Note the non 1937 motor, and cool detail on the side.. No not the stripe..
Thanks to fellow Woody Boater Sean Austin.. not related to Steve Austin by the way.. Not that he has never heard that joke before.. Or that this boat is worth 6 million dollars… Anyway. Back to the game, Sean was just given this very cool 1937 Speedcraft.. Or at least that’s what he has been told.. He is looking for any more information on this boat.. He says, or what he was told, it was made in Japan. It’s 14 feet long. And to be honest the 1937 thing seems a bit iffy.. But have at it… The winner gets…. something.. I have no idea.. What ever it is, it will be lame, and worthy of at least a thumb tack on the boat house wall..
And now the other side..
This is more like a 1957 not a 1937..
This may sound crazy, but I bet that is its original interior.. I have seen images of tops like this.. Dam I love this look..
Sorry, there aint nuth'n japanese about this boat.. Were are the spoilers and large exaust pipe? No dragon paintings on the side?
Mike M
Inland Lakes Stylemaster…..either that or it’s a Furakake, the Japanese division for ILS.
matt
little early in the morning for you to be using that brain!
warren
Must be an early model Garmin!
Boat looks about 50’s era to me too.
chad
me like furakake long time
WoodyGal
Me like Furokake long Time too! We will have 5 of them at this weekends Mahogany & Chrome boat show on
WoodyGal
Grand Lake Oklahoma! Or so I was told.
matt
Japanese, not Vietnamese!
Rick
How do you people even know stuff like this?
matt
I have no idea? Dont even know if they are right.. Could be a Datsun for all I know
chad
Borum Boats had a Speedicraft line?
matt
Do we have Borum boats for 15? A twist in the story!
Al Benton
It has a few similarities to a boat at our Ole’ Boys Boat Club. They’ve been working on it all summer and believe it’s a North American Marine 15′-3″ boat built somewhere in Indiana.
m-fine
Is he related to Miles Austin?
I must say that boat has some characteristics that are very similar to the 1962 Borum hull in my back yard. I would not be surprised if they were from the same family.
m-fine
look at the lines and the bow hardware…
http://www.borumboats.com/speedicraft.html
same bow ring thingy…
http://www.borumboats.com/Speedicraft/Img00099.jpg
m-fine
My last comment is awaiting moderation? How come that happens every time I post links to pornigraphy?
Alex
Texx, you’ve been playing with that cool new camera (and its software) haven’t you? Is the animation a first for WoodyBoater? Very cool.
matt
Yes it the first time we have animated a header. It’s a fantastic shot and in bw looks like an post so I had fun with it. You can refresh to watch.. It’s very subtile
Alex
m-fine, “pornigraphy?” Add that puppy to the WoodyBoater lexicon! It’s definition escapes me, though.
Alex
Subtile: synonym for pornigraphic.
m-fine
I make a concertid effort to have at least one mispelled word, grammar error or typo per post. I feel it is an important part of the Woodyboaterville lifestyle.
Pornigraphy = pornigrafic photography, usually including women or boats as subject matter. Extremely simmialr to pornography in the non-woodyboater community.
Sean
We were told the outboard is a 1958 Evinrude Lark (35 h.p.). Obviously not original if the story holds true.
m-fine
The boat appears to be plywood in the photos, and if so, I would be more inclined to believe it is a 1958 than 1937. As others mentioned, the styling is much more 50’s than 30’s.
anonomous
Evinrude Lark??? It doesn’t look like that green Herters……
Lee Wangstad
In 1956 Dick Cole, NA, went to Japan and designed the Imperial plywood boat line. Very few were produced before the plant burned to the ground. If this boat was produced in Japan, it could be one. Dick was a very prolific designer, not only working for Industrial Shippers in Mahane Bay, Nova Scotia on molded plywood boats, but also patented the cathedral hull for Thunderbird in 1957. He designed everything from the Botved Coronet to the Wellcraft Airslot, and too much to mention in between. He stuck mostly to outboard designs, with plywood hulls until falling in with Walt Walters of Thunderbird in the early 50’s. This leads me to the conclusion that if it was or wasn’t built in Japan, Dick Cole or his influence is all over this boat.
Michael Cole
My father was Naval Architect Dick Cole and is very likely the designer of this boat. I know his boats and this looks like one that was built by Imperial Boat Company before it burnt to the ground.
Michael Cole
I do not think the year of 1937 is correct. It would have been more likely 1956-58.