TOPIC: ever heard of TemCraft Boats of Three Rivers, TX?

Friends,

i've been offered a BIG I/O runabout/open utility called a RIVIERA & made by TemCraft Boats of Three Rivers, TX with a 283ci Chevy engine.

tried "googling" the boat company & "TemCraft Riviera" & got not much of anything except a mere mention of the company name. also, (assuming that i did it correctly - i'm "semi-literate" in computers) i found nearly ZILCH in the library here.

i'm hoping that somebody here knows more about it = doggone PURTY boat, too!

thanks for reading this, satx

SatX,
Please post some pics if you can, it will also help. Plus we love pics! I'm sure Andreas (Thompsonboat) probably has or can find info on it.

Bob

Back in the mid 60s and to the late 70s here in TX boat Co.s pop up every where....some would be in business for a few years and be gone. Just 10 miles from where I was raised I knew of 3 Co.s that pop up made boats for a year or 2 and then were gone leaving the customers with problems hanging

Before Choke Canyon lake was built near Three Rivers the town wan not much of any thing....a hot spot during deer season...a wide spot in the road

Beat of luck to you

TemCraft Boats was started by Bill Raschke about 1962 at Three Rivers. Previously he had run Swank Craft Boat Co., also at Three Rivers, from about 1959 to 1962.

Raschke had worked for Lone Star Boat Mfg. Co. and departed circa 1955 and established Glass Magic Boats (Marine Plastics, Inc.) at Ft. Worth. I do not know why he departed Glass Magic. Rascke died 17 May 1984 in Nueces County, TX.

I do not have any other information on TemCraft.

Andreas

to ALL:

THANKS for your kind reponses. - i have received a BUNCH of pictures of the '65 TemCraft from the current owner. = it it is approximately 17ft down the centerline, is a wide deep-V hull with high sides & has the original 283CI Chevy v-8 motor w/2barrel carb, which, i'm told, has been recently serviced & has about 400 use hours total.
(looking at the pictures, makes me think that it would be FINE to fish the south TX bays out of. high enough sides for SHARKS, too.)

i'm going to call the 3 Rivers CofC & see if they perhaps might have info on the company AND/OR might know someone who worked there. - i'm told that the company was ORIGINALLY a kitchen cabinet maker!

inasmuch as i've been "on the waterfront" for over a half century & have never seen, nor even heard of, a TemCraft until 4 days ago, i suspect that there aren't many of these boats out there. - i wonder how many were built total???????

NOTE: i also don't see either Swank Craft or TemCraft listed as a "TX made boat" on Fiberglassics maker's lists.

yours,satx

to ALL:

SORRY for the duplicate post. my PC told me to RELOAD it.

yours, satx

Here are pics of Tex's boat he's considering.









Some on the water shots

Waterwings & ALL,

first, to "Waterwings": THANKS! i owe you one.

to ALL: one of the things about this site that i really like is how GREAT the members are! - "Waterwings" is ONE of those GREAT FOLKS!

yours, satx

No problem, I'm just glad I could help out.

Bob

Pretty nice there Satx, better pull the trigger and get that one!

satx78247 wrote:

to ALL:

THANKS for your kind reponses. - i have received a BUNCH of pictures of the '65 TemCraft from the current owner. = it it is approximately 17ft down the centerline, is a wide deep-V hull with high sides & has the original 283CI Chevy v-8 motor w/2barrel carb, which, i'm told, has been recently serviced & has about 400 use hours total.

Best I can see, OMC didn't use the 283 until 1967 models. Prior V8s were 200HP 300 CID Buick models. Obviously, it won't affect value but it will be important when looking for parts.

jimandros et. al.,

the current owner says that "i know for certain" that the 283 is original to the boat.
(the serial number, V11265AX, evidently is listed in one of the previous owner's documentation/maintainence records.)

also, i got an email from John this AM that the hull number is: 1478.
(i wonder how many boats that TemCraft built.)

yours, satx

note to ALL: the transom on the TemCraft is 78" wide.

yours, satx

I believe the 283 is original to the boat. But OMC didn't use the 185 hp 283 until the 1967 model year. Prior V8s were 200 hp 300 CID Buick blocks. The pictures clearly show a small block Chevy, not a Buick.

