TOPIC: 1959 FeatherCraft Vagabond II

Hi folks,
I ran across a 1959 FeatherCraft Vagabond II in a junky old garage the other day on original trailer. Has a 1957 Evinrude Lark 35HP motor on the back. Boat is anodized Gold and solid in real good shape I think for the year. I don't know much about these and only recently found out about these boats. I love the style of them and luckily I got one with the walk through console. Anyway I think it has the original Gator trailer under it but it has been painted black.

How do you tell if it is a Gator? There is an odd tilt mechanism on the right rear. A lever under the tail light raises or turns one of the rollers. I don't see how this works unless something is missing. I think it has the original yellow wood on it too. I can see in places where the trailer has paint missing and yellow is showing through. There is a handle on the front to pick it up ( man this sucker is light ) and move it around. I didn't even have to hook it up to my Jeep I just rolled it over to where I wanted to put it.

It is going to take me some time to get her cleaned up and restored but I think I got me a nice project boat. I see 1959 is the last year of production for this boat. It is number VII 6 668 so a late model. It is missing the windshield and bow handle so I need to find those if to be had. It has the original steering wheel but man is it funky. I need a better example of one of these too if I can find one. Anyway I'll upload a few pics...

Nick

PS - More pics here --> s46.photobucket.com/albums/f101/Nickolas64/Boat%20Stuff/1959%20Feather%20Craft%20Vagabond%20II/

Love the walk through console. You got a good one. Not bad condition at all.

Good find. If you have not been there yet, there is an active site at www.feathercraft.net . I'd love to see what is really under all that blue paint. Maybe they painted it before the anodizing got too faded.

I have been there and joined but not having too good a luck. That site is very slow and I can't get into the forum to post anything and I can't contact the owner/moderator it won't let me through. So I'll have to let time pass and see what happens. I can really dig this boat. Can't wait to get it all cleaned up. I need to get something to get the paint off without ruining the anodizing. I also got a lead on a 1958 Mercury mark 58 AE I want to put on the back of it.

Nick

Nick, Be patient. The FC site was recently re-done and is basically run by one guy. He posted his plans to take his family out of state this weekend. I am sure he will get you squared away as soon as he gets back to his computer.
Meanwhile, here is a link to the old forum. Read only, but a lot of good info. forum729.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=729

I just joined the other day so I don't know anything about it. But I'll see what happens in time. Thanks for the link I'll check it out and do some reading in the meantime...

Take care on the FC site.

It is not ran by the moderator, however by a guy out of Dallas. He likes to bend his elbow a bit and when he is well polluted he will give one and all; all kind of BS, and the his groupies will jump in...... and the moderator being as weak as he is will let it keep going on

i luv the vagabond 11...my fav lummie. brings good $ up here.

TallTexan wrote:

Take care on the FC site.

It is not ran by the moderator, however by a guy out of Dallas. He likes to bend his elbow a bit and when he is well polluted he will give one and all; all kind of BS, and the his amen club will jump in...... and the moderator being as weak as he is will let it keep going on

Tex,
I think you may have feathercraft.net confused with another site.

Nope.

Right site

Read the comments

www.feathercraft.net/forums/16/366.html

Just because I covered the TX #s on a boat that I just bought (to keep someone from running the #s and knowing the willow's address) The one I speak of (and it is not Steve but Dave who was kicked off the Lone Star forum)started things, and all of his groupies jumped in

And as you will see the more posting; the more the truth comes out

What a joker ! You will be well received on the FC site . Great bunch of guys. Gobs of info . Just like here .

There are two sites I am aware of but only one is up and running for the most part.

The JOKER is the one that had not been on this forum for months and came back only after unclbuz post this thread on the FeatherCraft forum to call me a joker.

I have much information, many old manual and resources that many on here and the AOMCI enjoy. So why would I want to share it with a few self center (as Eaglekeeper put it) JOKERS on the FeatherCraft forum

TallTexan wrote:

A lot of that going around lately, you okay out there TT?

MarkS wrote:

TallTexan wrote:

A lot of that going around lately, you okay out there TT?

