TOPIC: Has anyone ever seen one of these on the water?

My name is Mike, and I am new to this forum but have visited this site often over the years and enjoy seeing every ones passion for these old boats. I have two classics, one 1950 aluminum Feathercraft firefly that has been in my family since 1953 and a fiberglass 1961 Wheeler 25'10" semi sedan cruiser.
I have joined this forum to tap into the knowledge of every one here to help me with getting the Wheeler back on the water as it may be the only one left as I have not been able to find any pictures or any major info on this boat to date, except what little info exists here and from a correspondence with Wesley Wheeler, the great grandson and son of the men who designed and built the Wheeler.
So my boat has been gutted at some point in its past and possibly had a small fire in what may have been a cook top area(some black char on the fiberglass headliner). The engine, marine gear, fuel tanks and seating all removed. The engine I have some knowledge of and know it was a 318 with a paragon marine gear. I also know it had 2 auxiliary fuel tanks on the deck. The v berth is all intact as is the porta potti, original helm station, and rear deck area. The vessel is very solid, except for the mahogany tilt out windshield.
Anyone that has info on this or other vessels like it I would be appreciative and pictures of any aspect of the boat too would be helpful to determine the original layout.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Sorry I don't know much about your boat but I'm sure someone here may. Andres Thompsonboat probably has some info on it or can find it, he's the best at digging up info.

Bob

Thanks Waterwings. I figure if I am going to find any info on this boat this is the place. Mr. Wesley Wheeler is suppose to look through the Wheeler archives for me sometime this winter and see if he can come up with anything other than what he knows from memory.
He told me that the boat I have his Dad had designed and that his Dad bought a used one in his later retired years to restore, but his health deteriorated before he ever got a chance to even work on it. And he is not sure what happened to that boat, maybe I have that boat. And mine is early, so could have been the one they used at the 1961 New York Boat show, but no proof at moment. Wesley did say that the they sold a lot more of the bigger version with twins and a fly bridge, but not sure on how many of either boat.
We have a boat salvage yard about 45 minutes from me and there is a twin engine, fly bridge version there in very bad condition and this is the only other fiberglass Wheeler I have ever found and it is gutted as well.

56powerwagon,

WELCOME ABOARD. = LOOKS like a nice design too.
(The WHEELER boats that I know of were built in wood (white cedar) near Baltimore, MD in the 1950s-early 60s.- One that used to be a frequent visitor at the Chesapeake Maritime Museum was probably about 50 foot in length.)

yours, satx

Welcome aboard!

I too communicated with Wesley Wheeler about Wheeler Fibre Glass Boat Corporation. The man I communicated with has since passed away.

The "Fibre Glass" firm was a spin-off or subsidiary of the Wheeler Yacht Company. The fiberglass entity was a very short lived operation and it helped pull the parent company down. The guy who purchased Span America Boat Company around 1960 was also attempting to buy Wheeler Fibre Glass. It did not happen.

I have some corporate history in my files at home in Minneapolis. I think I have a copy of a stock certificate. I am in Peshtigo, WI right now. When I get home I will check the files.

I do NOT have any information on the boats or how they were built.

Andreas

Thanks thompsonboat. How long ago roughly was your communication with him? I think the Wesley Wheeler I have been talking to and emailing is the 2nd or Jr, as he is the great grandson who is trying to bring Wheeler Yacht back. Mine communication was about 2 months ago, hopefully he did not pass since then, but I have not heard back on my last email, so???
I have a copy of a stock certificate, as they pop up on ebay often, so thought it would be neat to have for the file. I also have a couple of ads that ran in magazines back then, but all of them are line drawings and not actually photos and none of them show a drawing of the interior. Wesley told me they had a very large archives in New York with information on almost every wooden boat built, but he did not know what he may have on the fiberglass boats, but since he Dad designed it, he felt there would be something.
Thanks for your response and I am eager for any new information. At some point I will just have to imper vise and do "what works and is practical".
What started your interest in the fiberglass Wheelers?
And I cant believe I cant find actual photo of one on the water...
Thanks again, Mike

Here's a photo in January 1961 Motor Boating magazine and a couple of ads from the February and April issues, available on Google Books:

books.google.com/books?id=C5euBnmfrX4C&pg=PA198&dq=%22wheeler+fibre+glass+boat%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBWoVChMIt4TUsIfpyAIVEcNjCh2Uog1B#v=onepage&q=%22wheeler%20fibre%20glass%20boat%22&f=false


books.google.com/books?id=yITbG3-IN6sC&pg=PA232&dq=%22wheeler+fibre+glass%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAGoVChMIsdeFz4fpyAIVAZaICh0-SQeQ#v=onepage&q=%22wheeler%20fibre%20glass%22&f=false


books.google.com/books?id=M47_90LpOWEC&pg=PA10&dq=%22wheeler+fibre+glass%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBWoVChMIsdeFz4fpyAIVAZaICh0-SQeQ#v=onepage&q=%22wheeler%20fibre%20glass%22&f=false

Welcome aboard Mike, glad to have you join us. Looking forward to seeing more pics of your boat(s)!

Welcome to 'Glassics! My Owens Concorde 27 was in worse shape than that when I started. It will be a substantial project, should you go for it. A 350 Chevy with a Borg-Warner Velvetdrive would be my choice of power.
Best of luck,
Larry

Thanks MarkS. I will try and post some pics soon.

HandyAndy, Thanks for the links. Those are awesome and give some insight. I recognize one of the pictures, as it must have been what they used for the line drawing ad. I never thought to use google search in that manner for results. All my searches always returned the same few things. Thanks for taking the time to do that and send the links.

sailor58, the boat is actually in really good condition. the pic I posted was when I found it. Once it was cleaned out and gone through I realized that there is no rot, except windshield and some plywood floor around where the battery was and the engine hatch has a broken rib. The stringers are good as is the deck. The hull on this boat is about 1" thick and around 1/4" in non structural areas.
I have always planed a 350 engine with borg warner marine gear, but did have a volvo 4 cylinder marine diesel I played around with, but was too tall and would have required raising the engine hatch a little or buying an expensive marine gear that would allow the engine to mount flat, yet have the angle for the prop shaft. Will probably even do fuel injection for reliability.
I will probably have someone else remake the mahogany windshield, and I will do the rest. I already have a roll of flexiteak to do the floors with. I just am having a hard time picturing an interior layout and a few things like that.

I appreciate all the "Welcomes" and hope I can contribute to this community as well as learn from it.