I think the boat is most likely a '67 model. Maybe a '66 model if OMC introduced the 283 mid year in '66 and the builder switched model years later in the fall? I don't know for sure but my manuals don't show a OMC 283 until 1967.

I like the boat, I like most 60's & early 70's vintage I/Os. Obviously it runs, floats & can be used as is. If you buy it, the model number from the engine will clear up the engine model year question and so I guess the boat's year too.

jimandros,

i presume that John can read what year is on the title, so could it be that:
1. TemCraft didn't buy OMC "engine/outdrives" as a UNIT but as separate parts
or
2. OMC sold 283 engines earlier than we know/the books indicate
or
3. ???????

what i just cannot get past is that John says that the boat was titled & registered in TX in 1965.

yours, satx

Considering I was born in 1960, I can't speak from experience of the era but also considering that I am an Evinrude dealer and none of my parts books or manuals show a 283 until 1967, you tell me.

Here in Wisconsin, boats were not titled (only registered) until many years later. Even to this day, titles are only issued for 16' and over. We see lots of titles (that were issued retroactively) for the earlier originally non titled boats that have incorrect information. I truthfully don't know how or exactly when the titling was phased in back in its day.

Perhaps Texas also didn't have titles back then? I know MN and IL went thru a phase in period years ago.

My guess (if we were dealing with a WI titled boat) is that during the phase in of titles, incorrect/incomplete information was used.

Like I said earlier, the engine model number will tell more. The 185hp 283 is model numbers KU & KUE-15S (1967) and KU & KUE-16C (1968).

I am working with a guy in Ohio that has a 1965 19' Shell Lake President and the data plate clearly has a serial number 1965 IO 1030 stamped into it. Shell Lake used a format where the 1st 2 digits were the length, next 2 were the year, then 2 letters being OB or IO depending on engine type and the last 4 were sequential. In this case it is a coincidence that the boat is a 1965 and the serial number started with 1965. He has a 200hp OMC 300 CID drive. But OMC didn't make this drive until 1966. But there were early and late '66 200 drives and they had different gear ratios. So, maybe OMC introduced the 200 extremely early in the season and Shell Lake got their hands on one in time to build a late 1965 boat with it? There is no definate mandated model year cut over date even now.

This model year cutover theory won't account for a 2 year discrepancy. I vote for incorrect information being used for a retroactively issued title. Like I originally said, it doesn't affect the boat's value & I like the boat. But if you try to find parts for a 1965 OMC 185 hp 327 it won't be listed. I wouldn't let this discrepancy stop you from buying the boat.

jimandros,

frankly, i'm NOT an "Evinrude dealer", nor do i play one on TV but, given your theory, please explain to this amatuer how a boat, that you believe was manufactured in 1966 or 67, was REGISTERED (and the taxes paid thereon) SB the State of Texas' Dept of Parks & Wildlife in 1965.

also, if you look back a few posts, you will see that i posted the serial number of the engine and the hull number (1478).
(the engine serial number begins with the letter "V", rather than with the letter "K".)

yours, satx

Do not pay much attention to what is written on any piece of paper such as registration, title, bill of sale. These are notorious for being incorrect for boats, motors and trailers. Use the actual boat, motor, and trailer and the evidence on them to attempt a proper identification.

Andreas

satx78247 wrote:

frankly, i'm NOT an "Evinrude dealer", nor do i play one on TV but, given your theory, please explain to this amatuer how a boat, that you believe was manufactured in 1966 or 67, was REGISTERED (and the taxes paid thereon) SB the State of Texas' Dept of Parks & Wildlife in 1965.

also, if you look back a few posts, you will see that i posted the serial number of the engine and the hull number (1478).
(the engine serial number begins with the letter "V", rather than with the letter "K".)

yours, satx

I would highly doubt if Texas or any other state titled boats in 1965. What is the issue date on the title? That will be when the current owner titled the boat into his or her name. So unless John was the original buyer back in the 60s, that date won't correspond to the model year. Most likely, Texas started a titling program years later using available data, some of which may have been wrong. Certainly, the owner at the time wouldn't state the boat to be older than he truely believed - newer, now that I could see. I believe I just read that Texas is beginning a titling program for outboard motors now. So again a phase in program presumably with induced in errors. Only a hand full of states title outboards at this time.

