TOPIC: New member 1956 Perma-Craft 26' fiberglass

My son just purchased a time capsule of a classic fiberglass boat.Like the title says it's a 1956 26' Perma-craft fiberglass.This boat came from the original owner that bought it new from the St.Clair Shores MI. factory.It has been kept in his covered boat house on a hoist for 60 years.She has all original hardware,absolutely no rot in any of the wood stringers,original 292 cubic inch Interceptor power.It even has a pair of original 1954 cork life preservers.She is named Camille and we are starting a hopefully show quality restoration.You can still see the original Perma-Craft logo on the hull,it's been painted over,but still visible.We are taking a bunch of pictures as we remove the trim and floor boards etc.There is another more famous beautifully restored twin to this boat known as "Chloe" that we hope to come close to.We were told by the owner's son that the original photo of a Perma-Craft touted as the fastest fiberglass boat was actually Camille.Lots of history here.

Heres a link to some misc pictures. goo.gl/photos/4zSXwHe9MpMQ9N9A9

Nice!!!!!!!!!!!

Pretty darn cool!
Please post a few more pictures of Camille.

doc F

Nice find. Always glad to see the old girls back in circulation. Keep us posted please.

Awesome, welcome aboard and nice find. Lake St. Clair is my old stomping ground when we were boating. I'm assuming your handle is for Muskamoot bay?


Bob

Yes sir it is.Heaven for boating and finding old treasures.

NICE!!!! More pictures please!!!!

Hello muskamoot,

Welcome to FiberGlassics,

I had a chance to see Chloe at the Geneva Lakes show where she won best fiberglass a few years back.







The Permacraft is a beautiful boat and I heard that a Chris Craft Express Cruiser hull was used to create the mold.
1947 CC 25' Express 'Eulpion"

Thanks,
Terry

I'm in Algonac Mi and I knew some of the old management and foremen at the Chris craft plant here in Algonac.I had the son of the fiberglass shop foreman over looking at the boat just after we got it.He had some insight as to the beginnings of the Perma-Craft boat company.His story is that his dad had a few problem workers at the CC plant in the fiberglass shop.He broomed two of them and 3 others left with them.They took plans for and had a CC "red and white".They pulled molds from the red and white and added their own engineering.We believe they made 16 of this model and that ours is quite possibly no.1 and was in a 1954 article about the "fastest fiberglass boat made".We can still see the logo on the side and were told by the sons of the original owner that other boats do not have the logo on the side.A lot of stories,but it's hard to verify as there isn't much on record about the boats.Chloe is a model for what we want to end up with,but we are also torn between keeping it 100% original.I will be posting more pics and also picking the brains of the members here for advice.Algonac Cast Products is literally 6 door down from us and they made all of the hardware and cast pieces on the boat,we know the shop foreman there and he says thwey have all of the original molds for every piece they ever made,so we can get hardware.Good luck has ours in great condition,just needing replating.

Such a stately and beautiful vessel. Welcome

Link to some additional photos. goo.gl/photos/e4diiCxiHfurn1ZU9