They are called “FiberGlassics”  the boat equivalent of a cool old car…

After the dust settled from all my boat dealings. I was left with a repairable outboard and a good trailer.  Then I saw an ad for a older cabin cruiser for sale in Creston.  He wasn’t asking much, and it included a very cool video depth / fish finder.  I went to have a look.. What a cool older boat.. A classic !  When I showed interest he said nobody wants this boat.  If you give me $50 bucks for the finder.. You can have the boat..  Wow.. It’s perfectly what I’ve always wanted.  Not to big, outboard powered,  all fibreglass with some wood inside.  Needs a bit of work , but I can handle that.  The cabin was full of wasp nests.. Once I got it home It took  me awhile to clean them out.  We weighed the boat at the scale in Castlegar, and found it to be 1234 lbs. wow that’s more than the claimed 950 lbs.  But it still towed very nice.  A little concerned about the 55 hp being enough to power the boat.  But I’ll try it before I go looking for a different motor, because I like the simplicity of the Chrysler.  I’m thinking I’ll remove the floor panels and then store the boat over the winter in my new RV carport. That way the bilge will have time to dry out.   Old boats don’t have to die.. This old girl is way to pretty to let that happen……

About This Boat :

There’s not a lot of info on Performer boats.. in fact I could only find one other on the web.  But here’s what I’ve learned so far… Seams Performer made seven models of boats from 1958 to 1962. The factory was in a LosAngles  California industrial suburb of Bellflower / Paramount.  Nobody bought them out like other small boat builders, so they just disappeared.  They are rare to find.  This was the era of outboards.. and this model could accommodate twin motors.  Rated for 100 hp, they commonly had twin 40’s.  Completely fiberglass with only glassed over wood in the bulkheads and floor stringers.  Plexiglass  windows with good rubber seals.  The hull is designed to give the most interior room possible.

Note: I’m finding more of these boats as time goes.. and I’m trying to contact the owners..

Wow I found an ad for a Performer boat…

Note:  I found a you-tube video of one of these Performer Tropicana’s .  It’s the same blue as mine. and it was zooming along with a 75hp Chrysler motor on Silverwood Lake in California..So Cool  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcfDg6ZC0zo&feature=player_embedded

The good stuff :

Well for starters it’s a small boat you can actually spend the weekend on.  But  what’s really good…..The gelcoat only has the smallest of hair cracks.  With a good wet sand and polish you won’t see them.   The cabin is in very good shape and the berths are plenty big enough.  I can sit up without banging my head.  There is a cool hatch up front you can crawl out, or use to access the anchor with ease. The flat bottom hull and straight sides give the floor area lots of room.  And lots of wood is embedded in the fibreglass  for safely attaching to.  At 17 feet the boat is not too big, not too heavy.

 I have plans already :

For now I’m measuring up everything and I’ll make some plans to create a functional cockpit.  And I have a few neat ideas to incorporate.  This will document the whole process and perhaps encourage someone to do the same.   In the spring when I have the time to work on her I plan to drop the boat onto a low dolly and push it into the shop.  Hopefully it will be only eight inches off the ground and I won’t need a ladder to get in and out  of the boat while working ..   The debate is ongoing as to how far I go in the restoration.  This is a boat I would like to keep for a long time ..so I don’t want to redo anything.. Do it right the first time.  For instance the windows have cracks.   Dave thinks I should just glue them up.. I think that making new ones is the only way to go.  They are Plexiglas so bending them to fit is not hard.  I’m inclined to remove everything anyway so I can do a proper polish and reseal  stuff and replace rusty screws.

Here’s the plans I drew up for an improved interior.. Giving the boat more “stay onboard “ appeal by adding a Galley, Cooler and a table.  More cubbies and storage as well.

The plans also include using as much of the cabinets from my buddy Dave’s 27 ft Award trailer as I can.  We will be wrecking the trailer next spring. The walls rotted out on it so he got a new trailer.  From the factory the boat would have had mahogany wood work.. and I may still go that route if I can’t get the Award cabinets to fit.  My plans are subject to change.

In this photo you can see that the weight of the  100 hp motor has caused the transom to bow out a bit.  I will try to pull it back and add a brace & some aluminum plate to make it stronger.   I’ve cut the bottom panel in the well to have a look at the wood under there.. and that wood should be replaced. after 50 years it’s very soft.  I was careful to leave a lip around the outside to reattach a new floor.. and I will glass it in good.  This well will get wet.

