# How old is your tin boat?



## Captain Ahab (Jun 8, 2017)

I have a 1972 16' MirroCraft and a 1995 15' Sylvan Jet Boat 


The 1972 is still doing well - nice thick hull!


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## Texas Prowler (Jun 8, 2017)

1959 Smith Craft that is a work in progress.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk


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## DaleH (Jun 8, 2017)

I have a '79 Starcraft that is NO WAY the oldest here, but I must say ... I see more old Lonestars here and on the water. They must have used a really ductile 'tin' alloy, as I don't see a history of popping seams or degrading rivets with them, as I do on newer boats.

... so what drove Lonestar out of business :?: ?


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## RedHatRedNeck (Jun 8, 2017)

2004 triton with .125" hull. Will probably be my grandkids one day.


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## LDUBS (Jun 8, 2017)

2014 Klamath Advantage "S". Holding up pretty well. Doesn't look more than a couple of years old.


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## TDobb (Jun 9, 2017)

Mine is a 1976/2017 Lund S-14. Mid 80's Mariner 30 horse, MinnKota Maxxum 74 with a recessed pedal tray, Humminbird 859 at the bow and Humminbird 999 at the helm. Runs 28 mph and will store 9 rods up to 7'-10" long in the rod box along with 4 adult life jackets and 25 Plano 3700 boxes with ease. Maintaining all of the flotation foam from the factory plus a little extra.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Jun 9, 2017)

A 1971 Wards Sea King 1436 jon and a 1968 StarCraft Falcon runabout.


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## Johnny (Jun 9, 2017)

one Crestliner Commodore and one Lone Star Malibu are both of the 1959 vintage
and a 1985 Blue Fin MV fishing boat.


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## samuelh1987 (Jun 9, 2017)

1965 Rich Line M15 (14'2"X48") & 2006 Tohatsu 4 Stroke outboard.


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## Shaugh (Jun 9, 2017)

1953 Alumacraft 16' K with a 53 Scott Atwater 7.5 hp :




1957 Alumacraft Deep C with a 1958 Johnson 18 hp:


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## mrdrh99 (Jun 9, 2017)

1967 creastliner


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## Stumpalump (Jun 9, 2017)

Older one's along with canoes were sucked up when scrap aluminum was high. People would buy boats for 1/2 of what it would scrap for with no intentions of using it for a boat. Theft was also a problem. Old tins sitting against garages or in yards would be carried off for quick cash. Perect boats especially canoes got cut up and scraped. Thank the Unions for running the price up and thank the Russians for flooding our markets with cheap aluminum and saving what was left of the boats. One of the reasons I despise you farktards that hack up these old boats into stupid carpet covered paricle board POS conversion wannabe bass boats. If you have a reasonable condition older tin then save it. They perform as good or better than the new stuff anyway. If you want a bass boat then buy one and stop hacking up the heirloom quality older boats that are left.


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## LDUBS (Jun 9, 2017)

DaleH said:


> I have a '79 Starcraft that is NO WAY the oldest here, but I must say ... I see more old Lonestars here and on the water. They must have used a really ductile 'tin' alloy, as I don't see a history of popping seams or degrading rivets with them, as I do on newer boats.
> 
> ... so what drove Lonestar out of business :?: ?



My father had a Lonestar. I'm not sure of the model. It was a good size, I'm guessing 16' or 18'. It had portholes, a hatch in the bow, and a hardtop (what I would call a sedan top). White hull and blue decks. We spent a lot of great time on that boat. I wish it was still in the family.


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## TDobb (Jun 9, 2017)

Stumpalump said:


> One of the reasons I despise you farktards that hack up these old boats into stupid carpet covered paricle board POS conversion wannabe bass boats. If you have a reasonable condition older tin then save it. They perform as good or better than the new stuff anyway. If you want a bass boat then buy one and stop hacking up the heirloom quality older boats that are left.



