TOPIC: vague question, but open to lots of opinions

to all -

as work winds down on what i'm game for at the moment on my fiberglass boat, i look to the future. i will eventually need to split, flip and strip my hull. not (hopefully) going to be a ridiculous amount of work, but a decent chunk of work nonetheless. the boat doesn't need it right away, so what i was wanting to do is this: get a second boat and motor soon. get it in reasonable shape and then use that while my current fiberglass boat is under repair.

every time i see an old aluminum boat, i get more and more fond of them. i've decided that if i'm going to have two boats, one is going to be metal (i see that most are aluminum, but some are stainless. either way, if the lines are right, i'm a happy camper).

i plan to troll craigslist, ebay, etc. starting yesterday.

my question for y'all is this: which boat should i look for?

i know, i know... it all comes down to which one i like. i'm not looking for that response. i am fairly certain of these things: i want something between 14 and 18 feet in length. i need to be able to take 2 adults and 3 small kids out at the same time. it doesn't need to have room for 17 coolers too or anything like that, but if i can fit two big butts and a few little ones in it (and legally), i'm happy. i would like to be able to run at a decent rate of speed. i don't mean 75mph. but i'm not looking to go 20, either. 99.95% of the boating i'll be doing is on a river that is big and can move quick at times. i'm not interested in taking 2 hours to go 1 mile upstream. 40ish? 35-45? 30?... somewhere around there. i also really like the lines of some of y'all's mid-fifties barrel-back (is that what you call them?) boats. those are the ones that really stick out to me. it'd need to be sturdy. i'm not going to spend a fortune fixing it up, so i'd like to not disgrace some rare classic. something relatively common, easier to find parts for and, generally, relavitely cheap. i do realize that we're talking about a boat that is likely to be over half a century old, so nothing's going to cost only pennies. but i have to be realistic too. my budget's not unlimited. lastly, i have seen that some of these boats were anodized from the factory. i'm not sure how i feel about this. i was thinking i'd rather go for a plain-jane one, but i'm undecided.

given my criteria, what do you guys think? are there certain brands to stay away from or lean towards? etc etc...

also, i am pretty certain i was a nice shiny Merc on the back of it, but i'm open to suggestions.

pics if you've got 'em!

Chris
You are in the Tri-Cities right?
Neil

yup!

Don't mean to come off as a salesman here and it is not aluminum, but I have this little guy that I would make you a heck of a deal on.
It is a Larson All American.
And, If you do not want to buy it, you can use it for your second boat this season while you work on your other one. You could then use the "lumie" cash toward the repair on your boat.
Neil

Neil -

Thanks for the offer! we'll have to see how things shake out.

i'm not contemplating splitting the boat i have now until winter 2013-14. that'll give some time to get the kinks worked out, figure out which holes i want to fill and which ones i want to keep, see what all misc. equipment i still need but haven't thought of, get a stereo and radio installed, etc. plus, that's 2 seasons of just plain 'ole fun boating with the family! so, i figure i've got a solid year and a half of trolling to find an aluminum one. that's why i ask now; so i know what to be looking for. i don't want to run the budget dry buying a boat that looks nice but is prone to issues or costs ridiculous money trying to get authentic parts for.

as far as your larson goes... if i've not found another boat by the time that i will be splitting mine, i'll get up with you. if you still have it, we'll talk then. i really do appreciate the offer! it's just going to be a while until it's needed.

-Chris

found one on CL that's along the lines of what i was thinking. it's just way too far away to even consider getting. i robbed a couple pics though, to give an idea.







did boats like this (dual cockpit) come with a walk through section in some models? is it possible to put one in if not? i'd be interested in being able to get front to back without climbing on top of the thing. or is that considered sacrilege?

I just caught the restore-in-progress that Nick is posting about here on the forum.

fiberglassics.com/glassic-forums/8-alumi-classics/60102-1959-feathercraft-vagabond-ii.html

that boat is EXACTLY what i had in mind, appearance-wise, when i made my post here. any other manufacturers make a boat similar? would something like that fit the requirements i posted? how rare are they?

That black Montana boat looks like a FeatherCraft Deluxe Runabout with a longer middle deck. I looked through all of the recent Montana Craigslist ads and could not find this one. Could you post the URL?
FC made several walkthrough models in the 14-16 ft range. Most of the catalogs can be found at Feathercraft.net

the guy says that if it doesn't sell there, he's bringing it to spokane... that's a heck of a lot closer to me and within a reasonable drive. i've sent an e-mail to him and am awaiting a response.

montana.craigslist.org/boa/2990762236.html

is FeatherCraft the only company that made aluminum boats in this style?

I'm no expert, but I think AlumaCraft and maybe Crestliner offered dual cockpit boats with a walk-through. FeatherCraft is the only one that I know of that had the barrel back feature.

thanks for the info. out of curiosity, what does a boat in the condition of the one i found on CL usually go for. i know location and market are everything, but is there an average? with trailer and motor of unknown condition... $500? $1500? $5000?

Well, you are aware of the variables. Condition, location, market all factor in. One other variable is how much do you want it. This looks like a Deluxe Runabout with a modified middle deck. To me the deck and the fact that the boat is painted black are warning flags. It is difficult to judge condition based upon these photos, but paint and fresh metal could be masking something.
If I were to guess, I would say $500-$700 based on what I see in the ad.

Unclbuz -

Thanks for all of the input! It's quite appreciated. One last question: were the feathercrafts prone to any problems? Cracking transoms, weak rivets, etc? If they're the only manufacturer that made the barrelback style hulls, then that'll make my decision a lot easier. unless they're super problematic, that is.

Also, the wife asked about surface temp of the hull. Being that it's metal out in the sun, the hull won't get hot enough to burn you, will it?

-chris

Btw- I heard back from the guy sellng the black boat. He said he thinks he's got a buyer lined up at the moment, but it's not sold yet.

Chris,
First let me say that I am certainly not an authority on these boats. I just own one or four.
Problems - I have seen and heard of cracks and loose rivets. The rivets can generally be re-set, cracks can sometimes be welded. Some Vagabonds and Rockets have had leaks in the keel area, perhaps from repeated beaching.
I have gotten burned, but only when the boat was on the trailer in the direct sun. I guess one could say these are water cooled.
Did the seller say anything about the motor?
I would suggest that you get signed up on feathercraft.net where there many owners most of whom are much more knowledgeable about the brand.

The seller didn't say anything about the motor, unfortunately. if the deal he's got working now falls through, he should be getting back in touch with me. i'll post any new info he offers.

and i'll check out feathercraft.net too. thanks for the tips!

riceman wrote:

the guy says that if it doesn't sell there, he's bringing it to spokane... that's a heck of a lot closer to me and within a reasonable drive. i've sent an e-mail to him and am awaiting a response.

montana.craigslist.org/boa/2990762236.html

is FeatherCraft the only company that made aluminum boats in this style?

Looks like AeroCraft made a walkthrough.
porthuron.craigslist.org/boa/2993822323.html

Here ya go Riceman!


cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Feathercraft-Runabout-/270977237364?pt=Power_Motorboats&hash=item3f17808174

perfect! if only it wasn't 1700 miles away...

Don't think even i could talk the wife into THAT kinda road trip, and i don't even want to guess what it would cost to ship it.

Thanks for looking!