Duratech open 17' hull?

[bucket of rivets]

First off, I found this forum through a Google search and after browsing through Duratechboats.com.

I've been looking around for a cheap but fixable aluminum hull on which to use a good running 40hp motor I was given.
Since it'll be towed by a 4 cylinder powered truck, it has to be aluminum.
I've looked at a dozen or so 'project' boats but nothing was in my price range or within what I considered worth fixing.
Last week I found a boat sitting behind the garage belonging to the neighbor of one of my fishing buddies, the boat says Duratech on the side, it's an open hull, but it barely looks aluminum. After looking through the pics on duracraftboats.com, I've pretty much concluded that it's an early Sportboat model. Its on a rather heavy trailer, which I'm not sure it needs, and the deck and seats are rotted to basically mush inside. The boat is red white and blue, with the top surfaces being painted red, with some sort of texture coating, the sides are white, and bottom is navy blue.
The interior is two levels, there's a small side console and what remains of a steering system.
The hull otherwise is in good shape. After a long conversation with the owner, he said to make an offer, he said he paid $1000 for it 10 years ago with the intent of restoring it but never got around to it. He also said he bought a new trailer for it in 2005, a 2400lb GVW Load Right roller trailer. From what I could gather, he paid $1800 for the new trailer and never used it. It does fit the boat well but I'm concerned about the total weight and me not being able to launch it.
The boat feels heavy, but I'm sure a lot of the weight is all the wet wood inside, but how heavy are these boats? It's obviously far heavier construction than the average aluminum hull.

My concern is that it may be too heavy for my small truck to tow and launch?
Do these need a full size 2500lb GVW trailer with 16 rollers?

He did say he'd sell it minus the newer trailer, and I figure I can buy a new bunk trailer for it for $900 or so.
He told me to think about it and make him an offer, and that he won't sell it for less than he paid.
What would one of these be worth? I have to keep in mind that it'll need at least three sheets of plywood and a steering kit, which means about $300 out of pocket and a day or two of work plus some paint on the new wood.
If it were a run of the mill aluminum hull I'd probably not bother since I don't figure he will sell it cheap.

I've never seen one these before. How hard are these to find? I really like the layout and how this is built but wasn't really planning on dumping a lot of cash right now, but something tells me if I don't grab it, I may never see another one.

My buddy told me that he's turned down $1500 before, (he also said he'd buy it if his wife would let him).
I just have no idea what this is or what it's worth.

 

[jamesgduratech]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

Hmmm... What is the truck's towing capacity? You really would want to downsize the trailer as a 2500lb trailer is WAY more weight than you really need. You should be a really careful when towing it and probably have someone to look in the rear view mirrors every once in a while to check that it is still on the trailer correctly. Also these boats are not as heavy as most boats their size. My Duratech is a 14 ft sitting on a jet ski trailer and it tows well. We pull usually pull it with a small Subaru, so you should be able to tow it. I have put about $800 into mine, though that was mostly in paint and motor. Duratechs are pretty rare, especially Sportboats.

 

[bucket of rivets]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

The way the boat sits now, it's almost completely gutted, nearly a bare hull and two of us couldn't lift the bow off the trailer with the winch disconnected. The same for the stern. This thing is built like a tank. There's some wet wood garbage still in the boat but it's not so much that its weighing down the hull. Its on a roller trailer, and we can roll it back and forth so it's not stuck to the rollers or anything. I'm guessing the hull is over 500 lbs as it sits now, then figure if I add a 3/4" plywood deck and side console, plus any accessories, I can see it being over 1200 lbs on a trailer with a motor, fuel and batteries.
The guy that has the boat said it was the lightest trailer he could find with full rollers in that length which would let the boat sit down low between the wheels. If it were on a more common roller trailer, it would no doubt sit much higher. On his trailer, its super low, which no doubt would make it easy to launch at low tide around here. I towed my buddies 19' Starcraft once and it almost pulled me into the water. The boat and truck slid down the ramp to the point where the boat finally let go of the trailer. I locked up the brakes but it just slid on the dry concrete. Luckily the boat stopped pulling me back when it floated off the trailer. When we pulled it out, we waited for high tide and still hooked a tow strap to the front of my truck just in case. It did the job but it wasn't fun, I think having put all the coolers and fish we caught into the truck before trying to climb the ramp helped a lot. I launch my 12' boat all the time with it with no issues.

Either way, I have a suitable bunk trailer and a motor. The trailer I have is only about 400lbs or so at best. I figure the completed boat would be around 12-1300 lbs, with the trailer. Weight will depend a lot on things like coolers, and other carry on gear.

