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Topic: Chris' Restaurant Flying Saucer |
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PRJM3
Advanced Member
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 Posted on: Apr 22, 2010 - 8:27pm
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Please let me know if this topic has been discussed here before, and if so I'll look for the previous thread.
The annual family vacation during the 50's and 60's was in Ocean City, NJ and a regular fixture was the converted PT boat that made daily joyrides along the shoreline. I even got to ride on it at least once.
I recently did an internet search and found a fair number of pictures and a lot of bad information about Chris' Seafood Restaurant Flying Saucer. On different sites it's described as a converted Elco, Higgins, or Huckins. I'm visiting the folks right now and showed my Dad the pictures; He feels it's an Elco based on the shape of the bow and chine. I also noticed that it does not have exhausts on the sides of the hull. Does anybody know what type of boat it was?
It's also variously stated that Chris Montague bought either three or four PT boats. One was converted to a speedboat (the Flying Saucer) and two were converted to fishing boats or 'fast head boats' (the Flying Cloud and Wild Goose). The fourth boat, if it existed, was used for spares. These boats are also described as various mixtures of Elco, Higgins and Huckins. The Flying Cloud is in one of the attached pictures. Does anyone know anything about the fishing boats? It seems like a lot of power for a fishing boat, although what I can gather from another web search is that a head boat is used for open water fishing and a fast head boat gets you to the open water rather quickly.
I have a few more questions and some fond remembrances of the joyriding PT, but I'll wait and see if this is an old topic. This was the first and probably only PT boat discussion that my Dad, Mom, sister and I could all get in on ' we all went on the Flying Saucer!
Randy McConnell (Randall J. McConnell III) |
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TED WALTHER |
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Apr 23, 2010 - 4:48am
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Chris;
If I remember correctly, The Flying Saucer was a surplus Vosper. A man named Tom Laskey, purchased or was the principle player in buying a large number of the boats sold surplus in 1946-47 from RON 22, RON 30, and RON 4. boats that went this way, that I know of, were PT 40, 48(became Flamingo II and Flamingo I, respectively, Miami, Fla. 48 is currently in Kingston N.Y), 139(became Question Mark, Ocean City Md), 140(went to Fla), 302(Became Blue Dolphin, last seen in New Orleans), 305(became oyster boat, Chrisfield Md, now in New Orleans WWll museum for restoration), 308(stayed La Dee Da, burned Timmons Boat Yard 2004?), 309(Became Brand X, Bay Shore, L.I N.Y.) , 314( ended up with Roger Radbill), 459(currently in Kingston N.Y), 486(became Shumann's Big Blue, now Sightseer, currently being restored, to PT 109 config), 559(became PT Joe, locals told me it had a few names, out of Lewes, Del. sunk in storm off Hen and Chicken Shoals, Cape Henlopen Del 1979). other boats were sold directly to private owners at the surplus auction, such as PT 59(which was later tied up in a ownership litigation in NYC probate court, she fell in disrepair and sunk at her mooring , which was ajacent to 217th RR bridge in Harlem, NY, around 1977), PT 99(which became Porkers Stern, washed up in hurricane in the 1980's) I also know of aother Elco that was in NC, and on Higgins in NC and One in Seaford, Va, but don't know their real identities. some boats were sold later such as 615(now currently in Kingston N.Y) ,617(at PT Museum), then others stayed in Navy employment for quite a while such as 658(restored Portland , Or),659(broken up, remains shipped to New Orleans WWll museum for parts for 305 restoration), and 796
Chip Marshall has way more info on most of the boats that were sold surplus than I have. I have also seen an aerial photo of what I believe was most of RON 22 being "stored" at a boat yard in the vicinity of the current Coast Guard Station, in Ocean City, N.J. around 1946-47.
Take care,
TED
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TED WALTHER
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Posted on: Apr 23, 2010 - 5:12am
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OOPS!!!
SORRY FOR CALLING YOU CHRIS, RANDY
TAKE CARE
TED
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Bill Manley
New Member
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Posted on: Apr 23, 2010 - 6:28am
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Randy,
You can tell a ELCO boat because the exhausts are out the stern of the boat.
Bill Manley
Bill Manley |
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29navy
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Posted on: Apr 23, 2010 - 1:13pm
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Here is a picture I found among my father-in-laws slides. It is from Ocean city, maybe 1960s or possibly late 1950s time frame. Kind of looks like an Elco to me.
Charlie |
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TED WALTHER
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Posted on: Apr 23, 2010 - 5:42pm
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Charlie;
That looks like the Question Mark to me in full head boat configuration. They had a great photo for her over the front desk at The Duck Inn, which was were she was moored. The photo is probably still there, if I get down there this year, I will let you know.
Take care,
TED
take care,
TED
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TED WALTHER |
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Posted on: Apr 23, 2010 - 5:47pm
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Charlie;
now that I looked at the photo again....notice the Question Mark? on the flying bridge. This is a really sweet photo, and the best I have ever seen of her....ex-PT 139.
TED
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PRJM3
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Apr 27, 2010 - 12:19pm
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Ted,
Thanks for the information, I didn't realize there were so many boats that made it into private hands. I'll have to look into the different boat numbers you provided when I'm back home and have access to my books. I'll particularly need to look at the Vosper boats a little closer.
Charlie,
That's a great picture of Question Mark. The Flying Saucer was in Ocean City, New Jersey while the Question Mark was in Ocean City, Maryland. We did vacation in OC, Maryland at least once but I wasn't aware of the Question Mark. It looks like exhaust stains on the side of the Question Mark, so it was apparently not an Elco.
Will have to do web searches on all of the "named" boats!
Thanks again,
Randy McConnell (Randall J. McConnell III) |
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TED WALTHER
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Posted on: Apr 27, 2010 - 2:24pm
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Randy;
In a news article about the auction in 1946 a number of boats were sold. I am at home now, and it is a PDF file. I no longer have adobe because I am not using MSN. I will send it tomorrow.
Take care
TED
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David Buck
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Posted on: Apr 28, 2010 - 7:58pm
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This is an interresting thread to follow, the info you have Ted would answer a lot of questions about the life of the Boats that were sold off after the War.
For that matter anyone with such info may like to add to this thread.
The photo of the Question Mark does follow the hull lines of a 80' Elco, just as the topsides have been changed so to can the exhaust be moved, so using the exhaust placement to ID a Boat 15 or so years after the War does not take into account what a new owner may do to it.
With a little luck a thread like this could lead to more Boats being discoved ,lets see where it goes.
D.buck |
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