TOPIC: Need some help on Identifing this one, Twin Fins!

Its not often I get stumped on a boat but this one eludes me. SO Callin all sea dogs to step in on this one. Andreas, Lee your thoughts.

Now here is the story on this boat.
Well we always here about the boat that followed me home but this is a new twist on that. I have a customer that bought a Century Palomino from me a year ago and he needed a blue windshield to replace the cracked one on his boat. I told him of a boat I saw on craigslist that I thought had one so he made arraignments to check it out. Well John called me and said would I meet him to look at it. I agreed and asked Where, He said Walmart parking lot. I about lost it laughing. Never bought a boat out of a walmart parking lot before. Well as it turned out he didn't get the boat but I did. Well I tell ya I have bought 100s of boats but never one at walmart thats for sure. So after talking with the guy he was selling for a friend and told me that if this guy doesn't take it he is going to send it to the landfill and sell the trailer for whatever he can get. Well I hate to see that happen as a rule when they have good transums and are in good shape Plus the blue windshield was so cool. The boat has twin fins too so that makes it even more interesting. I have seen a boat like this before but don't remember who made it. Well on with the story. SO after talking with the guy about the boat and looking it over I made him a offer and he excepted. Being it was already hooked to his truck he brought it to the shop for me too.
SO after I got it home I got on the phone to my buddy Bill Anderson telling him of the walmart story and enjoying a laugh. He said send him some pics so I did and he has seen them too but could not remember who made them and agreed it was to cool to landfill. He mention Seamaid and some others but none look like this boat. The motor is a 59 and it looks like its never been off the boat so I would guess its a 59 as well. 1960 as a rule was the last year for fin boats so that kinda dates it some. BUT the big question I pose to you guys is who made it and what model is it. It will more than likely get resold as I am swamped with resto projects as it is and really can't get this on the calendar for years.
What say yee?
Bob

That looks like the Master Craft that was posted here a few days ago. Same fins for sure.

I would have to agree with you Scott. Its a neat boat because of the lines and I looked at the info available and I would guess the model to be the 15' Mercury. To bad it got one of those tuck and roll garbage paint jobs or I would restore it. To much work to strip it and fix it right. Off she goes for sale.

Too bad I'm not closer, I might come after it just for that windshield

I see a Phantom Black Merc on another boat in the row.
I am always on the hunt for a nice '62-'63 Merc 1000 faceplate.
If you or anyone that reads this has one to sell, I'm interested in seeing condition, etc.
Doc Frankenmerc

It's a Seamaid....saw one not long ago with badges. Didn't make many. Will enjoy seeing one done.
Great find!

HI Doc,
How ya been.
Well keen eye but thats a 64 merc 1000, I have 5 of them here. The one you have pictured is 62 only which is metal stamped and chromed very rare and hard to find. They actually had 3 different ones in 62 to 63. First was the chromed metal that was die stamped with Merc 1000, second was Stamped aluminum die stamped with merc 1000 in it (63). 3rd was known as a replacement that was aluminum that you had to put stickers on. I actually have all three here on motors and the last 62 I had went to a guy that lost his in Lake Pepin. The guy begged me to sell the extra one I had and I said no but his pleading went to $150 so it went. TO this day I regret that. I know I had over a 100 inlines at one point but alot got sold in the last 3 years I should go count them lol. I used to have 20 motors in my showroom all restored but now its 5 and all unrestored. Thought about postin some pics but not much into show and tell since we shut the museum down in 2012.

Hi Hatman,
Thats what Bill A said too BUT there is no proof of that as much as the pictures of the Master Craft. In those days many people were poppin molds off boats and it could have been the demise of seamaid when they did this from starcraft. If you look at seamaids brochures they look like starcrafts. SO today I went and looked at starcraft glass boats and there is a picture of one that is spot on in a 1958 article.
www.fiberglassics.com/wiki/images/f/f0/Starcrafta58002.jpg
So it could be a starcraft or seamaid or mastercraft. The best way to know is to measure it and go to the brochures and see what matches. I will look it over better to see if I can find anything more on the boat. Emblem holes that may have been filled is a good place to start.
Maybe this is something Andreas or Lee can chime in on.

Doc and Bob.....In case you guys make a deal on a motor I thought I would let you know? I am headed to Bend, Oregon in the next three weeks. My return trip will take me north into Washington. Motors can have a free ride?
Ron Pickett

"Well keen eye but thats a 64 merc 1000, I have 5 of them here. The one you have pictured is 62 only which is metal stamped and chromed very rare and hard to find. They actually had 3 different ones in 62 to 63. First was the chromed metal that was die stamped with Merc 1000, second was Stamped aluminum die stamped with merc 1000 in it (63). 3rd was known as a replacement that was aluminum that you had to put stickers on."

Interesting! I'm not sure if I have ever had the first style (chromed metal) I think that the only one I currently have is stamped aluminum.
The last two that I restored & rebuilt were '62s, but I don't recall whether or not they had '62 faceplates.
One went to England, and the other went to Oregon.

"Doc and Bob.....In case you guys make a deal on a motor I thought I would let you know? I am headed to Bend, Oregon in the next three weeks. My return trip will take me north into Washington. Motors can have a free ride?"

Thanks for the offer Ron. Where are you starting from?
doc

Hi Doc.....I live in Rochester, Minnesota. Same as Bob.
Ron

Doc,
Ron lives just north of me about 12 miles so in the Rochester MN area. He has some super cool stuff and a mark 55 at my shop to be restored. With that said Ron your motor is getting started very soon. He has patiently waited for 2 yrs to get on my calendar. I get to busy with service work to do much restoring. I have made several changes in the shop so I can do more and I think we have about 5 motors to restore at this point. Anyway Doc I will get some pics and put up another post in the Merc section about the face plates. I don't want to make this a Merc thread.

There are two possibilities. The first is Starcraft as illustrated above, the second would be Barracuda, of Aurora, Illinois. I've seen this one in their catalogs as well. If you go to the Barracuda files in the library, you'll see that splashing molds off of others products was nothing new to them.I'm not sure where I have the catalog, but more than likely it is a Starcraft.

Lee Wangstad