My 1968 Sea King and 1957 Merc Rig

[crazyeddie]

Very nice site you have here! I'm Ed and I live in Fowlerville, Michigan. I'm 18, a full time online college freshman, and desperately looking for a job.

I bought my boat off a buddy from school for $50. I found out shortly after I got it that it was an 11'3" 1968 Ward's Sea King. It was pretty tattered - two small holes, a few dings, and a missing transom handle. With some welding and bodywork help from my dad, we welded up the holes and finished them off leaving no evidence, leveled the dings, polished the hull, painted the seats, painted and textured the floor, and re-did the transom. The old motor mounting plywood was removed and new wood cut that covered the entire length of the transom for strength. Both inner and outer plywood was sandwiched at the top with two pieces of angle aluminum with crescents cut into the front to secure the motor clamp discs. Some aluminum square stock was also welded to the transom and sides of the boat for reinforcement. We also welded an aluminum frame to keep the gas tank from bouncing around on the lake.

All that's missing in the pics are the fuel tank frame, the tiller handle on the motor, and the rod holders.

The motor is a 1957 Mercury Mark 10 I went over last winter. It was bought new in '57 by my great uncle Herb (why I named the boat after his nickname "Uncle Herbie"), then sold to my dad in '74. After living in two different attics since then, I brought it back to life. I put some new gaskets into it, replaced the impeller, and sent the prop in for a reconditioning and re-hub job. I have two different props for the motor - the stock two-blade and a rare special order three-blade that my great uncle ordered to help the motor pull around my dad and his brothers skiing when they were younger.

The tow vehicle is my '76 Ford f150 Trailer Special with a 460 and C6 under the hood, a 9" rearend with 3.00 gearing, and a factory installed trailer wiring harness. The trailer in the pictures was borrowed from my friend. Until I get a trailer of my own, the boat goes upside down and stashed in the bed with the motor, gas can, and cooler underneath.

Some future stuff in the works includes a fish-finder, four to six custom machined rod holders, and possibly some folding swivel seats.

 

[shizzy77]

Awsome boat, awsome truck!

 

[bassboy1]

Awe, a Merc and Ford. Geez. Just trying to get riled up.

All kidding aside, that Merc is beautiful. (that line will be quoted - you just wait).

Even so, that motor is in great shape. Those mercs of that vintage, as crazy as they were designed, are exceptional racing motors. That would look awesome on the back of a picklefork. There is a reason you see Evinrudes on fishing boats not racing boats - fisherman need to get there, period. Racers need to get there fast, but can tolerate breakdowns. :shock:

 

[Waterwings]

Welcome Aboard! Great work on the boat, and neat idea cutting the crescents for the motor clamps! Excellent pics also! 8)

 

[Loggerhead Mike]

i love um both. looks like your scootin on that lake

 

[Captain Ahab]

All kidding aside, that Merc is beautiful. (that line will be quoted - you just wait).

Where is BassBoy1 and who the heck are you?



Great boat and truck - you have a really cool vintage set up there


Needs rod holders!

 

[crazyeddie]

Thanks guys!

Welcome Aboard! Great work on the boat, and neat idea cutting the crescents for the motor clamps! Excellent pics also! 8)

Just a little extra insurance. The hull is rated for 7 horsepower and I'm running 10 - hence the beefed up transom. Can't afford to loose the motor to the depths!

Those mercs of that vintage, as crazy as they were designed, are exceptional racing motors. That would look awesome on the back of a picklefork.

Yeah it would look good behind a picklefork, but I have the long shaft version and it would run way too deep for the short transom those guys run. The motor's actually about 1/2" too deep for my boat. When it gets moving, the water runs up the "v" above the anti-cavitation plate launching water into the air - kind of a messed up rooster tail.

It is a fast little bugger! The 3-blade prop gets the RPM up and helps jump out of the hole quicker. Just before I put it away for the winter, a guy my age was out running around in almost the same boat as mine, but with a brand new Mercury 10 horse. We talked and we wanted to race just for comparison so we agreed that first to make it across the lake wins. When he blew his whistle, we both went wide open. I was first on plane, and from there I stomped his butt, beating him to the other side by about 30 sec. Just goes to prove that old school is the best school.

Needs rod holders!

I have two cheap plastic rod holders I bought at Wally World for the summer, but they're on their way out really fast. You can't troll with big lures or planers because they want to bend and break. I'm going to machine my own out of aluminum rectangle stock and weld two to my transom braces, and one to insert into each of my oar brackets.

 

[ben2go]

:WELCOME:

Nice set up.

 

[Popeye]

Very nice. When using the trailer do you actually tow it with the motor up like that?

 

[crazyeddie]

Very nice. When using the trailer do you actually tow it with the motor up like that?