I am guessing that this was somewhat pointed in my direction. And personally I take great offense to it. My grandfather handed my boat down to my dad, and then my dad to me when I saved enough to buy a working motor for it. I spent years and years fishing in the boat in its old original form. I would have to load all of the gear in at the launch ramp and have it strewn all about the floor while fishing, causing trip hazards in an already small and not quite stable boat. Then of course after a day on the lake, unload everything from the boat and back into the truck so it wouldn't blow out driving down the highway. This plugged up the launch ramps and was a pain in the butt. Again, once I got home I had to unpack the truck and put everything away in the garage. A heck of a lot of time invested in just moving stuff that I really don't need to nor want to move that frequently. Now all of that gear that I use or don't use during any given trip is tucked neatly away, and I have a nice level platform free of clutter to fish from.

Someday I will buy a bass boat, but I can't right now. I spent a solid 500 bucks remodeling my boat this spring. The remodel project not only made the boat a hell of a lot more functional, but it was therapeutic as well. I can't spend a whole lot of cash on a bass boat right now as my wife just retired at 40. I say retired, but really it was because she was tired. Tired from chemo to help prolong her life after being given 12-18 months to live as cancer eats away. I was planning to buy a bass boat this year, but my plans changed in a hurry. I have priorities, and I have hobbies. Fishing is a hobby, my wife's health and well being are a priority.

So yep, I am a farktard who should just go buy a bass boat instead of wrecking a perfectly good tin.


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## WALI4VR (Jun 9, 2017)

Stumpalump said:


> Older one's along with canoes were sucked up when scrap aluminum was high. People would buy boats for 1/2 of what it would scrap for with no intentions of using it for a boat. Theft was also a problem. Old tins sitting against garages or in yards would be carried off for quick cash. Perect boats especially canoes got cut up and scraped. Thank the Unions for running the price up and thank the Russians for flooding our markets with cheap aluminum and saving what was left of the boats. One of the reasons I despise you farktards that hack up these old boats into stupid carpet covered paricle board POS conversion wannabe bass boats. If you have a reasonable condition older tin then save it. They perform as good or better than the new stuff anyway. If you want a bass boat then buy one and stop hacking up the heirloom quality older boats that are left.


You gotta quit holdin back so much and just tell us what ya really think! 

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk


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## water bouy (Jun 9, 2017)

My current one is a 16 ft '89 Lowe Jumbo v hull. My first boat was a 14 ft v hull and best I remember it was a Lone Star. The only thing I remember for sure are the braces under the benches that formed Vs or maybe Ws. They were just wide enough that I could slide my legs under em in my sleeping bag. I'd take it to Buggs Island and drop anchor in a cove at night and wake up at dawn and start casting. I was a lot thinner and more brave back then.


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## VinTin (Jun 9, 2017)

1950 Feather Craft Fire Fly
1951 Alumacraft Model R
1952 Feather Craft Flyer
1952 Feather Craft Flash
1954 Feather Craft Deluxe Runabout


.....and a few newer boats.


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## Captain Ahab (Jun 10, 2017)

TDobb said:


> Stumpalump said:
> 
> 
> > One of the reasons I despise you farktards that hack up these old boats into stupid carpet covered paricle board POS conversion wannabe bass boats. If you have a reasonable condition older tin then save it. They perform as good or better than the new stuff anyway. If you want a bass boat then buy one and stop hacking up the heirloom quality older boats that are left.
> ...




I DO NOT THINK HIS POST WAS DIRECTED AT YOU AT ALL. 


Your boat is hardly a vintage boat. also, you did an incredible job on it - not a hack by any means. I like the nice clean look you got going.

Finally, it your boat - do whatever you want with it. I think boats are meant to get you to the fish and that is it! They are not works of art, they are tools with a purpose. What you did is improve the usability of the tool - making it better suited to the intended purpose.


i am also very sorry to hear about about your wife - thoughts and prayers to her, you and your family.


