crazyeddie
Active member
Very nice site you have here! I'm Ed and I live in Fowlerville, Michigan. I'm 18, a full time online college freshman, and desperately looking for a job.
I bought my boat off a buddy from school for $50. I found out shortly after I got it that it was an 11'3" 1968 Ward's Sea King. It was pretty tattered - two small holes, a few dings, and a missing transom handle. With some welding and bodywork help from my dad, we welded up the holes and finished them off leaving no evidence, leveled the dings, polished the hull, painted the seats, painted and textured the floor, and re-did the transom. The old motor mounting plywood was removed and new wood cut that covered the entire length of the transom for strength. Both inner and outer plywood was sandwiched at the top with two pieces of angle aluminum with crescents cut into the front to secure the motor clamp discs. Some aluminum square stock was also welded to the transom and sides of the boat for reinforcement. We also welded an aluminum frame to keep the gas tank from bouncing around on the lake.
All that's missing in the pics are the fuel tank frame, the tiller handle on the motor, and the rod holders.
The motor is a 1957 Mercury Mark 10 I went over last winter. It was bought new in '57 by my great uncle Herb (why I named the boat after his nickname "Uncle Herbie"), then sold to my dad in '74. After living in two different attics since then, I brought it back to life. I put some new gaskets into it, replaced the impeller, and sent the prop in for a reconditioning and re-hub job. I have two different props for the motor - the stock two-blade and a rare special order three-blade that my great uncle ordered to help the motor pull around my dad and his brothers skiing when they were younger.
The tow vehicle is my '76 Ford f150 Trailer Special with a 460 and C6 under the hood, a 9" rearend with 3.00 gearing, and a factory installed trailer wiring harness. The trailer in the pictures was borrowed from my friend. Until I get a trailer of my own, the boat goes upside down and stashed in the bed with the motor, gas can, and cooler underneath.
Some future stuff in the works includes a fish-finder, four to six custom machined rod holders, and possibly some folding swivel seats.
I bought my boat off a buddy from school for $50. I found out shortly after I got it that it was an 11'3" 1968 Ward's Sea King. It was pretty tattered - two small holes, a few dings, and a missing transom handle. With some welding and bodywork help from my dad, we welded up the holes and finished them off leaving no evidence, leveled the dings, polished the hull, painted the seats, painted and textured the floor, and re-did the transom. The old motor mounting plywood was removed and new wood cut that covered the entire length of the transom for strength. Both inner and outer plywood was sandwiched at the top with two pieces of angle aluminum with crescents cut into the front to secure the motor clamp discs. Some aluminum square stock was also welded to the transom and sides of the boat for reinforcement. We also welded an aluminum frame to keep the gas tank from bouncing around on the lake.
All that's missing in the pics are the fuel tank frame, the tiller handle on the motor, and the rod holders.
The motor is a 1957 Mercury Mark 10 I went over last winter. It was bought new in '57 by my great uncle Herb (why I named the boat after his nickname "Uncle Herbie"), then sold to my dad in '74. After living in two different attics since then, I brought it back to life. I put some new gaskets into it, replaced the impeller, and sent the prop in for a reconditioning and re-hub job. I have two different props for the motor - the stock two-blade and a rare special order three-blade that my great uncle ordered to help the motor pull around my dad and his brothers skiing when they were younger.
The tow vehicle is my '76 Ford f150 Trailer Special with a 460 and C6 under the hood, a 9" rearend with 3.00 gearing, and a factory installed trailer wiring harness. The trailer in the pictures was borrowed from my friend. Until I get a trailer of my own, the boat goes upside down and stashed in the bed with the motor, gas can, and cooler underneath.
Some future stuff in the works includes a fish-finder, four to six custom machined rod holders, and possibly some folding swivel seats.
