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A Scow History
J.O. Johnson, Boat Builder J.O. Johnson was born in Norway in 1875, and orphaned at a very young age. He was sent off to live with relatives. At age 14, he worked as a galley boy on a mail and freight delivery schooner up and down the coast. His future employer, Gus Amundson, while on a visit to his homeland, offered Johnson a job if he ever came to the United States. In 1893, when he was 18 years old, J.O. Johnson came to his new home in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
The Early Days For 2 years, J.O. worked for Amundson, building rowboats and traditionally styled displacement sailboats for the inland lakes of Minnesota, but he was more fascinated with boat design than he was with construction. He was convinced that the displacement sailboats offered too much resistance and began designing a radically different type of sailboat; one that would ride on top of the water, instead of plowing through it. He proposed this new design to Amundson, who would not hear of it. If Johnson wanted to build such a boat, he would have to do it on his own time and in his own shop.Â
One afternoon, while conversing with one of Amundson’s customers, Johnson “leaked†his idea. This customer agreed to foot the bill for this new design, just for the fun of putting one over on his friends at the White Bear Yacht Club, the exclusive domain of some of Minnesota’s wealthiest sailors.
The Birth of the “Inland Scow†Overnight, J.O. Johnson became self-employed. He rented a building on the site where the White Bear Boat Works would stand for over 100 years, and started work on his new design. At that time, he didn’t know how to draft plans, and this new boat turned out to be 38 feet long with square ends and a centerboard. Unlike the other deep-hulled, heavy ballasted boats usually raced in inland waters, Johnson’s scow had a radical dish design so it could skim across the top of the water. A centerboard provided stability.Â
When the Yacht Club called one of their regularly scheduled races in 1896, and with a minimum of preparation, Johnson entered his new design. Johnson’s boat looked so different that all his friends laughed and teased him saying, “It looks like a slice of bread†and “It looks like a scowâ€. This jeering was short-lived, however, as the Johnson Scow not only lapped the fleet, but was home with the sails down by the time the second place boat crossed the finish line.
This invention was the first sailing scow. It became the heart of a family business which Johnson established within a block of the Amundson Boat Works. His old boss became his competitor, but they remained lifelong friends.
Impressed by Johnson’s victory and apparent foresight, C. Milton Griggs, a wealthy sailing enthusiast living on Manitou Island in White Bear Lake, rendered Johnson enough financing to produce another boat. By the turn of the century, Johnson offered the sailing world a 38 foot, flat bottomed scow, named the “Minnezitka†with a profile as “low as the waves themselvesâ€. The Minnezitka was sleek and narrow with an impressive mast, and yards of sail. She racked up victory after victory.  The Minnezitka became the predecessor of the legendary Class A Scow that we still race today.
The Johnson Scow became the talk of the inland sailing fraternity. Orders for more scows came in and Johnson started hiring men to help him. By 1904, the Johnson Boat Works of White Bear Lake was in full production, and J.O. Johnson was recognized as one of the top designers of sailboats for racing on inland lakes. In the early 1900s, a 32-foot, Class B Scow became popular, along with the 20-foot, cat-rigged C Scow. Several of these Class B boats were shipped to Montreal, Canada for international races during prohibition. When they returned, they were secretly packed with liquor for the “deprived†White Bear yachtsmen.
The last wooden A scow built for Jack Pillsbury of Lake Minnetonka rolled out of the Johnson shop in the spring of 1963. She was named XXXX, presumably after the Pillsbury flour brand carrying the same emblem, but her owner was heard to say that it was the only name that spelled the same right side up or up side down. Pillsbury went on to win the ILYA Championship with the boat. Remarkably, this boat is still racing today and has been completely restored and fitted with a carbon mast and boom and a bow sprit. It is owned by Fletcher Driscoll of the White Bear Yacht Club and Steve Johnson, J.O.’s grandson is the helmsman. J.O. Johnson passed away in 1963 at the age of 88, but his legacy lives on. He went on to create several classes of scows after the A scow, but none were longer or carried more sail area than his early design.