My truck is a 1993 Ranger with a 1,000 lb towing capacity according to the owners manual. It does fine on the road but my concerns are launching a big boat with a two wheel drive truck with a steep rear axle ratio, (3.08), and manual transmission. It can be finicky to drive with the tall gears even on flat ground, its super easy to stall, it has been since new.
I drive to far to work so a bigger truck is out of the question, I can't afford to lose any fuel economy. I get around 22 mpg on average now, but I drive 80 miles a day to and from work.
Plus, the boat ramp where I fish would be just as far.

 

[jamesgduratech]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

Well you could definitely pull it but launching would have to be a big challenge.
The truck could pull the boat but it will slow it down a little.

 

[nevadany]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

I've got one of these Duratech Sportboats. Mine is a later model (1966) built by Penn Yan...the lapstrake hull is a giveaway!

I think your pretty close in your guess for weight. I am estimating mine to be 1300 to 1400# as it sits on the trailer and closer to 2000 with the trailer. I have a Ford Escape (v6) to tow it with, which is more than adequate and like you I drive just about 80 a day for work. I average 23.5 mpg (mostly highway), but when towing just about anything, I get about 17 mpg.

I am in the middle of the project, which is a resto-mod. I am making it into a center console. You are correct, it is a heavy boat! The hull alone is roughly 600 lbs! With the floor (3 - 3/4"x4'x8' boards are needed), front "platform" framing (2x6 PT boards), console (2x2 framing, 1/2" PT ply skin) and components, I am guessing it is close to 900 pounds as it sits. Through in another 200# for battery, anchors (2), and other random stuff and you have roughly a 1100#+/- boat. Add whatever weight for the motor (in my case about 230#), I am looking at a 1300-1400#'s. I don't know the weight of my trailer, but its a heavy duty galvanized roller trailer...probably 500#+.

I've got a lot of floor space with my setup...a 5'x5' dance floor behind the console and just over 5' to the front, but it goes from 5' to about 2' or less because of the bow. However, with that cool funky rail, it makes for a great fishing platform! I'll try and take a few pictures tonight...it's still all pretty rough, but the bones are there and you can see exactly what it's going to look like.

FYI: I paid $850 for mine in the dead of winter last year...it came with a P.O.S. trailer and a stuck 1973 65hp motor (which I got unstuck and my friend got it to run great). I have about $1000 into it thus far, but that was just about everything including a replacement trailer & 70hp motor. I still have to get a bilge, battery & gas tanks.

Also, I just bought my steering system and felt that I got a great deal! A brand new Uflex 19' cable, helm and bezel kit for $130 shipped from usadventurer.

I think you should buy it...a boat of that size with that much room, is tough to find. You have approximately a 5' width inside (tapers at bow) and about a 12' length of usable floor space. In a 17' boat, that is a LOT of space!

Good luck,
DW

 

[BonairII]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

Do you have any pics of the boat? If the boat is THAT heavy, I'm guessing that your 40hp motor ain't gonna move it too quickly.

You're probably going to end up putting quite a bit of money into it to get it the way you like it. IMO, a lot of those free(or close to free) boats end up be much more expensive in the end....than a reasonably priced boat that's water ready.

Lots and lots of decent/nice aluminum boats on craigslist for $500 and under.

Just my 2 cents.....

 

[nevadany]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

Yes they do! In my case I knew what I wanted and what I was getting into. Also, it is a year and a half project for me, so the expense over that time is tolerable.

I agree a 40 won't move it very fast, but depending on what the OP want do use the boat for, speed might not matter. I have a 70 to put on mine, and it should push it along nicely (i am thinking in the 30 mph range). It's rated for up to 85, and depending on how the 70 really does on it, I might upgrade my motor down the road.

I still think the OP should get the boat.

DW

 

[nevadany]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

Also these boats are not as heavy as most boats their size. My Duratech is a 14 ft sitting on a jet ski trailer and it tows well.

Just to make a comment on this...If your 14' Duratech is a Sealine, or similar model, it will just about fit inside the open space of a 17' Sportboat.

DW

 

[bucket of rivets]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

Just an update, over the last month or so I've looked at over 50 used aluminum boats in the 16-17' range, the Duratech is by far the best looking boat of them all, even with it needing a lot of work. At least the hull doesn't need a bunch of rivets replaced or any welding. There's no corrosion, no dents, and the transom wood looks like a fairly easy fix.

