23' Cabin Cruiser - or is it??????

[RubyCrew]

I recently purchased (title says) 1958 Higgens 21' boat. The seller said it was 23' and his research showed it was a Lone Star Cabin Cruiser by looks. He claims he couldn't find a tag anywhere on the boat to show the serial number and manufacturer. So here is my questions:

1) where can i find the metal tag with model and serial number? (I plan on changing the title as soon as I have the correct information.)
2) what's the story on Higgings boats? Decent boats?
3) how can I confirm? should I trust the title?


https://www.rubycrew.com/p987212435

 

[satx78247]

RubyCrew,

IF your boat is a "tinny" it is NOT a HIGGINS, as Higgins never built anything but molded plywood hulls and a total of TWO glass hulls (prototypes).
(Some plywood hulls, after Mr. Higgins died, were "armored" with fiberglass cloth.)

Note: I used to live near where the Higgins boats were built in NOLA & briefly owned a 1952 conventional-inboard 17ft runabout. = NICE, NICE boat, that I sold in 1970, when I was posted OCONUS.

Don't be "too alarmed" by your "title problem", as MANY boats from the 1940-80 era are NOT "even close to" what they are titled as being.- As one glaring example, a friend of mine has what is titled as a 1950 model Glastron-Carlson & Glastron was not in business until 1956 & built their first 300 boats for public sale in 1957.
(When the current owner asked that the title be corrected to the correct year of 1970, the TPWD told him, "It's not worth the effort." & did NOTHING.)

yours, satx

 

[bobberboy]

There are nine Lone Star boats for sale in my area right now. Man I wish I had a barn...

This is a 24 footer that'd be pretty sweet to restore.

 

[satx78247]

RubyCrew,

IF the cruiser that you're talking about is pictured as your avatar, it's a 1958 Lone Star CRUISELINER.
(A quite nice boat, too.)

yours, satx