1930 Blanchard Lake Union Dreamboat

This 36-foot raised-deck cruiser was built by the N.J. Blanchard Boat Company in Seattle in 1930 as hull #25—the final boat in their celebrated "Lake Union Dreamboat" series. Blanchard was renowned throughout the Pacific Northwest for motor yachts and cruisers, and MER-NA exemplifies their craft. The hull is planked in Western Red Cedar with white oak framing and Douglas fir deck beams, giving the boat substantial structure and character.

Power comes from a Yanmar 4JH2E diesel engine producing 51 horsepower, which cruises comfortably at 6 to 8 knots and reaches a maximum of 9 knots. The boat carries 68 gallons of fuel across two tanks and runs efficiently at typical cruising speeds. Navigation equipment includes a Garmin color chartplotter with weather receiver, fathometer, and VHF radio. An XM satellite radio with CD player and 12-volt original crystal light fixtures keep the interior refined.

Accommodations center on the main pilothouse cabin with a restored cast-iron galley stove that burns kerosene, a 10-cubic-foot refrigerated icebox, brass water pumps, and a single head with macerating toilet. A 75-gallon water tank and 68-gallon fuel capacity support extended cruising. Heat is provided by forced air throughout. The original 7-foot-6-inch lapstrake cedar dinghy with oak frames remains aboard on the pilothouse roof. An extensive refit beginning in 2007 included complete hull stripping, replacement of rotted forward keel and garboards, sistering new ribs to forward stations, refastening with hot-dipped galvanized screws, caulking and re-painting, new through-hulls, and complete electrical rewiring. The transom was rebuilt in 2015.