TOPIC: Please help me identify my boat.

Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and I’m looking for a little help identifying a boat that I recently acquired. I have researched the site, which is great, but I have not had any luck identifying the make of the hull. If anyone has any information on what make this hull is or, how I could find out it would be greatly appreciated.
I picked the boat up in Georgiana, Alabama which is about 60 miles southwest of Montgomery. It had been sitting in a barn since 1976. The only identifying marks on the boat are two decals, one on each side that read: “Akela, Chief of the Waters.” I’m not sure the make or year of the hull. I was able to track down the second owner of the boat who told me that he put the Evinrude motor on it around 1957. He said that was the second motor on the boat so I know that the hull is at least a 1957 or earlier. The hull is 14’ 4” long. The hull has similar lines to a Lake n Sea but it also resembles a Thunderbird and a Sabre or Sabre Craft. I have attached some pics of the boat and can upload a few more if needed. Thanks in advance and great website!

Greetings, and welcome to Fiberglassics. That's a nice catch. Your boat looks like a Fleetform - but many builders created boats similar in appearance. Got to the "Glassic Library" and look up Fleetform and you will see the brochure picts.

Bruce

www.fiberglassics.com/library/Fleetform

Wow, looks like you are right. It looks identical to the pictures in the brochure. Any idea what the "Akela" decal means or of what the value may be? The boat was given to me and I plan on restoring it but I wanted to find out what it was before I started. Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.

jcaii,

WELCOME ABOARD!!!


It may NOT be a Fleetform, despite it's "looks". - There were literally HUNDREDS of "small & independent boat-builders" that made boats in that era. - MANY of those hulls were "splashes" of someone else's designs.

I'm "going to get in trouble" here with "Redfish fanatics", but one of the reasons that Glastron had so many different designs was that Glastron was trying to "outrun" Redfish, before their newest designs could be "ripped-off".

Note: I'm trying, so far W/O success, to buy the ONLY ski-boat that PLEASANT BOATWORKS ever actually built. - According to "a family member", the hull was actually built in April-May 1961.
(As far as I know, the late W.O. Ward never lost a thin dime on any other of his "numerous business ventures" but he lost his "toucas" on that one!)
IF I can ever "get my grubby hand on it", "the one of one" will be powered by a "George Jetson-style" Homelite 55 OB.

yours, satx

I'm wondering if the akela decal might be from a scouting camp or some other camp...they were popular on a lot of lakes in the 50's and 60's

I've seen that logo on another boat before, but I can't remember what style boat it was. Sure looks like one of many knockoffs of a Fleetform. Spitfire also had a knock off of the Fleetform

I have a feeling it may be a knock off of a fleetform. I spoke to someone over the weekend that agreed that the decal was probably related to a boy scouts camp.

Anyone have any advice on how to find a windshield for it or should I just have one made?

Thanks for everyone's help.

you may want to try an ad in the wanted section of craigslist....measure wingtip to wingtip of the mounting holes should get you close...most of those windshields were purchased parts by the manufacturer (usually tailermade)....you don't see that many on ebay because they are a pain to crate and ship...john

Nice looking boat... Good luck on ID'ing it!

You can always make a windshield-
www.fiberglassics.com/restoration/making-a-new-plexiglass-windshield

I did it for my Lake N Sea, and it turned out great... I saved a small fortune, too!

-Andrew

Doug,

Great to see you making a post!

Hope to see you around a little bit more.

Bruce