Recent NCASA News
- 2018 National Championship Wrap-up
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- 2017 National Championship is in the Record Books
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Copyright 2018-2019 National Class A Scow Association, All Rights Reserved.
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 ShortyPen.com
Johnson Boat Works SM 6 Scow
Might contact a Meges dealer to find owners and ask questions at Contact Us | Melges Performance Sailboats Thanks - I actually did yesterday. They didn't have any information on JBW boats. Kind of surprised since JBW was in business for just over 100 years.  That looks like an MC scow. The “SM“ painted on the deck is more than likely the home club Where it sailed. The MC is a one design class. Both Johnson and Melges were the builders, but Melges seemed to be the predominant. Johnson Boat Works was located in White Bear Lake Minnesota, and Melges in Zenda Wisconsin. Correction: That might be an M16- the MC had single tiller, that boat has a double tiller. Thanks! I was wondering about the SM and what it stood for. I'll do some more research on the M16.  Scott T-BirdWhat are your questions? I'd bet you will get some good answers regardless of boat ownership. Ya good idea - I have questions about the rigging. I thought I knew how to sail but this thing is like a race car with all the various rigging options. I'll post some pics later and ask specifics. Thanks!  I used to sail scows in the mid west. Don't know your specific boat. But hey ask away... All good! dj JohnShannonScows are super fast downwind, plane very easily, upwind is more of a struggle you heel them over to minimize wetted area. Does this have a trapeze? Another level of fun
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This sailboat was the beginning of the A-Class. As more classes were founded, Johnson moved on to B's, C's, D's, and E's. Johnson was commissioned to build the 16 ft X-Boat for youth in the 1930s. Johnson designed the J-Scow in the mid-1950s which was converted to the MC. [clarification needed] Through the years, the boat builder built Optis ...
Seller's Description. Johnson J Scow, 1981 Twin Bilge boards single rudder Halyard, Mainsheet, Boomvang, board up (x2) Board Down (x2). All running rigging is in excellent condition. (think of a less complicated MC Scow) 16 feet Cockpit Cover Small storage Drawer under aft deck portside. Trailer in very good condition Two Andersen Bailers.
2,242. Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI. Jun 1, 2022. #3. I didn't know Johnson made a J-scow unless that was before. they made MC scows. Anyway they have been out of the building business for some time. Melges is the only builder of MC Scows now. Given all of that trivia, MCs are a blast to sail, planing hull, leeboards, cat rig, and designed to ...
A Scow History. J.O. Johnson in 1896. Johnson Boat Works as it looked in 1936. The "Minnezitka". J.O. Johnson, Boat Builder. J.O. Johnson was born in Norway in 1875, and orphaned at a very young age. He was sent off to live with relatives. At age 14, he worked as a galley boy on a mail and freight delivery schooner up and down the coast ...
Located in Mobile Alabama. The J Scow is the fore-runner of the Melges MC scow. Cat rigged and16 feet. Twin boards single rudder. A very fun boat to sail and quite quick as well. This link is for the MC Scow class. You can see hulls from older to newer and some videos to get a idea what the boat is all about. Simply rigged and extreme fun to sail.
J Sailor / J Scow: Manufacturer: Johnson / White Bear Boat Works: Hull Type: Board Boat: LOA: 16'0" (4.88m) Beam: 5'9" (1.75m) Weight: 420 (190.89kg) Ballast (kg) Keel Type: centerboard: Berths: Draft Up (m) ... The J Sailor is an early scow version that was later converted into the J Scow, which was then turned into the MC Scow class. ...
In 1974, Johnson Boat Works first started building their own fiberglass hulls in-house. Before that, they had been using Forester Boats, in Wyoming, Minnesota, as a sub-contractor. The glass boats coming out of Wyoming were junk. In 1974 (actually late 1973), Bob Parks and his sidekick Ed came out of Forester to Johnson Boat Works, and started ...
1988 Johnson J Scow: Sold. August 3, 2020 Uffdah! This lovely boat has seen little or no use in the past 10 years and the owner says it's time to find someone who will sail it! The boat in the pictures look red, but it is actually orange. Comes with trailer and one sail. There is paperwork on the boat and trailer. Boat is located in Iowa.
