Hackercraft, with multiple changes in ownership, continued on. Shortly, similar upscale varnished-wood runabouts by Gar Wood and Chris-Craft and were also available, fitted with windshields to protect the cockpits and up to 400 hp (300 kW) Liberty V-12 marinized surplus World War I aero engines built for speed.īut by the late 1940s, Gar Wood had stopped producing boats, and by the 1960s Chris-Craft was moving to the more modern materials of plastic and fiberglass. His designs became the model upon which virtually all subsequent runabouts were based. Hacker was a pioneering naval architect who developed many design innovations, like the 'V-bottom'.

Hacker, who founded the Hacker Boat Company in 1908. A remote lever to allow the engines to be placed into a reverse gear was another early innovation.Īmong the leading builders of 1920s runabouts was John L. Another design change which followed soon after was the replacement of the tiller and rudder control with a rudder controlled by a steering wheel, allowing the operator a comfortable forward-facing position. In order to gain speed, the hull shape had to be designed to take advantage of hydroplaning a hydrofoil-like design would allow the boat to skim atop the water's surface at high speed instead of needing to push aside large quantities of water to move forward. The first runabouts date back to the 1920s and were originally small, fast, powerful, varnished, wooden boats created to take advantage of the power of outboard motors such as the first Evinrude, introduced in 1909. The world's largest runabout, Pardon Me, is 48 feet long and owned by the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, New York. Some common runabout types are bow rider, center console, cuddy boat and walkaround. Characteristically between 20' and 35' in length, runabouts are used for pleasure activities like boating, fishing, and water skiing, as a ship's tender for larger vessels, or in racing. In the back is a portion of the 106' houseboat LaDuchesse, both are located at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, New York.Ī runabout is any small motorboat holding between four and eight people, well suited to moving about on the water. Photographs and illustrations may also show optional equipment available at an additional cost.Boat type A 2010 Hacker-Craft triple cockpit runabout The bows of several Riva Aquaramas and Aristans, an Aquarama in center 2004, 22 ft Spencer Runabout, 380 hp Crusader engine, Spencer Boatworks, Saranac Lake, New York The 48' Hackercraft Pardon Me built by Hutchinson Boat Works of Alexandria Bay, New York. Text may mention, or print may show, equipment which may not be included as a standard item or feature in the model of choice. All specifications are approximate and dimensions are nominal. Sea Hunt Boat Company reserves the right to make changes at any time to prices, colors, materials, equipment, specifications and models, to add or discontinue models without notice or obligation. Manufacturing Note: The Information printed in this brochure is the latest product information available at the time of print. Safety Notice: Sea Hunt Boat Company recommends taking a United States Coast Guard (USCG) approved boating safety and handling procedures course along with fully reviewing local and international navigation rules in detail. Please contact your local Sea Hunt Dealer for more information.

Drawings are not to scale and may represent optional features. Disclaimer: Line Drawings/Floor Plans are artist renderings for illustrative purposes only.

Runabout boats manufacturers