reelfishin
Captain
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
- Messages
- 3,047
After looking for quite some time for a repairable MFG, in a bit more than a month, I've come across two. First my '65 Edinboro, now this afternoon, I found a pretty clean Niagara. This one isn't as minty as the Edinboro but it's a rock solid hull with no signs of damage. The floor is solid, the transom seems ok but I will pull the rear panel to check it over really well. It was in use when I found it but the guy wanted a slighter larger, sportier looking boat. He said he had found a hull and was swapping everything over. If I wanted the hull, I could have it when he was done. The Niagara came home with me today.
The seats are cheap Walmart pedestals with plastic fold down seats, the trailer a 2001 Load Rite bunk trailer, and the windshield is plastic.
The gel coat is perfect with only a nick or two on the keel up above the bow eye area. It's got some fade, but not bad, a good wet sand and buff will bring it right back. It's missing the rubber from the lower hull side rub strips.
It has brand new zero feed back Teleflex steering, fish finder and new horn.
The only two things I've seen that seem odd are that it has two bow hook eyes? Both are identical, both look to be original or at least as old as the boat, and they are about 7" apart. One falls above the trailer bow stop, the other just below. Looking at the inside bow area shows four well rusted nuts retaining both bow eyes onto a flatted portion of he inner bow area. The outer bow area where each of these bow eyes mount is also flatted slightly to allow the bow eye to seat flat. One eye for winching the boat, the other for the turnbuckle or safety chain? Or a spare just in case?
The second was how roomy the Niagara is even when compared to the 16' 6" long Edinboro I have. The interior length is less than a foot shorter than the larger boat. The beam width is only about 4" narrower than the larger Edinboro. This is due to the fact that the windshield and drivers position on the Niagara are so much farther forward in proportion to the larger model.
The seats are cheap Walmart pedestals with plastic fold down seats, the trailer a 2001 Load Rite bunk trailer, and the windshield is plastic.
The gel coat is perfect with only a nick or two on the keel up above the bow eye area. It's got some fade, but not bad, a good wet sand and buff will bring it right back. It's missing the rubber from the lower hull side rub strips.
It has brand new zero feed back Teleflex steering, fish finder and new horn.
The only two things I've seen that seem odd are that it has two bow hook eyes? Both are identical, both look to be original or at least as old as the boat, and they are about 7" apart. One falls above the trailer bow stop, the other just below. Looking at the inside bow area shows four well rusted nuts retaining both bow eyes onto a flatted portion of he inner bow area. The outer bow area where each of these bow eyes mount is also flatted slightly to allow the bow eye to seat flat. One eye for winching the boat, the other for the turnbuckle or safety chain? Or a spare just in case?
The second was how roomy the Niagara is even when compared to the 16' 6" long Edinboro I have. The interior length is less than a foot shorter than the larger boat. The beam width is only about 4" narrower than the larger Edinboro. This is due to the fact that the windshield and drivers position on the Niagara are so much farther forward in proportion to the larger model.
These are petty nice boats ! Have you got one on the water yet??? Loads of fun. Mine is about 6" longer than the Niagra but handels like a jet ski
