Skippy Jr. is a 1940 Yandt 23′ Triple Forward Runabout with a Chrysler M2 V-Drive.
This story, still in progress, is told by Wes Yandt. He and Sue are members of the Inland Empire Chapter of ACBS. You can read details of the “Skippy Jr restoration” by reading more of Wes Yandt’s blog @ http://yandtboats.wordpress.com/about/
It was built by my great uncle Bob Yandt on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene on the same ground that the world famous Coeur d’Alene resort sits today.
Steamboat Captain Glen Powell commissioned the boat for use on the lake as a water taxi after seeing a 1939 22′ Garwood Streamliner on the lake that the Yandts had sold to another customer. Skippy Jr was a knock off of this Streamliner.
The boat which Skippy Jr. was patterned after.
He used it as a water taxi for several years and then sold it to the locally famous Capt. John Finney, who used it as a taxi and also as a mail boat. The boat was in the Finney family for about 40 years on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Skippy Jr. delivering the mail on Lake Coeur d’Alene
Skippy Jr found her way back into my family’s life in 2012 when the owner decided he needed to simplify his life. It took several years for my wife and me to build up the nerve to commit to this project but finally we purchased the boat.
“We climbed all over the thing. Poked it here and there. Ran our hands down the sides. Looked from afar and close up. My wife Sue still to this day calls it the 100 ft boat. Why people ask “Because it sure is a beautiful boat from 100 ft away.” That kind of sums up our first impression.”
We stashed it away in storage for a year or so and then started a full restoration (rebuild) in March of 2015 with flipping party. We invited all of our Inland Empire chapter ACBS friends over to help.
Power outage in preparation for flip
Flipping Party
Skippy in need
The work continues – now we’re all eager to see the finished Skippy Jr. 
