Steve Sanford
Well-known member
All~
I have been largely absent from duckboats for the past couple of months - mostly because of family stuff - with visitors from friends Phoenix and Berlin - and many local friends and family as well. I have had to forestall my usual fare of boats and decoys - but my "ban" on such work has not been complete.
One such departure from shopping-cooking-feeding-traveling-visiting has been this "birthday present to myself" from up on Lake Champlain. Our next-camp-neighbor gave me this '57 runabout - from his childhood.
It is the Model 710 "speedster" - from the catalog. It never had a windshield.
The steering and remote controls were added later.
I love her lines - nice tumblehome aft and a not-quite plumb stem. I will be restoring it this Winter.
The aluminum is amazingly sound. No missuing rivets or dimples or creases. But, all the wood needs replacing.
I've removed all of the original marine ply from the transom and will likely replace it with Coosa Board, fastened with aluminum and bedded in 3M 5200.
It came with a 1970 manual start Ski-Twin. I found an electric start din Connecticut. I just need to swap[ its long shaft for the original short shaft. Another Winter pastime.
My Dad built the motor stand in the 1950s or 60s. I reinforced it and added the casters - as I'm getting too old and infirm to wrassle 150-pound power plants.
To thank my neighbor I made some shelving for over his work bench.
I also re-built and installed a bench vise. He was pleasantly surprised to discover both when he returned from Minnesota last week.
More catching up in the next post. Please let me know if you have any experience with vintage tin vessels.
All the best,
SJS
I have been largely absent from duckboats for the past couple of months - mostly because of family stuff - with visitors from friends Phoenix and Berlin - and many local friends and family as well. I have had to forestall my usual fare of boats and decoys - but my "ban" on such work has not been complete.
One such departure from shopping-cooking-feeding-traveling-visiting has been this "birthday present to myself" from up on Lake Champlain. Our next-camp-neighbor gave me this '57 runabout - from his childhood.
It is the Model 710 "speedster" - from the catalog. It never had a windshield.
The steering and remote controls were added later.
I love her lines - nice tumblehome aft and a not-quite plumb stem. I will be restoring it this Winter.
The aluminum is amazingly sound. No missuing rivets or dimples or creases. But, all the wood needs replacing.
I've removed all of the original marine ply from the transom and will likely replace it with Coosa Board, fastened with aluminum and bedded in 3M 5200.
It came with a 1970 manual start Ski-Twin. I found an electric start din Connecticut. I just need to swap[ its long shaft for the original short shaft. Another Winter pastime.
My Dad built the motor stand in the 1950s or 60s. I reinforced it and added the casters - as I'm getting too old and infirm to wrassle 150-pound power plants.
To thank my neighbor I made some shelving for over his work bench.
I also re-built and installed a bench vise. He was pleasantly surprised to discover both when he returned from Minnesota last week.
More catching up in the next post. Please let me know if you have any experience with vintage tin vessels.
All the best,
SJS
