What did I buy?

[Labsullivan]

Okay so I bought a wood boat last spring without thinking much about what it was. It's been great fun on the water. It has a well working 1957 or 58 Johnson Super Sea Horse 35 hp outboard engine. The wood dash has a built in johnson electric start medallion/relay with a key nearby. There is a kill switch in the dash also. The steering wheel has the word Atwood on it. I can tell it's a solid plywood or cold molded hull design of some kind...not lapstrake.

Anybody who has ideas of what she is please share! I have search the boat over for identifying such as a hull number or other serial number to avail looking in all the usual places.

A very unique (I think) feature that I have not seen on any other boat is the split transom design. The motor actually sits recessed in between two extensions of the hull.

Thanks in advance for wisdom, insight, and experience.

Images in my drive until I can post here...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B17...p=docslist_api
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B17...p=docslist_api
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B17...p=docslist_api
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B17...p=docslist_api

 

[pckeen]

Welcome to iboats!:welcome:

Impossible to tell from that information. Johnson Super Sea Horse motors were fairly common and were put on multiple brands of boats. The "Atwood" on the steering wheel may just refer to the steering wheel manufacturer (don't know). It could also be a home built boat.

Put some photos of the boat up on here, and you'll have a much better chance of getting an ID.

 

[Labsullivan]

For whatever reason the image files I have tried to upload are retirning an error as invalid so I have linked to the Google drive storage location for them.

 

[MTboatguy]

Honestly, it looks like many of the home made kit type boats of the late 50's and early 60's. Many magazines of the day ran stories with plans on how to build your own boat. The 35 Sea Horse is a common engine found on many boats of that era and the Atwood on the steering wheel is the name of the company that made the steering wheel, they are a large boat and RV accessory company that is still in business to this day.

What does the title or registration that you got with the boat say about it?

 

[GA_Boater]

Welcome aboard.

I have no idea what you have. Neat lookin' with the split stern though. Did you get any paperwork and will that cause registration problems if you didn't?

Look here at the FiberGlassics library and look through the wood boats column. You might stumble on something.

 

[Labsullivan]

No title on it. Registered by the previous owner as a 1980 unknown mfg 18' power boat. Believe me I have searched thousands of images, hit the catalogues, and posted in other forums. The best I've heard is from a guy who was sure it was a late 40's early 50's Chris Craft kit boat. I'm just not sure.

 

[GA_Boater]

I just found another category at FiberGlassics. Sheet Plywood. Might reduce the looking time some, plenty of wood boats. 102 in the Sheet Plywood group. Good luck.

 

[Ned L]

I agree with everything MTboatguy said. You may never figure out who built her. The partial outboard well is very practical and certainly helps her performance. A real nice practical boat.

 

[oldboat1]

really interesting hull. That Johnson ('58?) looks good -- medallion and dash plate all in good shape (should be a starting button and choke button). To confirm the motor year, could just run the model number on google and look for a lot of pics to pop up as well.

 

[southkogs]

Look through some of the Glen-L designs as well. She may have been drawn as an I/O and then a home builder converted it over to a OB.

Stern does look pretty cool though