Today Oct 23 I finally got a chance to get the floor ripped up.  It was chip board screwed down with drywall screws..no good..  And as I had suspected the floor supports were replaced.  And they are still in good condition… But I’m not liking the workmanship..   We will be rebuilding this all the way to the transom.  For now it can sit like this for most of the winter.. and dry out good..  I will be removing the stringers and glassing in new ones that are taller to make the hull bottom stiffer.  The old seat , foot rest and the chip board floor went to the dump.  I have two new seats, and they will be on top of useful cabinets.

Note:  I did not use this tank , because I acquired a very nice aluminum tank.

In the mean time I’ll keep busy on some of the parts for the boat.. like this gas tank.  I favor this over the portable one ..because it’s bigger !  And it will fit nicely under the port-side rear seat.  This will also give me a fuel gauge on the dash.. The catch is that it had a leak..  I’ve repaired it and freshened the paint up.  So it’s ready to install.  I have the nice chrome filler cap and the boat has a vent already there.  All these parts came from the Reinell that I parted out.  That boat also donated a very nice horn, a wiper motor, a nice steering wheel and lights.  I’ve done well.   So for the winter working on the two 55 Chryslers will all I do..boat wise..  Work on those is covered in it’s own posting.

I’m doing the compliance thing !

Which means I took and passed the boater course, so I have my operators card. .. 94% not to bad..  And I’ve mailed away a” transfer of boat licence ” form to the government.  So the BC # on my boat will be in my name.   Being all legal is easier than trying to explain why your not !

Other Performer Seven Seas boats:

Here’s a Seven Seas that’s being used.. regularly ..  A few years newer than my boat  (white panel on cabin)  but still very much the same boat..  It’s home is Colorado.  And I presume that’s Jeff’s daughter in the photo.  I hope to meet Jeff & the boat this summer.. but that’s quite a distance for us to travel.

But soon to be Big Aqua !  He is repainting it blue like mine. But this is an Admiral Boat made in Florida ?  It’s identical to our Performers.. We are trying to figure that one out..   Also this boat had extensive damage done to the top-side ,  and Wayne has been repairing that fiberglass.  He needs an upper windshield as well.  This boat is a lot closer to me in Northern Idaho.  The plan is to get all three together for a photo..  Yes !

Jan 18, 2012 :   

Today another boat came home with me.. traded a lawn tractor for it…  Glasspar Citation.  I want it for the 70 hp Chrysler and the bigger trailer..  Both of which will be for the Seven Seas.  The 70 hp motor will take away my worries of enough hp for the weight.  And the 16 ft Glasspar will fit nicely on the trailer that’s under the Seven Seas now.  And this new trailer means I won’t have to modify the other one .  it’s too short for the 17 ft Seven Seas.  Win Win…

As well I was checking the Seven Seas out and found that my plan to dry out the bilge is working great.  The weather here this winter has been very dry. Come spring when I can start work on the floor it will be easy.

May 21 2012 :

While the Seven Seas is nice and safe in the RV port.. there is no panic to get at it..  I need to make sure the motor runs good..

And here it is .. I’m hoping this works out good for the boat.. In my mind this is the perfect size motor.  We’ll use it this summer on the Glaspar  so it will be ready for the Performer..

Someone was selling a bunch of boat parts as a lot.  It was a good deal , included was a steering system, two 12 gallon steel tanks, running lights and these very nice gauges.

Here’s the gauges new still in the boxes..  they will look very nice indeed.

Fall 2012:  The boat got set aside for other things,  Hopefully this coming spring I can get at it..

I’ve started a new post HERE for the restore of the Performer 

It’s not always about Lawn Tractors.. Yes I’ve done well and still really enjoy fixing up the tractors.  The hobby has more or less paid for itself.  But there is always a special place in my heart for Boats..  I’ve been around and using boats since I was very young. I love the water.. And so I love being on the water.. When I was very young our family had a cabin on a small lake, and we had a 8 ft row boat that saw a lot of use.. When I was a teenager we lived on the shores of the Thompson river and we had a small 14 ft speed boat with a 40 hp motor.. We skied , we explored, we traveled … That boat meant everything to me..  When it got very old and tired.. And we no longer lived on the water , my Brother & I traded it for a Hobbie Cat sail boat.. That was fun and I loved to sail..  Even when life was busy with kids and other things I always kept  a row boat handy..

