Carter Craft, late 1950 or early 1960 with Evinrude and trailer. Should I?

[pekstrom]

Hi everyone,

So I have come to the conclusion that I will not be able to build one of those Glen-L party boats after all. I just don't have room for a 20-foot boat. But, I have come across a 16-foot Carter Craft boat with an Evinrude on it. On a trailer that looks to be the original. After looking around a bit, it looks to be a late 1950's model. The gentleman looking to sell it knows very little about it and I have not been over there to look at her yet. I have some pictures and I'll try and include some here. He said it's been sitting where it is now for about 15 years. He got it out of an old barn somewhere and doesn't know how long she sat there. I also have no idea yet if the motor runs, or at least turns over. Based on it being a 16-foot boat I'm thinking it is around 50HP bit he doesn't know that either. There are no papers on her or the trailer, so I know I'll be facing another hull inspection. That doesn't scare me, but not knowing if she was transported across state lines does. So the guy is going to look for the HIN and send it to me so I can do some research. The trailer I'm not sure how I would need to handle in order to get it registered, if it isn't all rusted up.

Having read a little about them, they were plywood hulls and it looks like they are built around frames like my PM38. There seems to be a fair number of them out there that have been restored. So I am wondering if anyone here knows anything about them? Would it be worth looking at her and possibly pick her up as a restoration project if she's not too far gone? I know about core samples and things like that but anything else? I fully realize it may take a complete scrap and rebuild of something like this if the wood hasn't been cared for at least a tiny bit.

So as I have seen someone else say, should I consider it or should I run hard the other way?

 

[jbcurt00]

From a long way off, in WV, it doesnt look like the plywood hull is in decent shape.

Based on your handiwork building a scratch built boat, your skilled enough to tackle most anything that needs fixing....

Although it'd be dismantling in reverse of how you put the other one together...

 

[pekstrom]

Hi jbcurt00 , yeah I know I managed to build one, so restoring one should be doable as well. As long as I have something to work with. I'm hoping what you are referring to is mostly paint damage but am prepared for being something much bigger. Oh, and I forgot to mention that he's asking less than $800 for it all. And I also realized that it has a GA registration number on it (I blurred it out since I don't own it) so the missing paperwork shouldn't be a problem.

 

[sphelps]

Depending on how far away it is from home I would most definitely go take a look !
If it was mostly kept under cover the hull may be good .. I got lucky like that with my Wagemaker ..
She really has nice lines and style !

 

[Scott Danforth]

if you get it, use a roll of tape to secure all the trim that is falling off.

 

[pekstrom]

Depending on how far away it is from home I would most definitely go take a look !
If it was mostly kept under cover the hull may be good .. I got lucky like that with my Wagemaker ..
She really has nice lines and style !

I do want to go take a look at her for sure. I am hoping to find the time this weekend. She's located between 1-2 hours from my location so not too bad. The more I search for info the more details I have been able to piece together. They were built with marine grade mahogany plywood so I'd have to find some of that I'm sure. Like you said, if she's been in a barn and then under a roof for most of the time she may be ok. Hopefully rodents and such didn't get into her too bad in the barn. She sure looks to be a 1957 Sea Hawk and from what I have seen, the motor is the original Evinrude 75HP. I'd have to see if/when I make it over there to look at her. This is getting exciting!

 

[pekstrom]

if you get it, use a roll of tape to secure all the trim that is falling off.

Yes, for sure! I wouldn't want to lose any of that stuff. Might even be worth it to bring a screwdriver and remove some of it before I tow her on the roads. If the trailer is ok, it looks like I'd need a pair of new tires before I can move her.

 

[GA_Boater]

Disassemble and reassemble - That's what many of us do. LOL

Where in GA is she? And no titles here either or old or new boats. Boats are transferred with a bill of sale and if the seller has the last registration, it helps. But after 15 years, he probably doesn't have the rego card.

Unless she has a state issued HIN, a boat this old won't have one.

It may be better in the long run to haul a flat bed behind you to bring her home.

 

[pekstrom]

Disassemble and reassemble - That's what many of us do. LOL

Where in GA is she? And no titles here either or old or new boats. Boats are transferred with a bill of sale and if the seller has the last registration, it helps. But after 15 years, he probably doesn't have the rego card.

Unless she has a state issued HIN, a boat this old won't have one.

It may be better in the long run to haul a flat bed behind you to bring her home.

She's in the Atlanta area, which I am too. There is an old GA registration number on the hull which may or may not help when I would register her. Although as long as I have a bill of sale I should be fine I guess. They would have to assign me a HIN like they did for my PM38?

What about the trailer though, if I wanted to fix it up and use it? I would need a title for it, right, before I could get it registered?

Hmm, I like the flatbed trailer idea, just roll the entire thing up on it and drive it home. I'll have to keep that in mind. Thanks!

 

[sphelps]

I may be wrong but I think that’s a Gator trailer .
Would be nice if salvageable ...
Windshield looks ok that’s a big plus ...

 

[pekstrom]

I may be wrong but I think that’s a Gator trailer .
Would be nice if salvageable ...
Windshield looks ok that’s a big plus ...

