New TinBoat Addict With New Project

First off, great site!! The boats on here are amazing...second only to the thought and labor that went into them.

I'm the new owner of what I believe to be an early 60's Duracraft Pacemaker. Here's a link to a flyer I found while trying to research the boat.....they look the same to me.

https://www.theclassicboathouse.com/duracraftad60.html

I actually started work on a 12' flat bottom jon boat last summer, but it became a $42.15 wad of scrap aluminum thanks to a tornado that hit our neighborhood last July. A buddy from work was selling this for $200, so I picked it up. He had told me it was a 12' boat, but I measured it closer to 14'.

Looking forward to working on it this fall/winter and posting pictures of the process. Already have some ideas thanks to all of you here.

Looks like a great project boat at a good price. Where are you from? Please complete your profile

Looks great. Lots of potential. Welcome to the site!

Great project boat!

Is it water tight?

How wide is it at the transome?

Did you put that coating on the bottom and if so what is it?

Do you plan to put an electric motor or gas kicker on it?

Bufford in Orlando

Welcome fellow Mississippian! That's a nice looking boat to work with. I can't see a single dent in the pictures. What are your plans for it?

RBuffordTJ said:

Great project boat!

Is it water tight?

How wide is it at the transome?

Did you put that coating on the bottom and if so what is it?

Do you plan to put an electric motor or gas kicker on it?

Bufford in Orlando

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I haven't had it in the water yet, Buford. My buddy said it didn't leak, but I'll be checking it all the same. I haven't put a measure to the boat other than the length. Not sure what type of coating or paint that the previous owner applied...I do know it hasn't touched water since it was applied. I have a Johnson 9.5 that came with the other jon boat, but I'm toying with an idea of a stick steer transom mounted electric setup for main propulsion as most of the county lakes I fish are either "no wake" or electric only.

Benji, it is pretty much blemish free. A couple of minor dents that I'm not sure I'll even address after I strip the paint off it. Only thing I know I'll be doing for sure is stripping, removing the benches, installing a lower deck/pedestal seat setup, wiring, and painting it in a scheme similar to the boats shown in the link in my original post. Oh yeah, the transom wood needs replacing as they usually do.

I will say that this site doesn't leave a whole lot to the imagination....appears about everything has been tried and provin'...so I doubt I'll do anything that will come as a surprise to anyone.

Wow.. Great find! Congratts!!

Wow, that's a classic form. I'd be hard pressed to rip out the bench. A period engine and original seat cushions would make it the envy of the lake. You should be able to use the brochure to get a new decal made up too...

Jamie

Ranchero50 said:

Wow, that's a classic form. I'd be hard pressed to rip out the bench. A period engine and original seat cushions would make it the envy of the lake. You should be able to use the brochure to get a new decal made up too...

Jamie

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Thanks, Jamie. Two of my neighbors had already planted that seed.....now you, hehehe. Between the three of you I'm gonna end up having to buy another boat to cut up. Yeah, I had put the decal from the flyer on my list of things to do.

Cool, one way to dry test it is fill it with water and look for leaks, I have seen many people do that here, but I just threw mine in the pool...lol.

Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Bufford

Hold on to that outboard. There are a lot of rivers and big lakes up there. Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid. I wish I'd had a setup like that when I lived in Oxford.

As I said before, Jamie planted that seed in my mind for a period motor to power my Duracraft. I found this on Craigslist a couple of days ago and picked it up today. If I'm reading the serial number right, it's a 1956 Scott Atwater 7.5 Bail-O-Matic. The guy didn't have the bail-o-matic attachment, but everything else appeared to be there. Pulled the cord a couple of times...felt and sounded as if the compression was pretty good. I've got a late model Johnson 9.5 I can use while I get this one right. Oh, I gave $100 for it....guess I 'll find out how much of a deal it was when I get it running.

While I wish I was posting some progress on my Duracraft, life has kept me incredibly busy the last three months. BUT, I just wanted to share a tin gem I rescued this week, a 1956 Feathercraft Golden Rocket, isn't she COOL 8) 8) !!!

The fella I purchased it from had planned to cut the top metal out and use it as a fishing boat for him and his son. Luckily his mantelligence kicked in and he realized it would have the rigidity of a paper bag when he was done. Unfortunately the previous owners before him did not recognize it for what it was, camouflaged it and used it as a duck boat for 4 years.

Well, she's in safe hands now. This boat was number 98 on the assembly floor in 1956, the only year they were made. Enjoy!!

Welcome, welcome, welcome. How do you keep falling into these boat and motor deals? Did you say your Freatherlite had a camo paint job? That has got to be the worst paint job, camo or otherwise, I've ever seen. But what a boat! This site is the bomb. One never know what to expect when you log on this site.

At the risk of getting off subject of the Duracraft....most of the camo paint is gone. These boats were originally anodized gold. This one was repainted in the gold/black scheme at one time or another....then the duck hunters found it. So what you're seeing is a mixture of anodized, gold paint, primer and camo. Oh, I search craigslist....A LOT!! Usually out to 350 miles of my home.

jdret! Man, you have made my day!! I cannot believe what you found! Both of those boats - your Duracraft is exactly like mine. I am pretty certain it is not the Pacemaker in the ad you linked. Notice that yours does not have the flared transom sides. Check to see - isn't the transom on yours flat from side to side? If so, it is not the same as in the ad. Look at the ad and you will see that the transom flares up just a tad at the ends.

My Dad bought my Duracraft in 1957, and it was used then. Been mine since he died in '94, and I have fished in it since I was 8, when he bought it. Let me tell you, these are TOUGH boats! I will be very surprised if yours leaks at all. Ours never has. It had a 7.5 HP (I think) Elgin when my Dad bought it, which he soon replaced with a 7.5 HP Evinrude, which I replace with a 9.5 HP Evinrude in 1968, and now has a 15 HP Johnson, which is about perfect for it. Rating at the front plate says rated for 457 pounds, and 10 HP motor, but 15 is not too much at all. Mine is about 48" beam. I have posted on here about moving the front seat back some, but if I were you, I wouldn't touch the other two seats. Here is photo of front of mine with the seat I want to move back about 10" or so. Too cramped in front of that seat, however, I spent many a day up there! I'm south of you, in Jackson. I would love to come see your boats sometime.

Oh wow that Golden Rocket is amazing, my mind is going wild wanting one.

RBuffordTJ said:

Oh wow that Golden Rocket is amazing, my mind is going wild wanting one.

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RB, if you had ever seen one of those back in the day, in person - yes, you would want one! Just look at that thing! Now, when that is restored, that is going to be one fine boat. I remember seeing a few of those Feather Crafts just like it; always have liked them. Actually, a family friend when I was younger had one similar to that one. Knowing his family, I wouldn't be surprised if he still has it, or at least the family still has it.

Duracraft, I took a look at my Duracraft and it does appear to flare at the corners of the transom. I'll get a pic posted.

Here you go, RB. Enjoy!!

I don't really see what you can do with that boat besides just cruisin', but its definitely off the charts for style points. Beautiful trailer, too.