15ft7inch boat, what is this???

I dont know what kind of boat this is, I've just about got the trailer ready to bring the boat home but i'd like to know what I have before I start messing with it.. anybody recognize the insignia or boat design?

This is the insignia.


this is the whole label. There is some letters engraved: just to the right of the insignia it say s -7 there might be something else there but if so its partially scratched off, maybe 2-7?
just to the left of the right rivet it says 859


this is the boat

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

You can just make out some of the lettering on that plate. Maybe if you took some fine graphite powder and sprinkled it across the data plate and gently rubbed it away with a fine cloth might help reveal more of the stamped lettering.

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

Any registration #s to be had? You might be able to run the #s through the
DNR or whatever.

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

the only thing readable is the number 859 and either s-7 or 2-7 or just -7 im not sure... the rest of the surface is completely smooth, as far as i know this is the only id that the boat has... what is DNR? where can i run stuff through it?

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

DNR is Dept. of Natural Resources.(Maryland I think). One of the many names of state agencys that register boats. In VA it's Game and Inland Fisheries. If there
is some kind of registration # or sticker still showing you might be able to trace
the history of the boat.

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

Murray92589 said:

I don?t know what kind of boat this is

Click to expand...

The DNR path might help if this boat had a state registration, but I don't see any numbering near the bow. So much for that idea.

If the boat was built in the US or Canada after Nov. of 1972, by law it would have a Hull ID stamped or etched into the upper right of the transom, like ABC 54321 09 74 (there are slight variations to this code pattern over the years).

Before that time, only the mfg plate tells any info and that one is beyond recognition. The numbers you see are meaningless unless you have more insight as to the builder since aside from the passenger capacity and boat classification everything else listed would be at the whim of the mfg.

I gather you have no sail so no sail insignia.

One clue might be the rudder hardware. That one looks to be a proprietary design, which is common in boats this size. Find another like it and it could help identify the builder.

Stating the obvious ?

Day sailor
Stayed mast
Carries a jib
Jib tracks and hiking straps speak to it being a bit sporty.
Sail locker and motor mount well speak to it being a bit of an all-arounder.
Uses a daggerboard rather than a swing-down centerboard ? could point to a ?60s design. In the late ?70s builders of all-arounders went to a swing centerboard for buyer appeal ? simplicity ? less equipment to keep track of.

The boat is likely one of the family sport boats in a product line. Chrysler, O?Day, a larger company like that who would lean toward offering all-arounders rather than single purpose racers or leisure sailors.

Clean it up, hang some laundry on it and have fun. Don't worry about it's make - call it a, "Murray92589".

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

i knew no one would be able to read the plate i was hoping that someone would recognize it from there boat. it could easily be a 60's boat i have no idea... apparently it was raced a few times by the owner before the previous, but its been out of the water for about 6 years. i do have the sails though luckily they were not left outside with the boat, which numbers would i be looking for on that ?? the main reason i want to know what brand it is is to see some pictures of it with good paint. it would also help me with setting up the rigging although i can probably figure it out pretty quick. I haven't seen any numbers on the hull other than the plate but i didnt look very hard for that either, hopefully ill bring the boat home next weekend, im ordering trailer parts right now.

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

oh and it was never registered, thats be too easy.

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

Murray92589 said:

1. . . . i do have the sails ... which numbers would i be looking for on that ??
   
2. the main reason i want to know what brand it is to see some pictures of it with good paint.
   
3. it would also help me with setting up the rigging although i can probably figure it out pretty quick.
   
4. I haven't seen any numbers on the hull other than the plate but i didnt look very hard for that either

Click to expand...

[ 1 ] Sail numbers come in two varieties, those put on for sporty looks and those assigned to the boat by a sailing organization. Unfortunately, either way they wouldn't ID the boat unless you knew where it had been raced and checked the club records, reverse lookup fashion.

What you really want off a sail is the emblem, that little graphic often times does ID the type of boat:


[ 2 ] The boat looks to be fiberglass. In that case the surface you see (if originaL and not over-painted) wouldn't be paint at all, but a cosmetic layer of fiberglass resin - "gelcoat". Give it a bath, scrub it with Bar Keeper's Friend to get the stains and dull, oxidized gelcoat off, and rub it out with rubbing compound followed by a good boat polish.

[ 3 ] Right, look at a few similar boats and the rigging should be easy to sort out.

[ 4 ] I've seen some ID numbers so faintly scratched on it took a strong light to make them readable, others were melted in as if done with a branding iron.

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

The gelcoat is very heavily oxidized. ill have try the stuff your talking about.. the underside has some pretty bad chips out of it so ill be doing a little resurfacing there, im going to try to get it seaworthy without painting it because i want to use it in the keys at the end of march and im on a budget.

I started browsing google images again last night and found some very similiar boats. I believe this is some sort of a knockoff of Sparkman & Stephens Lightning or cape cod design. the lightning is a 20ft boat and mine is 15' 7" and the cape cod is a 15 ft boat...

here are some pictures of the sail numbers.. There is a Rudder Club emblem a Crown Offshore UK SailMakers Emblem and the number 244 Also the sail is labled Howe & Bainbridge this is a link to the photobucket album:
http://s646.photobucket.com/albums/uu183/Murray92589/boat/

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

Murray92589 said:

The gelcoat is very heavily oxidized. ill have try the stuff your talking about.. the underside has some pretty bad chips out of it so ill be doing a little resurfacing there, im going to try to get it seaworthy without painting it because i want to use it in the keys at the end of march and im on a budget.

I started browsing google images again last night and found some very similiar boats. I believe this is some sort of a knockoff of Sparkman & Stephens Lightning or cape cod design. the lightning is a 20ft boat and mine is 15' 7" and the cape cod is a 15 ft boat...

here are some pictures of the sail numbers.. There is a Rudder Club emblem a Crown Offshore UK SailMakers Emblem and the number 244 Also the sail is labled Howe & Bainbridge this is a link to the photobucket album:

Click to expand...

Now that you?ve provided more views, I believe you are correct in thinking the boat was painted at one time. You?ll need to confirm that and if so, strip off the old stuff and see where to go from the original gelcoat. Sometimes people paint when all that was really needed was filling a few chips and a good buffing out.

Browsing images may find you a match, but there are hundreds, even thousands of boat designs in this size range. They?re not knock-offs, each is a unique design. So, a Lightning is a Lightning and something designed with similar lines will still be a completely different boat.

No sail emblem? Bummer

Those look like numbers issued by a racing club ? good bet it was, ?The Rudder Club?. Find them and their records might show what type of boat was assigned #244.

UK Sailmakers looks to have been a sponsor for the club's activities, not the sailmaker. There is usually a sailmaker tag near the ?tack? of the sail that tells the maker of the sail itself.

Howe & Bainbridge is the maker of the sail?s aluminum head plate. Lots of sailmakers use their hardware when sewing up (lofting) a sail..

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

I sent an email to the rudder club in Jacksonville, hopefully they'll answer back soon. thanks for the insights ill post an update if i figure anything else out

Re: 15ft7inch boat, what is this???

I finally got the boat home and put the sails on it, ive started a new thread for the remainder of this project. there is definitely no number on the hull, so the boat type will remain a mystery. here is the new thread: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=2504156#post2504156