First post, looking at a second boat

[Seafarer]

First post here, I've been a tin boat owner for 30 years, I pretty much don't care to own anything but.
I've been fishing from a 14' 1973 Starcraft Seafarer for years, and its a great boat for small ponds and the upper river but have been looking for something a bit larger, or more importantly, a bit deeper for fishing the lower river, back bays and inlets.
I've looked at many but one lately caught my eye, its a 17' V type hull not to far from me, its a bare hull but it looks easy to set up. The hull is super heavy, at least triple the thickness of my 14' boat, maybe even more, the transom is even thicker.
Its got super deep sides too.
I've got a good 60hp Evinrude I'd like to use, and the boat is rated at 80hp max on the original plate.
Has anyone got any info on the Duratech brand?
Here's the listing: https://southjersey.craigslist.org/boa/4162498964.html

So far its the best looking hull I've seen yet, and by far the deepest and strongest.
Plus it comes with a super nice trailer. The way I see it is that I've already got a motor, small console, and seats, all I need is a few sheets of plywood and some paint to be on the water.
I actually saw the ad a while ago and was reluctant to even go see it but after looking at a dozen or more boats that were junk for nearly the same money, this one looks like a much better deal.

 

[fool4fish1226]

First off :WELCOME:

Not sure of the brand name but it looks to be a well built boat. 2000.00 seems a little high but if it is good for your area I say go for it!

 

[Country Dave]

Wow that thing is absolutely crazy looking,

I would love to have that thing; it looks like a tank of a boat. Cash talks go there with $1500 bucks in your pocket and I’ll bet you drive away with it. Just look at the hull as closely as you can. Just because it super thick doesn’t mean it can't have degradation.

Good luck.

 

[Seafarer]

Basically what I see is that it would cost me $2600 for that trailer new, and at least half that for a good used one, which is hard to find here due to saltwater corrosion.
So figuring the trailer is worth at least $1300, he's only asking about $700 for the boat, but they go as a package. I thought about making a deal for just the boat but the trailer is a perfect fit, its sits nice and low and its 100% set up for that boat. All I'd need to do is lay a new floor down in it. I did a quick inventory in the garage and I've probably got everything I need for a new floor here.

I did a pretty good look all over the hull, top and bottom, its rock solid, I also had a local boat guy go see it and he said if I didn't grab it, he's interested. I like the idea that its made from thick aluminum, we've got a lot of stumps here in the river and having something that's more likely to glance off of a stump versus tearing into the hull would be nice. My neighbor ripped open his Lowe jon boat last year on a submerged stump or old piling just below the surface in the lake, he ended up with a 17" tear in the hull along the bottom.
I have no doubt this thing wouldn't suffer that sort of damage, the metal is just too thick to tear like that. The lower skin of this hull feels heavy, while the sides are too tall to your hands on both sides of the bottom, you can't flex or move the metal there, the exposed edges at the seams are thick, about the same thickness as a music CD. The keel and transom are roughly 1/8" thick. Its also got a short, steep, splash tray which leaves a lot of interior room, I'd say 90% or more of the interior is wide open with only about 15" or so being splash tray and the closed part of the bow is only about 18" and only protrudes back to the point where the flat floor starts in the bow area.

What got me was that I've not seen one of these before, and no one around here has ever heard of one. For a boat that was apparently built in NY, they must not have sold many of these. I saw online that in later years they built a similar model under the Penn Yan name but its lighter lapstrake aluminum. This hull has got to be close to 1,000 lbs bare, and the way it sits now there's no deck and no flotation to be saturated with water adding weight. Unhooked from the winch, you cannot lift the bow at all, nor the stern by yourself, three of us were able to lift the stern off the trailer for a second or two. Its all metal weight, I can see the stringers and the transom has only a 12" wide strip of wood where the motor would hang.

One buddy tells me its too heavy, that it'll be too slow, but I feel with a 60hp it will do fine, the motor came off a 1500lb 15" ski boat and it was great on that boat, so my guess is that this boat is a bit lighter and will draw less water when done due to its width, so I figure I'd get upwards of 25mph out of it at least, which is fine for my needs.

 

[Country Dave]

Ok I'm convinced, lets buy it........................... :mrgreen:

I'm sure a 60HP would push it pretty good, you can always play around with props after everything is done and get it tweaked for how you want it. Its just so freaking cool. I wonder if it was originally built for commercial use or something. I don't know but if I had the chance to get it I would. Just saying........................... :mrgreen:

 

[Kismet]

Is the ink dry on the check yet? :lol:

You had yourself convinced by your second post. You've done due diligence.

Looking forward to your pictures of your modifications.

Have fun, be safe.

=D>

 

[sr71]

some info for you...
https://www.fiberglassics.com/library/Duratech
https://forums.iboats.com/duratech-240/

 

[Seafarer]

I saw the Fiberglassics site, not much there on this model though. I also gave a quick look on the second site but didn't see any pics of one in this style. There seems to be two versions of this boat, one from the original Duratech Co., which has smooth sides, and those built by Penn Yann after 1964 which have lapstrake sides. The lapstrake model is lighter and has a different stern profile. So chances are they're not the same hull, just an updated version made to look the same.

