Aerocraft duckboat

One of the guys on the duckboat forum mentioned this site the other day so I decided to come over and ask a boat identification question.

I found this old Aerocraft in a barn near St. Charles MI where the Aerocraft factory was originally located.

I learned plenty over the past few years about the company itself but have not been able to find any info on this specific model...or even find another boat like this one. There is a square stern version that I believe is now in Wisconsin but no double enders. Take a look...if you can give me any clues it would be very appreciated.

This is the finished paint job

The duckboat photo at duckboats.net is identified as a model F.

Blue book entries at fiberglassics show that in 1958 there were two duckboat models made: F-12 and FP-12 with identical specs:

Len: 12'
Beam: 52"
Wt: 104#
Max HP: 10

There are no duck boat entries for later years, but I haven't seen any blue book pages for years before 1958.
The handles on the duckboats.net photo are like those on other boats from the early and mid 50's

Phil

Hey Welcome to TB Scott O.......That's really a great boat. Kind of reminds me of a tiny battleship without the armory. :LOL2:

I know nothing about this boat, but will be tuned in to learn more.

Images from the 1958 catalog just appeared at fiberglassics:

My boat is similar to the F-12 which is the model of the one I mentioned in Wisconsin with the exception of the square stern.

Still looking for the double ender

Scott O. said:

Still looking for the double ender

Click to expand...

The catalog entry says the FP-12 has "pole wells fore and aft"
I don't know what that means, except it sounds like the boat is the same at both ends!

Pole wells are found on a lot of marsh style duck boats like this. They are used to stabilize the boat and hold it in one place usually with a pole well located fore and aft in the boat. Imagine a daggerboard box on a small sailboat that allows you to push the daggerboard thru the floor of the boat into the water...same concept...the pole wells are round tubes that are open thru the boat's bottom that allow the hunter to push poles down into the march bottom and hold it steady.

As it happens, my boat does NOT have pole wells even though it is clearly a marsh style boat.

Hey guys, I came across this site(and this ancient thread) while doing research on a boat that I was thinking of buying. Turns out it is an FP-12 that I think will serve me and my two young sons wonderfully in the marshes. It appears exactly as the above pic from the old catalog, except with the poles wells fore and aft. The outside of the hull and top have been stripped bare(plenty of sanding), and I am trying to figure out the best procedure for priming and painting it. I will try to get some pics added as soon as I can.


Jeff

Hey bigcity....welcome to the TinBoats family. You're going to like it here.

That sounds like a really cool boat. Can't wait to see those pics.!

WOW, I can't believe I shelved this thing for a year! I was SO ANXIOUS to hunt out of it. It's amazing how much time three kids and a job take up!!
Sorry guys, I finally got back to working on her. I've straightened almost everything that needed it, sanded and stripped the outside, and now have the two remaining seats (someone removed the forward bench, and moved the middle toward the front) out, and will be replacing the foam in them. I have the inside almost ready for paint. I have a lot of rivets to put back in, and will rebuck all the rest, just to be sure.

But this is what she looked like when I got her