In late summer, upwards of 20 Dispros or more descend on Severn Lodge, near Gloucester Trail, Port Severn. While the number of boats and members attending can be surprising, when everyone gets together, the variety of different kinds and designs of Dispros is also revealing.
According to Dispro lore, the first “Device” was designed near Port Sandfield in 1914 and it was patented in the next year. While the boats were built in a variety lengths and widths, the common element in the all boats is the “Device”. So what is a “Device”? It is a simple knuckle that allows the straight drive shaft to bend, while still rotating. In a boat such as the Dispro, where speeds and demands of load are relatively small, the system works very well. One anomaly in this is the Johnston Special, which had more decking and a solid drive shaft.
When they are all lined up next to each other, there are big Dippies, small ones, wide versions and a decked-in model. Many were made in Port Carling, even more in Gravenhurst, and some in Tonawanda, N.Y. and some in Lindsay, Ontario. The Greavette Dispro is one of the more common versions since they were made into the 1950s.
The biggest Dispros were18 feet long and the shortest were 16 feet. The John Bull model is notably wider than any of the others. The earlier 16-foot models also had one layer less planking and look positively dainty compared to their bigger siblings. Trademark features of all the Port Carling built boats were the continuous laminated deck to gunwales that lock into the keels at either end. The wide gunwales and continuous curves make these boats very strong. It might seem a bit of a contradiction when thinking about speed and a Dispro, but there was a model known as the Lindsay Sport Special that was really anything but. It does stand out from the others with more extensive decking.
By Tim Du Vernet
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