This is a boat that was produced circa 1930. It is a large boat at 18″ x 5″ for the hull. With the motor it weights in at more than three pounds. It is motor driven by a wind up motor. The Flying Yankee #65 is a fairly common boat that always sells well at auction. This one is unusual in that it has a private label on the stern. Rayl’s Hardware was a popular store out of Detroit.
From my private collection.
Derrick,
That is a nice looking Flying Yankee. I have several and they are strong running boats in the water if the motor is functional.
The steering wheel was rigged with three strand linen cord – out through the holes on the side windshield wings, aft (then under the brass side ‘monkey rails’ on most of the larger boats) to the screw eyes near the transom, and then forward to the end of the forward-facing “tiller.” The wheel then controls the rudder. You wanted your boat to motor in a large circle so you had at least a chance of retrieving it.
Burt Bechtel