Recently purchased old Naden boat

[TdLpps]

Good morning. First post on your sight. The information I received from the forum prior to purchase was invaluable although I haven't found much info on the boat I chose to purchase.

I would describe it as follows:

It is all aluminum and does not have a floor. The rear area includes a bench seat for two or three passengers. There is a small storage area under the rear seating area. The front seats have aluminum framed seat backs riveted to a common bench area. There is a small fore storage compartment with a door hinged from the top. The floor is painted a light blue color and appears to be original. The hull measures exactly 15' from the tip of the bow to the transom rail.

In its current configuration the upper surfaces are natural aluminum. The sides and bottom have been covered in a black bedliner material. The original red paint is still visible in spots on both the upper and lower surfaces. The aft panel is white.

It once had a windshield but that is no longer mounted on the boat and the hardware to mount a bimini style top is present on the upper surface.

The dash has a badly weathered speedometer (I think...the lens is so fogged that the lettering behind is unreadable) and an Evinrude engine start switch and choke switch panel. The previous owner claimed that when he purchased the boat it had the original 35 horsepower Johnson engine, but with the Evinrude engine control panel on the dash, I think that information could be incorrect. It is currently powered by a 1986 Evinrude 40 horsepower unit that seems to run well.

Its condition is sound but aged. My plans include a clean up and semi-restoration. I may return it all to natural aluminum, but my family would prefer a more colorful boat. We will eventually re-install a windshield and bimini top.

The man I purchased it from identified it as a 1965 Naden "Gator". I know it's a Naden, but am unsure of the model because the trailer it came with is a Gator trailer. I have been unable to find any serial number tags on the hull.

We got home from picking it up about 3pm yesterday and spent from that time till sunset cleaning out all the trash and junk and then washing inside the hull.

It's a good, solid, simple old boat anf the family is excited to get it out on the water.

JimMachinery, I have read your threads on your Naden and viewed your restoration progress pictures. Have you been able to find out anything more about the mid-sixties Naden boats? Does anyone else know anything?

Anyway, just wanted to thank everyone who contributed information that helped me in my decision to purchase this boat and look forward to any responses.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

the reason you cannot find any numbers, they were not required till 1972. cool boat. you could put 1/2" plywood panels in for a floor, just loose lay them, so they can come out for cleaning. the 40 should push it just fine.

 

[oops!]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

mid sixties?....that design makes me think its a liittle earlier than that....

but really cool boat

 

[JimMachinery]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Cool boat! I've been working on a 1967 Naden N-16WW Rocket for about a year now, the design of yours looks at least a few years older...

I know they stopped manufacturing around 1971 if that helps at all.

Good Luck!

 

[TdLpps]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Thanks for the responses. I was able to uncover more information about our Naden boat. My wife was able to track down the grandson of the Naden in Naden Industries and I e-mailed him.

Also, I called the man who owned our boat from about 2004 to about 2006. He was given the boat just for removing it from the property of another previous owner. It had been languishing in a side yard for many years and was full of trash, spiderwebs and a dead rat. That owner got the boat from either his father or grandfather when that man died some years earlier.

He cleaned and fumigated the boat, replaced the fuel tank and battery, and attempted to start the motor. The electric start would not work but he eventually got the Johnson 35 horsepower started by pulling and with the aid of starting fluid.

Once the hull was cleaned, he found remnants of the original red and white paint and he is the one who sprayed bedliner material onto the sides and bottom. On his first outing he got a few hundred feet from the ramp and noticed an awful lot of water collecting in the hull. He sped back to shore and discovered that the drain plug was removed and rolling around below the transom well.

He replaced the plug and then used the boat to fish with for almost two years. In 2006 he sold the boat to the man I bought it from.

The man I bought it from also fished out of it. When he grew tired of pulling and spraying the Johnson motor, he removed it and placed it on Ebay. He claims that he only put an auction up for a minimal amount but the description was thorough enough that a bidding war started over the motor. He claims that the buyer of the Johnson told him that it was a rare, very early electric start motor. That buyer paid over $8000 for the Johnson 35 horsepower motor.

What arrived in my e-mail tonight was the most exciting info. I received a response from Russ Naden, the grandson of the founder of Naden Scoreboards--and boats. His response:

"Dear Todd:

The boat is the model N-15W Hawk. I think it was only made in 1958 and 1959. I have attached three pictures of the literature on the model.

Normally the serial number on the boats were stamped into the aluminum, either on a knee brace near the drain plug or in the side under the gunwale near the back left side. I am not sure on this model if this was done in either place. It is probably just a 3 or 4 digit number. No other designation.

The 1958 price sheet lists this model for $843.00. The 1959 price list shows the deluxe model (includes deluxe steering wheel and windshield not standard the year before) listed at $913.00 The 1960 and newer price lists do not list any 15 ft. models.

