Finger Lakes Boating Museum From Our Collection
Harley Hill

Harley Hill, a well known Ithaca jeweler, built and sold several boats from his Cayuga Lake cottage during the 1940s and 1950s. Employing a jeweler’s skill for fine detail, Hill incorporated several interesting features in his boats. Notable among these are a groove cut into the top of the keel to facilitate drainage and prevent entrapment of water between the ribs (a frequent source of rot), and a leather pad affixed to the outside transom face to reduce motor vibration and scarring. The boat is a 14 ft, strip-planked, with a bright finish interior and painted exterior. The spray rails suggest a strong  Thompson influence (which makes sense given the proximity to Cortland).


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