Designed by H.C. Hanson and built by Franck & McCrary in 1930 on Seattle's Lake Union, Comrade was first owned by H. W. Davis, Jr. Originally powered by a Hercules gas engine, in 1939 she was repowered with a  1939 Ford Flathead automobile engine which was used until 1967 when a 54 HP Westerbeke diesel was installed.  Comrade cruises at 7 knots, burning 1.5 GPH. Her second owner, C. H. Bolin, won the Small Cruiser Class of the 1936 International Predicted Log Race from Seattle to Nanaimo.  In the late thirties, Bolin developed an automatic control system for the marine industry, one of which is still operational aboard Comrade.

Comrade  participated in and won many awards as best decorated boat in Seattle's Opening Day of 1959, 1961, and 1963 boating seasons. She won the Best Antique/Classic Powerboat (pre-WWII) in the 2002 La Conner Classic Yacht and Car sShow. The third owner, the Birdseye family, bought the Comrade in 1949 and have now been cruising on her for over 60 years.