Here in WI, titles were issued retroactively back in the 80s if I remember correctly when registrations were renewed. (Neighboring states of IL & MN went thru similar programs) Given that the MSO (manufacturer's statement of origin supplied with the boat, trailer & motor) was most likely long lost & no longer available, WI used the last known information. We still frequently find incorrect data on older tiltes. I personally own a 1964 Span 14' fishing boat with no year or serial number on the registration certificate. (Under 16' is registered only, not titled here). If WI was to suddenly expand the titling program to all boats, that data is not available.

Matter of fact, years ago I looked at a 1970 Shell Lake I/O that was spotless (and I still regret not buying it). Minnesota paperwork stated 1974. That would be impossible because the Shell Lake brand was killed off after the 1971 year and all later boats were Lunds. Prior to 1973, there was no uniform serial numbering system or location for placement of the serial number.

As for the engine, I said model number & you have the serial number.

As I have said before, the year doesn't change the value of the boat, buy it.

Jim

jimandros,

as far as i'm concerned it DOES change the value, as i fear "problems", at some future date, with our TDPW/county's tax office if anything on the title/registration/tax forms is WRONG.
(in this case, IF the date on the 1965 tax form is FALSE, the whole deal is "toast". otoh, IF your OMC info is wrong, that's a different story altogether.)

yours,satx

toall,

i talked today to Mike Pierson, Chamber of Commerce Manager in Three Rivers, TX. Mr Pierson said that there are TWO other KNOWN Rivieras.

he also referred me to their city manager, who KNEW the owner of the company. - i called her & she remembers LITTLE except the owner himself, as she does NOT like boats/boating/the water/etc.
otoh,she gave me a "lead" on a longtime employee & got me his address & phone number. - will let everyone know how that goes, if i find anything out.

someone really should grab this big runabout, as it is RARE & in GREAT shape. furthermore, it runs fine & is priced RIGHT at 3,000.oo.
(the current owner has spent over 4500.oo on the boat, besides the money he spent buying it.)

if you are interested in the rig, PM me & i'll put you in touch with him.

yours, satx

I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT,I have got a 1965 or 66 Shell Lake President that I have also posted and no one else seems to own one either. Jim Andros has helped me more then any one, accept Mr Ek sent me the original flyer of what the boat looked like new. They boath have been great in working with me on this boat , that no one seems to have any thing close. The boat will be finished this spring at this time the 200 buick v8 is being re built. Every thing else accept the 18 gal gas tank seems to be in great shape.
I would sure like some feedback on this if anyone can pass on some more info.
Hope Every body had a great New Years. Im glad to be involved with FiberGlassic, good people.

First, satx, I'm curious about the high sides in reference to sharks - I've never heard of sharks being a problem
in the bays. Actually, I've never heard of or seen a shark in the bays, although they're certainly in the surf, so some probably do make it to the bays at times

As to Texas titling outboards, they have since about 1987, so it's not new. You do not get registration or stickers, so it's not obvious. It used to say on their literature that they didn't have to be registered until they were sold, and so since I haven't sold any, I ignore it. I guess if I sell one inTexas I'm supposed to go down and title it first. I can only imagine the problems that would go with that, considering the problems that come up with more normal transactions.

Austinsailor,

BULL SHARKS (the MOST dangerous of all maneaters, despite JAWS) have been caught over a 1000 miles up the Mississippi River & are ROUTINELY IN a lot of TX, LA & other gulf states bays & in the rivers.
(a friend of mine from Rockport caught one in waist deep water.)

fwiw, i've been a shark-hunter since i was in college over 4 decades ago & i've hooked NUMEROUS bulls in TX bays, including one 200 pounder in the north part of the Houston Ship Channel.

the reason that i'm "concerned" about high freeboard, when chumming/shark-hunting, is that i once had a juvenile TIGER, who "boarded" my boat "W/O permission of the captain" & scared us all nearly to death before we finally "unloaded" him.- in the process, he ATE a large tackle box, bit a goodly chunk out of a seat & "crunched" several good rods.
(trust me, that's NOT an experience that i'd care to repeat.)

yours, satx