The owner is stuck on $1400 for the boat, and $1500 for the trailer, and he's not going to budge. I've looked at used trailers, there are none that don't need work, his is mint and in new condition, plus its already fitted to the boat. The best price I got on a new trailer is over $2700 for one in the 2500lb range and one that is wide enough to allow the boat to sit low between the wheels.
Being this is a salt water area, most used trailers have some degree of rust in only a few years, and people don't often sell a trailer unless there's something wrong with it. For another $100 he'll throw in a brand new Power Winch for the trailer as well. So I'm looking at $3000 for the package, then the cost of a new deck and steering. I figure that with the 40hp motor, I'd be on the water for less than $5000.
If I need to upgrade to a larger motor, I'd have to look for a good used 70-75hp 2 stroke I guess, or maybe another 40hp to match the one I have and run twin motors? (I'm not sure if the transom would work with two motors since there's only a 12" wide strip of wood in the middle where the motor clamps on?)

I agree, the 40hp don't sound like enough, but I would at least give it a try.

While I'd love to stumble onto a cheap aluminum boat I've not seen anything that didn't need major repairs. I don't mind doing wood work but I don't want one that's been beaten so bad it needs rivets or welding repairs to be seaworthy.
I've been browsing CL and the local papers but so far all I find is junk, boats that have either been retired due to corrosion or leaks or boat that have been badly abused for many years. Those that supposedly don't need work usually do, nearly every boat I've looked at listing a good floor and good transom have had soft floors and some sort of brace added to the transom to keep the motor from ripping free of the boat.

 

[BonairII]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

If it were me, I'd buy a junk boat(that has a good trailer)....and keep the trailer and give away/sell cheap the boat. Buy a junker boat with good trailer and keep the trailer (give away the boat). Probably save you $1000 bucks.

 

[bucket of rivets]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

I tried going that route, but every trailer under 'junk' boats was still in need of major work. I'd have been looking at dumping either all new suspension or at the very least all new rollers and probably still all new bearings and tires.
With being so close to saltwater, even three to five year old trailers have already begun to rust, often in places you can't see.
I'm very happy to spend the money up front and not to have to deal with having to fix up an old, possibly rusty trailer.
To me, the trailer is more than half the deal, the boat is of no use to me if I can't trust the trailer to get it to the water.
My buddy picked up a 'cheap' trailer last season for his boat, it looked like new at only 6 years old, but it still needed all new bearings, new springs, new brakes, and new tires and rims, plus he rewired it with new LED lights. After buying it for only $400, the total to make it right was still another $950 or so just in parts. The tires alone were $125 each, he could have gone cheaper but they were foreign made tires.
I realize that for this Duratech I'd be looking at a lot lighter trailer but I still have to calculate my time, I'd rather spend my time building the boat than tooling around fixing up a junk trailer.

As it stands I'll still have to most likely replace the tires on the trailer under the boat now since their so old, so I have to consider that in the price I'm willing to pay. I called the local tire dealer here and they want $80 per tire for two 13" radials from Carlisle, minus the rims.
Of course, several of the trailers I looked at on the dealer's lot were already two years or more old, those tires were also showing sun damage or some checking on the sidewalls.

My concern is whether or not my 4 cylinder Ranger with a four speed manual trans and 2.73 gears will pull and launch the Duratech. The whole rig just feels heavy. Four of us pulled it out of the corner where he had it stored to get a really good look at it and it took four big guys and a riding mower to move it. My truck balks at pulling up some steep ramps even with my 12' jon boat in tow, the tall gears make it tough to get moving without stalling the motor. Its a clean low mileage truck though and I really don't care to replace it right now. At 40,000 miles on a 1993 Ranger, its got a lot more miles in it. Its great on gas though and I drive too far to work to buy a full size truck.

What are the chances this boat could live on a lesser trailer? The thought is to save towing weight.
There are two points to be made either way, with a roller trailer, I won't have to back in as far down the ramp, but with a lighter, bunk type trailer I can save a few hundred pounds and maybe better support the boat on a smaller trailer.

Another concern is stopping, none of the trailers in this weight class have brakes, so stopping the additional ton of weight behind the Ranger will be all on the 10" factory brakes. The truck does have a 2" receiver hitch from the factory, although the truck won't handle it, the hitch is marked 500 lbs tongue weight and 10,000 lb max trailer weight, so I have no concerns about the hitch. On flat land I've towed small enclosed trailers but stopping was fun to say the least.
The truck is wired for electric brakes but that does little on a boat trailer.
Spring wise the rear of the truck is as heavy as a Ranger came, when I ordered this truck I had the heaviest rear suspension added that they made. I've had over a ton of weight in the bed and it don't sag at all, so tongue weight is not an issue either.
The concern is simply getting up the ramp with a tall gear ratio and small motor.

