Abbey

I have decided to sell my 1960 Abbey Hurricane manufactured in Miami Florida by famed boat builder Howard Abbey. Popular in the Gold Coast Marathon it was raced as both a D and an E-service Runabout. It is 18 long. Howard liked galvanized steel screws, this may account for the lack of remaining Hurricanes! I have completed extensive work on it over the last fifteen years. Most of the bottom frames have been replaced, new frame gussets, new stringers, new battens, shears and chines. Mahogany frames and old growth clear fir everywhere else. All fasteners are bronze or stainless; all glue joints are West System Epoxy. The plywood skin is all new but has grayed and I would replace it if I was keeping her. The boat is stored inside now. Hurricanes were conceived in the true service runabout tradition of a racing family boat. The engine would have been under hatches with a transmission, water cooled exhaust manifolds and v-drive and forward and aft cockpits with seating for six. Steering would be from the aft cockpit.

When I first acquired her I was able to speak to Howard Abbey. He explained that the 18 and 21 service runabouts were made in the same jig. The only difference being the addition of one more frame. The boat has big beefy frames! The new frames were exact copies of the originals. I made no attempt to re-engineer Howards design. You could finish her at 18 as an E-Service Runabout with a small block Chevy or add one more frame lengthening her to 21 install a 392 Chrysler Hemi with six Stromberg 97s and complete her as the famed F-service runabout Oh-Mona!, put a big Cadillac in and replicate Howards personal boat HURRICANE. Use her as a plug at either length and go into business building fiberglass Conn Craft replica race boats!

There was only one 21 Abbey Hurricane and that was the Oh-Mona! Bob Conn of Miami got permission from owner Del Daily and builder Howard Abbey and pulled a mold and built them in fiberglass as 21 Conn-Craft F-service runabouts. Of the 15 21 Conn-Craft copies none have been found. How many un-restored 55+ year old Florida built race boats are left? There are only a handful of service runabouts of any class left!

***ALL THE VINTAGE PHOTOS ARE OF THE 21' VERSION***

I do not have a trailer. Boat is located in Port Saint Lucie Florida. Must pick up locally,