Rum Runner JS 17

I recently bought a Jersey Speed Skiff with the registration number, JS-17 on it.

I have been told that the original owner lived in Florida and bought it new from Dave Paraskevas in 1980; his intent was to race it with a surface drive unit.  He also removed the original fiberglass deck and reduced the freeboard.

The whole project came to an end he found out that surface drives are not allowed in the JSS class.  The boat was then sold.

The next owner restored it, adding a wooden deck.  Again, it was intended to be a race boat.  However this owner decided racing skiffs was a bit too wild for him.  Again, it was sold.

The last owner used it as a river racer/ski boat.  It has a ski two ring in the transom and an eighteen or twenty gallon fuel tank in the front cockpit area, along with the battery, not an ideal place for proper balance as a racer.

I have now registered it with the Vintage and Historic division of he APBA and intend to take it to vintage events.  I shall relocate the battery and fuel tank, and replace the three blade ski prop with a two blade
racing prop.

The last owner lived in Maine.  The boat now resides in Maryland, so it has "traveled" from New Jersey to Florida, and as far north as Maine.