WWheeler
10-28-2002, 11:25 AM
Working on a lead from a fellow forumite, I went up to the Orillia Public Library to research the history of Hunter Boats, which were based on the town waterfront on Lake Couchiching. (This company is not to be confused with the Hunter FG sailboats which is still in business.)
The company was founded in 1934, by Al Hunter who was foreman and superintendent at Ditchburn Boats, also a famous name. Ditchburn built large 100' mahogany cruisers, etc and went bankrupt in 34. Hunter bought the boat shops, which were located on the waterfront in Orillia (Lake Couichiching). The company survived because they built smaller boats, then during WWII built submarine chasers called the Fairmile. One of their first boats in 34 was a pair of 28' Atkin-design v-bottom gaff-rigged sloops. (I've recently been looking at one as a project.)
After the war, they returned to building runabouts, but also built the 18' Interlake Sloop, and Hereshoff designs including the Rozinante. The runabouts are described in a book called "The Real Runabout".
There was a photocopy of an original company brochure from 1946. "Hunter's Aquality Craft. It lists a 30' cruiser, a 26' runabout, a 20' speedster and an 18' runabout. There's another brochure (date unknown, but it seems to be later)which shows a 22' mahogany v-bottom "utility runabout", 22' "sedan top runabout", and a 36 and 40 foot cruisers.
Al Hunter never built in fibreglass, and his death in the 70's, his son ran the company into the ground, and sold it to someone called Laing. The company was run as a marina. When the buildings burnt down in 1990, there wasn't much left of it The son ran a company that made furnaces and fireplaces, and which has since gone bankrupt.
I've thinking of starting a small web site on the subject. I keep bumping into Hunter boats in local boneyards, etc.
[ 10-28-2002, 11:29 AM: Message edited by: WWheeler ]
The company was founded in 1934, by Al Hunter who was foreman and superintendent at Ditchburn Boats, also a famous name. Ditchburn built large 100' mahogany cruisers, etc and went bankrupt in 34. Hunter bought the boat shops, which were located on the waterfront in Orillia (Lake Couichiching). The company survived because they built smaller boats, then during WWII built submarine chasers called the Fairmile. One of their first boats in 34 was a pair of 28' Atkin-design v-bottom gaff-rigged sloops. (I've recently been looking at one as a project.)
After the war, they returned to building runabouts, but also built the 18' Interlake Sloop, and Hereshoff designs including the Rozinante. The runabouts are described in a book called "The Real Runabout".
There was a photocopy of an original company brochure from 1946. "Hunter's Aquality Craft. It lists a 30' cruiser, a 26' runabout, a 20' speedster and an 18' runabout. There's another brochure (date unknown, but it seems to be later)which shows a 22' mahogany v-bottom "utility runabout", 22' "sedan top runabout", and a 36 and 40 foot cruisers.
Al Hunter never built in fibreglass, and his death in the 70's, his son ran the company into the ground, and sold it to someone called Laing. The company was run as a marina. When the buildings burnt down in 1990, there wasn't much left of it The son ran a company that made furnaces and fireplaces, and which has since gone bankrupt.
I've thinking of starting a small web site on the subject. I keep bumping into Hunter boats in local boneyards, etc.
[ 10-28-2002, 11:29 AM: Message edited by: WWheeler ]