My grandfather started Naden Industries (originally Naden Scoreboards) by making an electric scoreboard in 1933. He was the shop teacher in the local H. S. In 1935 he quit teaching and starting make scoreboards full time. The company shut down during WWII and reopened after the war. My dad and uncle joined my grandfather in the business. My grandfather loved to fish and went to Minnesota quite often. One year he decided he could make a better boat than the one he had and the first Naden boat was made in 1954. We made boats from 1954 until 1971 at which time we sold the boats and the name to Naden Boats Ltd (no connection) to our dealer in Canada. They are still made in Vermilion Bay, Ontario. I joined the business after college and the navy in 1970 and we continued to make scoreboards until 2005. We still maintain the scoreboards that are still in use, but no longer manufacture them.

Your boat looks to be in decent shape. If you find a serial number let me know and I may be able to pinpoint the year, however I believe it has to be either 1958 or 1959."

He also attached the following pictures:

So, in the span of a day, I found out our boat is a 1958 or 1959 and a little more about its recent history. I found out it was originally designed to be powered by an up to 60 horsepower engine, was actually two-toned red and white, and was a well-optioned boat. Pretty cool.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

you got lucky. also post this history and pictures in Fiberglassics.com. this is stuff you do not find everyday. i am also going to ask that a Naden Category be opened in the mfgrs forums. and get this stuff into it.

watch this area for the Naden to be added. http://forums.iboats.com/

 

[BF]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

cool stuff! FYI, I have a similar flyer / spec sheet for some newer Naden aluminum boats (I have one)... I will add that to the Naden manufacturer's section when it's up and running.

 

[i386]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Very cool boat. I don't know if that's the original trailer, but it compliments the boat well. Nice find! Welcome to iBoats.

 

[TdLpps]

Bedliner is for trucks.....

Bedliner is for trucks.....

Unless you plan to be buried in your boat, keep the bedliner away from its hull. This stuff is the devil. I love it in my old F250. It has no place on my Naden.

I ordered a number of parts for the boat and I decided to begin stripping the bedliner off the hull this weekend.

The dash, stripped, waiting for a tachometer and Teleflex Rotary Steering System:

I found that heating the bedliner material with a heat gun would soften it enough to scrape off a section at a time. Then I tried a light duty propane torch--too hot. Paint stripper would soften the bedliner enough the scrape it off . On damaged areas where the original paint showed through the bedliner, the paint stripper would lift the paint and liner all in one.

It was still two days of physical work, but the majority of the bedliner is gone. I decided to tackle the areas well below the water line next winter.

Evidence of the original Naden decal:

So, still alot of stripping to do, but much, much further along than I was on Saturday morning.

I'm going to use this thread to document the work I do to the boat over the next few months, so I'll update as I make progress.

 

[TdLpps]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Just a quick update with two new pictures.

I installed my Teleflex steering system. Installation went well with no problems and it seems to work very well.

I built my wiring harness and had it half way installed in the boat before I realized that I forgot the switching wire for the bilge pump, so out it came and I started it over again. Finished wiring tonight--the picture was taken while I still had light out and was before I was done.

The steering wheel and dash area:

I also found a windshield from a hammered 1956 Glasspar Avalon. It was as much of a bolt on as can be expected. The four front retaining bolts slid into the existing holes on the bow. I had to drill two new holes for the side bolts. It is in much better shape than the picture suggests. The plastic is dirty and filtering backlit sunlight in the picture. It's actually in very good shape.

With the new windshield installed:

Next Tuesday I am scheduled to put it on the water for the first time if everything goes well.

 

[TdLpps]

On the water twice this week

On the water twice this week

It was a good week for the Naden, not such a good week for the Evinrude.

Tuesday morning, July 1st, ended up being its maiden voyage. I'd spent the last month building the wiring harness, completing the electrical, stripping more bedliner from off the hull, and replacing the waterpump, plugs, and cleaning the carburetors.

So, on Tuesday morning it got into the water for the first time in about a year or so. I almost went in the lake when getting the boat off the trailer and again when loading, but stayed dry. The engine cranked and started immediately and settled into a nice, smooth idle.

My friend, Jerry, and I pushed off the dock, turned around and idled out beyond the No Wake Buoys and increased throttle. It ran fine, so I increased the throttle some more. By this time I was about a half mile from the launch when the engine died.

And when I cranked it to restart, the starter--a new starter--made a funny noise and didn't crank the engine over.

The Naden at the launch ramp....

So, I removed the cowling and found that the new starter had shed its nut and the collar and spring were lost somewhere under the powerhead. And I didn't have a rope start as a backup.

Within five minutes, the Lake Police came cruising by and asked if we were okay. I explained I'd probably need a tow in. They explained that they had another call but would be back to help shortly.

They did, and pulled us the half mile back to the launch ramp.

We loaded up the Naden and put it in the parking lot to begin disassembly. Evenutally we were able to find all of the parts, reassembled the starter, and used superglue as thread locker so the nut wouldn't come loose again before I got home. I also found a loose battery cable ground connection on the block and figured that may have contributed to the way the engine ran poorly and died.

