Anyone know what kind of boat this is? Please Help!

motor boater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 24, 2012
Messages
219
Hi all, I am extremely new to boating, just bought my first new old boat a year and a half ago. It is

an 87 Four Winns Freedom 160. I love to wake board on it, and just ride around the lake here in las

vegas for fun with friends. not the prettiest thing on the water, but I like it so it doesnt matter.

However, I just sold my pelican bass raider (small 2 person i think plastic boat) last year. I do

lots of fishing, and I miss my bass raider, and the Freedom 160 is killing me on the gas I spend

hauling it to the lake and filling the boat itself up.

I am now looking at a really small 14' project

boat, but have no idea if I'm getting in way over my head. I dont know what kind of boat this is, or

if it was even made by a manufacturer, or if it is a homebuilt. All I can say is that I'm thinking of

buying it without the outboard on it, for $400.00 (which includes the trailer). both boat and trailer

has clean title, but title says the boat year/make/model is unknown. Just wondering if some of you

pro's or more experienced boaters have seen something like this and can maybe drop some knowlege on a

young newbie boater. The hull has a spot where it was damaged and repaired, but the guy selling it

says he has no problem meeting on the lake to prove it floats, and also showed me two you tube videos

of it in action.

1955 7.5HP Evinrude - YouTube

9.8hp Mercury 110 - YouTube

like alot of people during these hard times, i'm not rich, but dont mind fixing things one at a time

and i think I could have fun with this project. the steering is on a pully system which is wierd to

me for an outboard motor but I'll work with it. any how, this will be used strictly for fishing....

please HELP! should I buy, or steer clear? do you know what this is? am I in for a disappointment if

I buy this? AM I IN WAY OVER MY HEAD?






2-3_zpsdf83b7ec.jpg


3-2_zps51c4dcfb.jpg


IMG_2644_zps4370b58d.jpg


IMG_2640_zps40254fd7.jpg


IMG_2643_zps9f9c9225.jpg


IMG_2641_zps71825c64.jpg
 

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
8,155
Re: Anyone know what kind of boat this is? Please Help!

At first glance that boat looks pretty cute... but when you look at it for a few minutes you start seeing the uh-oh's.

Looks like the hull at the bow was patched from the outside instead of the inside, and that area looks to be LARGE... maybe a WWII torpedo wound?

Then you look at the deck on the inside and the carpet looks decent... but! You can see the plywood joint in the decking where the seats are installed (you're not supposed to be able to see that on a fiberglass boat deck) and there looks to be some bubbles in the carpeting too.

Then there's the transom, looks pretty clean... but the bolts holding the motor pad on are sunk in, what is that?... leather???

All in all... to me, that boat isn't worth $400 and is going to take time and money to straighten out.

The decking will need to be removed to fix the hull properly, and god only knows what other horrors you'll find under the deck when you do that! The transom will need to be inspected for rot. You'll need to buy new decking and carpet... and all of this is just a very conservative estimate.
 

motor boater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 24, 2012
Messages
219
Re: Anyone know what kind of boat this is? Please Help!

Lol at torpedo wound joke :p the boat actually didn't have a deck when he bought it. Hey bought it as a little bit of a project boat and didn't do too much to it. I looked at the the decking under the carpet and it appeared to be a new piece of plywood about a half inch to 3 quarter inch thick. and yes that is a little piece of leather that's attached to the transom
 
Last edited:

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
8,155
Re: Anyone know what kind of boat this is? Please Help!

The deck on a fiberglass boat should not be raw plywood, it should be covered with fiberglass with the fiberglass turned (tabbed) up on the hull... this holds the boat together by tying the decking into the hull. Since the decking wasn't done properly, I'd be kind of scared to look under the decking to see what kind of job was done on the stringers.

... but hey, if you're looking for a project boat and something to work on for a while... you've found it!
 

motor boater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 24, 2012
Messages
219
Re: Anyone know what kind of boat this is? Please Help!

I'd be kind of scared to look under the decking to see what kind of job was done on the stringers.



what are stringers? so far I'm thinking I may not go through with this purchase, thanks for all the infor. also what about an aluminum boat, what are the pro's and cons of going with aluminum?
 

matt167

Rear Admiral
Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
4,180
Re: Anyone know what kind of boat this is? Please Help!

Stringers are wood braces that run front to back, and support hull and deck. They commonly rot and the hull gets floppy.. Pros/ Cons of an aluminum boat

Cons:
Aluminum is not as stylish, more noise in the water at rest ( matters to some )
Can be sharp.

Pros:
No tabbing fiberglass
No stringers
Install new Transom and decks, then think about what color you want
No Itch

I would seek out an old Starcraft, Lund, Bluefin or other Aluminum Fish/ski type boat. They are out there, and for the price you want if you look hard enough
 

jigngrub

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
8,155
Re: Anyone know what kind of boat this is? Please Help!

also what about an aluminum boat, what are the pro's and cons of going with aluminum?

For all fishing, an aluminum boat is what you want.

They're much easier and cheaper to work on.

They're lighter so you can go faster with a smaller motor. They're also easier on gas to tow because they're light weight.

Fish slime looks good on an aluminum boat!

Aluminum boats are rugged and can take more abuse than f'glass boats.


Cons:

Women don't think aluminum boats are pretty, so it's hard to pick up chicks in them.
 

sphelps

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 16, 2011
Messages
11,475
Re: Anyone know what kind of boat this is? Please Help!

If it came with the o/b I would say go for it . I never owned a tin boat the only draw back I have heard is they are a little noisy . But for just fishing a tin boat sounds like a great option . Good luck whatever you decide !
 

a1964rn

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 18, 2012
Messages
287
Re: Anyone know what kind of boat this is? Please Help!

Depends on the usual water conditions on the lakes you fish. On large rough lakes, an aluminum boat is a lot rougher ride than a fiberglass, in my opinion. Especially if you get a flat-bottom aluminum. I've owned both kinds and the fiberglass is smoother and doesn't blow around as bad. That's the only downside of an aluminum boat that I can think of.
 
Top