Further Research from Florida:
As we know, Errol owned some top of the line watercraft. One that has been almost entirely forgotten, however, is the 22-ft, ~ 3000 lb. fishing cruiser made for him by legendary Miami boat racer & builder, Paul Prigg. On April 15, 1940, Errol purchased from Prigg Boat Works (then located on the Miami River) a very highly regarded Prigg Deluxe Cruiser, specially outfitted for off-shore fishing with a top-of-the-line Gray Phantom Six 125-HP Motor and swivel fishing chair. It cost Captain Flynn $2466.60 and could be seen in the early & mid Forties in and around Newport Beach & Catalina, as well as very prominently in Acapulco, where he kept it at the Acapulco Yacht Club.
Errol named it “Little Sirocco”. I have no photographs to post (yet), but it would have looked very much like the one in the photo in the bitly link below – except with a far more dashing captain & & attractive crew!
Here’s some further info on the well-respected boat maker, who also pioneered airboats, motor homes, and unique 1940 speedboats pictured below! Errol likely met a few of those lovely riders!
— Tim
Gentleman Tim
October 2, 2014 at 3:42 am
A Prigg Deluxe Cruiser, like the “Little Sirocco” – Errol would have certainly seen this add and stopped in at the Prigg Boat Yard on the Miami River, during his trips to Miami in the late 30’s – possibly even when the (Big) Sirocco was being serviced at the Fogal Boat Yard on its “maiden” voyage from Boston to LA:
bit.ly/1pHbGRH…
bit.ly/1oCfhBd…
The Real Person!
October 2, 2014 at 4:48 pm
Maybe this is the very boat? Judging by the middle picture of yours.
www.theerrolflynnblog.com…
www.theerrolflynnblog.com…
Your picture looks like being a two-seater and so are my pictures – coincident?
Gentleman Tim
October 2, 2014 at 9:07 pm
Great photos, Tina! Thank you for the interest and help researching this. I know you’re an authority on Errol’s boats and I much appreciate your contributions.
I think that the boat in these photos may have been one of those beautiful 1930’s era, Chris-Craft-type wooden speedboats, rather than a fishing cruiser, Tina. The cockpit on Paul Prigg craft were notable for being exceptionally large, whereas Errol & Tiger Lil appear to be sitting in a rather small area, which I don’t think was customary in most if any Prigg fishing craft, as it would not be well suited for fishing.
Not that it completely rules the boat out, but it appears that this photo may have been taken on a land-locked lake (possibly Lake Arrowhead), thus making it also less probable it was the Little Sirocco.
Here are a couple of photos at Lake Arrowhead, about an hour east of LA, where Errol occasionally did visit. Some of the old wooden speedboats used in Errol’s day are still up there. The second one in the first photo below, for example, may be close in design to the photos you’ve provided, Tina:
[img]http://www.woodyboater.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Lake-Arrowhead-ACBS-2011-2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://sbmlt.net/files/sbmlt/images/Lake%20Arrowhead.jpg[/img]