TYPHOON WOOD MODEL BOAT

Typhoon

Edsel Ford, Howard Hughes, George Crouch.
George Crouch was a designer of famous powerboats. He
designed the Typhoon for Edsel Ford who wanted a boat
that would be used for commuting between his home and
the Ford plant on the Detroit River. The 40 foot runabout
was constructed at the Henry B. Nevins Shipyard, City
Island, New York, reportedly for over $70,000. The boat
took her name from the original engine

a 600 hp, 12 cylinder Wright Typhoon aircraft engine,
designed initially for a dirigible. This power plant was
carried in a lacquered African mahogany hull which was
double planked forward, single planked aft, had seven
feet, eight inches of beam and was pointed at both stern
and bow. She had three broad seats, two forward and one
aft of the amid ship engine well.

In 1941, Ford sold it to Howard Hughes who kept it
running during the war years, selling it soon after .

two stories exist about the fate of this beautiful boat, we
can't prove or disprove either ....

One : the boat was found by George Babcock and he
restored it spending a fair bit of money and time to do it.
The original engine was replaced with a Packard W-14
that developed 1500 HP and consumed about 125 gallons
of gas per hour. The boat went on to be displayed at boat
shows and regattas.

Two: in the late sixties, her current owners had her
shipped from Kentucky to Seattle, Washington. In the late
1960's, at Bryant's Marina in Washington, the boat that
was docked next to the Typhoon caught fire. The fire
raged out of control, and soon engulfed the Typhoon. The
Typhoon was a total loss.

If you know the true fate of this classic boat, drop us a
line and let us know !

meanwhile this fabulous replica can be yours ..