A 1988 Glastron/Carlson CVX 23

In 1968, Bob Hammond, founder of Glastron Boats, partnered with Art Carlson of Carlson High Performance Boats to create Glastron-Carlson, with Carlson leading the design.

Reggie Fountain, known for founding Fountain Boat Co., began his racing career with outboard-powered boats. Early on, he raced and won in fiberglass versions built by Glastron/Carlson, modeled after Angelo AnMolinari’s wooden racers. What a race history!

Glastron, established in 1956 by Hammond and others, produced boats in the 1970s and 1980s with either jet drives (460 Ford engines) or I/Os (260/350 Chevy/Mercruiser). With Carlson-designed hulls, these boats could reach speeds of 60-65 MPH.

Now cruising New Jersey’s Barnegat Bay, this particular boat was discovered by a wood lumber company member of mgt. on Craigslist in Michigan.

The owner’s passion for boats started at age 14. His uncle, a Philadelphia surgeon, owned a high-performance Dixie (built in Newton, NC), followed by a California-made Sidewinder with a 455 Olds, and later another 18’ Dixie powered by a Holman Moody-built 460 Ford aluminum block. The owner was tasked with running the engine daily to ensure it was ready for weekend rides.

Documentarian  Chris Brown  brcwb@aol.com