The Best Little Motor Boat Afloat
There exists a smaller and less visible group of wooden-boat owners who have learned that these relics of bygone days can bring a degree of enrichment to their lives far beyond anything provided by a boat show. Their boats may be similarly restored to boat show standards but these folks have learned that to get the most enjoyment out of their treasure it should be used and experienced as the original builder intended. Damn the torpedoes, so to speak.
And so, it is with an intrepid group of owners of Disappearing Propeller Boats. Affectionately known as “Dispros” or “Dippys” (one wag commented that the latter term revealed more about the owner than the boat), these unique Canadian craft are really just overgrown sixteen to eighteen-foot double ended rowing skiffs, sporting pretty little one or two-cylinder “parlour engines.” They originated in 1914 on the Muskoka Lakes, about one hundred miles north of Toronto utilizing the newly developed lightweight two horsepower Waterman K1 and five horsepower K2 copper jacket engines. In later years other engines from three to six horsepower were used, most notably Coventry Victor.
Dispros have a unique Rube Goldberg contraption amidships called, for want of a better term, “The Device.” This patented self-contained unit with its swinging skeg and universal-jointed shaft which gave the boat its unusual name, allowed the craft to travel safely under power in deep or shallow water and to avoid damage from underwater obstructions. The propeller can be lifted manually by a lever out of harm’s way, or the protecting skeg can do it automatically. It works perfectly every time. Well, almost every time.
Soon after the Disappearing Propeller Boat Company Limited started production in earnest in the spring of 1916, these little boats gained a reputation as a suitable craft for cottagers and fishing enthusiasts on the Muskoka Lakes because of their versatility. They also became known for their ability to successfully navigate uncharted waterways, becoming the boat of choice for adventurers heading into wilderness country. There exist many documented tales of high adventure in Dispros, such as a harrowing fifteen-hundred-mile trip taken in 1920 down the Mackenzie River by three prospectors.
Editors – Paul Dodington and David Moffa
Editors – Paul Dodington and David Moffa
What’s the Device?
The ‘device’ consisted of a cast iron housing (later aluminum) mounted in the hull to accommodate a universal joint, propeller shaft, combination strut-skeg and the propeller. The motor was mounted forward and was coupled to a flexible propeller shaft which entered the housing through a stuffing box. In the largely uncharted and unexplored waterways of that day, this device was truly a safe way to get there with little or no damage if the propeller shaft skeg struck bottom or logs, etc.
Some Helpful Links
Every Dippy needs a helping hand from time to time. We have found the following sites to be informative to our Association and recommend that you visit them.
Advantages of Membership
It Pays to be a Member
You do not need to own a boat to be a member of the association! Members who enjoy this simple yet elegant powerboat come from all walks of life. Most of them restore, repair and maintain their own boats and enjoy the convenience of its manual retractable propeller for beaching or storage.