Duratech Sport Boat

[loose rivet]

For years now I've had my eye out for an old Duratech, particularly an older Sport Boat.
I found one a while back but couldn't make a deal, but now I see another on CL for sale.
This one is far cheaper than the last, but as with any older boat it needs new floors and a transom panel installed.
Being an aluminum hull, neither is a very big deal.
I don't care about the trailer, I have several, and I have a motor perfect for it already.
I'd be looking at putting it back as a side console as it was when new.
This one has no console,its long gone but the hull is sound and its got paperwork.
17' Duratech Sportboat open hull aluminum boat
The seller says he'd let the trailer go with the boat for $2600, or the boat alone at $2,000. The last one I looked at was set up as a center console and a bit dinged up, that guy wanted $3500 without a trailer, and also without a motor.
I used one of these boats at a buddies place about 20 years ago, and have wanted one ever since, but they're rare as hens teeth it seems. I found a few newer Penn Yan built lapstrake models but rarely do I find the older, original hull sport boat. Does anyone have any idea how many of these were made? In the last 22 years I've only run across four of them, two were pics online, and this one, and one other were for sale within driving distance.
I looked at this one, its been painted, as were the others I've seen, but its otherwise unmolested, the hull is clean and not full of dents or holes. It hasn't been used in ages. I'm not sure of the year but its a smooth hull and made before Penn Yan bought out the brand. The hull has NJ state assigned HIN numbers, as does almost any boat here prior to 1972. (If a HIN doesn't have enough digits to be recognized by the computer system they assign a new HIN which then dates the boat to the year the title was assigned, the title on this one reads 1980, the last one I looked had a 2001 NJ title.
I'm thinking that if I don't pull the trigger on this one I may never see another, I'd rather find one that's already done, or one that's all original but the chances of that seem slim these days. In all my years of boating here, I've never passed another one on the water, and an online search turns up very few if any of this style.
I guess what I'm looking for is opinions, I've basically decided I want one of these, but the question is what are the chances I'd find another one or one in better or more original condition?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Duratech Sport Boat

I've never seen on either. It's a neat hull and obviously in great shape. I just can't imagine paying $2k for a bare 17' hull!

 

[snowman48047]

Re: Duratech Sport Boat

Ya I agree. Even RARE, $2000 is alot. But, if you REALLY REALLY want one....

I'm thinking that if I don't pull the trigger on this one I may never see another, I'd rather find one that's already done, or one that's all original but the chances of that seem slim these days.

What in god's name do you think THAT would cost?

 

[loose rivet]

Re: Duratech Sport Boat

I've been over it with a fine tooth comb, so far the only issue I found is that there's a slight ding in the top of the ledge ahead of the splashwell, but that's an easy fix. The boat hasn't been run in the water since 1972 according to the seller.
Some old guy was building it back in the 1970's, he died in 1981, never having finished the project. All the work he did was removed but the current owner, apparently the guy was trying to fit the interior of some old glass center console into this hull.
I got the impression the current owner bought it for its motor, he's got a brand new in the crate 1960 40hp sitting in his garage that he said came with it. Apparently the guy died, the boat sat in a garage for 30 years and he bought it from a relative after the original owner's widow passed away.

The rear deck is removed, someone had made it into a three piece floor to allow access to center console controls. The boat isn't wide enough to be a good center console, so I'll return it to stock. I'd redo the whole floor, front and back, maybe even using aluminum vs. plywood. It'll be one hell of a boat with an aluminum diamond plate floor. The hull has Styrofoam flotation under the forward floor, and a huge storage compartment up front. The storage compartment is large enough to store several 6 gallon portable fuel tanks.

