ACF’s have bedazzled me since I first learned about American Car & Foundry (ACF) boats; I’d been poking around a marina upstate along the Erie Canal, where I grew up, and wrote about it here.
Larry needs to part with J’Ador III (above and below), for sale at Charlestown Marina in Charlestown, MD. It’s an ACF 47’ cabin cruiser built in 1929 in Wilmington, DE, by Sharp and Jackson boat works. The original engine(single) was a 6 cylinder 175 hp Hall-Scott, through a 2:1 ratio reduction gear, delivering a speed of 16 mph. Replacement is a GM 292 in-line 6 cylinder with 160 hp.
To me this is the water equivalent of a Cord or a Dusenberg of the same era; in 1929, this sold for $29,000, which converts to nearly $300,000 in 2000 dollars. For this price you then also got a complete set of bedding, linen, blankets, pillows, table silver, china, and glassware. I wonder if monogramming was an option. For now, enjoy the
flybridge,
main salon, and
aftdeck seating. J’Ador III‘s creature comforts include marine air and satellite television, autohelm and GP.
For a fascinating history of Sharp and Jackson –with fotos — click here.
All fotos by Larry; contact him at lmray (at) dejazzd (dot) com
7 comments
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March 4, 2008 at 3:46 am
Boatsden
[…] International Falls Daily Journal | Newspaper and online community for International Falls, Minnesot… just wrote an article aboutHere’s a preview of it: […]
March 4, 2008 at 11:20 am
Mage Bailey
Oh My…….I’m enchanted and bedazzled. Thank you so much. I’ll follow the link later over lunch.
March 7, 2008 at 2:01 pm
michael
What is the big light? I can see that the little one is a beacon. The big one looks magical…something for wizards to gaze into in The Lord of the Rings.
March 10, 2008 at 6:44 am
Maritime Monday 101 | gCaptain.com
[…] Dad! look, Tugster has photos of a ACF 47’ cabin cruiser built in 1929. For the rest of you, ACF stands for American Car & […]
August 19, 2020 at 12:51 pm
Willem Jewett,
I believe this boat was designed by my grandfather, AWW van Hoorn.
August 19, 2020 at 1:18 pm
tugster
Thx, Willem. Where did your grandfather work?
October 16, 2022 at 10:18 am
Dolores Rubinsky
I was very fortunate to have grown up on a 38 ft acf . Daddy bought it in Maine in the early 50s and brought her to Connecticut. The “Stormking” was our summer home for many, many years. We traveled up and down the Connecticut coastline. Rhode Island coastline. And Long Island New York. We spent time in many ports along the way. I loved the boat, it was very comfortable. 4 large bunks in the cabin. A full galley, and Head, huge cockpit, with sleeping area. A front open cockpit, with a windshield on the forward deck. And a roomy back cockpit, we would carry a scooter and bikes. The Stormking had beautiful mahogany woodwork. It was my job to sand and varnish with 8 coats, every Spring. She had a hoist top of the cabin to lift the Dinky up. Wonderful memories of my youth.