Here’s a photo of our wharf on the Thompson River.  Taken in the mid 70’s.. Our 14 ft Fiberform is the boat on the right… on the left is friends of my parents boat . Our wharf was logs and wood decking. In the winter the boat was pulled up the shore on logs.. Dad bought the boat without a trailer.. Later he found a trailer when it was about 8 years old , and kept it in the driveway…

One of the highlights of my mid 30’s was a houseboat trip we took on lake Roosevelt .  Seven of us shared a 52 ft boat for 7 days… I seemed to be deemed the captain and did most of the driving.. The others wanted to party.  What a great time..  During those years we did a bit of boat camping up at the head end of Christina Lake..  Some stories to tell there for sure…  I miss those adventures and just being out on the water…don’t seam to get the chance as much..  Lately we do use the kayaks that I now have. I can pack them along on camping trips.  Wish I had those kayaks when I was a kid.. They are fun.. Simple and maintenance free.  Anyway lets fast forward to the new millennium and what I’m up to boat wise..   My wife does not share my love of boats, but that’s not stopping me.. Anything to keep me busy..

The year was 2001.. It was the fall and I was bored and needed to have a project. The internet was a great tool and on it I found the answer… Build a wooden boat !  A sail boat !  Called a “Weekender” it was 16 ft and had a small cabin.. You could (in a pinch) sleep in it.. I bought the plans.. With DVD ..and rented a work space..  Ordered some marine plywood..

Here’s a photo of the Weekender during the construction. There’s a lot of pride and satisfaction in building your own boat.. I started the end of October and went sailing in May.. It’s an experience I would not trade for anything… but the boat I did trade..

This is what the finished boat looked like.. Fiberglas over wood and lots of varnished wood . Sails were made of white tarp with white duct tape reinforcement.  It Worked !   The cost was surprisingly low for what I got.. Nice little trailer I picked up for $800..

I went sailing in the Weekender a few times that summer. And it was great. I did not like that steering wheel and wished I’d made it a tiller instead.  On one occasion I took a friend along  because he loved to sail.  He also loved the boat so much he wanted to trade me for his big Yamaha touring motorcycle.  I said sure lets do it . He made quite a few changes to the boat.. added a center board & tiller. I went sailing with him the next year.. He did some nice things to the Weekender..  The Weekender project was well documented by me .. I had a nice little digital camera.. And It was the start of my journalizing things I was up to..  For a time there hasn’t been much boating except for the kayaks..  But my sailing days were not over..

One of the first family camping trips we did was to Kokanee Park. And my Sisters friend brought his Lazer for the day.. We all had fun with the boat.  Here’s a photo of Maureen & I out for a sail when the wind was low.. Great boat , but a squeeze for two people.

In 2006 I bought this little Delta 10 ft with lazer rigging .  This is me sailing it in Pender Harbour at my brother’s house.  Great little boat, had oars too.  And we would take it along camping with us. But it did spend a lot of time hanging in the carport.. So this year I sold it to a deserving sailor and moved on to bigger things..

Here’s my friend Dave in one of my two Wilderness Kayaks.  They are 12 ft models designed with fishing in mind. Very stable, very comfortable.  Fun little boats…easy to own.

Lots of mowers and tractors.. And even a Chev Tracker have gotten my attention..  But in the spring of 2009 a sad boat caught my eye.. Don’t know what I was thinking, but the wheels are always turning.. Maureen just knows I’m crazy.. And I do take on more than I can do in most cases..  Can’t help it I love having a reason to get up in the morning..Anyway this boat for sale in Kelowna was calling my name.. It’ was cheap.. It needed work.. The trailer was worth more than what the boat was selling for so I can’t lose..

Das Boat I called it .. It was ugly, It was glass over wood construction.. Very nice workmanship.. I had visions of renovating it into my dream boat.. (my dream boat is a cabin cruiser )  The 135 Merc was old and needed some parts..  The fiberglas was separating from the hull in one place and I was not sure if I could fix it..Here it is in all it’s glory.. Didn’t look like a wood boat.. And it didn’t stay on the trailer long either.. However it was a cuddy cabin, and it did have power trim..and seats from a car.. I paid $400 for it.. And I sold just the boat and motor for $350.  Then I sold the trailer for $750. A solid $600 profit.. !