I'd love to get the boat for cheap but I've yet to run across anyone selling one cheaper than this, most who I've met that own old Duratech boats won't part with them. They're built like nothing I've ever seen, the 'stringer' system consists of 5 huge aluminum beams running front to back, the hull is made of extra heavy gauge aluminum and the stamped shape of the hull makes them super rigid.
They're a bit on the heavy side but for running the river where debris is common its the perfect boat.
What convinced me that I wanted one was about 30 years ago I watched a guy running one of these hit a floating telephone pole or log at full speed, the boat hit hard enough to crack the engine bracket on one side. We were heading in, he was heading out, we rushed over after seeing the log pop up on end after the boat hit it expecting to have to deal with a sinking boat, but all we had to do for the guy is help him secure his broken outboard. We followed him back to the dock and helped him inspect his hull, but there wasn't even so much as a mark from the log, even though the boat nearly stopped dead in the water on plane. He had wood embedded all around the bow eye, and some black marks down along the keel but no dents, no leaks, no broken rivets.
Another boater dragged the log ashore just past the ramp and the log had a fresh chunk dug out of it, with green paint on it matching his boat. He hit the log hard enough to nearly break it in two. The motor bracket snapped where it pivots up, it had broken the tilt pin and slammed forward on impact. That was back in the late 70's, I've kept my eye out for one of these since then. As with most rivers, there's debris floating this time of year, I like having the piece of mind knowing it won't sink me.

The hull that's for sale is super heavy, I'd venture to guess that the bare hull has got to be close to 600lbs. I know its not water weight since the hull is bare exept for the front floor, and I can see under those panels.
I also really like the extra deep sides on these boats. I've owned several Starcraft boats, and these are nearly double the gauge thickness of a Starcraft. I also nearly sunk a Starcraft a few years ago fishing around an old abandoned dock, my boat drifted over a submerged piling which must have had a sharp edge or nail sticking up and I put a 12" long gouge along the bottom of my hull, with the last 3" going right through the aluminum. I never heard of felt a thing. It took going back on a day when the water was way lower to spot what must have done the damage. I doubt this Duratech would have gotten any damage at all.

 

[64osby]

Re: Duratech Sport Boat

From everything you've stated it is a deal, based on history and availability. If you have the budget and it's what you've always wanted buy it

 

[loose rivet]

Re: Duratech Sport Boat

Its most definitely the boat I'm after, but I hate to spend that kind of cash on anything, its more than I paid for all my other boats, motors, and truck combined. But I know if I let it pass, the chances of finding another will be slim.
The last one I saw for sale was 400 miles away and when I went to see it, it was badly abused, someone had modified the decks, drilled and cut metal all over the place and it had patches and dents all over. The transom looked like a pin cushion, that boat had over 100 extra holes drilled in it and they were all filled in with plain steel bolts that were all but rusted off.
This boat has no extra holes drilled, other than four or five rod holders around the inside of the gunwales, its as it left the factory.
The way I see it, if I went and bought a brand new hull it wouldn't be near as heavy duty as this one, and no doubt would cost me 2 or 3 times as what the seller is asking. I priced a new 16' V hull with an open floor plan and they wanted $4500 cash with no motor, no trailer. The way I see it, I'm ahead of the game right away in that this has deeper sides, a wider beam, and far more working space in the boat than anything new. The only down side is that I'll have to cut and install a few pieces of new plywood.

 

[64osby]

Re: Duratech Sport Boat

Still sounds like you are trying to talk yourself into getting it.

Go buy the boat. :encouragement:
Before someone else does.
It sure is easy spending other peoples money.

 

[slowleak]

Re: Duratech Sport Boat

Those are cool looking old boats, and built like tanks too. I don't suppose it'll take much to talk him into buying it.
Duratech is a rare brand here, they seem more common closer to where they were built in NY.
Actually, come to think about it, southern NJ doesn't seem to have many aluminum boats at all, most that I see on the water are fiberglass, boats like a Carolina skiff are even more common then the run of the mill aluminum row boat here.
There's plenty of small aluminum boats, 10-14' jon boats and the likes but its not too often you see a 16' or larger anything in aluminum, and when you do, its usually a jon boat.

I had looked at an old Duratech a few years ago, the inside is wide open, leaving your options wide open as far as how to set it up.
I always thought those were a good cross between something like a Starcraft SS and a modified V bass boat, they don't draw much water but will likely handle bigger water as well.