Introducing Her New Owner...

PT 728 was recently acquired by Fleet Obsolete aka Rob Iannucci, a retired New York attorney and former Sea Scout who is passionate about historic boats, historic racing motorcycles, and historic cars.

Fleet Obsolete includes PT 459 (a Higgins with documented 1943 combat history off Cherbourg), which is undergoing major restoration in Kingston, NY and will be re-powered with the original Packard supercharged V-12 motors, a 1955 Army ST tugboat powered by a 600 bhp Atlas Imperial diesel, and a 1957 Chris Craft lap strake Sea Skiff powered by a 302 Chevy.

During his professional career, Rob served as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, NY, as a probation officer in New York and New Jersey, and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jamaica and Barbados where he organized commercial fisherman's cooperatives.

Rob is the founder of Team Obsolete, the world's most successful historic motorcycle racing team. From 1978 through 2002, the team competed in more than 1800 races from Japan to Norway. Their chief rider, Dave Roper, is the only American ever to win the Isle of Man TT. Their riders have included multi-time FIM World Champions Glacomo Agostini, Jim Redman, Phil Read, Luigi Taveri, Kel Carruthers, Gianfranco Bonera, and American Champions Dick Mann, Gary Nixon, Yvon Duhamel, Kenny Roberts, Don Emde, Don Vesco, Dave Aldana, and others. The Team Obsolete stable includes ex-Works MV Agustas, a 1965 Honda RC165 250/6, an AJS E95 Porcupine, AJS Triple-Knockers, and other exotica.

Rob is the driving force behind the formation of the Kingston (NY) Maritime and Transport Museum, and is the savior of the North River Tugboat Museum, which boasts a fleet of four historic tugboats and a vintage Hudson River barge. The former Cornell Steamboat manufacturing building will be the site of the new museum, which will offer a Fleet Obsolete restoration service, including a graving dock with public viewing access.

"We would like to thank everyone in Key West who helped in restoration and reintroducing PT 728 into the community including US Coast Guard Captain Phil Heyl, USCG Marine Safety Office inspectors LT Dan Silvestro and LT Chad Roebuck, David Paul Horan, Esc., Conch Republic Seafood Company, Shipwright Tom Noeker, Robbie's Marina, Reef Perkins Marine Surveyor, CJ Malsted, City of Key West and the Govering Bight Board of the Historic Seaport, Propeller Club of United States, Key West Historical Maritime Society, and many others. We look forward to dealing with the Key West community in a fair and continually beneficial manner."

Sincerely,
Rob Iannucci