OH I better then OK I am doing great. Thanks for asking Mark.

I just wanted to give a heads up on the going ons on the FC forum. I was email by a few that are on the FC forum saying that they could not believe some of the things going on and that the owner was letting the "Moderator" let thing go as is is. I have been on this forum longer then I was on their, and been on the AOMCI longer that any (beside the now defunct antique aircraft club)

They always gave me h*ll for restoring my own boats saying that if I have the resources that I have I should pay someone to do my projects.....???? 1/2 the fun is the restoring and to be able to TRUTHFULLY said "I did it".

My projects may start to come together faster, for I am buildings a cargo trailer that I can take the projects with me (Shop and storage on wheels) on out of town jobs and do work on the projects with my down time

Nick, let me know if you need another lead on a MK 58. I rebuilt one with parts from a donor motor. I still have the donor, missing only a starter and recoil assembly.

As for the Feather Craft site. They are a great bunch with lots of helpful info.

otter260 wrote:

As for the Feather Craft site. They are a great bunch .

Yep they are....Just read how they talk about people....One thing I can say about this site is that you never have people downing others here....Oh..... that was before "Eaglekeeper" came aboard and started here what he is accustom to on the FC forum

I'm still looking for a motor as we speak. It seems all I find or hear about are out west or way up north. Nothing around here in Va I have heard about yet.

Nick

So far so good under the paint... I think the previous owner just didn't like Gold as all I have uncovered looks great. It's a shame the entire boat wasn't covered as what was not covered has faded pretty good but what is under the paint looks great and preserved...Now I am trying to figure out what to do about the motor. Compression is great with 120 on each cylinder but I really wanted a Mercury on the back of it for something different. I have always had Evinrude and Johnson motors and want one of those old Mark motors on the back of it. I don't know it has an engine that runs great now but I have the need for speed. I know this won't be a super fast boat but I do want it to move along as fast as I can get it to go.

Nick

I frequently boat with a half a dozen Feather Craft owners. We are all members of the Feather Craft site and we love to help people restore their boats and motors themselves. Most of us have switched to Mercury outboards. The problem as I see it is that OMC didn't make a viable alternative over 35 hp. I've run both a Vagabond with a 35 hp OMC and a 45 hp Mercury and the difference is night and day. The difference was so vast that I sold my restored 1956 Javelin 30 hp and restored a 1955 MK55 clone to run on my Ranger III. My top speed went from 24 mph to over 30 mph GPS.

Tex, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with a few people on the the Feather Craft site, but its pretty lousy of you to paint us all with that brush.

Good looking boats!!

I'll be glad when the day rolls around where I can get mine out in the water but I think it's going to be next year probably. I have to much to do to it and with several other projects going at the same time I have my hands full. I eventually want to upgrade to the Mercury but I have to find one first. For the moment I'll just leave that Lark on there since it is in such good condition. I'll fix it up and paint it so it will help pay for the Mercury when I find one.

It doesn't have to be perfect. Get it water ready and enjoy. My boat looked terrible for the first year, but I sure enjoyed using it. They are all works in progress. The Lark is a fine motor. You don't need anything else.

"The difference was so vast that I sold my restored 1956 Javelin 30 hp and restored a 1955 MK55 clone to run on my Ranger III. My top speed went from 24 mph to over 30 mph GPS."


And you say to keep my Lark after you made this statement? You should have kept your Javelin as it was a fine motor. See what speed does to ya... I feel the need for speed...

Nick wrote:

"The difference was so vast that I sold my restored 1956 Javelin 30 hp and restored a 1955 MK55 clone to run on my Ranger III. My top speed went from 24 mph to over 30 mph GPS."


And you say to keep my Lark after you made this statement? You should have kept your Javelin as it was a fine motor. See what speed does to ya... I feel the need for speed...

Ha. That does sound funny. I was actually quite happy with the Javelin until my buddy put a 45 hp on his Vagabond. That's when it became intolerable. He literally ran circles around me with a big Cheshire cat grin on his face. No man's ego can take that.