It was still early, so we went back to the water and put the boat in the water and ran up the engine while still strapped to the trailer. It seemed to be running properly, so we put the boat in the water and left again.

It ran better, but still not 100%. This time it got us to the farthest point away from the launch ramp before it died. It would restart and idle, but hardly produce any power above idle. It did respond to primer activation, so I nursed it back to the ramp, loaded up and went home.

The good news, the boat handled well, and seeped, but did not leak water.

I had a friend clean the carbs for me, in case I missed something the first time, and got the boat back into the water this afternoon.

It ran well, about 85-90%, but not perfect. I wanted to see if any of the previous symptoms came back, so we continued to run it. With my daughter at the controls we were able coax 26 mph GPS out of her on a choppy, boat wake heavy lake with an engine not quite perfect and with a beat up aluminum 11 3/4 by 17 prop.

At an hour, it lost all power above idle and we again nursed it back to the ramp.

So, back to engine troubleshooting.

But at least the hull got wet....

 

[Tribleboys]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Gentlemen,
First time on any thread. Naden boat for sale in the local paper. Owner thought it was a 60's model with a 70's mercury 50 hp. Went to see it and it measures about 19 feet in length. All seats removed and windshield laying on the flooring. Do not know where to find data plate. Does anyone know if there is or was any flotation in these boats? How do they handle rough water, in the line of 3 footers? Thanks

 

[ketonic_dude]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Hello, I know this is about a year old post but if you get this, if you could respond. My parents bought a house in Magnolia, MN and in the back yard was this boat. It is very similar to your boat. It has been sitting outside for the past 10 years and is in great disrepair. I am looking to restore it and was wondering if you had any tips or suggestions. Also if you could provide me with your source of information to find out more about my boat. I just brought it to my house and am going to start tearing it apart tomarrow. I will look for that serial number and let you know if I find it. The motor I looked up and appears to be the original for the boat. It's a Johnson Super Sea Horse 60HP manufactured in 1968. The pictures are from when my parents first bought the house about 4 years ago. If you get this and can help that would be great. Thanks.

http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0622.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0623.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0624.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0625.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0628.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0629.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0631.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0632.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0638.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0643.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0644.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0645.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0646.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0647.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0648.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0649.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0650.jpg
http://www.gandlsecurities.com/boat/pict0651.jpg

Thanks.
Josh Gibson

 

[danm2a2]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Don't know much about the boat but I live about 30 miles from Webster City, Iowa.

 

[ketonic_dude]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Well I began work and so far so good. I removed the seats and floor and found about 6 different layers of paint and misc on the floor. I did find the serial number on the back pillar, 2853. If I can get ahold of that guy I might be able to identify this craft. I'll let you all know when I've done some more.

 

[WebsterCityIowan]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

I live in Webster City and I am already familiar with Naden scoreboards. They are made on the west edge of town near BandB repair. Naden's building was bought by a local wood stove company named I believe Eagle. Anyway I am going to E-Mail Russ tonight to ask him if he knows of any Naden boats for sale like maybe a Hawk...If anybody has or knows somebody who has one for sale please contact me.

Thanks,
Tony Anderson

 

[MNMAtt]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Ketonic - Nice Boat. Russ Naden replied to my email and provided a confirmation on the year. I think the first number in the serial number indicates a year - 1962? in your case?
I just tried mine out this past weekend and it rides great. No leaks. Found a used windshield last month but now I need to figure out how to install it. Pictures after I scale down the file sizes.

 

[RichM]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

I don't have any idea what the registration procedures are in your state, but my two cents would be to make sure that you can get title to the boat before you put any money into it. Even though it's been on your parents property for who knows how long, there is probably still a previous owner out there somewhere who holds the title. Just something to maybe check out.

 

[ketonic_dude]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Thanks, I guess I didn't check with boats but with motorcycles and cars anything not registered within 7 years is considered an abondoned vehicle and you just have to apply for a new title, weather your the original title owner or not does not make a difference. I figured that out when I went to register the bike that was there too. It had last been registered in 2002 so they would not let me get a new title without having the old one, or wait the 7 years and get a salvage title. It's been 7 years now so can register the bike and the boat. Thanks for the suggestion. I just found another boat that is a pile, but I can get a lot of decent parts I need and it even has the same motor I have, only $300. Then after I get the parts I need I can turn around and sell it for the same. I finished the interior paint today and will put in carpet shortly here. Once I get the inside done I'll tape it off and paint the outside. Yee Haw

 

[TdLpps]

Re: Recently purchased old Naden boat

Ketonic Dude--

Nice find. We have very similar boats. The seating configuration has either been modified or Naden changed the setup after 1960. Is your boat 15 feet long?

If you haven't reached Russ Naden yet, PM me and I'll send you his e-mail. He may have more information for you.

I've had my boat out a few times this year and it's running great. As light as it is, I've picked a few drag races with bigger boats. To 30 mph it's competitive, after that I get left behind.

It does pull a tube or skier or wakeboard well with only 50 horsepower.

A more recent picture:

I hope you get far enough along to get her on the water this summer.