TOPIC: 16 foot 1962 Cutter

Hello all, I am brand new here as I just received as a amazing gift from a friend a 16 foot 1962 Cutter.

I know only what my fried has told me about Cutters and the little bit I can find on the web. The floor has been replaced and I'm thinking the transom might need to be replaced as well but I am not sure.
Is there a proper way to determine if the transom needs to be replaced? If I lift on the prop end of the engine the transom has some flex but I'm not sure if there should be some flex or if the flex is there because of the leverage I am getting from the shaft.

The interior of the boat has been stripped, any good sites, images that I can look at to give me some good ideas on what I can do for the interior of the boat? I'm looking for ideas on seating, storage, fuel tank storage.

The last question for now concerns steering, should I replace the steering set-up and get rid of the cable system? I've been told it's not very safe even with new cables. If so what is the best and most economical system.

Thanks for the help and I am open to any and all tips, hints and advice.

Welcome aboard Havoc, glad to have you join us here. Here's a link to the Cutter section in the FG Library, pretty good history and reference material there;
www.fiberglassics.com/library/Cutter

IMO, if the transom is flexing AT ALL, replace it now. It's not going to get any better, and why take a chance on losing the whole shebang, your life included (worst case scenario, but let's be safe). In the upper right hand corner of the screen is a search box. Type "transom" in there, and it will pull up all recent threads on the subject. Very handy for researching projects.

Some of the good folks here still use and even restore the pulley/cable steering systems, it's a matter of personal preference I guess. I've heard some states have outlawed them, don't know about VA. The newer push/pull systems are around $120, available from Jamestown Distributors (sponsor here at FG), West Marine, iBoats.com, etc..

Good luck, and share some pics with us when you get a chance.

Thanks MarkS,

I was leaning towards replacing the transom and my friend was suggesting I do it as well. I just wanted to make sure the flex wasn't normal. I'd hate to rip the transom out, put in a new one only to end up with the same flex,

I'm already sifting through the transom search results.

I'll get some pictures as soon as I can.

There is absolutely nothing wrong or unsafe about cable/pulley steering systems. It's been used for decades. I have it on almost all my boats. It was on a 17 footer with 110 HP Mercury for twenty years. That boat now has twin 35 HP Johnsons.

Andreas

I am with Andreas, they are only as dangerous as the components.
Inspect all of the components carefully and keep them all in good condition and it will be fine. It has steered many boats for many years, and still is.
Neil

Well since I was provided with new cables when I got the boat I will set-up the cable system again and keep an eye on the components.
Thanks for the advise

I did a bit more digging in my boat this morning, there are boxes of stuff in the boat, lights, name plates etc all the chrome items.
Anyways I found the plates in one of the boxes. It seems the boat is a Brunswick/Cutter Scamp. I haven't been able to dig up much information or images of this boat.
I'd really like to see some interior pics of the boat. I don't know if I want to make it look like it once did or if I want to give it a more modern feel.
I know I won't be showing off the boat, nor do I have the money/time/patience to do a proper restoration on the boat. I really just want to get the boat back into working order and enjoy the boat on the water.

Very cool finding the box of "goodies" in the boat, that will help a great deal! Did you check out the link to the library, there's a drawing (no pics, sorry) of the Scamp interior.
www.fiberglassics.com/library/File:Cutterb62001.jpg
Pretty basic, just "back to back buckets". (Now referred to as "lounge seats"?)

I had a Cutter Tornado by Brunswick Marine, VERY well built and handled like a dream.............. Let the wife talk me into selling her, bad idea.

Hey Marks, thanks for the link. I've seen that elsewhere but not in that detail.
I know there is no floation foam left in the boat so I will need to address that.
I'm thinking that I will go with a pair of seats at the rear of the boat, forward facing and a pair of seats up front that can rotate to face the stern of the boat. My only concern is that might make the boat stern heavy....

Here are some pics I took this morning. picasaweb.google.com/102504549602596600161/CutterScamp?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIGY1vnx6bvFKw&feat=directlink

Nice find, the windshield might be a bear to repair
Ditto on the box of goodies. If the motor runs and you have a can of boatwax, some seats you can be on the water. Stay close to shore.
Cal

I think a bear got a hold of that windshield
I have no idea how I am going to tackle the windshield, perhaps buy some Lexan and see how I fair at molding a new windshield using a heat gun perhaps?

Yah the box has great stuff in it like the awesome bow light/hood ornament, stern light post, transom handles etc.

The motor was completely rebuilt and is running like new. Boat wax is something I have but I am afraid that the top gelcoat is down to bare fiberglass in spots. I'll need to prime and repaint the deck.

I need to track down some seats and then it's water time. Yah I don't think the boat is big enough to go to far from the shore.

I also have that boat, however mine is a 1963. It looks just like that one but in better shape. I also will be taking on the task of restoring it. I will post some pictures as soon as I can. Keep posting your progress. We may even be able to share resources.

Any chance that you can post the VIN/HULL/Serial # ?

A few of us cutter owners are trying to figure out the sequence of the cutter #s.

I completely forgot about this thread. So not much has happened in the past 2 years. Family took front stage but now the kids are a bit older and a) want to do their own thing or b) want to help me. So the last half of the summer was pretty good.
Turns out that I need to replace the transom. I've removed the top of the boat from the hull, cut the inside of the transom and removed the mostly water logged wood.
I them made a cardboard template with help and cut the 2 pieces of ply for the new transom.
It got wet and cold quickly and without a garage I will have to wait to glass the new wood into the transom and reattach the top of the boat. Then it is on to a new carpet and seats. I still haven't found a good pair of seats for a decent price.

Where is the VIN/HULL/Serial # on the cutter? Everything that isn't hull has been removed and stored in a box. This was done before I got the boat. However if you can tell me what it's printed on I can search the box for it.

havoc,check out "tempress boat seats" on ebay,i have bought from there before,nice seats at a good price.john

Sometimes the number can be found on the Transom Handles.

My Cutter Tornado had a small metal tag (maybe 2" x 4") on the inside of the transom just above the floor on the port side. (Wish I'd taken a pic of it, sorry.) It read Brunswick Marine Products, Nashville, GA and and the serial number stamped in below that.

I suspect that I may also have a 63 or thereabouts cutter or some hybrid. Brunswick tags. Larson lapline stickers, but the cutter most resembles my boat of any I've seen. More so than Larson. Tag is one applied, in part, over the other. Brunswick emblem steering wheel. I have yet to see an exact one like mine. Pics here.
www.fiberglassics.com/glassic-gallery/category/463-1963-brunswick-larson-lapline.html

Nicely done JC, you "did her proud"!

Thanks Mark!