Introduction

The George "Bill" Bailey Collection

Introduction

Classic Moth Boats

Accessible from the menu in the frame to the left are photos of Classic Moth Boat Association races, followed by photos of Classic Moth boats. and a few "Modern" (International) Moth boats.

Some of the moths shown here were built by Warren C. Bailey, some others by Harry Cates. Harry raced moths from the early 1940's until somewhere in the early to mid 1950's. Warren raced moths from the early 1940's until around 1966 or so, primarily at the Miami Yacht Club. George Bailey raced moths at the Miami Yacht Club from 1954 until 1961, and for a few months in late 1966. At the time George was called Bill. Many "Old Timers" only know him as Bill, hence the title of this collection.

Warren's (incomplete!) list of his moths: "Cuddle Pup" (bought), "Rains Came" (bought), "Jet" (bought, altered bow), "Wingaway" (designed and built), "Shooting Star" (designed and built), "Challenge" (designed and built), "Mach I" (designed and built, 1954), "Blue Blazes" (designed and built; first fibreglass boat in South Florida), "Bill Bailey's Bullet" (designed and built, late 1955 or early 1956), "Glass Mach II" (Cates design Florida Moth, built by Warren), "Dinkey Boat" (cruising moth, designed and built by Warren), "Catamaran" (designed and built), "Double Entry" ( Catamaran-bow moth designed and built by George and Warren in 1966).

Anyone who can provide additional information on any of these moths, or the design types, or additional photographs of moths built and raced in South Florida, pleaseemail Georgeand I will add your information to descriptions of the moths on these pages.

George would really like to know the whereabouts of the "Mach I," "Mach II," "Bill Bailey's Bullet" and the "Double Entry."

Other Boats Built by Warren C. Bailey

Warren started building boats in 1931 at age eleven. By age sixteen he had built eight boats and bought eight others. His incomplete list of boats he built or bought between 1931 and 1984 contains seventy-one boats. Since 1984 he has owned at least five more. He seldom has more than one finished boat at any one time. Picures and descriptions of a few of these boats are accessible from the menu in the frame to the left.