Founded by John O. Johnson, famed builder and designer of racing scows. Located at White Bear Lake, Minnesota, USA. The company was in business for more than 100 years! Full address: 4495 Lake Avenue. White Bear Lake, MN 55110. USA.
The MC Scow is an American sailing dinghy that was designed as a one-design racer and first built in 1956. [1] [2] The boat is a development of the John O. Johnson -designed J Scow of the mid-1950s, significantly re-designed by Melges.
In 1974 (actually late 1973), Bob Parks and his sidekick Ed came out of Forester to Johnson Boat Works, and started laying up the glass hulls on-site in White Bear Lake. Chatting with him in 2010 (as we were laying up the new I-20 hull), he said he couldn't believe how much money he was making…$6.50 per hour. ... 1988 Johnson J Scow: Sold ...
M-16 Scow is a 16′ 0″ / 4.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Johnson/Melges Boat Works and built by Tanzer Industries Ltd., Windward Boatworks, and Melges Performance Sailboats starting in 1950. ... Since 1999, all new M-16's have been built using the MC SCOW hull and deck molds and now shares other rigging, such as a single rudder, with ...
2,242. Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI. Jul 22, 2021. #4. That looks like an MC scow. The "SM" painted on the deck is more than likely the home club Where it sailed. The MC is a one design class. Both Johnson and Melges were the builders, but Melges seemed to be the predominant. Johnson Boat Works was located in White Bear Lake Minnesota, and ...
1976. 16'. '. '. Minnesota. $700. Description: This is a former racing sailboat that was used on Lake Bde Maka Ska before being sold and kept on Lake Hubert for the last 20 years. It has been the perfect boat to learn technique from and I hope to sell it to someone who is equally passionate about sailing.
C Scow. Founded by John O. Johnson, famed builder and designer of racing scows. Located at White Bear Lake, Minnesota, USA. The company was in business for more than 100 years! Full address: 4495 Lake Avenue White Bear Lake, MN 55110 USA.
Awesome man -- my first boat was a 1971 Johnson M Scow. They are awesome to sail and are a lot of fun. Reply reply Top 1% Rank by size . More posts you may like Related Sailing Hobbies forward back. r/sailing. r/sailing /r/Sailing is a place to ask about, share, show, and enjoy all about sailing, sail boat racing, and technical discussions. ...
Stas Burgiel. Stas Burgiel and his children Rilke and Haiku are the latest to join the Potomac I20 fleet. Stas purchased a 1983 Johnson M20 from Lake Minnetonka, Minn. The boat was converted to an I20 in January 2018 by the team at Scowsailing.com. Stas found himself on boats throughout his early childhood — bareboating in the Caribbean, tall ...
The MC Sailing Association originally formed in Shreveport LA, 1971. Since then, the MC class has grown to be one of the top one-design sailboat racing classes in North America. The scow design maximizes speed yet provides unmatched stability. There are more than 113 active fleets nationwide. An original design by the Melges family in 1956, it ...
BBC Scow (12' Custom) Centerboard BBC-SC 104.40 107.10 BBC Sloop Centerboard BBC-SL 111.60 114.60 Beetle Cat (12'4", Cat Rig) Centerboard; BEE-C 120.60 (121.70) 119.50; ... Boat Class Code DPN DPN1 DPN2 DPN3 DPN4. PRECALCULATED D-PN HANDICAPS CENTERBOARD CLASSES Cape Dory 14 Centerboard CD-14 (125.40) [124.2] Caprice. Centerboard. CPR. 102.40 ...
Based on the J SCOW of the the mid-1950's. (Designed and built by John O. Johnson). Significantly updated by Melges. ... 1993 Johnson Boat Works MC Scow Delafield, WI, US $3,500. USD. Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. Sign in to save them permanently, access them on any device, and receive relevant alerts.
The largest of the inland racing scows sailed in mid-western USA. Nominally a one-design class, today's 'A' Class Scow is the result of a long evolutionary path with origins that can be traced to a prototype that appeared in 1896. (Designed and built by John O. Johnson, original founder of Johnson Boat Works, a major builder of scows for ...
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