WINNER “SCORPION” 15’ RUNABOUT
The Specifications
Winner Boat – 1957 with an Evinrude Outboard Engine – 1958
Winner Manufacturing Company, South Trenton, NJ, one of the earliest producers of fiberglass boats.
One-piece hull molded of fiberglass.
Restoration: Initiated and largely accomplished by the dedicated efforts of the boat’s most recent owner, Mr. Brad Wirth, Sr., who completed virtually all of superlative restoration tasks, including:
- Complete renewal of gel coat to high gloss red and white finish
- Chrome re-plating
- Refurbishment of Evinrude outboard
Reassembly: The Winner boat became part of Mr. Wirth’s estate. His son, Brad Wirth, proprietor of Wirth’s Automotive Services, East Genesee Street, Skaneateles, kindly donated the Winner runabout, engine & trailer to Sea Scouts Ship 23 as a project for reassembly and use.
Status: Sea Scouts Ship 23 tasks included finishing interior hull painting, electrical system check-out, seat installation, final re-assembly, outboard engine check-out, and sea trials. NuTop Sales donated the tailored blue boat cover.
Winner “Scorpion” now fully ready for use by the Sea Scouts Ship 23
Who Are the Sea Scouts You May Ask?
Sea Scouts is a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Venturing program for coed youth 13-20. As with BSA, Sea Scouts celebrated its centennial in 2014. Sea Scouts emphasizes maritime safety and training and offers hands-on opportunities in training and service projects. Youth benefit from experienced adult leadership and an atmosphere in which they can enhance skills, build self-confidence, assume leadership roles, and mature responsible young adults.
Sea Scouts Ship 23 (SSS 23) serves the Skaneateles area and is open to youth from neighboring communities; SSS 23 Sea Scouts alumni also include youth from Auburn, Camillus, Elbridge, Jordan, Marcellus, and Port Byron. Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary Club (SSRC) is the BSA Chartered Organization for SSS 23. John Paddock is SSS 23 Committee Chair and also serves as liaison to the Chartered Organization. Chris Legg is SSS 23 Skipper. The current youth leader is Elyse Dubois, SSS 23 Boatswain.
Each Ship’s program is unique, tailored to resources at hand (boats, equipment, supporting facilities, geography, climate and adult talent). SSS 23 offers a broad range of activities for novice coed youth participating each boating season. There is no mandatory attendance requirement, the primary considerations being weather conditions combined with the number of adult advisors on hand and number of youth on hand to facilitate a desired activity. SSS 23 also welcomes younger, Middle School age, youth to participate as guests and grow into the program.
SSS 23 encourages aspiring Sea Scouts to complete the NY Boating Safety Course Online https://www.boat-ed.com/newyork/ to obtain the Boating Safety Certificate. Ship activities have included not only sailing, but also motor-boating, boat-building, maintenance & repair, scuba, site visits (e.g. Oswego Coast Guard station), and service projects in the local community, e.g. support for Duck Dash, Antique & Classic Boat Show, and the Skaneateles Lake Association.
Key venues for Sea Scouts activities include most significantly Skaneateles Country Club for boating season storage, mooring and launching SSS 23 boats (two CL 16 sailboats, WindRider 17 trimaran, SSS 23’s hand-built racing pram, and two motorboats). Skaneateles Sailing Club occasionally invites Sea Scouts for joint activities. The Skaneateles Sailboat Shop offers advisory support as well as parts & equipment discounts, as does Skaneateles Marina. St. James Episcopal Church opens its Parish Center to SSS 23 for off-season meeting facilities. Skaneateles Storage contributes off-season storage for several SSS 23 boats & trailers.
As SSRC is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, donations to SSRC designated to support Sea Scouts, in cash or in kind, may be tax deductible. Organizations or individuals providing cash, goods or services to SSS 23, please discuss with SSS 23 leadership, Chris Legg (315-283-8124) or John Paddock (315-382-3284), so SSRC can arrange appropriate acknowledgement. SSS 23 is also always open to inquiries about service project ideas and welcomes adults who wish to volunteer; simply contact SSS 23 leadership to discuss.