I had offered the owner $2K for the whole package but he walked away, he won't budge any lower on the price. He will sell the boat separate for $1500 cash. If I take the whole package he's figuring only $1400 for the boat since he won't have to deal with a trailer swap. I thought that was fair since I also wouldn't have to fit the boat to another trailer.

I'm pretty much waiting for my tax return now, unless someone jumps in and buys it before me, I'll most likely just settle on the $3K for the whole package and stop at the lumber yard for the wood on the way home with it.
The way I see it I'll need 4 sheets of 3/4" plywood, at about $60 per sheet for ACX, $125 for epoxy paint for the deck, $58 for Gluvit, and $175 for 2x2" aluminum tubing to make the deck cross braces from. Misc stainless hardware would be around $40 or so. I figure about $220 for a good side console for now, but I'm thinking of maybe building one from wood until I decide what works best for me. The deck will be just painted with some sand for grip.
After that, all the expenses will be for hanging the motor, new cables, a new helm kit, another $300 or so, and a some safety equipment for the boat, along with an anchor, seats, and fish finder, probably another $500 - $600 by the time its done.
I do regret passing on a super clean used set of TODD boat seats and aluminum pedestals last month but at that point the deal looked dead. I could have had the used seats for only $100 each with cushions. I'm looking at double or triple that for new ones.
I should have bought them just in case or to resell I guess but their gone now.

If I buy it and the 40hp don't prove to be enough, I'll also be in the market for a good used motor, but I suppose I'd be limited to a two stroke as most four strokes in the hp this is rated for would add far too much weight.

 

[JoeMan]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

What did you end up doing? If you can get the 5 digit serial number along with exact model name, send to me thru the DuratechBoats.com site...I can provide specs and year of manufacture...and boat weight.

With the boat needing seats and more, I'd never give $1,400 for it. He does not need to get rid of it, does not need the money or both.

Post some pics if you can.

 

[bucket of rivets]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

It ended up that I didn't get back to him in time, he says he sold it for his asking price to someone two weeks after I was there last. My buddy, who lives right next door said he had some guy come by and they dug it out, and it left.

The way I was looking at the boat, regardless of whether or not it had any interior, chances are I'd only be tossing what ever it had in the trash. I'm after a good solid open hull. I have a line on another boat, but from what I hear he'll sell the bare hull for $1750, (He's asking $2000). I found that one on a bulletin board at the super market last week. I'm waiting for the owner to get back from FL.
For that one though I'll have to spring for a new trailer, which from what I'm seeing is going to run me at least $1500 for even a basic bunk trailer. It has to be galvanized here, painted trailers don't last long at all in saltwater. I really prefer a roller trailer though, and for one of those I'm looking at another grand just for one without brakes. I've looked at many used trailers, so far nothing but junk. Even if I found one that wasn't rusty and didn't need $200 in rollers or more, just due to age it'll need tires and it's bearings serviced. The bottom line is that I'm after a project boat, not a project trailer.

The second one has no motor, needs all it's wood replaced, and is sitting upside down on barrels.
The first one would have been better since he had all the original templates for the deck panels, if I get this one, I'll have to do some careful measuring to get the panels to fit right.

I have to say I'm curious what you would value a bare Sport boat hull at? The way I see it, I can't buy anything new anywhere close to one of these, and even a plain old 16' riveted hull row boat would run me $3K these days. Believe me, I've looked. I almost fell over when one dealer told me $23,000 for a 17' modified V hull with a side console and a 15hp motor on a bunk trailer. It was laid out similar to the Sport boat but not near as deep, but wider by a foot. It had diamond plate decks, stepped in the middle just as in the Sportboat.
The price of that boat basically included a $3200 motor and an $1200 bunk trailer, the rest was the hull. The boat had no other options, not even a fish finder or trolling motor. That means the rest of the boat was $18,600. To me, that's insane for a bare aluminum hull, granted it had an integral riveted in diamond plate deck, fancy tan paint, and a built in livewell and rod boxes, but its still just an aluminum fishing boat.

Something else I keep thinking is what if the boat was mine, sitting in my back yard, how much cash would it take for me to part with it, and for me, I'd not sell it for less than $10k, it can't be replaced with new, they don't make them anymore, or anything like it.

The first boat had a MA assigned hull number, the plate said State of MA. it was riveted onto the forward panel of the splashwell on the Port side facing rearward. They apparently inspected it and issued it a new title sometime in the 80's.

 

[58sealine]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

I would have to agree with Joe. Instead of looking for people with boats for sale, I spent the last two years just bringing up the topic in casual conversations. You would be amazed at how many people have old dead boats in their back yards that have no Idea what its worth and really don't care. Just want it out of the back yard for what ever reasons.

