The world's most expensive boat.

Several years back I got into antique outboards.  A buddy of mine got this Herter's Fishfinder and decided "Hey, Mr. Asa likes old nautical crap, I'll see if he wants it" so he gave it to me

https://i.imgur.com/A3i7cjL.jpg

So I kept picking up random outboards and other related things.  One day I was at my mom's and hanging out with her and her neighbors, I talked about my new fishfinder.  Neighbor goes "hold on, what was the name of it again?"

"Herter's Fishfinder"

"Huh, I think I've got a boat that's a Herter's.  I was going to do something with it, but I never seemed to.  Wanna take a look at it?"

So we wondered on over to it.  It had some really interesting details on it, it was 95% complete and, well... it was the right price.

So a couple weekends later the wife and I came back with my truck and my trailer, with the help of some friends we loaded it up, I flushed all the dirt and leaves and plants out of it, and then towed it home to start on it in earnest.

So, a quick little digression.  Some of you midwestern guys might recognize the Herter's name.

George Herter's stores were the inspiration for the big box stores of today such as Dick's Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shop, etc. Herter was a little bit crazypants, but in a good way. Everything he made was award winning and world famous, even if it wasn't. George Herter wrote the copy for all of his magazines, and instinctively knew what would cause his items to sell.  Herter's writing genius extended to actual books with such titles as "How to Get Out of the Rat Race and Live on $10 a Month" and a marriage guide titled "How to Live With a Bitch." which includes such wondrous tidbits as "under no circumstances call your wife a bitch."

Unfortunately, Herter's was a little weird with some of his catalogs. The Mark III was produced from 1956 to 1961, the '56-57 boats were very similar to each other, the '58 models started to grow fins, and then the '59-61 models had bigger fins and were sometimes mistaken for the Herter's Flying Fish.. The 1956 catalog shows the horsepower capacity at 16 HP, except up to 25 HP for Mercury or Champion motors. I don’t know why this exception was listed, possibly because of transom height or the motor clamping system. In 1957 it jumps to 75 HP on essentially the same boat. This is a mistake or George was pushing on the competition. Herters did have one measurement, amidship width, that differed between the 56 and 57 Mark III, in various catalogs, but there was no consistency. Usually the 56 was listed with 55 in. width and the 57 at 60 in. But, there is also catalogs with the 56 at 60 in. and the 57 at 62.

So, took it home and started removing bits and removing the camo paint job

Another fun fact, Herter was always on the lookout for a method to save a buck.  He went so far as to set up a foundry in one of his factories and did his own casting for his boats and other stuff.  Unfortunately the previous previous owner before me did not appreciate the efforts that ole George went to. For the front seat support, he bolted it to a piece of pressure treated wood and did not keep it out of the wet. This sets up an electrochemical cell and the chemicals in the PT wood ate away the aluminum. The difference between these two brackets is at least two decades of chemical reaction.

I was wondering if this was the same guy as Herters shotshells, and it is. Interesting old boat there.

From the white spots in one of the picture looks like it may have been under water in saltwater for some barnacles to attach them self's. 

The most expensive anything to own, is something "free", in many cases!

Cool!  My dad had a 1956 Herters Duofoil Flying Fish fiberglass runabout (Herters always had great names for his products.)  It had fins on the back, just like the cars of the day.    That thing was built like a tank.

Removed more bits.  Took them to a friend's shop and borrowed his sand blaster and cajoled him into helping me weld up some stuff

Quick mock up of the outboard

For the outboard for it I was able to find a '55 25HP Evinrude, controls, and fuel tank for $100.  A steal, had someone else pull up asking if I had bought it as I was loading it up.  

Unfortunately the lower unit leaked.  Friend sold me a new one, so I sanded it down and painted it

As has been noticed, salt water was in this boat's life previously.  With aluminum that's not great.  One thing though, it does make disassembly of everything easier.  You just put a wrench on what the bolt is, then apply torque!

Also, because the front seat had pressure treated slid underneath it, the entire structure of it was weak as wet cardboard.  It cracked in half, it ate the edges, it was not salvageable.  So again I had to do some fabrication.  (notice the edges that are against the hull, that's how much the electrolytic cell ate away the aluminum)

One of the front seat supports was cracked due to the front seat being so fudged up.  I guess its a good thing I got that aluminum spool gun, isn't it?

After repairing that, I took everything that I could remove off the boat and got some zinc chromate primer.  One thing I didn't want to do was deal with more aluminum going bad.

One thing I definitely didn't like, the bow hook had no support on the hull side

Look at it, its just right there on the fiberglass.  That's dumb.

So, more fabrication.  Again, good thing I have an aluminum welder!  Waiting on a couple shops to open in order to finish this piece.

Finally, today I've been trying to work on the hull as much as possible.

I got some cutting compound and went to work.  Its hard to see in pictures, but by gods its such a nice result in person.

In photos the easiest way to tell the difference is when its wet

On the right of this photo is an area I haven't worked on, on the left is a section I have.  The water beading is wonderful to see

That brings us up to today.

I'm almost at the point where I can put the aluminum back on.  As I mentioned here, I need an insulator between much of the aluminum and the fiberglass

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/boat-folks-what-would-you-use-for-an-insulator-between-fiberglass-and-aluminum/183166/page1/

The outboard needs sandblasting and paint.  I've already taken it apart once, so that should be fairly easy.

I have all the parts for the steering system, so once the aluminum parts go back together I'd be able to slap that in.

And that's my Herter's Pain in the Ass boat.

buzzboy said:

I was wondering if this was the same guy as Herters shotshells, and it is. Interesting old boat there.

Yup.  Still a whole helluva lot of Herter's hunting equipment you can get.  The reloading stuff is still fairly popular, from what I know.

One thing I'm trying to puzzle through.  How do I want to do the wind shield?  I doubt I'll be able to get a stock one, especially since Herter's would let you order a-la-carte and let you put whatever you wanted on the boat.  I was thinking of maybe going with a short little 6-8" windshield?  Give it a kind of sleek look?

Very cool project! 

Garwood & Hacketcraft originated in/on Lake George, NY.  If you're in the neighborhood don't miss the antique boat expo in the fall.

Bring a date and wine but leave all writing instruments in the car.  =~ 0

very nice project BTW. 

Came here for NC content. Left with hope for an old marine vessel. 

In reply to Mr_Asa :

That steering wheel is killer! Oh and $100.00 for a 25 HP Evinrude?  Well played!  Carry on.

I approve of everything about this. Carry on with your good work, sir.

11GTCS said:

In reply to Mr_Asa :

That steering wheel is killer! Oh and $100.00 for a 25 HP Evinrude?  Well played!  Carry on.

Need to do a little touch up on it, but here's how it ended up.  Originally there was a center cap that you can see in the ad below.

And here's a link for one!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174749070878

Anyone have suggestions for the name of this thing?  It has most definitely turned into one of my attempts to avoid perfection, so I was thinking of some play on some of the thoughts expressed in that thread.

Perfect's Nemesis?

80%?

Almost Done?

You need to cut it a break. It's old and a survivor and has been rescued from a trip to the burn pile or cut up and a trip to the landfill. Phoenix might be a good name. 

Nice work, man.  Love seeing old boats come back.

Zombie Lazarus... because it came back from the dead, but not quite perfect.

"Sinking Feeling"

"Hopeshee"  As in Hopeshee floats