The majority of the time the motor rides in the back of the truck, wrapped up in a few junky towells for protection. I have kept the motor on a time or two - haven't found anything wrong with it. There's a small sliding bracket that locks the motor up like that on the tilt pin. Comes in handy when beaching it at the lake too :lol:

 

[bassboy1]

All kidding aside, that Merc is beautiful. (that line will be quoted - you just wait).

Where is BassBoy1 and who the heck are you?

The ONLY way you would see me with a merc was if I got into racing, which I have pondered from time, but the back issues might be limiting.

And, those real old ones are the only way to go if I was racing. Wouldn't touch any from about 3 years after his on to current.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Had to look this up

Picklefork:

NOT

Hope this helps you Flounderhead

 

[Jim]

:WELCOME:

Thanks for joining! :beer:

Love the truck and the boat. Looks like it hauls serious tail! =D>

 

[Popeye]

Had to look this up

Picklefork:

NOT

Hope this helps you Flounderhead

I had to go back and re-read it... thought he said:

 

[bassboy1]

Had to look this up

Picklefork:

NOT

Hope this helps you Flounderhead

Hey look, that one has an OMC on it. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[FishingBuds]

Welcome aboard mate

Nice toys, whats in the truck 390, 351 or 302? Is it a good'ol 3 on the tree?

and do you have a transome saver for your merc motor?

 

[crazyeddie]

Welcome aboard mate

Nice toys, whats in the truck 390, 351 or 302? Is it a good'ol 3 on the tree?

and do you have a transome saver for your merc motor?

Thanks! The truck has a factory installed 460 in it with a C6 3-speed automatic trans. I don't have a transom saver because I don't have a trailer yet, but when I borrow my buddy's trailer (in the pics) I just leave the motor up like it is since it locks in place. Just have to watch out for bumps and rough stuff in the road that would make it bounce.

If I was going to get into hydro's I'd go with a KH9 or a Mark 55H. To make my motor race worthy, I'd have to swap my long-shaft lower unit for a short-shaft lower unit, probably leave the 3-blade prop on it, and swap the Mark 10 ten horsepower powerhead for a direct bolt-in 1959 Mark 28 or 28A powerhead which would make 22 horsepower stock. Then bring on the Merc service parts overbore pistons, porting work, Mikuni D-Slide carb, and exhaust pipes! If only my motor wasn't worth keeping original!

 

[russ010]

ummm... I think we have 2 bassboys on this site now.. one is half my age and the other is pretty close as well and talking about motors and boats from the 50s... where in the world are you guys learning this stuff at that age. I think the only thing I was into at that age was bASS...

 

[crazyeddie]

ummm... I think we have 2 bassboys on this site now.. one is half my age and the other is pretty close as well and talking about motors and boats from the 50s... where in the world are you guys learning this stuff at that age. I think the only thing I was into at that age was bASS...

Like I said ... old school is the best school. Not only do the old outboards look, sound, and drive cooler than new motors, but they're highly reliable and most are dirt cheap because they're misunderstood and sometimes challenging to service.

Only way to learn it is to do it.

 

[bassboy1]

If I was going to get into hydro's I'd go with a KH9 or a Mark 55H. To make my motor race worthy, I'd have to swap my long-shaft lower unit for a short-shaft lower unit, probably leave the 3-blade prop on it, and swap the Mark 10 ten horsepower powerhead for a direct bolt-in 1959 Mark 28 or 28A powerhead which would make 22 horsepower stock. Then bring on the Merc service parts overbore pistons, porting work, Mikuni D-Slide carb, and exhaust pipes! If only my motor wasn't worth keeping original!

I have been giving some thought to restoring/building an old racing runabout (can't operate picklefork long due to my back), and placing a merc on it, and see what speeds I can get. I have yet to decide if I would prefer to do that, or restore an Alumacraft FDR closed bow, with a candy apple Johnson Javelin after I complete my 20 footer.

ummm... I think we have 2 bassboys on this site now.. one is half my age and the other is pretty close as well and talking about motors and boats from the 50s... where in the world are you guys learning this stuff at that age. I think the only thing I was into at that age was bASS...

Naw, I have always been into classic boats, and motors. If you search my older posts, you will probably see more of that, as this year, while building a fishing boat, I was following that more.

I haven't mentioned my collection of antique and classic outboards yet have you? I have a 1936 OMC 4.3 horse service twin, 1948 Johnson 5 horse, 1949 Johnson 2.5 horse, and a 1955 Johnson 3 horse. I have been working on the '55 for 20 minutes or so every night this week, and I probably will have it running tomorrow, and then I will order a few parts (impeller, carb rebuild kit etc) to allow it to run reliably. Then, a new paint job, and new decals from Iguanagrafix. Will be doing the same to all 4, and increasing my collection whenever I can afford it. These things are so simple that it takes nothing to restore these, both time wise and financially. Not to mention, they look so daggum good.