More About Dreamboats

The "Lake Union Dreamboat" style is a round-bilged wooden hulled displacement cruiser with a plumb bow, raised foredeck and squred-off house aft. They were simple and comfortable, economical and versatile. Many were built with open sided houses which were later enclosed to varying degrees.

This page is an attempt to catalog and track the vessels built in the "Lake Union Dreamboat" style. The two largest builders of them were the Blanchard Boat Company (36-footers) and Lake Union Drydock (generally 42-footers). Lake Union Drydock copyrighted the Dreamboat name, and it really stuck -- the tag is applied to all kinds of vintage boats now by owners wanting to think of their boats as "Dreamboats."

Blanchard Standardised Cruisers:

25 built between 1924-1930.

"Elsinore" 1925. Held by Blanchard for a time, presumably to use as a sales model. Named for Elsie and Norman, children of N.J. Blanchard. Last know as Contessa.

"Cutterhead" 1925.

The first boat of the series to be sold, "Cutterhead" was purchased by a gentleman named Clayton Philbrick. He owned a company call the Philbrick Cutterhead Co. (a machine tool manufacturer), hence the name. This vessel originally sold for about $6,000 (a lot of money in 1925).

The boat spent a lot of time in Seattle owned by a banker, then a doctor and then a dentist who moved the boat to Lake Chelan and used it for diving and fishing and recreation. This vessel had been well traveled throughout the years. She has a log entry in a resort far up in Southeast Alaska from 1929 when she ventured north for a family vacation. In the 1940's she was involved in a very bad storm and had a collision with a large dock and damaged the aft cabin coach roof. Blanchard Boat Co. later rebuilt it in all teak. It was repowered and replaced with a new Chrysler Crown 100hp gas engine, which lasted until 1986.

In about 1957 the boat was purchased by a prominent lawyer and some more customizing was performed. New uphostery, a new settee was built inside to replace one of the double bunks, a new galley stove was added. The lawyer's family owned the boat for over 25 years when the lawyer passed away. The wife and kids wanted to keep the boat. She was maintained, but alas, they just didn't use her much. So after 4 or 5 years had passed, it was decided among the family members to sell her.

That is when Capt. Dennis Feragen purchased her in 1986. "I fell in love with her as soon as I sat at the helm. I could see myself in a romantic rum runner sort of way of the 1920's". He decided to completely customize the boat to allow others to share in his vision by providing dinner and cocktail cruises on Lake Union and the Seattle waterways. The reconstruction process took almost 2 years and over 12,000 man-hours. First the boat was hauled out and housed in a shop or boat shed and the entire vessel was stripped out. Every cabinet, wiring, mechanical system and floors were removed to reveal any possible problems, rot or damaged timbers. At this time the entire hull was refastened with stainless fasteners, new planks were installed where needed, frames were replaced, new floor timbers, keel bolts, longitudinal frames, engine beds, deadwood, timbers, carlins, butt blocks, etc. Everything that was questionable was refitted and repaired and replaced. The interior layout was completely redesigned to accommodate her new life as an entertainment boat. Everthing had to have substance and be built with longevity in mind. New fuel tanks from stainless steel, water tanks and refrigeration. The galley is all custom fabricated stainless. For the interior wood work, imported hardwoods from Brazil, Africa, Burma and even recycled teak decking material from a World War I battleship USS Roanoke were incorporated into the design and finish. With the use of modern materials such as epoxy, brass, leather and velvet uphostery and laminates, the whole combination was built to be world class. All new mechanical systems were installed including engines, generators, electrical components, galley and refrigeration, dishwasher, wiring, bow thruster, etc.

"Faun" 1926, sold new for $6000. Faun's original engine was a Van Blerk which was replaced by the current Chrysler Crown six cylinder gasoline engine in 1946.

"Rowena" 1926. Now Resolute.

"Cimarron" 1928. Now Blanche.

More photos of Blanche . . .

"Arlene" 1929. Only 38' version built.

"Mer-Na" 1930.

More about Mer-Na . . .

Lake Union Drydock Dreamboats:

"Winifred" 1926. Was lengthened to 47'

Winifred sold for $7,125.00 new in 1926. She was built for Adolph and Winifred Schmidt of Olympia, Washington. Mr. Schmidt surprised his wife by naming the boat after her. In 1928 Mr. Schmidt organized a predicted log race from Olympia to Juneau, Alaska. Winifred had a famous passenger on board for the race: Charles F. Chapman, then editor of Motor Boating Magazine and author of the boater’s bible: "Chapman’s Seamanship and Small Boat Handling". Winifred came in first in the 40-ft and larger class, with a margin of error of only 28-minutes for the entire 980-mile trip. Winifred is planked with Alaskan Yellow Cedar below the waterline and vertical grain Douglas fir above the waterline. The pilothouse is solid Burmese Teak. A comfortable yacht in both calm and heavy weather, Winifred cruises at a little over 9 knots and is powered by a four-cylinder (453) Detroit Diesel.

Three Sheets NW video

"Orba" 1927. Orba has had only 3 owners in her life. First was a wealthy stock investor in an oil well company named Oregon Basin Mining Company. The name Orba comes from "ORegon BAsin." Her second owner was a University of Washington professor of mechanical engineering, who cruised her with his extended family for over 30 years. The current owner has now had her for almost 40 years.