Each Yellow Jacket model year had distinctive hull and deck finishing differences that enable us to identify the year. Here's a quick summary of the major differentiating traits by year that we have so far confirmed:

1950:

Yellow Jacket molded hulls were first offered in 1950, and appeared only as renderings in the first brochure. Actual boats varied from the renderings. No deck darts, painted white hulls, green bottoms, plank seats. Other plywood-on-frame boats were offered by McDerby-Conatser that year. Click here for the full brochure.

1951-52:

No deck darts, flush deck, king plank, white painted hulls, aluminum "Yellow Jacket" logo tag on aft hull, green bottom, no fins. More detail needed on these early years, please!

1953:

Four rounded blond deck darts on a flush dark deck, king plank, white painted hulls, aluminum "Yellow Jacket" logo tag on aft hull, green bottom, no fins

1954:

Three pointed dark darts on a flush blond deck, white painted hulls, aluminum "Yellow Jacket" logo tag on aft hull, green bottom, no fins

1955:

Three pointed dark darts on a flush blond deck, varnished hull, rounded hardware, dark painted side graphics with "jet plane" Yellow Jacket decal, red bottom, no fins

1956:

Three pointed blond darts on a dark deck, varnished hull, no king plank, rounded hardware, toe rail with "bullnose" on foredeck, red painted side graphics with "jet plane" Yellow Jacket decal, red bottom, no fins

1957:

Two pointed blond darts on a dark deck, varnished hull, king plank on foredeck, thinner toe rail with angular deck hardware, red side graphics with "jet plane" Yellow jacket decal, red bottom, small solid mahogany fins "bolted on"

1958:

Two pointed blond darts on dark deck, varnished hull, king plank on foredeck, thinner toe rail with angular deck hardware, yellow side graphics with "jet plane" Yellow Jacket decal, yellow bottom, large solid mahogany fins "bolted on"

1959:

Two pointed blond darts on dark deck, varnished hull, king plank on foredeck, thinner toe rail with angular deck hardware, silver appliqué side graphics with "jet plane" Yellow Jacket decal, yellow bottom, fins molded into aft deck plywood.