Old boats

[hamms-scooter]

I love seeing all the new kinds of boats out there but there is something about seeing the old lunds,alumacrafts,starcrafts and so on out on the water. I love old boats and I used to run a 1956 alumacraft now have a 1970 16' starcraft I have a 15hp i got from a buddys dad for doing some work.I love that motor although i wish it was a 25hp.I just look at it as a way onto the water whatever you run. I am looking to paint it camo because it is kind of a faded green color now. Do any of you guys that run camo (duck/fishing boats) have any pics to share for some ideas for what kind of a pattern I should do. Also what is a good cheap paint?

any old boat pics would be cool too i love seeing plain old rigs! thanks

[fishinfey8]

If you can get access to a gravity sprayer that would be the ticket. If you don't go too cheap on paint, you should only have to paint it once. I took and sanded mine down to bare alum. then started from scratch. Here's a couple pics of the process...

[SkunkedAgain]

I love'em too. I sold my old 14' Alumacraft to a cousin years ago and regret that decision. Last spring I bought a 1970s 12' Starcraft that was painted baby blue and white. I really like the old paint jobs, no matter how faded. On these boats, the less horsepower the better. I've got a 1963 5hp Seahorse on it and enjoy putting around the bay.

[hamms-scooter]

What a nice job! I love that thing! Nice deck and floor! Amazing how much room you can make taking out one bench! Nice paint job as well! Looks like a mint walleye fishing rig now love it! What size is it? and what hp? think it will fit perfect in my little garage!jk

[hamms-scooter]

I love'em too. I sold my old 14' Alumacraft to a cousin years ago and regret that decision. Last spring I bought a 1970s 12' Starcraft that was painted baby blue and white. I really like the old paint jobs, no matter how faded. On these boats, the less horsepower the better. I've got a 1963 5hp Seahorse on it and enjoy putting around the bay.

I really wish i had either a 14' boat or a 25hp for mine! I love my motor so i would have to say i would want a 14' boat. mine does push my 16' up to 19 mph on the h20 gps! 14' would be better

[MinnesotaMike]

I also took out one of the seats for more room.

[TSchultz]

One thing I learned from painting my duck boat is that if you want the paint to stay on aluminum, CHEAP isn't in your vocabulary. I think I paid around $80-$100 just for the two part aluminum epoxy primer.

[jigginlow]

This is the project I'm working on currently. The only thing I know for sure is that it is a RichCraft boat. I paid an old farmer $75 and recovered it from his shelterbelt. I have currently removed the floor and started stripping some of the old paint. it's kind of unique with the center mounted steering wheel, I thought.

[jigginlow]

One more, mistaken on the name: It is RichLine, NOT RichCraft

[rcatcherman]

On the last Pic the motor also looks sweet!!

[JimBuck]

I love seeing the old boats. They've always got so much more character than a fancy new glass boat etc. That forward center console design is very interesting. Keep us posted on the project!

[fishinfey8]

Thanks! Its just a 14ft. lund with a 15hp evinrude. I too wish that I had a 25, but that 15 trolls down to a perfect speed. And, I'm not a speed freak like some...might be for sale this spring. I'm going to proabably do one of the dumbest/but best things a guy could do; sell the boat and buy the ring. I would bet that it wouldn't be more than 6 months of me being boatless before I would buy another fixer-uper. Except, it would be a 16ft. lund with a 35hp motor just b/c I would like to have the extra stability for my passengers sake.

[reddog]

I inherited a 1959 Pipestone Chief last year. It hasnt been in the water since the late 60s. It kinda looks like a 57 chevy with its tailfins. It is Salmon and black in color(originally) More like pink and black now with the oxidation that has occurred over the years on the gelcoat.

My wife thinks its uglier than heck, but that makes me like it even more.

Cant wait for the day when she says : Honey, take me for a spin" hehehe

[hamms-scooter]

Thanks! Its just a 14ft. lund with a 15hp evinrude. I too wish that I had a 25, but that 15 trolls down to a perfect speed. And, I'm not a speed freak like some...might be for sale this spring. I'm going to proabably do one of the dumbest/but best things a guy could do; sell the boat and buy the ring. I would bet that it wouldn't be more than 6 months of me being boatless before I would buy another fixer-uper. Except, it would be a 16ft. lund with a 35hp motor just b/c I would like to have the extra stability for my passengers sake.

