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[email protected] tpaget57@msn.com is offline
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Default C.R. Dillabaugh Wooden Boats

On Friday, July 18, 1997 at 12:00:00 AM UTC-7, syab wrote:
Does any one own or have any information on wooden boats made by the
C.R. Dillabough Co. of Portland, Oregon. My grandfather's boat, which
is now my dad's, boat has a plaque as follows:

C.R. Dillabaugh Co.
Columbia Boulevard and Mallory Avenue
Portland 11, Oregon
Built up to a standard not down to a price
Serial No.: (illegible or none)

It is a nicely built wooden boat, probably made in the 50's or possibly
early 60's, and my dad understands it Dillabaugh was quite a boat maker
when in business. Appreciate any info any one has. Thanks

Ken Bays:


John Paget

About 1940 my father L.W. Paget bought a 21foot Dillabaugh with a Gray Marine four inboard engine. It had been owned by his boss, Ernie Swirgart president of ESCO ( Electric Steel Foundry). ESCO produced stainless steel castings. for that reason all the hardware in the boat had been retrofitted in stainless steel. It had a half cabin, motor box and steering, throttle controls both in the cabin and at the stern.

We moored it on Tomahawk island. At that time there were two separate islands, Tomahawk and Hayden ( the I5 and Jantzen amusement park. There was a wooden bridge to get to tomahawk Island. During WW II the dirt used as fill for building Vanport came from the island. Heavy trucks filled with dirt used the bridge 24 hours a day which greatly weakened the bridge. At first cars were prohibited and we walked across the bridge. As it was wartime dad received a "Captain of the Port" license and was able to purchase unlimited gas without using a ration card.

We used the boat to go from the marina upriver to Government island for day long picnics. I was allowed to take a friend. We would play in the water and cook hamburgers over a campfire. Great memories of growing up.

After about seven-eight years Dad had the boat trucked to our back yard and there it sat for several years before it was sold. Dad had paid $400 and sold it for $800.