TOPIC: Regal Line- Royal Lancer

Hello All,

I came across some old boat photos including this little beauty shot out on Chicago's lakefront in the late
50's.


The logos read Regal Line- Royal Lancer and have not had any luck finding any info on it?








Thanks,
Terry

HA! My dad had one in the 50's when I was a kid! On the Chain of lakes Illinois.

Thanks Robby,

Those are great old snapshots. Real nice boat and I assume that's your Dad with the smoke and you're the tyke?
Looks like your Dads boat is a Regal Line Lancer but the picture is a bit blurry. What do you know about the boat and the company?


The Royal Lancer looks like maybe 16' and apparently the boat was later named "CAT'S MEOW".


This shot is on the Chicago River at Bond Boat Yard which was an Owens dealer.





Terry

Yep, I was the little tyke! Yes, it was a Regal Lancer and know little more about them as too young. It was 17 foot. Still impressed the hatch design as folded up and over and rest on the top. Couple memorable moments it though. Can't remember what OB he had on it, but he think torched the motor, and no way he would miss a W/E at the like. Took the Merc 20H off my brothers Baby Switzer put that on for the W/E. wish I had a pic it with that motor! Then one time went out and my brother and his college buds had used over the week and they took all the M/T beer cans and covered the floor just perfect! Heck even my dad was impressed the "art work". Went out the middle lake and we spent a hour just sinking them one at a time! Steel cans then, so rusted away I hope. And my dad was a real show off and had have everything unique!
Bought a Amphicar and that was a 'Gas to Splash! Plus before brought home a 6 foot "Skeeto" Ended up my first boat. Pix Skeeto and one restored to show how little it was! Great time then!

Wow!! now that is some cool gear head boating history...now I want to be a kid and get one of those small boats. Never saw one before. Lots of cool stuff and great family memories! I just saw an Amphicar a week ago running in the water and up in the parking lot. Thanks for sharing those great pictures!

Wish more them old pix from my youth survived. Lotta mems stilll in the head though! Heres a pic whole family in the boat that my dad and brother (he still races Vintage cars at 77!) built. Hell with them oars! Dad had a 10 Elgin on it! And a fuzzy pic my brother in the Baby Switzer/20H Merc.

Love it. Pictures and your memories clearly show how boating gets in a person's blood and we grow up hooked on this hobby. Also back when Dads taught kids how stuff worked top to bottom and then turned us loose. You must have great memories. Glad some pictures survived to share!

This is the only royal lancer I remember in '56. we had a four door hardtop custom royal lancer.

I found an ad for Regal Line Boats. I noticed these were designed by Richard Cole who also designed for Plastic Fabrications and Thunderbird and Botved boats.

www.fiberglassics.com/library/index.php?title=Regal_(Florida)

Thanks again Robby,

Great old snap shots of your family enjoying the Chain O' Lakes and your big brother appears to be in command of the home-built. It must have been quite an event when Dad moved up to the Lancer.

The locally built Switzer looks cool too. Did you guys live on the chain or commute up old US Rt. 12 from the big city for weekends like we had to?

Alumaglass,

Thanks for sharing the ad. I am curious where you found it and do you have any idea of the model year?


This looks very similar in design to the Royal Lancer from the original post although it does not have fins.

Handy Andy,

Thanks for steering me back the FG library. I saw the Regal listing when I first started to search but did not realize the connection between Regal Line Boats and St Cloud Manufacturing.

This article on Richard C. Cole in this link makes no mention of his collaboration with Regal or St. Cloud although the Regal Line ad shared by alumaglass states "Futurized designing by Richard C. Cole"



See:
historywithheart.com/yellowjacketrichardcole.html

Terry

Great read and impressive person. Looks like lots of passion and dedication to the industry. I had no idea he was behind all of those hulls I saw tgrough the years growing up. So many contributors to the boating industry and Glassic hobby I love. His family must be very proud of his accomplishments.

Terrydi wrote: Thanks again Robby,

Great old snap shots of your family enjoying the Chain O' Lakes and your big brother appears to be in command of the home-built. It must have been quite an event when Dad moved up to the Lancer.

The locally built Switzer looks cool too. Did you guys live on the chain or commute up old US Rt. 12 from the big city for weekends like we had to?
YEP!
Lived in Riverside west burbs. Yep, RT12 but parents and all there fun loving friends belonged to the "White Feather Indian Club" on east shore Crooked Lake end road, Munn road off 132 before Lake Villla But also docked it at the "Last Resort" on Fox. Loved doing the "channel cruise" lake to lake!. Never forget Fridays when he closed his shop, me and mom picnic basket and stuff ready to go, and he would do a roiling stop in the driveway and "pile in" and off! They would get to the lake, and I was told simple come in for lunch and dinner when Mother calls you, otherwise on your own! AND BE IN THE CAR SUNDAY AT 5! Great times. Us kids exploring, doing what we wanted, parents fishing, boating, playing horse shoes, and the crazy parties the had in the rec room under the bunk polka dancing the night away! There was a main house where the girls and young kids slept, community kitchen...just simple best times to be a kid!

