Record-Setting Run

here Imagine driving the runabout pictured That’ s exfrom New York to Florida. In 1930. actly what Frank Morley did. The adventurous took college student from Mount Dora, Florida, And just over 14 days to complete the passage. record — he set a speed record — yes, a speed in doing so. Read The boat was a 16-foot Harpoon. Pratt, — a re& Co. of Deep River , Connecticut to fight of f nowned piano maker diversifying , and the Great Depression — was the builder was the powerboat pioneer George Crouch on the designer. Morley made a few test runs New York, Connecticut River, then sped to mile trip. averaging close to 30 mph for the 120- for what It could hardly have prepared him would follow. and Equipped with a pair of oars, a compass bilge a chart case, a 40-gallon gas tank, several outboard pumps, camping gear, an Elto Quad breakand a spare engine, Morley endured he made downs, bad weather and bad luck as Waterway, his way south. With no Intracoastal miss navigation was haphazard. Morley would , canal or a marker and end up in some river swamp, poling or even pushing his boat. was able On the few occasions when Morley Harpoon to run the Elto Quad wide open, the an idea of averaged 20 to 25 mph, which “gave conthe capability of the boat under favorable was exditions.” Running offshore, the engine into the posed to the elements; salt water seeped outboard spark plug wires, making starting the he slogged nearly impossible. One stormy night, into Norfolk, Virginia, on the spare engine. dark day. Morley reached Miami on a cloudy, lost his It started to rain. Going “by feel,” he Once he way and ran aground in the shallows. matter spotted the causeway, it was a “simple up , endto reach [downtown] Miami.” He tied ing his journey, about 10 p.m. Boating In the October 1930 issue of Motor noted that magazine, an anonymous writer more than “the Elto Quad had actually run no speed alone 75 hours, so that it is apparent that in makis not the only factor to be considered ing a trip of this kind.” — Steve Knauth