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## Captain Ahab (Jun 10, 2017)

You guys have some awesome older tin jobs running around. i love it!


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## PATRIOT (Jun 10, 2017)

30 year old 14' Lowe Jumbo-V 
second owner


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## Kismet (Jun 10, 2017)

1956 Alumacraft 12ft RB with '56 Johnson 10hp--so, 61 years old

1959 Alumacraft 14ft F with '59 Johnson 10hp--58 years old

And, in my opinion, anyone who owns a boat can do any darned thing he or she wants to it.


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## Texas Prowler (Jun 10, 2017)

Kismet said:


> 1956 Alumacraft 12ft RB with '56 Johnson 10hp
> 
> 1959 Alumacraft 14ft F with '59 Johnson 10hp
> 
> And, in my opinion, anyone who owns a boat can do any darned thing he or she wants to it.


Right on! Those darn purest always sticking their nose in someone else's tins lol!

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## LDUBS (Jun 10, 2017)

Kismet said:


> 1956 Alumacraft 12ft RB with '56 Johnson 10hp
> 
> 1959 Alumacraft 14ft F with '59 Johnson 10hp
> 
> And, in my opinion, anyone who owns a boat can do any darned thing he or she wants to it.




+1 and thanks.


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## RebelRob (Jun 10, 2017)

1972 Smoker craft tri-hull with a 1955 evinrude 15hp. Both are a work in progress 

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## enginerd (Jun 11, 2017)

DaleH said:


> I have a '79 Starcraft that is NO WAY the oldest here, but I must say ... I see more old Lonestars here and on the water. They must have used a really ductile 'tin' alloy, as I don't see a history of popping seams or degrading rivets with them, as I do on newer boats.
> 
> ... so what drove Lonestar out of business :?: ?



I have a 1962 Lone Star Malibu

In 1965, Lone Star was acquired by Chrysler and became the Chrysler Boat Corporation, which continued production until 1979 when they closed the doors on their marine division. They chose to focus on their fiberglass boats (Lone star made both), but Chrysler did keep a few tin boats in their line-up (the Cruiseliner and a few runabouts). When they shuttered their marine division, I think they sold it to a few executives, but the new company chose to focus on sailboats and folded shortly afterwards.


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## VinTin (Jun 13, 2017)

Kismet said:


> 1956 Alumacraft 12ft RB with '56 Johnson 10hp
> 
> 1959 Alumacraft 14ft F with '59 Johnson 10hp
> 
> And, in my opinion, anyone who owns a boat can do any darned thing he or she wants to it.



It's everyone's right to be a chucklehead if they want to.

Don't be a chuckleheaded sawzall savant.


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## ProduceMan (Jun 13, 2017)

Hewescraft 14' Big Fisherman 1973.


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## monriverguy (Jun 14, 2017)

One of my old boats 1959 Lone Star El Dorado


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## Butthead (Jun 14, 2017)

Stumpalump said:


> Older one's along with canoes were sucked up when scrap aluminum was high. People would buy boats for 1/2 of what it would scrap for with no intentions of using it for a boat. Theft was also a problem. Old tins sitting against garages or in yards would be carried off for quick cash. Perect boats especially canoes got cut up and scraped. Thank the Unions for running the price up and thank the Russians for flooding our markets with cheap aluminum and saving what was left of the boats. One of the reasons I despise you farktards that hack up these old boats into stupid carpet covered paricle board POS conversion wannabe bass boats. If you have a reasonable condition older tin then save it. They perform as good or better than the new stuff anyway. If you want a bass boat then buy one and stop hacking up the heirloom quality older boats that are left.



Wow bro, who pissed in your cornflakes? 

Based on your logic, because it's old, you can't modify it? That's as stupid as telling guys they can't hotrod their "classic" cars. If guys are buying these boats cheaply, that tells me there isn't a lot of value to that "classic" boat. Thank god I live in America where I have the freedom to choose what I do with my own personal property. Turning the boat into what you want it to be is half the enjoyment of owning it. I think you picked the wrong forum to join if you don't like seeing older aluminum boats get modified.