A few months back I mentioned to a co-worker that I was looking for an old aluminum boat from early fifties to early sixties. He said he had an old boat under a tree on his farm but it was only 20 years old. He said he was waiting for the price of scrap aluminum to go back up so he could take it to the recyclers' for scrap. It has been there upside down for the past 10 years and did not know the condition. He agreed to sell it to me for the price of scrap if I wanted it.

When I went over to look at it, It looked like every other neglected upside down aluminum boat that I had been looking at for the past 2 years. But when I rolled it over - my heart jumped a beat. It was 1957 Duracraft 14' Sealine Runabout Deluxe. While it looked like hell, and I mean hell with a capital "H", I could tell under all the years of dirt and mold and moss and crud, etc.... that there was a structurally good hull and top underneath. While trying to contain my enthusiasm, and all the while telling myself that in my haste, there must me some gross trauma somewhere on this boat that I was overlooking. I gladly paid my co-worker $35.00 for the scrap value of aluminum content of the boat. He graciously helped me load the boat into the back of my F150 (no motor on this boat). I think with all the adrenaline that was pumping through me at the time, I could have tossed it in the back by myself. At the end of the day, all involved were very happy campers. True story.

As for the trailer, I went the route BonairII mentioned above. I bought a $200 boat and trailer for sale on CL and on the way home from the sellers, I went directly past the County dump and made a quick deposit of the boat. I put another $150 in hubs, wheels and rollers and some needle gun work on the frame, a quick rustolium paint job and viola, good solid trailer for the project Duracraft.

There is a bunch of threads for the 57 Sealine Delux Restoration Project that if you follow from the beginning, there are some great pictures of this boat and condition from the start of the project. Good Luck

 

[bucket of rivets]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

I've done some driving around the area just looking for an older aluminum boat, but most are either badly abused, corroded away, or they want your first born for them because they think aluminum is the same as gold these days.

I stopped to ask about an old 16' Blue Finn I've been driving past for the last 20 years. It's sitting in the weeds just off to the side of a house on a back road, its not moved as long as I remember seeing it. Its nothing more than a bare hull, the painted type trailer is rusted out from underneath, the springs are nearly poking the hull, the rims were rusted away to almost nothing. The hull was full of leaves, wood pulp, and about two feet of water. One seat back was floating.
When I went to the door to ask about it the owner started in on how valuable it was and how it would only take a few hours to get it back in the water. Of course, no motor either and no transom wood remained either. He came right out and told me he turned down an offer of $5,000 last year, but he really would like to see it go to a good home. He then made the remark that the first offer over $6500 would own it. I just shook my head and told him it just needed too much work and left.
I get that over and over here.

After seeing the Duratech and how its built, that's what I'm after, and so far everyone I've seen has either been too far gone, not for sale, or priced as if it were a new boat.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Duratech open 17' hull?

I've owned a Sportboat now for about 5 or 6 years, while I've not had much time lately to work on mine, there's no way I'd sell it cheap.
Its not a matter of value, its a matter of rarity. They don't make these anymore, there will never be any new one's made, and most people who own them won't sell. I stumbled on mine cheap, the guy listed it as a 16' row boat for cheap. I forget the actual price but it was under $500, maybe under $250. Even at that point I wouldn't have sold it for $5,000.
I don't think I'd sell mine for $10,000, its just not for sale, so if you found one you like, and its what your looking for, you sometimes just have to buy it, or risk never finding another.
Keep in mind these were only built for a few years, and that was almost 50 years ago now. Figure that most of these most likely got abused and turned into beer cans and siding years ago, a small handful are still in use, and maybe, just maybe a few remain here and there in barns yet undiscovered. All you can do is hope you find one before someone else does.

Before I owned mine I had never heard of Duratech, if the deck on mine hadn't been nearly completely rotted out exposing the stringers, I may have never gained interest beyond buying it to flip it. When I saw how it was built, I knew it was a keeper. I've been around boats all my life and to this day its one of the best built, most heavy duty aluminum hulls I've seen other than the plate aluminum boats built for the Pacific Midwest and North Atlantic. These were no doubt built with the possibility of military duty in mind.
I've had people stop and knock on my door asking if mine were for sale, most didn't even realize it was aluminum until the touched it.
Most went away shaking their heads after all offers were refused. I've turned down $7500 for mine, as well as an offer of a newer boat and cash. I'll most likely die with mine.

So if you found one and let it go, that's your loss. I hate to say it but if I find another one in good shape, I'll most definitely add another one to my fleet. Would I pay $5000 or more for one?, Probably not, I want a deal as much as the next guy, but once I own it, it'll never leave.