HOLMES Boats of Houston??

[satx78247]

Friends,

I've recently been given a molded plywood 1958 HOLMES BOATWORKS 18 foot GULF FISHERMAN (a deep/wide runabout, that was specifically designed for game-fishing in the Gulf of Mexico) on a heavy-duty trailer, to restore.
(The large open fisherman will be repaired, refinished, reupholstered & will be powered by a pair of 1958 OMC 35HP outboards.)

That happy event has made me even more interested than I already was in seeking & preserving the history of the NICE quality wooden & fiberglass boats built by ROBERT CECIL HOLMES & his son in the 1955- 1970 era.
(According to his son, MOST of the factory's records were destroyed by fire about 1990.)

If you are reading this post, own (or have previously owned) a boat by Holmes Boatworks and/or simply have information to share, please contact me by PM, as I'm trying to start a HOLMES REGISTRY to preserve what information remains extant.
(Photos, brochures & any other information that you would be willing to share with me will be welcomed.)

THANK YOU, satx

 

[Texasmark]

Re: HOLMES Boats of Houston??

Don't have any info as I have looked for it myself in years past. But I will tell you this. When I was living down there in the '50's and fished Galveston Bay and surrounding areas, I LUSTED IN MY HEART (Jimmy Carter on an occasionl but he wasn't admitting to a boat relationship) for one of those. Ha. I thought they were beautiful and well suited for bay fishing. A pair of Gale, 35's were popular as were white and Bronze Johnnys. Weren't a lot of Rudes where I boated but I did have an 18 Rude at the time. I was a teen and broke so having anything was a plus.

Taking time to think about it, as I recall they were built in Houston, Tx. down on Harrisburg Blvd. which was an old part of Houston and not far from the Houston Ship Channel Turning Basin. I do recall going there on an occasion to look at their building and LUST!

Other popular boats were the Moulded plywood boats that also performed very well. Yellow Jacket was one popular brand.

Thanks for the spark of history.

Mark

 

[satx78247]

Re: HOLMES Boats of Houston??

Texasmark,

THANKS for the response. - YEP, when I was a "wet behind the ears kid" in the late '50s & early '60s I really, really wanted a HOLMES FISHERMAN & couldn't afford one.
(The COOL guys who fished the Gulf for cobia/tarpon/etc., as I saw them then, seemed to all have one.)

Btw, the bare molded hull was made by the same company out of Denison, TX that made YELLOW JACKET and sold "bare hulls" to HELTON & LAMAR Boats. - The THEAKSTON CORPORATION hulls were built & loaded 50 (nested together) at a time on a trailer & delivered/off-loaded to the boat-makers.
(I guess that you could call a Holmes boat a "cousin to" the Yellow Jacket, Helton & Lamar boats.)

NOTE: The PRINCESS FOREVER will participate in the 60th Anniversary Re-enactment of the ROY ROGERS-RICHARD A. McDERBY RUN from Denison, TX to New Orleans in the Spring of 2016. - The trip will start on 09APR16 & end on 16APR16.
Anyone who is interested in "making the trip" may PM me for further info.
(As of today, we have 8 teams that will make the Run.)

THANKS AGAIN, satx

 

[flatstiger69]

I'd love to see some pic.s of her.

 

[GA_Boater]

I'd love to see some pic.s of her.

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