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John Tinney, top, cruises the waterways around Wrightsville Beach in his 45-foot Elco Flat Top motor yacht Duchess with
one of his dogs, Ellie.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
JOHN TINNEY was
enamored by wooden
boats from an early age.
His foray from aficio-nado
to collector began with a
1943 Elco rounded stern Core
Sounder named Karen.
Now Tinney cruises the
waterways with his 45-foot
Elco motor yacht, the Duchess,
built in 1930 and powered
by twin diesels. The elegant
classic boat garners more than
its fair share of looks.
“People are always wanting
to get a closer look and give
you a thumbs up as they pass
by,” Tinney says.
Duchess needed extensive repairs about five years ago, and when it looked like she was headed to the junkyard the
owners chose instead to completely overhaul her with modern equipment. They kept the boat a year before donating her
to the Block Island Maritime Fund. Then the antique craft was purchased by Tinney.
“In this boat, you’ve got the best of both worlds, in that it has the old look to it but everything in it is brand new: state-of-
the-art electronics, depth sounders, three air conditioners, auto steer and GPS,” he says.