1964 Matthews Wooden Boat    Jim Payetta: For those of you who like wooden boats, this week on foot-itis we take a look at a 1964 42' Matthews. Joining me is Mike Burns from Clift's Marine Sales. Matthews Wooden Boat building company is actually based on the Great Lakes.      Mike Burns: Yes, in fact they started out in Branscomb, Ohio, back in the late 1800s, where Scott j. Matthews developed some of the early hulls next to his father's sawmill.Scott Matthews at the time shipped them down to Plattsburg, New York, where the Loisier Company installed the engines. They were actually marketed under the Loisier name for quite a few years. Around 1906, Matthews moved down to Port Clinton, Ohio, and did the whole operation himself.

      This move created the Matthews boat company, and they ended up going on to build a whole variety of hulls. The company created everything from small runabouts to rumrunners for the government, to military craft, and of course the luxury yachts that they are well renowned for. During the time many influential people like the Ringling Brothers of circus fame, even Ernest Hemingway himself owned an old Matthews.

     Jim Payetta: They are a lot more affordable today, but do require a lot of work, and some tender loving care. Just like the 42' Matthews Woodie that we are standing in front of all this boat needs is definitely a little TLC.
     Mike you are certainly getting a lot of boat for your money when you look at something in this vintage, but it does require a little bit of work. I guess the important thing to remember is that it needs to be structurally and mechanically sound.

     Mike Burns: You do not want to get into too much of a project boat, depending on how daring you are. But make sure you do a good survey on the boat giving you a perspective on how sound the hull is and whatnot.    
     Due to the boats age the odd plank may need to be replaced. But if you have got a good solid hull, good decks and the mechanical features are all working properly, well then you pick up a boat at a decent price. Only doing small cosmetic work yourself, you could turn the boat into a real gem.

     Ted Rankine: The interior layouts of these classic wooden cruisers have not changed much over the past 40 years. The main salon is in the raised area over the engines and offers plenty of storage on both sides, under the wide sidewalks.
     The galley and dinette are down and forward, and well equipped for long term cruising. Up front, the spacious v-berth offers plenty of storage under the bunks, with lots of natural light. Back aft, the large master stateroom uses the entire 13-foot beam of the boat, and has the typical twin bed layout with plenty of drawer space and it's own separate head and shower.
     Heading out for the sea trial, we noted that the custom canvas work is often done to enclose the huge aft deck of the Matthews. And yet, does not take away from the classic lines of these yachts.
The original twin 413 Chrysler Imperial gasoline engines had a great, deep, throaty sound at idle. These inboards produce 250 hp each, and had no problems getting the semi displacement hull of the Matthews up on plane. And keeping it there, despite the chop on the lake, which the flared bow turned away beautifully.
     The twin Imperials cruised nicely and quietly at a comfortable 10 knots. Unlike the fibreglass hulls of today, a wooden hull has an inherent flex that produces a very soft ride, as it seems to almost absorb the impact of the waves.
     Standing at the helm with the old wooden wheel in your hands, and cruising along slowly, you feel almost regal. But with an asking price in the 40s, you certainly will not need to be royalty to own this boat. Nostalgia reigns with old wooden boats, and it cannot be said enough that the lines on these classics will turn heads in any anchorage.

     Jim Payetta: If you like classic wooden boats, you will find a number of them on the market from real showpieces to real fixer-uppers. There are a number of builders who specialized in building the wooden yachts of yesteryear. Names like Trojan, Chris Craft, Shepard, and of course, Matthews. And if you do not mind rolling up your sleeves, you can find some boats out there like this 42' Matthews that will deliver a lot of boat for your dollar.

* taken from a transcript of our Footitis Used Boat Profiles on PowerBoat TV 2004 Episode 11- Order A Copy of the Show