And that's a pretty bold statement "They perform as good or better than the new stuff anyway." Sorry, but a bare bottom aluminum V-hull from the 60's or 70's isn't exactly a high quality rig. If they were truly better, that would be reflected in the open market selling prices. And not everyone making conversions is making it into a "bass boat." Some people just like having a flat floor and/or some storage space. Why do you think there are so many manufacturers of decked V-hull aluminum boats these days?

While I do agree with VinTin on the sawzall savants, you're failing to take into account that aluminum boats are much more efficient than fiberglass bass boats and offer a much lower overall ownership cost. Not everyone wants to pour money into the water to own a glitter rocket. In places like HP restricted and electric only lakes, I LAUGH at guys that use their big heavy fiberglass bass boats. Not to mention shallow and rocky areas as well. My buddy uses his "classic" decked 16' V-hull for fishing, crabbing, and pulling the kids on tubes. And guess what, it's comfortable for all those activities. But would it be just as good if he did all that in a bass boat? Nope, it would SUCK! 

There's a lot of things that will eventually just disappear or only be a few left of. That's just a part of life and we have to deal with it. Eventually, the classic boats will become rare enough that their classic status will elevate the price enough to deem them too valuable to modify. Until that time, you should probably just direct your rage to something else, or at least on some other site because this isn't the right venue for it.


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## lundwc16 (Jun 16, 2017)

My 16' Lund is an '08, & my 14' MirroCraft is a 1977.
John


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## ppine (Jul 5, 2017)

I have a 2003 Jetcraft that was made in Oregon. It is a welded boat, 19 feet with a windshield and good canvas. It is going up in value. Having a 4 stroke outboard is the best thing that has happened to me with boats in a long time.


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## ericman (Jul 5, 2017)

1948? Alumacraft model B
I have since replaced the 3 hp with the 7.5 merc

1987 Crestliner Mirage
I have since replaced the 70 with a merc 35 tiller.

Both are "hack" jobs. The Crestliner used to be a walk-thru windshield w/ livewell and jump seats in the back. Now it's as open as possible. More decoys fit that way.


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## 10sne1 (Jul 6, 2017)

11years, still looking good.
2006
1870 Triton Bay Sport
115 Mercury 4 stroke


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## MrT (Aug 22, 2017)

I'm guessing here but it seems to be a late 50's Starcraft. 11', wood rails, remnants of a bow cap, and star embossed end caps with handles. Picked up free as an abandoned boat...we're fishing in it all the time now!


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## gnappi (Aug 23, 2017)

Stump, and BH...

Whether it's cars, guitars, boats, motorcycles or whatever there are going to people who are "modders" and purists. Modders generally get spanked on resale unless they find the golden buyer who wants it the way the modder made it. Even then the buyer who likes scads of chrome, or whatever rarely tells the owner and beats them down on price anyway 

I have a 1986 Firebird I'm selling and so far the only interest I got was from guys that want to hack it up, I refused to sell it to them saying I had some sort of promise to sell to another guy for 48 hours. They have every right to hack, but not my car. Sure some hack can come and schmooze me into selling it than rip the rareish V6 with 5 speed out but...


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## satx78247 (Aug 27, 2017)

To All,

Our family's oldest boat is a 14' StarCraft, that my late uncle won in a dice game at Ft Bragg, NC around the beginning of the Korean War.

