help Id this old fiberglass hull please.

[chopo]

buried in mud and water for years. We dug it out and wanna get paperwork for it now. It only says sportsman on it. HIN is missing, thank you.


OH YEA I LOVE IT!!!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: help Id this old fiberglass hull please.

put it back where you found it

 

[Willyclay]

Re: help Id this old fiberglass hull please.

When I searched for "Sportsman" in the USCG Manufacturers Identification Code (MIC) database, here's what I got:

http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic.aspx?company=Sportsman&sort=mic

Click on each MIC to get the info for each builder. FYI, I was able to track down the builder of my boat who went out of business ten years before I bought it. Good luck!

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: help Id this old fiberglass hull please.

Its probably too old to have a HIN on it. I forget the year at which they were required, but there are plenty of old boats around that don't have them.

To rebuild or not just depends on how cool you think the boat is. Finding out that its a rare classic or something, might affect the decision too. Suffice it to say, however, that you are going to have to redo the stingers, transon and floor. Might be lots of delaminated areas, bad gelcoat, etc., too.

You never know, though - you might have a pretty neat boat on your hands.



???

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: help Id this old fiberglass hull please.

agree with Jay, looks to be late 50's early 60's. prior to HIN's. HIN's not required before 1972.

also Sportmans, may just be the model name, many builders used the name for models.

 

[chopo]

Re: help Id this old fiberglass hull please.

put it back where you found it

blah blah blah..................

Anyway, The fiberglass is actually in amazing condition. Very solid. I just got gone doing the stringers, transom and decking in a 1961 18 foot areodyne cuddy cabin. Ya it was a big job but, without the work there would be no product. I now have the oldest coolest craft on our river. So with that said. the srtingers on this boat are very simple. not that big of deal. Now I just gott a do you paperwork so I can claim it. I searched quite a few sites and images and came up dry.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: help Id this old fiberglass hull please.

Well that is a prime candidate for a good pressure washing ....... you may never find out any real information due to it's age.

Depending on where you are located I would look into if you can register it (if not just walk away)and I would also start looking at the Fiber Glass Classics site to maybe find out more.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: help Id this old fiberglass hull please.

depending on your state registering abandoned boats can be pretty easy. I would go for it. Looks like nice lines. I second trying www.fiberglassics.com for an id.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: help Id this old fiberglass hull please.

OK if you are into restoring classics have at it; you know what you are doing. Someone with less experience and naive expectations might say "free boat! All we need to do it hose it off and slap on a motor!" You clearly know better, and I love to see classics being restored and used (or even non-classics, if it's old). I have my dad's 1964 whaler I grew up on.

I'd take those photos to the DNR or whatever agency does the licensing. If you can go in person, the better, and get someone interested--always go to the oldest clerk if you can (old courthouse trick). The concern about licensing abandoned boats is that the applicant found that 2 year old boat abandoned in a poorly-locked fenced in yard.

 

[chopo]

Re: help Id this old fiberglass hull please.

Yea I know what you mean about the "I FOUND THIS BOAT" thing. I believe that proving that this was a long forgotten craft shoulndt be that hard. I did do the classic boat search. Thats alot of looking but still nothing that matches. we will see how this plays out.