1914 Fay & Bowen - Launch
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Andante
| LOA | 33'0" |
|---|---|
| Beam | 5’2” |
| Type | Power |
| Engine | Chrysler V-8 225HP |
| Location | Lake George |
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"Andante" is a spectacular and extremely rare early launch. More heavily timbered than the usual Fay & Bowen, she has held her shape very nicely.
She has a heart-stoppingly beautiful bow, shaped like a scimitar, which rises nice and tall and flows to her high-cambered, long foredeck. Her gentle sheer sweeps wonderfully back, tapering her sides from that tall bow to her low, torpedo stern.
Andante’s form is a paean to an era when boat design was art not science, and proportionality and esthetics were paramount. This boat must be seen to be appreciated.
Overall, her condition is very nice given her age, but a new owner would be wise to consider some structural repairs. There are a few cracked frames at the tight turn of the bilge aft, and a few planks and seams that deserve attention. All hardware is original brass in good condition.
Launches like "Andante" were common in the early 20th century, before the advent of the runabout. These early boats took design cues from famous speedboats and military vessels of the day.
With the modest horsepower available for small boats then, early powerboat designers were very sensitive to the efficiency of their hulls. Sharp bows cut through the water, and light construction eased the load on the motor. The torpedo stern was developed to allow a round-bottom boat to develop a very flat run with hard bilges. This countered the stern’s tendency to squat at speed, and prevented a power-sapping, rolling stern wave from forming. Above the waterline, the torpedo stern shape reduced windage, but more importantly kept the weight of the boat and crew off of the stern area, allowing the boat to ride at a level trim.
Also, stylistically, it harkened to the fastest vessels of the day, such as Herreshoff’s famous “Now Then” and Herbert J. Leighton’s “Adios.”