While I still had the trailer and  “Das Boat” was sitting on tires.. This sexy boat caught my eye.. It had been striped of the good stuff ..like a motor and leg. And it was scuffed up and needed part of the floor fixed.. A big boat .22ft had a cubby cabin.  So I spent the winter looking for a motor for it .. And I could not find anything I could afford.

The Barretta Phazer II was one cool looking boat.  But even a free boat is sometimes more than I can afford.. The cost of re-powering such a boat was huge. It sat in my driveway for six months and I finally gave it away and sold the trailer for a good profit.. Back to the tractors.. For awhile.. I was still dreaming of someday having a nice ..not to big .. Cabin cruiser to use for fishing and maybe a weekend on the lake. But I’m thinking that outboard motors are a safer bet. Cheaper to fix.. Easy to change..  So I shy away from anything with a stern drive. That’s probably why I hesitated when I saw a 18 ft Reinell for sale for $800. even though it had a rebuilt motor and was lake ready. I had to think this one through.. It sold to someone else .. Duh  that was a good price But I’ve heard bad things about OMC stern drives…so just as well ..

2011:  It’s summer and I was cruising the for sale ads. And there was someone trying to rid themselves of and old boat.  Dave and I just happened to be in Kelowna and so we stopped by to have a look.  It was a sad little Peterborough tri-hull with a 55 hp Chrysler motor.  New steering was installed, and it had the controls and a Chrysler tank. The motor wasn’t totally trashed so may run.. The boat on the other hand… every bit of wood inside was mush ! The poor boat was left out under a tree for years.. But the hull was still intact.  It was sitting on a very good EZ Loader trailer.. Humm. He said $400 and take it away.. Ok maybe this would make a good fishing boat.

This is the Peterborough on it’s way home to GF.  The trailer turned out to be great.. Worth the $400.  But I had no time to do much to the boat so it sat at my Nephew’s for the summer. When we finally went to get the boat some low life had robbed the wiring harness just for the copper !

While the “Pete” was waiting… Someone came to me with another boat offer.. And it was too good to pass by . This time I jumped in. $500 got a 17 ft Reinell runabout  with a re-built 115 hp Merc outboard. Power trim, top and another good EZ Loader trailer.  Oh my what to do.. I did not want two boats..  So “Pete” had to go.. Here’s what I did.. We took the Chrysler off and the steering and any thing else of value.  “Pete” sadly went to the dump. And I sold the trailer for $400. Now I have a 55 Chrysler ,controls and steering for free.

Over the winter fixing up the Chrysler will be a good shop project.
Complete working outboards have a good value to them. I have acquired two other Chryslers for parts so should be possible to get this classic motor running.  They are dead simple. I can get a shop manual from E-Bay to help.  Compared to the Merc’s six cylinders, three carbs and an electronic control box… the 55 has two cylinders and one carb, no electronics just a magneto and points.

The Reinell is a good looking boat for being that old. This is the same hull design as the other Reinell that I missed out on.  Normally they would have a stern drive but this is the outboard model.  The interior of this boat is bad too. The floor has some holes and soft spots. There is no upholstery left, and just one beat up sleeper seat. The steering is seized up.  The top is old but still serviceable.  After looking at this boat for a month now I’m not to sure this is the boat that I want to spend time fixing up.  And another Boat offering has come my way.. But it has no motor ! ( but I have a free Chrysler) And it has no trailer ! ( Oh no I just sold a trailer)  I can only store one boat.. So I made up my mind.. I’m selling the Merc 115 and its parts.. Striping the Reinell of it’s good stuff… Tossing it out just like “Pete”.  Seams nobody wants to buy a boat, motor and trailer ..but separate not a problem.  The “Tower of Power” is what they call the  inline six Merc’s  A popular motor and I’ve had two of them.. And never got to use them.

Same for this one I sold it for $750. after testing it on the boat.  Cost me $45 to drop the boat off at the dump.. So I made a $205. profit.  And wrecking out the Reinell not only gave me a trailer but a 18 gal fuel tank, a horn, a small motor mount, Some hardware and a very nice burl wood steering wheel.

Finally I get the boat I’ve always dreamed of…..

This is it !  An early sixties,all Fiberglas Performer  Seven Seas 17 ft .  Most important here is that it is a CABIN CRUISER.  Out board YES.. Blue..YES.. And I have a lot of parts & stuff to do it up nice…

I’ll start a new blog for this girl…   HERE 1960s-performer-seven-seas-17-ft-cabin-cruiser/

Rob