El Mistico

In Festival Boats 2017

From Pacific Motor Boat magazine, January 1928 “El Mistico”, a 44-Footer with Diesel Power. The application of the low powered oil engine to the propulsion of medium-sized yachts and work boats is a comparatively new thing. A number of such installations have been made on the West Coast and are being watched with keen interest by motor boat operators everywhere.

A particularly striking yacht installation was that made in the 44-foot power cruiser El Mistico owned by E. Michelson of the Seattle Yacht Club. The El Mistico was built by the Ballard Marine Railway of Seattle from designs by Thearle and Nordstrom and embodies a number of striking features in design, construction, and arrangement.

The power plant is one of the new four-cylinder Fairbanks-Morse marine Diesel engines developing 40 h.p. at 650 r.p.m. This engine is of the two-cycle type. The installation was made under the personal supervision of A. F. Whitehead, manager of the service department of the Seattle branch of Fairbanks-Morse & Company.

The lines of the boat are exceptionally pleasing. El Mistico is easily handled, and an insight into the economy of the craft is given by data which Mr. Michelson has complied. She was recently run to Vancouver and return, and on four week-end trips with at total fuel cost of $6.10. No additional expense was incurred for the trip outside money expended for food and incidentals. The return from Vancouver, according to the owner, was made in 12 hours.