NO! Classic 50's runabout - turned into a SAILBOAT?

[JoeMan]

Oh yes it's true. Some of you know I run an old Duratech runabout. Today, what appears before my eyes but an eBay notice about a "Durateck" sailboat (mis-spelled), which as my subject suggests...was re-engineered from a 50 year old classic runabout. These pictures are priceless.

Notice the anti-tip "plate" which sort of slides through the big coin slot on the floor...that must work great. Hope there are at least 2 bilge pumps at the ready...and a life jacket for the cap'n. You can see the hardware for the rudder on the stern of the boat (where the 35 horse Evinrude once hung back in 1955), and also that he beefed up the gunnels and put a deck on the back where the outboard splash panel used to be.

If ONLY I could see this thing in the water with her sails a flappin'. Get your bids in, mates!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...RK:MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=150097471509&rd=1,1

 

[iwombat]

Re: NO! Classic 50's runabout - turned into a SAILBOAT?

Ugh!


Y'know just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: NO! Classic 50's runabout - turned into a SAILBOAT?

being a sailor also, it probably made a good boat for lake sailing.

 

[JoeMan]

Re: NO! Classic 50's runabout - turned into a SAILBOAT?

Any of you ever seen anything like this done before?

 

[tommays]

Re: NO! Classic 50's runabout - turned into a SAILBOAT?

It's done right and a pretty common style a lot of boats look just like it

It really does not look homemade to much stuff in the right places 8)

The first boat i built with my dad was a 12' breeze baby that had Power or Sail in the plans we went power


Tommays

 

[JasonJ]

Re: NO! Classic 50's runabout - turned into a SAILBOAT?

I don't know, it looks about right to me. The "coin slot" is well above water line, no water would ever come in.

It's nowhere near as ugly as the aluminum boat I looked at last fall with the extra 12 inches of freeboard added by bolting sheet aluminum to the hull and bolting the entire raised upper deck to that and the automotive engine/transmission frankensteined to an early Mercruiser outdrive, bolted to muliple layers of exposed plywood transom ON THE EXTERIOR...

 

[JoeMan]

Re: NO! Classic 50's runabout - turned into a SAILBOAT?

It really does not look homemade to much stuff in the right places 8)

Roy Moss (founder and original engineer of Duratech boats) would definitely get a charge out of what someone did to one of his old runabouts. Not having sailed at all before, I can't say this thing would not work well on an inland lake...likely had some good days. Gotta give the guy some points for ingenuity.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: NO! Classic 50's runabout - turned into a SAILBOAT?

it's not so far off from this, Hobie Holder sailboat. by Hobie surfboards, and Hobie catarmarans. know for great sailboats.