Higgins Boat.

[Chris Smith]

Hello all, this is my first post here after reading over lots of post and learning a tremendous amount. I have found a 50's Higgins runabout near my home that is for sale. It needs work. The wood on the front deck has rotted a bit and has come apart on the left side like plywood when it un-laminates. The trailer looks ok but needs tires. I think it's 19 ft and it has a fuel injected Ford 312 engine. I think that puts it around a '56 or '57 model. The seats are ok but the boat needs a total makeover. The asking price about 5 months ago was 5,500 dollars. I don't have the extra funds, don't know the people who have it and will make nothing on the sale but someone needs to take this boat home with them as it is really rare. If anyone has an interest I will find out more details. I'm not trying to sell it for anyone, just can't stand to see it fall apart from neglect. I know there arent many Higgins boats left and there werent that many when new. It really looks like it was a beautiful boat and someone just gave up on it.

 

[Willyclay]

Re: Higgins Boat.

Chris, welcome to the iboats.com forum. The experts here, which I am not, have a wealth of knowledge but usually like to see pictures of projects. Is the "Higgins boat" you describe a product of Higgins Industries, Inc. owned and operated by Andrew Jackson Higgins, famous for building wooden PT boats and landing craft during WWII in New Orleans?

 

[Chris Smith]

Re: Higgins Boat.

Thats the one. It looks a lot like a Chris Craft except it has a gas pedal like a car and the shifter handle is on the steering colum, also it's lefthand drive like our cars. Even still has the brass HIGGINS emblems on each side of the boat near the stern. The prop looks good and the rudder doesnt look bent or damaged. It has dual exhaust routed out the stern at about the water line.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Higgins Boat.

just can't stand to see it fall apart from neglect. .

You'll get over it.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Higgins Boat.

You'll get over it faster than you would get over the loss of the $5500 it would cost to buy it and the $$$ more it would cost to restore it.

Seems like the sellers have some kind of emotional attachment... unless they have a complete documented history for the thing and it was owned by someone famous, it's not worth that much until it's restored.

Erik

 

[Ned L]

Re: Higgins Boat.

Higgins boats do have a lot of history and from what I understand are pretty good boats. - That aside, as you pointed out I believe they were all plywood, which greatly limits their desirability. Unfortunately, because there is no 'high end' market for them (as there is for many mahogany speedboats & runabouts) it just doesn't make to much sense to get into a complete rebuild & restoration (unless one does it for themselves because that is the boat they want). - Sadly this is the reality.