Went there through HS, then service and Nam. Later in the 70's, friend mine had a house on Pistakke so here we go again ROUND 2! Plus snowmobiles and ICE racing the bikes winter. Just off 12 (Eagle Point) before town by Ben Watts marina. Crazy bunch showed up W/Es and a simple blast! Bought a wood boat, but didn't last. Then a 13 Allison, then a new SS17 Switzer (knew Bobby, still do) with the new XS 150 beast! Heck we started the Blarneys Thursday nite drags! And its STILL GOING, and Blarneys 3 times bigger know.
But then settled down a bit, got married (didn't last) bought a house. In 94 got retired early, moved west coast. But we decided (hooked up again the internet) to do a "Last Blast" all year grad from HS picnic in 2006. Simple had to go..""ROAD TRIP" Took a month long ride me and the dog in the van. Great to see many old friends not seen long time. But I took a ride to the Chain, and stopped to see if the "White Feather" was still there. Lots has changed, but got to end the road and DAMN! Not condos like expected but JUST AS IT WAS LONG AGO!
I wheel in and this guy comes out.."can I help you"? Told him went there a kid and my dad helped build it. Said the name and DAMN AGAIN! He said remember me, we used to play here as kids..Mike Dunn! Said he's the caretaker now, and has preserved like it was. Said as long as alive, it would stay that way!
Walked around, and the mems flooded back. Damn the stories I could tell! Some pix the White Feather, and Pistakke...simple best times my LIFE!

Hi Terry,
I have some stuff on St. Cloud Marine/Regal. I believe that it is from around 1956/57. The first is a 11" X 34" folder so I scanned it in four increments. It was also quite faint so I cranked the contrast up. I did a few interviews with Dick Cole back in the 90's. The man was a hoot! He sent me a book that he wrote about working in the marine industry during the 50's. He designed so many boats on the market at that time. During the early 50's we was chief designer and did national sales for Industrial Shippers, of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Just one of the many paths he traveled. Not surprised that he designed these boats. He was down in Florida at that time and designed a slew of plywood boats.

Lee Wangstad

Hey Robby,

We dock Mama Mia! on the channel just before Redhead Lake on Meyers Bay southeast of Eagle Point. Ben Watts is still there and the big draw on the bay is Famous Freddies Roadhouse where we hold our Blackhawk show in July.



Freddies is a popular stop after Blarney's Thursday night drag races.

And gonna have to drive over to Crooked Lake soon and check out White Feather Indian Club and look up Mike Dunn.

Hello Lee,

Thanks for putting up the Regal Line brochure. The Lancer shown looks just like Robby's Dad's boat. You say the brochure is 56/57 so my original post of the finned Royal Lancer boat must be 58/59.

Terry

We were 2nd house in Manor Lane rd channel, by old Happy ours resort, now torn done, and condos. Went out with the owners daughter Laura.

Ever been to Eagle Point Resort?.. Joes "Puppet Bar"? Freaking grin and a half! On Freddies? Been there on sleds winter warm up. Damn even did sled trips up river to the Playboy club Geneva, and down river to past the dam to Elgin.

But gotta tell a story why the no wake intersection. Simple mad house at night Nippersink/Fox/Grass. Talked the water cops "we need a no wake here"! Somebody going get killed. Thought nothing of it as had to go west coast 3 weeks..
Back home, sat nite 10pm. picked up Laura and brother Tommy in back, going friends party on Channel lake. Coming in at 40, laid off the foot and look for traffic into Fox. Saw some white buoy fly bye..WTF?. Onward thru the fog and trimmed out, and hot foot to the max. Gota remember that XS Swit tossed a 300 foot "tail". Tommy back seat wacks my shoulder.."LOOK BEHIND YOU! A red and blue rainbow rooster tail! Yep water cops! Off plane, come along side (on a CC, and BOTH "hosed down"). Said hi Laura, then looked at me? "YOU YA SOB, YOU WANTED THIS NO WAKE" Told been gone, whoops..shared a beer them and onward throught the fog, party. Damn, the stories I could tell then great times...............

Terrtdi..sent you a message, did ya get it? About the "White Feather"..

I see nothing!

Terrydi wrote: I see nothing!

Send me a email .. about the White Feather..