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ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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ť Topic: Not a PT...
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=3451

But you may enjoy this anyway...

I've been researching the boats used as tenders for the Pan American Clipper seaplanes. Most were open cabin cruisers, 30-odd feet long, and didn't do much more than go out a few yards and tow the Clippers around the seaplane base. But they're neat boats anyway... see my whole story of discovery at:
[url]http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1562505[/url]

It actually started with me noticing one of these boats in one of my PT Boat Ads, an ad for Van Blerck marine exhausts.

[image]http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2885/11427365745_ac36cdd901_z.jpg[/image]

My most recent discovery: One boat, "Panair XX-P", a 36 footer made by Petersen in Nyack in '41, was at Pearl Harbor on 12/7/41. I found references to her and a stable mate being used to fight the fires. After asking about this at SteelNavy, someone pointed me to a video clip on Critical Past, where for a few seconds, the camera pans past Hoga and others fighting fires on the West Virginia... and there she is! Panair XX-P is right in there with the best of them, doing whatever she could (the tenders all carried fire monitors).

[image]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7337/11154519674_68c6712ba1_b.jpg[/image]

A sister Petersen 36, Panair XVII-P:

[image]http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2859/11427596733_f8da42c0c2_c.jpg[/image]

A different Panair tender, at Treasure Island with a B-314 Clipper, 1939:

[image]http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3670/11427431554_c57aa730f1_c.jpg[/image]

Posted By: Pat Matthews | Posted on: Dec 17, 2013 - 5:09pm
Total Posts: 89 | Joined: Jan 7, 2012 - 5:41pm

Pat;
I have noticed this boat in photos of Pearl Harbor before, the reason I have always liked seeing this boat is because when I was growong up on the south shore of Long Island, my Dad owned a 36' Petersen that looked just like it, he called her NAPA, and owned from 1957-1972, my brother also owned a Elco Cruisette 39' or 40' at the time(1969 -1972).which he bought for next to nothing. Funny story, one day my brother took his boat from the North Shore of Long Island around to the South Shore to put her into my cousins boatyard in Amityville for hull maintenance. When he got to our house, he moored his Elco outboard of my Dad's Petersen at our house for the night. During the night either a drain plug or water intake fitting broke loose and his boat took on alot of water. when we woke up in the morning she had a sever list to her and the only thing keeping her afloat was the fact that she was was tied up to Dad's boat. We spent most of the morning pumping out his boat, so he could get underway to my cousin's boatyard.
take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Dec 18, 2013 - 6:11am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Wow! Neat area to grow up in.

Any photos? Pan Am bought a fair number of these Petersens... maybe your dad's was a retired Pan Am boat! They worked at Port Washington and then at LaGuardia's MAT, until the end of seaplane ops around 1946 .

And if you have any links to pics from Honolulu, that would be fantabulous...so far, this 12/7 picture is the only one I've found of Panair XX-P.

Posted By: Pat Matthews | Posted on: Dec 18, 2013 - 6:39am
Total Posts: 89 | Joined: Jan 7, 2012 - 5:41pm

Pat;
I see you have a big post going on wooden boat forum:http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?148626-Pan-Am-quot-panair-quot-seaplane-tender-service-boats
If you ever get some blueprints/plans, keep me in mind for a copy, please. I would love to make a model of my Dad's boat.

No, Dad's boat had no PanAm connection, he picked up after buying some property on the Eastern Shore of Virginia(he said it always reminded him of Long Island, in the 1930's) in 1957. He bought "The NAPA" in Deltaville Virginia and then sailed her back up to Long Island.
If I have any photos, they are old Polaroids packed away at my Mothers home in Delaware.
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Dec 18, 2013 - 9:47am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Pat;
P.S. I seem to remember seeing a photo of a boat like this, possibly painted gray at Tulagi, in the boat pool maybe as a ASR or runabout. While it might not have been a Petersen, it sure resembled it. it looked like PanAir XVII-P photo(below) your friend has on wooden boat forum and you posted on RC boat. if I find it I will post it.
Take care,
TED

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Ted%20Walther/XVII-P_aa.jpg[/image]
This is also what my Dad's boat looked like, this appears to be the same boat that was earlier based out of San Francisco and had a mast foward, which Dad's also had, but his had the smaller roof/canopy mounted searchlight as in this later photo.

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Dec 18, 2013 - 10:40am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Thanks and cool!

I am developing a 3D model of the Petersen, but only based on photos- no plans have surfaced yet. See the beginning of a build thread at:

[url]http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2042278[/url]

[image]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7435/11450347323_d6480c9eb4_c.jpg[/image]

Posted By: Pat Matthews | Posted on: Dec 19, 2013 - 5:47am
Total Posts: 89 | Joined: Jan 7, 2012 - 5:41pm

And here are the parts to this 27" long model, created using some serious 3D Printing equipment.
BTW, those cheap 3D printers that folks get excited about? Fuhgettaboutit, they're JUNK. Good parts come off machines with too many zeroes in the price for you or me to consider... that's why you use 3D printing services.

[image]http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2869/11469178235_e8e74efde0_c.jpg[/image]

[image]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5483/11469208464_e6228c6794_c.jpg[/image]

The hull and cabin had to each be printed in two parts, due to machine size limitations.

3DP will be involved in my new PT-41, but not this extensively... mainly for detail parts.

Posted By: Pat Matthews | Posted on: Dec 20, 2013 - 12:17pm
Total Posts: 89 | Joined: Jan 7, 2012 - 5:41pm

Pat;
That is awesome! I wish I had the gear to do the cad stuff you guys are doing, its simply amazing work.
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Dec 20, 2013 - 6:37pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Cool Pat, I bet that cost a pretty penny just to print. Is the plastic pretty sturdy or will it need some bulkheads? Are you going to R/C it?

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Dec 21, 2013 - 3:31am
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am

Yes Jeff, it will be RC. I have a build thread started at RC Groups:
[url]http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2042278[/url]

And yes, the the thin plastic shell will get internal bracing.

Posted By: Pat Matthews | Posted on: Dec 21, 2013 - 5:56am
Total Posts: 89 | Joined: Jan 7, 2012 - 5:41pm

Thanks Pat, and great way to handle the current size limitations on the hull. The chine line looks perfect.

I look forward to seeing advances in replication, as you've shown us it is exciting stuff for modelers! As you pointed out, the ability to make corrections without having to rework a mold is big in its own right.

I read about a company using the technology to scan engaged couples and then printing them out for wedding cake toppers.

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Dec 21, 2013 - 7:02am
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am