Duracraft identification?

[bcoffee]

Can anyone help me I.D. the year and model of my new/old Duracraft. Vin. 12008.

 

[jbcurt00]

Early to mid 1950's, Mine's a 1957 and serial # 17898. Duracraft's were numbered as they came off the line, regardless of model, so yours was built 5890 boats before mine.
Mine:

Let's get some pix of yours posted nice and big:

From the info posted here I'd bet yours is a Duracraft Sportsman if it's a 14ft'r, as pictured in the bottom right corner:

Doesn't look like it's in bad shape over all, except maybe that vertical slot cut into the rear dash.

Welcome to iboats and good luck w/ the Duracraft. What's the plan for it?

Check out Casey's Duracraft 1952 DuraCraft Sportsman project

and there's a Facebook page for vintage Duracrafts

 

[bcoffee]

Good clean up. Don't know whether to repaint or strip and polish. Came with merc mk5. I' pretty sure its 16 ft or longer. Has wider center petition than others I've seen on the net.

 

[jbcurt00]

Mine is only 14' 9" and feels like a much larger boat when your sitting in it.

Here's another Duracraft on iboats:

Looks like a similar sized center deck between the 2 cockpits, from here

He lists it as a 14ft'r too.

You could compare the actual dimensions of yours to this 1958 list

might have been the same boat models and sizes for 1954-56, my rough guess as to when your boat was built based on our Ser#'s

 

[bcoffee]

Looks very close. I think my steering was set up for the rear. Here's my other project. Its fiberglass. Don't know what it is.

 

[jbcurt00]

There isn't much to go on, the bow handle/steering wheel center cap don't have anything written on them?

Length might help someone ID it, but you may just need to get some dimensions and dig into the fiberglass boats listed in the FG library

I'd bet late 50's thru mid to late 60's

Look for a label (possibly buried in clear gelcoat/poly resin) under the gunwale covered portions of the transom, behind or left/right of the dash.

Might even find writing on any of the structural support wood anywhere under the deck.

To really figure it out you need a good profile shot and a good shot of the rear of the boat. The stern of our Duracrafts is pretty distinctive:

The shape of the bow often helps too.

 

[bcoffee]

OK. There are some initials on the steering wheel . I looked them up and they matched the parent company to Fountain and Donzi. I should be able to get to the boats this weekend and get more information. Thanks for your replies.

 

[bcoffee]

Is this steering wheel original to the Duracraft?

 

[jbcurt00]

Probably not a Donzi or Fountain steering wheel, so it is likely that's the boat builder's initials. That's a start.

It looks like it's been poorly painted, so possibly it was poorly prepped. Once you start to get the blue paint off, you might find a halo/ghost image of the original logo in the gelcoat. If so it could be either the model or the maker.

Good luck w/ both project boats. Now would be a good time to welcome you w/ full membership into the MBS* division of iboats....................




*
Multiple
Boat
Syndrome


The support group for the Admiral meet on alternating Tues/Thurs and most other days ending in a y :facepalm: :watermelon:

 

[jbcurt00]

Is this steering wheel original to the Duracraft?

NO, it's not the original steering wheel:

But I think the Mercury remote might be. If it's not original, it is at least period accurate.

 

[bcoffee]

Thanks for the MBS invite. ( there's actually two more). Glasspar and Ranger. Sad but true, what can you do?

 

[bcoffee]

Measured my duracraft today. Measured 16ft bow to stern.

 

[jbcurt00]

Well, that's interesting, there's no aluminum 16ft runabouts shown in any of the listings in FG's library. A couple utilities and a few fisherman, but this isn't one of those.

I think there's 1 Duracraft Duraflite, from the mid 60's shown, at 16ft 3in, but I doubt the twin cockpit, mock fin stern styling was still being produced by the mid 60's. No pix I could find of a '66 Duraflite to confirm that though.....

Keep digging, you might find something.......... Good luck

When you get ready to start working on it, start a Topic in the resto forum and link it in this one, and this topic in that one.

 

[bcoffee]

I think my fiberglass boat is a 65 Lyn craft. Found one partial pic on the net.

 

[bcoffee]

My Duracraft is a 1955. Got the windshield today. It has an inspection sticker on it from army corp of engineers 1959

 

[jbcurt00]

Wish there was more info about the early Duracrafts. Post up as many pix as you can, and info about running down an accurate year (from the windshield?).

Might help the next person trying to ID an old Duracraft.

Good luck

 

[bcoffee]

Got date off old registration papers. Windshield is blue plexi.

 

[jbcurt00]

I'd bet it's a replacement windshield, but if it's not cracked, I've seen blue ones on vintage boats that did look good, might work out as a good option.

Good news about the paperwork, now to find some evidence that Duracraft made a 16ftr runabout in 1955 and which one it is...........:facepalm:

 

[m casey stock]

No Title

I haven't spent much time on DuraCraft history in quite some time, so my memory is not tuned in, but I think it is older than mine. The paint job looks like the original one on mine. I'll do some digging tomorrow and see what I come up with, all my information is at my shop. the one in the picture below has rear cockpit steering like yours and it's an early 52 model.