South Bay duck boat

D

Don Thurman

Member
Just picked up a older South Bay "86 I believe. I had bought and sold one in the past (ehhh, 15-20 years ago). The first was made in Sayville, NY. The boat looked just like the pictures. Now the question! This boat looks the same but has a large stiffening tube molded into the top of the front deck and looks as if someone tried to enlarge the cockpit opening just at the front of the cockpit. I did a search and found a lot of info on this site about the boat and it's builders. It has no bulkheads and the flotation is up on the underside of the top deck. The transom looks like some of the custom work the guys who know what they are doing on this site would do, meaning the transom board is cupped at the bottom for lifting and it has two vertical spacers on each edge, to let water drain and last but not least the grain on the front top of the board runs in two different directions. Anyone know anything about this lost child? It has numbers on the outside, stern starboard starting with NYZPO. I will post pictures shortly as soon as my kids teach me. Brings to mind the old saying, "don't complain about it, I taught you how to use a spoon".
Thanks!!!
Oh, another difference is the floor in the first boat had round wood stiffeners glassed in. The ply floor would screw down into them to hold it in place. This boat has flat 5" or 6" wide 8' long glassed over stiffening in the floor, seems very stiff.
 
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It sounds like some modifications were done by a previous owner for sure. I have quite a few buddies that run southbays here in Jersey and most of them, including myself when I had one, glassed extra stringers in the bottom either out of wood or PVC strips to stiffen the bottom up. Primarily this was because we were all running 25hp outboards on them and needed to stiffen the floor up. I'm sure some of the many Long Island gents on the site should be able to help you out further, but pics always help!
 
Steve Sanford is doing custom work on my SouthBay right now. One of these days, he is going to show a chronology of the work that he is doing on this site. The gentleman is EXTREMELY talented. That's actually an understatement. I dropped the boat off in person at Pencil Brook Boat Works a couple of months ago. I can't wait to see her again. He just rehabbed a dozen E-Allen brant and, they look superb. He also made me an engine cover that is gorgeous. Now, I'm just waiting to see the SouthBay hull all customized.
 
Don~

I am wondering if you have a boat made by Mike Marran - an old friend from Long Island (Brightwaters). This is a picture of Bill Abbate's South Bay Scooter - which I believe is pretty much "stocK" - as designed and built by Red Magnus and Ray Milek in Sayville.


IMG_3806_zpsjmnognmw.jpg




Here is Mike Marran's modification - with a "keyhole" cockpit so 2 gunners could hunt side-by-side - for open water. I believe Mike made just a few of these. This is his personal boat:

F%20-%20From%20stern_zpscpcohojb.jpg



And, yes, Bill - I have hundreds of photos of your South Bay - just need the time to start posting.

All the best,

SJS
 
Yes!!! The bottom boat with the keyhole cockpit!!! That's it! I knew you guys would have the answer! It's even got the white paint over brown! The top boat looks exactly like the first South Bay I had. Mike must love the boat if he still uses it, like Lou Tish loves his Brant II, by the way I have one of those excellent boats also. I just love looking out the window at the beautiful lines and thinking about the history behind the design. I do remember the first boat had the cable in the dodger thought it was unique. Is it a good boat? I have read a lot of the articles on this forum that went both ways, or is it just opinions.


Thanks a ton!!!
 
And that would account for the custom work on the motor board???? cause I see the same design in some of the transom board repair How To's.


Great work!
 
Don~

You got me thinking about that motor board, too. I made one for a Marran-style South Bay in the early 90s. The details you mention sound like they might be my handiwork. Would love to see a photo - when you master posting photos.

All the best,

SJS
 
Don,
You can email photos to me and I will reformat and post ASAP.
look for a pm from me.
 
That sound like a Marron boat. The honey comb he used for the floor board soaked up a lot of water, check to make sure yours is not water logged.
 
Steve, would be very interested in seeing the South Bay project. We are currently working on rehabbing a pair of 1983s, including what was supposedly the last of the sailing rigs, complete with dagger board and mast (set up for a Sunfish sail). Would be interesting to compare notes on where you found moisture, etc. I have the Engineering and Boatbuilding firm of Diefenderfer and Garman supervising this effort, I am mostly doing the bilge cleaning and associated high-tech stuff! Best, Rufus
 
Rufus~

The South Bay I am working on is structurally sound - as it arrived here. It looks like maybe it got new stringers and frames - and maybe even bulkheads - at some point, but I do not know the history. The hull has very few scars so I'm thinking it's either a newer boat or just gently used.

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve-
That boat is very gently used. I purchased it last October from a NYC Fireman from Amityville. He used it when he first purchased and then used it very little afterwards due to his work schedule. I'm the 2nd owner of the boat. I probably used it more than he did in the 1st and only year that I had it. It was totally mint when I picked it up. The original owner was meticulous. He changed the motor board and the grassing rails. The original nameplate exists underneath the inside of the bow with his name, the year, and the boat number.
 
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