It probably was made either just before or shortly after WWII. - NO serial number but it was made when StarCraft was primarily a maker of sheet metal fuel tanks & livestock watering tanks.

yours, satx


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## SeaFaring (Aug 31, 2017)

1967 Starcraft Seafarer, came home this weekend!


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## BillPlayfoot (Aug 31, 2017)

My boat is a 1961 18 foot Acecraft. It was sold by Ace Hardware. 
I upgraded the steering from the clothesline system. I added bilge pump, cigarette lighter, glove box, new lounge seats and pedestal seats. I plan on painting it this winter


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## LDUBS (Sep 1, 2017)

BillPlayfoot said:


> My boat is a 1961 18 foot Acecraft. It was sold by Ace Hardware.
> I upgraded the steering from the clothesline system. I added bilge pump, cigarette lighter, glove box, new lounge seats and pedestal seats. I plan on painting it this winter




I had no idea Ace Hardware was ever in the boat business. That is the perfect size IMO. Roomy but not so large as to make it difficult to haul/launch. Looks like it is in great shape.


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## BillPlayfoot (Sep 7, 2017)

LDUBS said:


> BillPlayfoot said:
> 
> 
> > View attachment 1
> ...



I can't find any info or pictures about the AceCraft boats.


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## garner2002 (Sep 18, 2017)

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## garner2002 (Sep 18, 2017)

1958


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## stratosjoe (Sep 19, 2017)

Stumpalump you are entitled to your opinions. however I think ,In my opinion and only my opinion which I am entitled to. you are a moron .Just sayin. Have a wonderful day and may a big black bird poop on your head.


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## FishinLite (Sep 19, 2017)

2005 Forester 17' Pontoon

a restored 1970 Weer Paddle Boat

and 1981 Lund


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## Pappy (Sep 27, 2017)

1954 Grumman Sport Boat. All original. No mods as it is a classic in it's classic original OD Green paint. Various vintage and antique engines get run on it. 

1954 12' Alumacraft Model R. Brought this boat back from the dead. Steering deck was missing. Sourced one and brought the boat back to original condition. It sports a 1954 Johnson 25hp on it for power. Occasionally a 1957 Johnson 18hp as well. 

1967 16' Alumacraft Model K. Again, all original except for Wooden seat tops to go over the aluminum seat skins. This boat is my workhorse and sports engines all the way up to 50hp on occasion. 

Like many others in here I do not have the heart to hack up history. :beer:


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## Shaugh (Sep 28, 2017)

Nice boats Pappy...

It's got a lot to do with age imo... The golden age of these boats was the 50's... boat's made after about 1970 have zero appeal to me, and worrying about preserving that "history" is pretty pointless. Boats from the 40's 50's and 60's should be preserved imo. Anything after that you can make into a parade float if you want.... Just my 2 cents on the subject.....


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## ppine (Jul 2, 2018)

I have an aluminum boat from 2004, but I still use an Old Town Guide 18 made out of red cedar and canvas. It is from 1951.


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## Scott F (Jul 2, 2018)

2017 Blazer


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## Billinthedesert (Jul 3, 2018)

In an "are you out of your freakin' mind" moment, I bought this 1956 Lone Star Clipper yesterday. Needs a smidgen o' work, ya think?









And here's the power plant, a 1953 Evinrude Big Twin 25:





I'll be leanin' on y'all for advice ... 8)


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## EZ707 (Jul 3, 2018)

1979 Klamath 14 footer mod V made in Sonoma Ca which is where I was born and raised. Cam with a 1971 Evinrude 9.5 but currently has a Evinrude 20 hp with a 30 hp carb on it. Sure going to hate to sell it.


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## CMOS (Jul 3, 2018)

1963 Lone Star Commander, 14'.

She gets regular use!


CMOS


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## WestTXFishing (Jul 9, 2018)

1960 Lonestar with a 1960 Sea King 6 HP Outboard. Definitely a work in progress.


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## kmfw160 (Jul 9, 2018)

1978 MonArk


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## meh92 (Jul 19, 2018)

I just brought home a 1975 Sea Nymph 16R. It's going to need a lot of work and it's my first project boat. It passed an overnight leak test so, so far, so good.


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## bcbouy (Jul 19, 2018)

shipped to me just before easter


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