Age of older DN iceboat

[Chriscraftcapri]

Hello to all,
I'm just about complete in the restoration of an older DN.  I was wanting to know if anyone knew the approximate age of DN261.  I believe it came from Ohio and was owned by a physician.  It has cast iron runners, wood mast & boom and a canvas sail.  Let me know if you have an idea.
Thanks.

[DN 805]

My first DN was #305, which was built in 1956.  #261 would be older than #305,  i.e.,  well over 50 years of age.

But I have never seen a DN with cast iron runners.

Get some rides this winter.

Regards
Jane Pegel
DN 805

[Sunfish1909]

I just sold a "Sprinter" (Super DN) at the Nov. 1st swap meet in Grand Rapids, MI. It had a canvas DN sail marked DN #230. I was told the boat was built in the mid 1950's which sounds correct reading the last post.

Pete

[Mark]

Back in about 1947 I built my first DN. It was assigned number #123, but to get number 123 they had to skip a bunch of numbers. The numbers were still down below #100 then. From what I remember my number should have been in the 70's or 80's, but since I was only 6 years old my mother wanted me to have an easy number so they assigned me #123.

Jack Jacobs

[Martha Boston]

DN#100 was built for me, by my dad Howard Boston I believe in 1950 when I was ten, Skip's new boat was #150, Nancy's old boat was #144 which she sailed in approx 1955.

Those were the good old days when the ice was early, hard and fast. I believe the cast iron runners mentioned were the angle iron snow runners which we used on occasion.  Back then the kids raced against the old geezers (45 yr olds and older). We didn't have fees or qualifications, that I recall. We just went out and raced, sailed all day and took time out only to have a bowl of chill on Lake St.Clair.

#100 was used for the official rules of the DN class, had the original dacron sail. Cotton was the fabric used prior to 1950.  The hull of #100 was damaged  in 1960 when it raised itself off the top of the car going 80mph on I 69 just north of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Moral of the story, don't be in a hurry, use your tie downs on the front of the car before heading home.   Sail fast.