Agreed, I'd like to salvage as much of it as I can, if I end up buying her. And I am happy to see that the windshield looks good too. I remember hunting around for quite a while for the one I found for my PM38 and I'd hate to have to do that again. It would have to look right too so being able to save the original one would be a huge plus.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would consider getting an enclosed trailer myself

 

[GA_Boater]

She's in the Atlanta area, which I am too. There is an old GA registration number on the hull which may or may not help when I would register her. Although as long as I have a bill of sale I should be fine I guess. They would have to assign me a HIN like they did for my PM38?

What about the trailer though, if I wanted to fix it up and use it? I would need a title for it, right, before I could get it registered?

Hmm, I like the flatbed trailer idea, just roll the entire thing up on it and drive it home. I'll have to keep that in mind. Thanks!

No titles for old trailers either. It's best to get a separate BOS for the trailer. Hopefully the VIN or trailer serial number is stamped somewhere on it.

Are you in GA? If you want and it's fairly close, I could take a look at her. I'm in Cherokee county in Canton. Just peeked at your profile and you in GA, one of the easiest states to register.

I got the old Starcraft in my sig in SC with separate BOS's. SC is a title state for everything as near as I could tell, but no titles were to be had. I registered the boat online, sending or faxing the BOS to the state and made an appointment for DNR to come to my place to inspect and measure. At the same time they issued temporary registration and bow numbers. When the DNR ranger showed up, he measured and checked the serial number and told me to register with the serial number could take the rest of my life and a state HIN was the way to go, so he slapped a sticker on the transom with the GAZ HIN and I all done. About a month later I got a letter from GA saying the HIN on her was assigned by the state and the rego card.

The trailer was even easier. I toted it to the county tag office with the BOS, they ran the serial number and said it was previously registered as a utility trailer in GA. I said no, it's never been in GA. They gave me a form and had me go to the County Marshall's office in the same building in back. A Marshall verified the SN (I read it off to him :smile), signed the form and I went up front, and gave them the dough for a plate. From start to finish once I got to the counter took maybe 15 minutes and the old Cox trailer is plated with the original serial number.

That's the short story. LOL

Did you happen to find this site? http://www.carter-craft.com/welcome/

 

[sphelps]

http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/index.php?title=File:Cartercrafta57001.jpg

 

[pekstrom]

No titles for old trailers either. It's best to get a separate BOS for the trailer. Hopefully the VIN or trailer serial number is stamped somewhere on it.

Are you in GA? If you want and it's fairly close, I could take a look at her. I'm in Cherokee county in Canton. Just peeked at your profile and you in GA, one of the easiest states to register.

I got the old Starcraft in my sig in SC with separate BOS's. SC is a title state for everything as near as I could tell, but no titles were to be had. I registered the boat online, sending or faxing the BOS to the state and made an appointment for DNR to come to my place to inspect and measure. At the same time they issued temporary registration and bow numbers. When the DNR ranger showed up, he measured and checked the serial number and told me to register with the serial number could take the rest of my life and a state HIN was the way to go, so he slapped a sticker on the transom with the GAZ HIN and I all done. About a month later I got a letter from GA saying the HIN on her was assigned by the state and the rego card.

The trailer was even easier. I toted it to the county tag office with the BOS, they ran the serial number and said it was previously registered as a utility trailer in GA. I said no, it's never been in GA. They gave me a form and had me go to the County Marshall's office in the same building in back. A Marshall verified the SN (I read it off to him :smile), signed the form and I went up front, and gave them the dough for a plate. From start to finish once I got to the counter took maybe 15 minutes and the old Cox trailer is plated with the original serial number.

That's the short story. LOL

Did you happen to find this site? http://www.carter-craft.com/welcome/

Ok, great info on the title stuff etc. I am in GA, in the Buford area. The boat is somewhere in Powder Springs so still a fair drive I think? I don't have the exact address yet. And yes, I did find that site. Very nifty. I'cve found some other stuff about those boats as well.

 

[pekstrom]

http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/index.php?title=File:Cartercrafta57001.jpg

Yes, that one looks very much like the one in this post. The motor looks different but the rest looks very similar.

 

[GA_Boater]

I'm on this side of Marietta and Powder Springs is on that side. Really not far.

I thought the portholes were add-ons until I saw pics on that site.

 

[pekstrom]

I'm on this side of Marietta and Powder Springs is on that side. Really not far.

I thought the portholes were add-ons until I saw pics on that site.

I do appreciate the offer to go look at her. Turns out I'm not going to have time this weekend. He just responded that he has someone come look at her on Saturday so I may miss out. We'll see.

 

[GA_Boater]

Keep us posted. Maybe just a tire kicker.

 

[pekstrom]

Oh, on the portholes, the 16-foot Sea Hawk could sleep two adults under the deck. So that's where the portholes comes in handy to let some light in under there. Kinda neat. It also had a canopy you could put up to keep bad weather out while you slept. I also saw a picture of a toilet, not sure if that was in a Sea Hawk though. If it was I bet it was installed later. Seems advanced for late 1950s.