From the rather unplanned beginning, Gar Wood Inc., which became the boatbuilding division of Gar Wood Industries in 1937, had a major impact on pleasure boating in America, and it was even supported through the Depression by the considerable financial wherewithal of the company.

While the story of Gar Wood, the man, and Gar Wood, the company, is interesting, it must not be overlooked that Gar Wood boats were some of the best engineered, best built, and most beautiful ever produced. Boatbuilding was a personal passion for Gar Wood, and his other endeavors allowed him the financial freedom to build in the quality and attention to detail for which he was known. Gar Wood sold his stock in the company in 1945, at the age of 65, and retired to enjoy his other passion, flying airplanes. The boatbuilding division was driven by Gar Wood’s passion, not profits, and as soon as he retired, the directors of the company voted to discontinue building boats.

As the country recovered from the ravages of the Depression, boaters were becoming more interested in the utility of their boats. By 1939, Gar Wood responded with the Overnighter model, a “pocket” cruiser built on the proven 24.5-foot hull. It provided open cockpit space for fishing and cruising, as well as two 6-foot 4-inch berths for spending a night aboard. Eight units were built in 1939, with eleven more in 1940 and ten in 1941. Of the entire production of twenty-nine boats, only two are known to exist today.

This 1940 Overniter has benefitted from a no-expense-spared restoration, which included installing a custom-color tan button-tufted leather interior that had the original Gar Wood grain pattern in contrasting blue. Extra interior cushions were fabricated to provide several seating configurations. A custom-styled convertible top was fashioned with curtains to fully enclose the cockpit. The cabin is finished in custom fabrics and sports a custom-built, hand-hammered copper sink, as well as a modern head (toilet) system. The fresh water system has been updated with modern arrangements, yet it still retains the original hand-pump faucet. The boat has been completely re-wired to current ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council) standards, and the original instruments have been restored to accommodate the modern sensors of the new engine. Likewise, the fuel system has been updated to current ABYC standards.

The original 95-horsepower, six-cylinder Chrysler engine was replaced with a modern, fuel-injected, 330-horsepower Crusader V-8, and a new engine enclosure was built to fit over it. Both the original engine and engine enclosure have been retained by the owner and are available to the purchaser. The sale also includes mooring covers and a tandem axle trailer.

Be it just for the day or an overnight trip, this beautiful Gar Wood Overniter is the only way to travel America’s waterways.