DuraTech boats....ANY information?

I picked up an old DuraTech aluminum runabout this past January. This company was around in the 50's and 60's.

Anybody have one? Anyone with information on the boats, the company?

Re: DuraTech boats....ANY information?

Follow up: here is a site which has Duratech boat information, and some history on the Duratech Manufacturing Corporation. The models there are mostly aluminum.

www.duratechboats.com

JoeMan

Re: DuraTech boats....ANY information?

sounds like the store of the LoneStar, Plano Texas, that was bought buy Chrysler, and forgotten

Re: DuraTech boats....ANY information?

For the most part, I think you're right. But I've also run into close to a dozen guys on the web who either were looking for Duratech boat information because they obtained one, or were going to custom restore an old one, etc. Duratech began in 1950, and sold out to Pen-Yan in 1965, they did not continue the Duratech name nor any of the models. Here's a neat shot of the Duratech Neptune I custom restored earlier this year:

"Dodgy Boat" is a blast, and there are other guys keeping these fun boats alive.

Re: DuraTech boats....ANY information?

nice job. just sold my 60 Lonestar,, now looking at a 55 feather craft.

Re: DuraTech boats....ANY information?

My brother Dean is in hot pursuit to try finding a FeatherCraft runabout. They seem to be in decent demand though...just saw an ok condition model go for close to 2k on eBay. Not sure if they're just more scarce here in Michigan or what. He's wanting to custom restore it, so even if it were totally neglected for years, he'd be happy getting it.

Re: DuraTech boats....ANY information?

Here are a couple "nice" shots of my boat the day I got it home. That's right...the same Duratech Neptune pictured above. It was a "labor" of love, let me tell you. I knew what my brother had done with junked runabouts before, which is what gave me the drive to try.


She had 3 or 4 coats of paint, so I ended up doing a wet-sand blast application which worked PERFECT, left the metal velvet-like, perfect for priming, no bends or waves, since it was not a dry-sand blast.


This thing had a rotted moss covered floor, algae and slime up the walls, "custom fishing" seats (ha), broken windshield, broken controls, no motor or trailer, came with 30 or more complimentary bee hives...and many more extras! :%

I share all this to say...if you get a hunk of junk with a nice overall hull structure...custom restore it!

Re: DuraTech boats....ANY information?

tell your bother to look at this, it's gotten to rich for me to ship to florida.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1955...tegoryZ63685QQihZ009QQitemZ190051791085QQrdZ1

Re: DuraTech boats....ANY information?

Excellent; thanks for the tip. I'll show this to him today. If you see "Pugadoo" as the winning bidder, you'll know he is the new owner!!

JoeMan

Re: DuraTech boats....ANY information?

Are there any other Duratech owners here on the forum? Sealines, Veelines, runabouts, cruisers, etc? After searching off and on for a year for Duratech information, I don't believe there are a lot of them left, or at least their owners are not so easy to locate. (Rolmops here on the forum has a Duratech Orion 17 footer) I've come in contact with about a dozen or so guys, and that's it.