I love that boat! Simple is what im into! I also like that my 15 hp johnson will troll down to nothing and keep idle... I think you would miss that nice rig of yours but you can always find another project.

[hamms-scooter]

Is your 15 a short shaft or long shaft on that boat? I have a long on my starcraft...

[Bluegill1510]

Wow thanks for starting this thread, you guys do some nice work! I have been looking for a "starter" boat just go fishing in..as I've never owned one or (family) never owned one when I was a kid, and you guys are giving me some good ideas. Im like you hamms-scooter I just want something simple that you can put into the water and just go troll walleyes in or cast slip bobbers for panfish or if you put a nice high floor in like fishinfey8 did with that 14' do some bow fishing off it.

Fishinfey if you do put the boat up for sale I might be interested...I am just wondering if that is just storage or a live-well in the front?

[SkunkedAgain]

Fishinfey8: You must be serious about her. There's nothing that a lady loves more than knowing you gave up something special to you (boat/fishing) in order to be with her. Nice move. You'll get the boat back some day, and she'll hopefully understand why it's important.

Bluegill 1510: I was in your shoes about 10 years ago. I was in my mid 20s, didn't know a thing, drove past a 14ft boat on a trailer. $300 later I owned a boat, and then paid a friend $100 for an old 5hp motor. That worked great and I learned a lot about boating. Being so small it was easy to work with that boat and learn without fear of damaging something pricey. Eventually I graduated up to a mid-80s 16ft Fisher with a 25hp motor (eventually 35hp). Again, I learned a ton more about boating, got more wise, and made my mistakes on a boat that cost more $2000 but still didn't cause me to cry when I did something stupid - which we all do. Last year I sold it and finally got my dream boats: a new 16ft Alumacraft with a 90hp and a 12ft 1970s Starcraft with the same old 5hp motor.

Whatever you do, enjoy the ride.

[hamms-scooter]

Cool story Skunkedagain you now have a good river boat and lake boat.

[hamms-scooter]

I would still like to see some more pics. I am wondering what you need to do to prep the boat and if its easier to brush paint in the camo design.

[Bluegill1510]

Skunked...thanks for the story and advice. That is my way of thinking as well, is just get something basic that I can get out in and learn more about boating. In college I stayed at a resort on a lake and the resort owner let us use his boat and motors for free just had to pay for the gas, and I learned alot during those years. One thing thats nice about a small boat is you can get into those small "off the road" type of lakes.

[SkunkedAgain]

Exactly. You can also get them off and on the trailer much easier. It's all a process of learning. It's kind of like getting a beater car when you're 16 versus starting off driving a Lexus (insert expensive car of your choice).

The smaller the boat, the less money you need to spend on it in maintenance too! The old adage about a boat being a big hole where all of your money goes is correct.

[hamms-scooter]

Neighbor has an alumacraft with nice Trailer and 9.9 hp johnson for 600 bucks. Think the boat is a 14' deep v. Thinkin about trying to get it.

[fishinfey8]

What year is the motor?

[Weed Shark]

My kids do a lot of fishing out of a 14-foot Alumacraft with either our 5-1/2 (1956) or 6 HP Johnson motors. It is painted camouflage for duck hunting in an old military pattern, like puzzle pieces, in the specific military camo colors. It looks really cool and the paint job has lasted about 35 years.

Consider saving those old boats for kid-starters. They need less intimidating sized outboards.

I also own a 1957 14-foot Naden, an extremely well constructed boat (even thicker metal than Lund’s). Back then, they were made in Ames Iowa, not Canada. To me, it’s a classic.

[shizzy]

I have a 1968 Alumacraft FD 14' with a 65 Johhny 6 HP on the back. I built a small hinged casting deck on the front and added carpet to the seats. purchase price, rebuild on the trailer and outboard and I think I'm still under $1000. I go out 2-3 times a week in it. I love my little "Sea Monkey"

BTW, the old Johhny starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull.

here it is the day I bought it.

a scrap chunk of plywood, some cheap hinges and a $9 I/O rug from menards and I had lockable storage

it isnt fancy, doesnt go very fast, but its mine and its paid for.