This page is to inform people about how many types of Wagemaker Boats were built for a teaching, commentary, and research purposes only. Wolverine boats prior to 1956 had rear steering because electric start outboards did not come till 1954.Therefore, rear steering made it easier to reach back and pull the recoil. Windshields were a dealer-installed option. The Company built over 50 models of boats from small to big (8' to 16' or 19') in various years.​ According to John Savara, most early Wagemaker wood boats were of cedar strip construction. Molded plywood started in the 1950's, aluminum and fiberglass followed. Most of Wagemaker boats in the 1950's were made of different plywood such as Philippine mahogany. Most of Wagemaker wooden boat hulls were made of 5 layers of 5/16" thick Mahogany plywood. Look on page 210 and 211 of the late Bob Speltz's excellent book, The Real Runabouts iv because he talking about the Ply-Lap and Lapstrake boats. sometimes the Wagemaker stamping as a Cadillac. I have a lot of factory brochures and information relating to wood, fiberglass, and aluminum boats from the Wagemaker Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. These boats were sold under the following brand monikers: Wolverine, Cadillac, some of Elgin, Empire, and Mohawk. If you have a Wagemaker boat, You must look for rotted wood under the bow and in rear corners below the water Line. If you have a Wagemaker boat, you must look for the metal plate inside of the transom or number and letters stamped in transom or keel. if you have information to share or need information.  Please contact me at mbbfogarty@aol.com
Thank You.
Brian Fogarty  ​​






Wagemaker Wolverine boat come from Grand Rapids to ireland. This boat was in a tv series was called Ballykissangel tv series in ireland By Sean Din Friel below
This is a 1954 Wolverine boat owner by Doug Bosch. It is a beautiful wolverine boat below
This is a Elgin Boat by Dave Katteheinrich. It is awesome boat below



This is a 1950 Wagemaker Wolverine Boat named 'Old Times below by Nick Wagner below
My Dad's 1955 Wagemaker Wolverine was brought into our family in 1967, including a 1957 35hp Evinrude Lark engine. By Erica below
Wolverine 9ft fiberglass racing trainer with a Evinrude 1954 motor 15HP by Arnold Cohn below
I would share these pictures of the Wolverine we had back in ‘69. We had bought the boat with a ‘56 Mercury Mark 30, but for some reason the motor didn’t like us. It was a pretty rig with that 30hp Mercury as it was color coordinated to the lighter blue/green of the Wolverine. Pretty soon after buying the boat, we changed the motor to the ‘57 Evinrude 35 hp, you see here in the pictures.By Dave Katterheinrich below
Doug Bosch take a pictures at Essex Boat Show, CT, July, 2011 by Doug Bosch below
This is a 1954 Wolverine boat owner by Doug Bosch. it is a beautiful wolverine boat below
1957 Wolverine- her name is Howler Owner by Cindy Palmer and her Husband below
This is a 1950 Wagemaker Boat ad by Wagemaker Boat Co. and Lee Wangstad below
This is a 1954 Wagemaker Boats ad  by Wagemaker Boat Co. and Lee Wangstad below
This is a 1956 Wagemaker Boat ad by Wagemaker Boat Co. and by Lee Wangstad below
This is a 1951 Wagemaker Boats ads  by Wagemaker Boat Co. By Brian Fogarty below
This is a 1952 Wagemaker Boats ad by Wagemaker  Boats Co. By Brian Fogarty below

This is a 1947 Wagemaker boats ad by Wagemaker Boat Co. and by Lee Wangstad below

This is a 1955 Wagemaker boat named Brian's Weigh by Brian Fogarty below
This is a 1941 Wagemaker boat with a 1941 Johnson KD15 by ​Bill Shattuck below
This is a 1956 Wagemaker  boat ad for a Seafarer by Wagemaker Boat Co. By Brian Fogarty
This is a 1956 Wagemaker boat ad by Garry Spencer