History
The first runabouts date back to the 1920s and were originally small, fast, powerful varnished wooden boats created to take advantage of the power of outboard motors such as the first Evinrude, introduced in 1909.
In order to gain speed, the hull shape had to be designed to take advantage of hydroplaning; a hydrofoil-like design would allow the boat to skim atop the water's surface at high speed instead of needing to push aside large quantities of water to move forward. Another design change which followed soon after was the replacement of the tiller and rudder control with a rudder controlled by a steering wheel, allowing the operator a comfortable forward-facing position. A remote lever to allow the engines to be placed into a reverse gear was another early innovation.
The leading builder of 1920s runabouts was John L. Hacker, who founded the Hacker Boat Company in 1908. Hacker was a pioneering naval architect who developed many design innovations, like the 'V-bottom'. His brilliant designs became the model upon which virtually all subsequent runabouts were based. By 1930, runabouts were available with windshields to protect the cockpits and 125 horsepower (93 kW) engines built for speed.
Other early builders of varnished-wood runabouts include Chris-Craft and Gar Wood, but by the late 1940s Gar Wood had stopped producing boats and Chris-Craft was moving to the more modern materials of plastic and fibreglass.
The runabouts built by Italian builder Carlo Riva in the late 1950s and the 1960s are considered by many to be premier European examples of the type.
Riva’s history dates back to 1842, when Pietro Riva began building boats at Sarnico, a small northern Italian town on the shores of Lago d’Iseo. By the 1930s the business was managed by Pietro’s grandson, Serafino, and the company had become a leading manufacturer of small racing boats, many of which he raced himself. At the same time it began building pleasure boats. In the 1950s Serafino’s son Carlo transformed the business, and in due course the Riva brand became a worldwide legend sought out by screen stars, royalty and businessmen alike. Famous customers included Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Peter Sellers and many more besides. A succession of owners have owned the company since Carlo Riva sold it in the early 1970s, and today the firm is owned by the Ferretti Group. The most famous Riva of all time was the Carlo Riva design called the Aquarama Special.
After selling the Riva yard, Carlo Riva was part of the creation of the "Monte Carlo Offshorer" brand. Developed together with Bob Hopps and Cal Connell, the Monte Carlo Offshorer 27 (70s), 30 (80s) and 32 (early 90s) was the first production runabout with a "stepped" hull to improve ride and stability. The boats were built by RAM - the maintenance part of the former Riva company, still owned by the Riva family.
Read more about this topic: Runabout (boat)
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