New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

[misfitsfiend]

Hello everyone, I was diggin around looking for information on Duratech boats and I ended up here. Hopefully someone can help me out. Years ago my dad bought an old Duratech he planned on restoring and that never happened. He recently bought a new boat and told me to try and sell the old one. Well I'm not sure if i wanna sell it or try to do something with it for myself, but either way I'd like to know a little more info on the boat. Year, Model and what not. It is a Duratech Model: S16RF Serial #:25263. It currently has a 33 horsepower electric Johnson Super Sea Horse motor on it. The motor needs. work as well but is that an appropriate size for this boat? Any information and help will be greatly appreciated.

I added a couple of pics after I started cleaning it out today. She's in rough shape and hasn't seen the water in over twenty years but I'm gonna try to clean her up I think.

 

[JoeMan]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

Well let me tell ya...you won't find a tougher 16 foot aluminum runabout anywhere. The guy who designed these boats in Pleasantville and then Peekskill, NY was engineering aircraft panels prior to going off and starting Duratech in 1950. I have the Neptune, which is pretty much the 16 foot model which followed yours. These hulls take the chop like crazy, very tough.

The motor is appropriate for the S16RF, although it's rated for 40 hp. The OBC capacity for the S16RF is 1,090 lbs. Yours is a 1960, and that's based on model and serial. BTW, the breakdown of your model name goes like this: S stands for Sealine, 16 is the model length, RF stands for Runabout / Fishing. If you do have any reason to change the motor, put on a good strong 40, (so long as the transom is tight), because that hull will take a 40 all day long. With just a couple little differences in the structure, the '64 version of this boat is rated for 60 hp, and that's what I run...she could easily take more with the beefed transom I have.

Did you find www.duratechboats.com ? If not, check it out. Don't think we have information particular to your exact model there, but there may be one in the Duratech owners photos gallery. Shoot an email to: duratech@duratechboats.com and we'll add you to the 'family'. There is an annual 1 page newsletter due out soon...so that'll get you on the list if you're interested.

 

[misfitsfiend]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

Thanks a lot for the information on the boat. I did find the Duratechboats website which was helpful as well, I'll be sending an email that way soon.

 

[JoeMan]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

You may have seen this...but this shows that it can be done. Very worthwhile hull indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMy_XDNVBEo

 

[misfitsfiend]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

I'm going to begin replacing wood shortly. I know I need to do the transom, however thats the only wood that still remains in the boat. Is there anywhere else that I'm supposed to replace? I see two brackets up in the bow that I'm sure something mounts to, are they just for the floor to mount to?

 

[JoeMan]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

I've got the '64 version of your boat, mine does not have these little brackets up front under the bow...no clue. Almost looks like someone added those. As far as wood members, this boat had flat flooring in the back, so if you like, you could add that back in. Cut the wood to fit the area, and before you screw it down, cover the top with cheap outdoor carpet from Home Depot...cut it long enough on all edges to wrap around and staple it on the underside...then screw to the floor.

 

[misfitsfiend]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

Quick question about the duradecking on my boat. I believe it's supposed to be the sparkling bronze, but I'm not sure what color sparkling bronze really is. Is that pink looking stuff underneathe the powder blue the original color? Or is the powder blue the right color and its just peeling off?

 

[JoeMan]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

If there are layers of paint coming off and the duradeck is still there, then that's just paint. The duradecking was not painted over by Duratech...the pigment was in the vinyl itself. Try to chip away at some paint to get down to the vinyl itself...no telling you may have a few coats of paint on there. The sparkling bronze can be seen in this example.

 

[misfitsfiend]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

Quick question about replacing the transom wood. Where do I make the cuts to slide out the old one and slide in the new? Do I just make the cut on the top piece where the top bolts go, a cut on each side of the wood so i can fold it back and slide it out? I read about it somewhere on the forum but didn't quite understand from the picture so I wanna be sure before I do it.

 

[JoeMan]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

There are 3 ways to do this, beginning with the best but most difficult way.

1) Remove the rivets from the splash well in the back. (this is the panel running from side to side and which buts up against your transom). Next, remove the angle aluminum from the bottom of the transom wood and floor which is holding it in place. Next, pull forward on the board from the bottom, and it will come out of the top channel. You'll need to be good at riveting and be prepared to reinstall the splash well, you'll want that back on.

2) Remove the angle aluminum at the bottom of the transom wood. If you are not removing the splash well, you'll need to cut it with a hack saw blade or sawsall, starting from each edge of the transom wood and come forward a few inches. This is so that when you pull the transom wood forward (pulling from the bottom of the wood), the cut part of the splash well can 'bend' so as to allow the wood to come forward and then slip out of the top aluminum channel. After reinstalling the new wood, you'll need to repair the splash well. I chose to cut mine since it was already trashed with other holes in it...so I overlaid new aluminum which I broke to shape and adhered along the edges with marine adhesive.

3) Figure a way to saw the wood in the middle so that you can pull the bottom half out, and then slip the top half down through the splash well without cutting it as much. (you'll still likely need to put small cuts, since the top of the wood is a bit wider) Another guy then made his new board out of 2 pieces of wood...slipped in the top half, then the bottom, and then a 3rd piece of wood was adhered to the 2 halves nearly the entire size of both halves with adhesive and then screws. You would have to do this right in order for it to be as strong as original.

Hope these methods are not confusing. Anyone else is welcome to weigh in.

 

[misfitsfiend]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

Just wanted to say thank you to JoeMan for taking the time to answer all of my questions and helping me out. It is greatly appreciated. One more question and I'll leave you alone for awhile. When using aircraft stripper, do i need to worry about it seeping into the seams of the boat where it is riveted? Will this break down whatever is keeping those seams water tight?

 

[JoeMan]

Re: New to this site. Need help identifying my boat model and year

That is a great question, and I definitely agree with you...this stuff is nasty...so do try to keep it from seeping in there.