TOPIC: Update: Repair and restoration of a 1959 12' Elgin

I purchased this boat for $200 in 2000 and used it extensively. I explored south Puget Sound from Tacoma to Olympia in her and also explored the lower Columbia River and its associated sloughs and creeks. My friend and I named her the Slough Navigateur because we would slowly putt up shallow sloughs and creeks, him peering over the bow while I sat on the engine and steered. We had a lot of fun and found a lot of cool old wrecks, houses, logging equipment, etc.

The 13 years of use had taken their toll...I had cracked the interior transom, punched a small hole in the hull, cracked the floor of the interior tub (it is a two piece boat attached at the gunwales), damaged the tiny foredeck, and scratched the bottom pretty severely pulling her up on the rocks. Here is a photo log of the restoration. I started by filling in the scratches and fiberglassing the cracks and holes. I faired and sanded and faired and sanded. I had her painted by a local auto body shop with imron. I purchased some 'raptor deck' to glue into the bottom for traction, installed a new transom pad and put on the new name!

Anyone have any idea of the manufacturer of this boat?

Beautiful job! You'll have fun puttin' 'round in that.

I found that the manufacturer was Elgin, it was the 12' fiberglass car top model, and it was built around 1959! Funny part was that I've looked for that boat on the internet and had no luck, either on this fine website or others, and today I saw a sister ship that was two feet longer on CL. The ad indicated it was an Elgin, sold by Sears, and a quick look at Elgin boats on fiberglassics confirmed that my sweet little skiff is an Elgin. Fiberglassics rules!

That's a sweetie for sure, ready for more exploration. I mourn the passing of Sears as we knew it, always a safe go to place for decent quality and service. I never worried about getting what I paid for. This was also part of the catalog sales success you trusted what they offered.
At some point to consumers price was all that mattered most and Sears got on a death spiral cutting costs and quality and service to keep up with the likes of the Walmarts, Home Depot's of the world, I guess now we know better where quality and service after purchase counts but the damage has been done to the brand.
Just MHO.
Sorry to high jack a tad, the later Boats sears had the game fishers were equally good and built very rugged.
There was one with the double hull like yours and then the single hull built by MFG. Both real good boats.
I scrounged to find one but eventually wound up with a 14 foot MFG cartopper instead.
Enjoy your new boat all over again!!
Randy

I had an aluminum gamefisher skiff from Sears and it was a great little boat. It is still putting around the area, I sold it to a friend.

I'm looking forward to the weather getting a little better so I can start taking out the slough navigateur!