When my 1948 Speed Liner 14′ Trophy Deluxe Racing Runabout arrived from Montana the mahogany hull sides and plywood bottom were covered over with fiberglass. To a purist, covering mahogany hull side planks with fiberglass is a blasphemous act. However, to a Montana farmer who didn’t want to take the time to soak the boat … More Engineering Ingenuity
Today Patrice and I took my 1960 Glasspar G-3 ski boat out for its maiden voyage after getting the motor out of the shop. The boat is powered by a 65-horse 1965 Mercury Merc 650, which is actually a lot of motor for such a little boat. I bought this boat on eBay from a guy … More Kidney Belt Mandatory
Yesterday morning Sweeney Hardwoods delivered a load of beautiful African Mahogany to my house. They are all 12′ lengths and 6″ to 9″ wide. I bought 6/4 rough-sawn wood, which means it was 1-1/2″ thick to begin with. I had them resaw the planks in half, plane them down to a 1/2″ thickness, and then put a straight edge … More Morning Wood
My 1948 Speed Liner 14′ Trophy Deluxe Racing Runabout arrived from Great Falls, Montana one day last week. I bought the boat on eBay from the son of the man who was the original owner of the boat, who had bought it brand new. As you can probably imagine, Montana has a relatively short boating … More Precarious Perch
Upon closer examination, I discovered that the 1958 Lyman Outboard I purchased on eBay recently was actually quite complete. The windshield, including all the glass, all of the interior furniture, and all the deck hardware and trim were present. The Lyman’s hull is constructed of five-ply Douglas fir plywood lapstrake planks. The hull sides and bottom … More Lapstrake Demo
Last week I built a dolly on which to set my 1958 Lyman Outboard while I am doing the restoration. It’s a simple wood structure with carpeted bunks and lockable wheels that will properly support the hull and keep the boat stable while I am climbing around in it. It can also easily be adapted to … More Not a Barbie, but a Dolly for Sure
Last week I scored a great deal on a nice 2001 Shorelander boat trailer that I am going to use for my 1958 Lyman Outboard when it’s finished. I found it on Craigslist from a guy in Cedar Creek Lake, Texas who kept his boat in the water all the time and no longer needed the … More Getting the Cart before the Horse
No outboard motor came with my 1958 Lyman Outboard; however, sitting in my garage is a nice little 1958 Johnson Seahorse 35, which came with my 1958 Glastron 16′ Fireflite barn find. This motor will not only be exactly age-appropriate, but also very nice looking, the right color combination for this boat, and appropriately powered for a 15′ lapstrake. Mark Gunter … More My Little Johnson
Vintage Mercury outboards from the mid-1950’s are sometimes referred to as “old green and red ones” because of the color of the engine housings – they were green or red. When I was a kid my dad had a green Mercury Mark 30 outboard, much like the one in the lower left corner of this … More Old Green and Red Ones
I am working on the interior of my 1958 Lyman Outboard. I have been using a chemical stripper and a wire brush to remove the old varnish. Then I have been sanding the lapstrake planks with my Dremel Multi-Max Tool with 80-grit sandpaper. It’s slow and tedious work, not to mention the burns I get from the … More Tedium and Frustration…
