New Tinny

[LaqueRatt]

Hey, look what followed me home yesterday! It's a Sears/Elgin according to the transom tag. Looks to be about a 12 footer, but I read some of these boats were available in 6" increments. With a max rating of 7.5 HP, should be a good match for the 6.5 Evinrude I have.

I know how hard it is to figure out who made these old boats and what year, but if anybody has any thoughts please let me know. The PO told me he thinks it's a 2000, but I kind of doubt it. I'm guessing it's from the 60s or 70s. Also is the serial no. on the transom tag considered to be the hull no? If not where should I look for one?

 

[LDUBS]

Awesome! That is a nice looking rig!

BTW, before you do anything else, do some preventative loss control to save your shins and cut those bunks off. Hahaha

 

[Stand Up]

Another project, eh? Looks like a fine boat. What do you have planned for it?

 

[KMixson]

Nice little boat. When I was growing up we had a Sears Elgin boat just like that with a 7.5 Elgin motor on it. It was a pretty stable boat for its size.

 

[MDCrappie]

Also is the serial no. on the transom tag considered to be the hull no? If not where should I look for one?

The serial plate is not a HIN. If made prior to 1972 (Aug 4th I believe) it was not required to have a HIN. If after 1972 here was the law -

181.29 Hull identification number
display.
(a) The hull identification number
must be carved, burned, stamped, em
bossed, or otherwise permanently affixed
to the outboard side of the transom or,
if there is no transom, to the outermost
starboard side at the end of the hull
that bears the rudder or other steering
mechanism, above the waterline of the
boat in such a way that alteration, re
moval, or replacement would be obvious
and evident.
(b) The characters of the hull iden
tification number must be no less than
one-fourth of an inch in height.

 

[mbullen]

The use of the Elgin badge makes it pre-1964.

Sears is one of the most difficult private badges to decode, too.
In the aluminum world, Sea Nymph and Myers carried most of the weight, but Lone Star, Arkansas Traveller, and others gained many short term contracts.
Additionally, many years had multiple suppliers at the same time, and then, just to put a final point of difficulty on it, Sears was known to buy up lots of over-production from just anybody. It gets tough to ID Sears if you don't automatically recognize the construction.

Ultimately, I've found that seat construction, transom knees, corner hardware, and the rivet pattern in the bow are the best clues.

 

[LaqueRatt]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the info. Looks like I can give up looking for a HIN and once more I'll have to apply for one. Odd thing is the boat looks like it was previously registered in Indiana. I need to find out if can register a boat here without a title, because I suspect this boat never had one.

As for what I plan to do with it, is match it up with a 6 HP motor I got sitting around to make a decent little fishing boat. Not sure if will keep it or not, but got 3 boats now, so something has got to go. BTW I've been saying the little 'rude is a 6.5, don't know where I got that from, it's actually 6.

I'll post up some more pics when get a chance in hopes one of you boat gurus can tell me who made it.

 

[LaqueRatt]

Well Indiana being Indiana, per the BMV ALL watercraft must have a title, but there is a pretty long list of exceptions. Like if the boat sold for less than $2k new. I saw an old Sears ad for a boat that looks like mine and it was under $200. Hm, wonder if they'd just take my word for it.

I don't know why, but would kinda like to know the manufacturer so attaching a few more pics. From what I can tell it's probably not a Sea Nymph. I also read somebody saying the s/n includes the manufacturer's name:
m/n: 62126 s/n: AT - 22F0672

 

[LaqueRatt]

Removed the rotted transom wood this week and fabbed up and finished the replacement wood. Nothing fancy. 1/2"cdx X2, stain, and polyurethane. Should last awhile, esp if kept out of the elements. This little guy didn't have any wood on the outside of transom, but I cut a piece of 3/8" just because it seems like it should have one. Is that what you call a skin?

 

[LaqueRatt]

Done! Hoping to get it out on the water next week.

 

[gillhunter]

Looks great, now go catch some fish.

 

[Stand Up]

Beautiful @LaqueRatt Looks awesome actually. It will be well worth the effort. Enjoy.

 

[LDUBS]

LaqueRatt, Nice job on one of the old classics.

I see that Tri-hull in the background. Do yo still have plans for that?

 

[LaqueRatt]

Yes I do! Just been super busy lately. Plan to get back to, or really, starting that project this week. First up I got to build a better frame to hold the cover up. It was a real pain over the winter. Plan to use 2" PVC, not cemented together so can take it down quickly. My current concern is I have 3 boats and only need/want one. The market I'm beginning to suspect is not very good this year. I'm going to be a pretty unhappy camper if those boats are still here come October!

 

[LDUBS]

Yes I do! Just been super busy lately. Plan to get back to, or really, starting that project this week. First up I got to build a better frame to hold the cover up. It was a real pain over the winter. Plan to use 2" PVC, not cemented together so can take it down quickly. My current concern is I have 3 boats and only need/want one. The market I'm beginning to suspect is not very good this year. I'm going to be a pretty unhappy camper if those boats are still here come October!

The way I look at it, it is good to have a lot of things I look forward to doing - even if I can't get to them all.

Those tri-hull boats were very popular back in the day. One of those would make a pretty comfortable platform for trolling with down riggers, which is 99% of the fishing I do.

BTW, I use a PVC thing I put together to raise the back part of my boat cover. Nothing fancy, but gives better run-off.

 

[LDUBS]

You know, anyone my age who spent time at the lake when they were young, probably spent some of that time in a Sears boat. Good memories. Nice to see one brought back to life.