Re: 1957 16 foot K
That's pretty speedy for a 16 foot runabout. Great job...and a nice find. These boats are pretty rare...maybe I see one for every 15 FD's and F's.
The 1958 Accessory Catalog from Alumacraft notes that the walk through side steering decks were the same for the FD and K...different for the Deep C. So, if indeed the FD is a '58, it ought to fit. They look neat, paired, but the Port side is hard to find. Frankly, they both are hard to find. Hence, you are considering buying a boat to get a deck!
They also provide a nice back rest for the seat in front.
Pretty stable boat, so you shouldn't worry much about having the steering on the side vs. in the center. Will definitely make baiting hooks an easier affair!
The K's were shown with the full width steering deck in the catalogs. It was much wider (17 inches vs. 8 inches for an F, FD or R). Not sure I have ever seen one so equiped for sale. Rigging would all go down the starboard side...hopefully its still fully installed on the FD so measurements are easily taken.
Let us know how it turns out. Sounds like a very reasonable thing to pursue.
VA
