Kate Smith's Classics

There may be some of you who never  heard of Kate Smith. Kate was a full figured woman  who hated being laughed at, but it never stopped her from becoming an American institution. Did you know that she owned four speedboat classics? 

 One of Kate Smith's boats was a 1929 Chris Craft.  The boat was originally  owned by Carl Conway, owner of Continental  Can Co. in Lake Placid N.Y. Kate had purchased her in the late 1930's. 

 The current owner Jim Brennan found her near Utica, N.Y. where she sat for twenty years in the  back of a barn. Restoration  took five years. Boat model # 7 is 26' long with a beam of 6'8". Hull # 900, this model has the rare original Chris Craft V8 engine. Its  825 cubic inches produce 225 max hp. rpm's  are 2,200 which gives it a speed of about 45 miles  per hour. Boat and motor are 6,000 + Lbs.

Picture Courtesy of Berkshire TV

Obtained a photo of Kate Smith, in boat  believed to be the current day Shady Lady.  Photo courtesy of  Kate's biographer  Richard K. Hayes,  www.katesmith.org/.

click on photo to view

 Kate Smith required a semi-enclosed boat for every day use, when she visited the 1938 boat show  in New York City she purchased Sunshine 1, a 24 foot sportsman. The boat was sold when Miss Smith passed away. This boat has been in  use  on Lake Placid  for sixty years.

When Kate Smith's camp on Lake Placid  was sold  Sunshine 11 pictured below  was included in the sale. I have yet  to see the boat outside where I  could get a good picture.  All boats are still in use and in good condition.                  

Next  the restoration of Sunshine 111 the  fourth classic speed boat Kate Smith owned.