It looks like my boat buying plans may be on hold for a bit, after a long talk with the boss at work it looks like the place it closing up, so I'm a bit concerned about spending a couple grand if there's going to be a lack of a paycheck for a while.

I do really like that boat but to justify it now I'd have to sell mine and the chances of getting $2000 out of a 14' Starcraft Seafarer this time of year are slim. In the spring, maybe, but not nearing the holidays.
The guy with the Duratech did say he'd trade for a lighter 16' open boat with a V hull but he don't have any interest in my 14'. He also offered the boat minus the trailer for $1500, but I'd still have to buy it a trailer and no doubt anything worth while would be more than the $500 difference.
I'm also not too keen on selling a boat I've owned for 30 years or more now.

 

[looserivet]

I think I looked at that same boat back in the spring, I can't believe its still for sale.
Its built like something meant for commercial use or the millitary.
I'd have grabbed it but I was thinking that I'd find something cheaper but ended up buying a flat bottom boat on a newer trailer for $3200 that in the end needed as much as that Duratech.
My main reason for not grabbing it was that it and its trailer would be over the 1000 lb towing weight of my car and I figured it would need at least a 100hp to be fun since it has to weigh nearly half a ton. If durabitlity and puncture resistance is what your after, that's probably the best hull I've ever seen, at least on the east coast here.

 

[BrazosDon]

I checked on the Duratech boats and this what I came up with.

https://www.duratechboats.com/pb/wp_7bab8e9c/wp_7bab8e9c.html

And below is a picture of the boat. CL will delete the listing when it sells, so
now you have a permanent one.

 

[rscottp]

That is one sweet boat! Go buy it today! I am jealous.

 

[Seafarer]

It would have already been mine if they weren't planning on handing out lay off notices to everyone here this Friday.
I guess in a way its a good thing they let me know ahead of time rather than after I spent my money on a boat.

Things like food and the mortgage come first.

I was really looking forward to setting that boat up my way but I suppose it just wasn't meant to be.

 

[rscottp]

Sorry to hear about the Layoffs, hope you get back to work soon. Too bad about the boat, it is a hell of a hull!

 

[Country Dave]

Seafarer » Yesterday, 18:25[/url]"]It would have already been mine if they weren't planning on handing out lay off notices to everyone here this Friday.
I guess in a way its a good thing they let me know ahead of time rather than after I spent my money on a boat.

Things like food and the mortgage come first.

I was really looking forward to setting that boat up my way but I suppose it just wasn't meant to be.

That's sucks,

Hope you get something else real soon.

 

[Seafarer]

Its not just layoffs this time, the boss said he just can't keep up with all the costs added by the new health care laws, he said he can't run with less then 50 people, and can't afford to pay for health care for everyone and stay profitable so he figured it was a good time to just hang it up and retire. Between health benefits and the recent raise in the minimum wage, plus fuel costs these days, he just gave up and retired.

Its the fourth place I've been at in 8 years that closed up here. Time to find a different line of work, at nearly 50 I'm more than tired of places closing up every few years.

At this point I'm just going to stick with my 14' Starcraft and hope I can still afford to keep using it come spring. I don't see any sign of any new jobs anytime soon, I've got a dozen buddies all who have been out of work for a year or more.
Its just not been a good year, property taxes doubled, work went away, and last years storms screwed up fishing and the rivers here big time. Heading south is looking better and better all the time. At least that way I won't be looking at the annual $3500 in oil bills to heat the house.

 

[Kismet]

Heck, Seafarer, like the rest of the guys here, I really wanted you to get that boat, fix it up, and live happily ever after.

My best wishes for the results on whatever decisions you make.

Fare well, where ever you fare. (And live happily ever after there.)

Kis

 

[Seafarer]

I'm just hoping its still available when I can afford it again.
I think the combination of cold weather and poor economy are the only reason the seller still has that thing.
I've been boating all my life and never saw one here before, but always wished I had something built like that thing is.
It just figures I'd get laid off right when I find one. Maybe the cost will keep anyone from going to see it, I almost didn't bother but when I saw the thing and how it was built I started to picture it all done right away.

The way that thing is built it had to be for more northern climates where ice is an issue, it looks like it was meant to bust through ice or something. Not many boats that size can hold an 80hp motor without the transom needing to be fully backed by wood either. I was sort of picturing that boat with an all aluminum deck made of diamond plate, something that would last forever with no concerns of soft floors ever again.

I had pretty much put my tax return away and saved up some cash for a new four stroke motor for my other boat and now that money needs to be saved just in case I don't find work right away. I also highly doubt there will be any one hiring going into winter so my guess is I'll be well into that money by the time spring rolls around.