I'll take two of these to go

[Wayne Jeffers]

http://www.lightningclass.org/images/Olsen_boatworks.gif

Check those prices!

I see they built Comets, too. :cool:

Wayne
Comet 3332

[Scott Rosen]

That's great. Where'd you find that gem?

[Wayne Jeffers]

Scott,

I found it at the Lightning Class web site: http://www.lightningclass.org/

I'd give the proverbial nickle to know the year this flyer was printed. Judging from the way the phone numbers are expressed, I would guess no later than mid-1950's.

It would be nice to have one of these to frame. smile.gif

Wayne

[nedL]

Neat old ad. I grew up 5 miles from Red Bank. I am thinking the ad may be even a bit older than the 50's. I never heard of this company before. Thanks Wayne. smile.gif

[ 03-16-2002, 09:05 PM: Message edited by: nedL ]

[Mike Field]

Lars I Olsen was building boats to others' designs prior to 1950 --

http://www.mysticseaport.org/library/rudder/builders/o.html

However, Olsen Boat Works apparently now restricts its activities to operating a marina in Keyport NJ --

http://www.marinfosvc.com/marina.htm
http://monmouthocean.com/monmouth_marinas.html
http://www.boatersalmanac.com/NJPages/new_jersey_3_to_62.htm

Their phone number is 732-264-4198 -- why not give them a ring and ask for their current price on a Lightning?

[nedL]

Mike, Some good research you did there, but sorry to say that Olsen boatworks in Keyport is a different Olsen. Even though Red Bank and Keyport are only about 8 - 10 miles apart (10-12KM), the Olsen of Olsen boatworks in Keyport was Ole Olsen who immigrated from Norway in the 1940's. When he first arrived in the US. Ole lived with the Ulrichsen family (also of Keyport) and worked & learned boatbuilding from the Ulrichsens & Pedersens. Ole set up his own boatbuilding shop on the waterfront in Keyport and built his own line of lapstrake Jersey skiff. He built boats from about 22' to 27'. His boats were custom & semicustom and of very good quality.
I suppose the Olsen of Red Bank could be a relative of Ole's, but the way the phone number is listed certainly dates the ad to at least the 1950's if not earlier.

[Dale Genther]

Wayne, I read your post and ran right off to grab my Comet (No. 3580)data book, thinking you had found the answer to a question I've been trying to find the answer to. The name Olsen at the monent sounded as though it might be what I found written on my Comet's transom (on the inside so I didn't see it until I removed the old deck). But, it wasn't. Mine says "Built by Fletcher Marine and George and Barry Olton (Not Olsen) March 27, 1961" So I'm still trying to find out who these poeple were and where they were.

[Wayne Jeffers]

Dale,

Your Comet and I have the same birthday! Except I'm older. LOL

There seem to have been a lot of professional builders of Comets at one time. Inscriptions on the inside of the transom seems to have been common, too. I've checked mine pretty closely and I found nothing. No indication of the builder's name. I'm really curious too as to why the class has faded to only a few fleets. Really a pity there are so few left, because it is such a beautiful boat.

Wayne

[nedL]

I will say that where I grew up on the New Jersey shore (Navesink & Shrewsbury Rivers) in the 1970's there were large classes of Lightnings, Comets, Blue Jays, Turnabouts, Wood Pussys, & some Thistles. On weekend afternoons the rivers would be covered with "clumps" of classes all racing.

[Dale Genther]

In my opinion the demise of many of the older classes started when the newer fiberglass classes started to becom popular. In Annapolis the popular classes are J22s, J 24s, etc. Ther are also some Lightnings, Thistles, and Comets, etc. but not nearly as many as the J's. Unfortunately none of the new boat clesses are suitable for amature building. They are expensive to buy and keep in competitive form (New sails yearly!). This has kept many young potential sailors from becomming involved in one design racing simply because it can be so expensive.

[Wayne Jeffers]

I expect the new fiberglass classes have something to do with it, Dale, but it seems to me there have to be other reasons, too. After all, lots of older classes successfully converted to fiberglass and are thriving. Two other designs from the 1930's, Lightnings and Snipes, are among the largest classes worldwide. Aren't Stars still an Olympic class? There's no shortage of fiberglass Thistles, which was originally made in hot-molded wood. In this area, one of the most popular classes is the Interlake, which made the change from wood to glass. Y-Flyers and Hamptons also come to mind as older designs still being produced in glass (and wood, too!) There are probably others that don't come to mind right now.

There are a number of glass Comets around, but no current manufacturers to my knowledge. I think that's really a shame. There have been 160-some Comet fleets, yet only a handful remain. :(

Wayne

[Dale Genther]

Wayne, You are right, many of the old wood one design classes have made the switch to wood sucessfully. But at least from my observation, in the Annapolis area, they are surviving not really thriving. There seems to be fewer of them and less interest in them every year. The J's and the Melgeses get most to the glory now. I don't really have a problem with this as change is a part of every sport. New classes come in and old ones go out. What I have a problem with is the fact that none of the newer classes can be amature or home built, you must buy them from (usually one) builder.I have no idea what a new J24 costs, but I suspect it is in the area of $30K. Hardly a beginners sport. Plus having raced in J's in Annapolis, I can tell you it is SERIOUS business. I simply didn't enjoy it. I sail for fun not to scream and argue with other sailors.

[Wayne Jeffers]

Dale,

Things are a little different on the big bay than they are in this part of the country. Most of the one-design fleets around here are the older designs. (And smaller boats, too, than the J's.) Taking a look at the two closest yacht clubs (Columbus area), I see only one boat that I'm sure was plastic from the beginning, Laser (2 fleets). Fleets of boats that began as wood are Comet, Interlake (2), Thistle (2), Lightning (2), Snipe, and Windmill. I think 505 began as wood. I'm not sure about Lido, Flying Scot, Highlander, and MC Scow. I saw somewhere that Interlake, Thistle, and Lightning are the most popular one-designs in the Midwest, but I can't remember where. There seems to be lots of Snipes and Y-Flyers in the Midwest, too.

I think I saw where there were 8 Comet fleets in Ohio at one time. Now I think only the one in Columbus remains. Eighteen boats, about half of them are wooden. Maybe another fleet on the western part of Lake Erie.

Wayne

[santone]

There are a few cold-molded, Olsen built, Woodpussys in the fleets at Monmouth (MBC) and Schrewsbury (SS&YC) that are beautifully restored. There's a photo of one on this link to my sailing site. http://24.47.49.176:8000/sailingworld/WP.htm
The other wooden Woodpussy is a late 1940's boat that may be home built or one of the original Palmer Scott boats. Regards,
Tony

[uncas]

Hinckley had the audacity to send me the original price sheet for my Sou'wester 34...( 1948 )
$5750.00 from start to finish...
I realize that there is such a thing as inflation but...heck my winter cover was only 1500.00 le4ss than that.
Bummer!

[bamamick]

I am wondering if these guys merged or were bought out by Lippincott. Lippincott also built Stars, Lightnings, and Comets. In New Jersey. A coincidence, if nothing else.

Mickey Lake

[santone]

Look what Lightning lovers did back in 2000 to show their affection for this great design.
http:www.Lightningclass.org/Articles/ABigDeal.html
Regards,
Tony

[Ed Harrow]

Wayne, good to "see" you. (Scott too, of course)

[santone]

Wayne, I believe Nickels Boat Works are still producing some Comets, along with Lightnings, rebels
Buccaneers etc. Regards, Tony

[santone]

Wayne,
I gave you a bum steer above. Nickels also makes the Snipe, not the Comet
Sorry, Tony