about actual seaworthiness, a most important attribute of any boat. For all ordinary purposes, the types of runabout discussed have plenty of it, and they will go outside and crawl over the top of some mighty nasty going. But for continuous service of that sort. there are specialized types which will give better all-around satisfaction,. and these we will now look into

Suppose you are the type of mariner who sings bass, and craves the surging heave and endless expanse of waters that are blue. You may not go out far nor stay out long, but at least you like to be out there once in a while; and when you're like that, there simply isn't anything else in this world or the next which will satisfy that desire. So get yourself a seaworthy little chunk with high sides and plenty of frames, and go out and look 'em in the face..

You will find the seagoing types a bit slower than the light runabouts, due principally to "easier" bottom sections and greater hull weight, But don't let that worry you; for in really rough water one doesn't care to run extremely fast anyway. It's too hard on the hull, the passengers, and-possibly-the beverages. The "easy" bottom sections are designed into the boat to enable it to have more of a gradual, slicing action when leaping along from the crest of one wave to the crest of the next. Such sections present more frictional surface to the water, and hence reduce the speed; still they permit a boat to run along as fast as is safe or comfortable in rough water, and if you are going to be out there much, the easy action is something to be appreciated. These boats have higher sides-"more freeboard"-than ordinary types, for obvious reasons; and frequently they are of clinker, dory, or round-bilge-type, instead of Vee bottom as in the runabouts.

For service at the more moderate speeds required by very rough water, I personally prefer the round bilge type to the Vee type, for reasons of dryness. The Vee boat designed for rough water is usually fairly sharp forward, with just enough "break" or angle at the chine, (where the bottom meets the sides) to break up the water and throw it upward and outward where it can be picked up by the wind and blown in on the passengers, if the weather is very rough and the breeze strong. The smooth sides of the round bilge boat do not break or throw the water out into the wind so badly; the bow-wave rises and clings more closely to the forward sides of the hull, and then turns and falls back closer to the hull, creating the minimum of spray at moderate speeds. Take the same boats into smaller waters, however, where only a smart chop prevails, and drive them fast, and you will find the spray forming amidships.

Under these conditions the Vee bottom is considerably dryer than the round bottom form of hull-if the round bilge is smooth planked.

If, however, your round bilge boat is of lap strake construction and well designed and built-and there are several such makes on the market today in a wide range of sizes and prices-you will find it just as dry as the Vee boat under any conditions because the overlapping planks break up and throw out the spray just as the Vee type of hull does. And these round bottom lap strake boats if well designed are apt to be remarkably fast as well as seaworthy, the lapped planking on the bottom apparently acting as miniature planes.

If the boat is of round bilge design and smooth planked it will help greatly to keep it dry if a spray deflector strip is built on each side somewhat above the waterline from the stern to within a few feet of the bow. Several makers have been employing this feature in recent years.

This gives some of the dryness of the Vee type at higher speeds when the spray comes off amidships, yet preserves the smooth action and dryness of the round type at slower speeds when the spray comes mostly off the bow.

In selecting a seagoing type in which you expect to hit the big waves at speeds of fifteen to twenty-five miles an hour, remember that you hit them pretty hard at such a clip, and look well to the shape of the bottom; insist upon plenty of "deadrise," or upslope from the keel outward. And since not all pounding comes at the bow, but much of it under the midship section or even aft of that, be sure that this deadrise maintains for a goodly distance aft. This is what eases the shock when you lift into the air off one wave and come smashing down squarely across the middle of the next crest; and this happens frequently, too, at speeds above fifteen miles in big water. Look also to the strength of the frames and fastenings; for water is hard, and those frames are all that stand between you and a one-way trip to the deeper soundings. As with the runabouts, buy plenty of boat to carry your load; for an overload reduces your free-board, deepens each plunge into a head sea, and is generally undesirable when you want to enjoy bad weather.

Another feature you will notice in most seagoing types is the sloping, cutaway shape of the stem. Whaleboats, sea-skiffs, and similar types have utilized this bow rather than the vertical, deep, sharp cutwater type, because of its superior steering qualities, particularly in a following sea. When a big roller gets under the stern and boosts us along before it, tail high and nose low, we want that nose to do more lifting and less steering. The deep, sharp type sometimes tends to lead us off sharply to one side in an alarming careen, whereas the whaleboat bow will hold better to its course and do a good job of keeping the deck-line above green water. This is particularly important in the faster types of seaboat, where to veer sharply might have serious consequences. The square, or "sled" type bow, gives the maximum of protection in this respect; but for inboards of average speed range, it seems to be a rather superfluous precaution; particularly since sufficient freeboard can be more gracefully obtained with the conventional or whaleboat type of bow.

Matters of proper motor housing, husky installations, complete equipment, and a stout skeg under the propeller, you will of course see if you are a deep water man at heart. - And don't forget the sea anchor! 

And now, to you lucky ones who consider owning a stock runabout, let me suggest that you buy your boat as you would your car,-from a reliable dealer. He is most likely to have the proper type for your purpose, or knows where he can get it; can advise you most widely; and can be relied upon to see that you get satisfactory service from the outfit. Don't buy with the idea that boats are teetotally trouble proof, they are not. Nor is the free service idea developed for boats to the extent expected of the automobile industry. One reason for this is that you can't drive your boat into the dealer's store like you do your car.

But, taken as a whole, the modern boats and motors are amazingly convenient and dependable in service. They start and drive very much like your automobile, and are built to give even more years of satisfying ownership. Even the lowest priced runabouts now offer electric starting and lights, finger-tip control, positive clutch and reverse, cushions, windshields, etc; and we may all be grateful that such gadgets as free-wheeling, silent second, and synchromesh transmissions will be forever absent from your boat salesman's jargon of persuasion. The best persuader in the dealer's bag is the actual demonstration of his craft on the water, and I would advise you all to take full advantage of it when possible. Let the demonstration include proof of performance with the full load you will expect to carry; try the outfit at suitable speeds in both rough water, smooth water, and on sharp turns. Finally, take one last whizz around the bay with the dealer alone; and then, while the thrill of your ride is still sending the red blood surging through your temples and stirring up all that is youthful within you, give him your order and stay that way. For now is the time, if there ever was or ever will be one, to buy two dollars worth of boat for every dollar of price; and if you have enough cash for the down payment and enough job for the installments-Obey that impulse. Join the happy fleet. Show the boys at the office the best coat of tan in the place; and show them more pep and spontaneous activity than you've exhibited for years. Ownership of a boat will do it; and I say, "If nature won't, blue water will."