Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

[mtbjeff]

I'm looking for ideas on an appropriate boat design for a vintage 5 hp gasoline engine that I have. The engine is a running single cylinder 4 Stroke 5hp Frisbie model A motor built between 1911-1920. The engine weight is about 400 lbs. The Frisbie Motor Company was located in Middletown Connecticut on the Connecticut river from about 1905-1927 It's a beautiful heavy little motor that I hope to do something with. This is my first post in this forum and if I'm in the wrong place please delete.

Thank You

Jeff Hecox
Sequim WA

[Garret]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

Welcome to the forum & what a cool engine! If you're looking for plan ideas, I think you posted in exactly the right place.

That engine could power lots of things: a launch, a small cabin cruiser, a sailboat, etc. Some more detail on what you're thinking of would help. Your skill level as well.

[mtbjeff]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

Welcome to the forum & what a cool engine! If you're looking for plan ideas, I think you posted in exactly the right place.

That engine could power lots of things: a launch, a small cabin cruiser, a sailboat, etc. Some more detail on what you're thinking of would help. Your skill level as well.

I'm thinking a small open launch. Possibly modifying an existing launch or having one built. there is a fair amount of boat building going on near me in Port Townsend and Port Angeles WA. I have average or above average fabrication skills with a very good indoor wood working shop to build in. I mostly do Vintage car and motorcycle restoration. In looking at another post I came across a Poulsbo Style Launch that looks interesting.

[Thad]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

I built a Danish Seine Boat our of Nielsen's book Wooden Boat Designs for a 5hp Atlantic make and brake engine. Atlantic engines were built by the Lunenburg Foundry in Nova Scotia. The brother of the head of the Foundry said that the hp rating might well have been 18hp, more correctly. The Danish Seine Boat is 20' x 8', displacing more that 2 tons, maybe 3, and that engine pushed that boat along at hull speed easily. Just saying.

[cstevens]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

Welcome! Very neat engine. I agree that something like a Poulsbo Boat would be perfect for it. While Poulsbo Boats and other suitable open launches aren't exactly common they do come up for sale from time to time if you wanted to find an existing boat rather than building one. If you are interested in building a boat, the Poulsbo Boat lines and construction details were available from the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle a long time ago. I don't know if they are still in print but you might inquire at the CWB or possibly find a copy from the usual vintage book sources.

[jpatrick]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

A Poulsbo Boat or the like would be grand. If you don't want to build it yourself, you might inquire at the NW School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Hadlock. They take commissions of sorts for boats that will fit in with their teaching program. The work is done by students under the faculty's watch and guidance. The incorporation of your antique engine may be a welcome project. I suspect they can also advise on the final design you might want.

Jeff

[mtbjeff]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

Welcome! Very neat engine. I agree that something like a Poulsbo Boat would be perfect for it. While Poulsbo Boats and other suitable open launches aren't exactly common they do come up for sale from time to time if you wanted to find an existing boat rather than building one. If you are interested in building a boat, the Poulsbo Boat lines and construction details were available from the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle a long time ago. I don't know if they are still in print but you might inquire at the CWB or possibly find a copy from the usual vintage book sources.

Thank you Chris I will take a look at CWB!

[mtbjeff]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

A Poulsbo Boat or the like would be grand. If you don't want to build it yourself, you might inquire at the NW School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Hadlock. They take commissions of sorts for boats that will fit in with their teaching program. The work is done by students under the faculty's watch and guidance. The incorporation of your antique engine may be a welcome project. I suspect they can also advise on the final design you might want.

Jeff

Thank you I will certainly look into the school in Port Hadlock!

[mtbjeff]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

I built a Danish Seine Boat our of Nielsen's book Wooden Boat Designs for a 5hp Atlantic make and brake engine. Atlantic engines were built by the Lunenburg Foundry in Nova Scotia. The brother of the head of the Foundry said that the hp rating might well have been 18hp, more correctly. The Danish Seine Boat is 20' x 8', displacing more that 2 tons, maybe 3, and that engine pushed that boat along at hull speed easily. Just saying.

Interesting insight about the hp ratings, I don't think the Danish Seine Boat is what I'm after, but they are a beautiful boat!

[rbgarr]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

I agree about a Poulsbo boat. This organization may give you more to think about regarding them: https://poulsbohistory.com/poulsbo-maritime-museum/

[Jfitzger]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

A Poulsbo boat would be a great choice but I can't help but think that your engine would be a perfect choice to convert a fiberglass sailboat to a launch. There are so many waiting to be chopped up but that have perfectly solid hulls that can be got for cheap or free. Sawzall everything you don't want and build back with plywood and glass. A lot of trailer sailors around 20' have cast iron swing keels that are easy to drop. The swing keel on my Catalina 22 weighs exactly the same as your engine.

Maybe I'm in left field but I can imagine a very pretty and efficient boat as a result.

[Boatsbgood]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

Another vote for Poulsbo: Very sweet looking boats, and the only critique I had of them is that they were powered with 'clatterbaskets' (various aircooled lawn equipment motors). Your engine would be a totally different experience. Regarding hp/output ref above, probably more that the boat requires, but I'm pretty sure it could be propped to keep rpm low at hull speed with no harm to the engine. There are a few members who would be able to opine on that with more authority (Canoeyawl, NedL, Dr. B, among others).

[Canoeyawl]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

do you have a propeller for it?

[J.Madison]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

Does it really weigh 400 lbs? I think that might be too much for a poulsbo boat. 400 lbs is a serious chunk of weight, probably more suitable to a boat of a at least a ton or two displacement. If what Thad says about actual power is right, it is way too much power too. I would look for something on the chunky side, even if you don't use all the power, you need to haul all the weight.

If you get ahold of a lines plan for the Poulsbo boat, we can give more educated insight. I'm just going off of memory.

[cstevens]

Re: Designs for a Vintage 5hp inboard motor

Does it really weigh 400 lbs? I think that might be too much for a poulsbo boat. 400 lbs is a serious chunk of weight, probably more suitable to a boat of a at least a ton or two displacement. If what Thad says about actual power is right, it is way too much power too. I would look for something on the chunky side, even if you don't use all the power, you need to haul all the weight.

Oooh, yeah. I think that's too much for a Poulsbo boat as well. They are not heavily built. Something like the William Hand Tug design might be perfect though.

https://www.dhylanboats.com/new_construction/tug/

https://www.agboats.com/forsale/tug-22-wm-hand-motor-fishing-boat

I love that boat.