TOPIC: Wards Sea King fiberglass runabout

Hello everyone ! I'm new here and my first post. I never could login after I signed up and just now was I was finally able to get logged in !! well last year I bought a couple tin boats to restore and will be getting to them shortly now that winter has pretty much passed.. but today I would like to find out a little about this boat I was given and will pick up in the morning.. its from a long time owner of this boat. it still floats and doesn't take on water.. there is no trailer so I picked up a trailer today to go get this old girl.. it needs a lot of loving but I couldn't see letting it go to waist if its possible to save it.. so far I can't find another one like it anywhere on the net.. some close but still not the same.. here are a couple photos from the original owner.. is this worth saving or should I pass it along to another ??? any thoughts or comments are appreciated .. Thanks John

www.fiberglassics.com/library/index.php?title=Sea_King
www.billscars.com/
boatsinthebelfry.weebly.com/

Here are some links that might help out. Kevin has extensive knowledge on most boats with fins.
Bill Anderson, (Bilan) on this site might also have some info.
I like the way those seats are all molded in front and back.
Looks like it would be a fun project. Keep us posted.

coolio

Span America Boats and Fort Dodge Boat Co. both of Fort Dodge, Iowa combined forces and made boats for Montgomery Wards. It might be one of the boats made by them for Wards "Sea King"

Andreas

Thanks 63 Sabre !! I'll check into those and see what info I get !! I liked the way those seats are molded and have a walkthrough to the stern also !! My aluminum twin cockpit Arkansas Traveler doesn't have the walkthrough..

thanks thompsonboat !! I had looked at some of the Fort Dodge Boats and thought it could possibly be one of theirs .. Span America Boats also have similarities.. just can't find the exact looking boat yet..

Andreas I live just out side fort dodge. evey day I drive past Ray singlingers house on the way to work. my family has know the singlingers for the last 70 +
years. as you know the singlingers ( Ray and Arche ) owned the fort dodge boat co. 3 years ago ray passed away. 3 months before that I stopped to see if he could shed some light on my 2 span America boats 1960. I asked about the partnership with them and span America on the wards deal. Well he side that was not true and did not happen . there was bad blood between the two. is this true or just a old man memory gone bad ? I ask if there was any paper work left from the boat plan but he side it was gone years ago. theres more but iam running out of time. Bob

That's a cool looking boat. I've never seen a patina finish on an old boat, but that looks like a good candidate.
I'd be temped to give it a good scrub, light sanding and clear coat it. Might look cool, just my thoughts
Cheers
Bill

Thanks Bill.. here are a couple of photos on the trailer I picked up Saturday so I could bring it home this morning.. this is after I power washed it on the way back home..

badger bob wrote: Andreas I live just out side fort dodge. evey day I drive past Ray singlingers house on the way to work. my family has know the singlingers for the last 70 +
years. as you know the singlingers ( Ray and Arche ) owned the fort dodge boat co. 3 years ago ray passed away. 3 months before that I stopped to see if he could shed some light on my 2 span America boats 1960. I asked about the partnership with them and span America on the wards deal. Well he side that was not true and did not happen . there was bad blood between the two. is this true or just a old man memory gone bad ? I ask if there was any paper work left from the boat plan but he side it was gone years ago. theres more but iam running out of time. Bob

Hmmmm, very interesting. I cannot verify that there was a deal between Span American Boats and Fort Dodge Boats for the Montgomery Wards deal. But I can see it happening. Both companies were very small operations and probably could not handle the Wards order alone. These tow boat companies were located side by side. Probably not 50 feet between the two factories. Yes there was very "bad blood" between the three fiberglass boat manufacturers in Fort Dodge. Lots of intrigue and the Fort Dodge Boat Co fire may have had some encouragement from one or both of the competitors.

Andreas

Andreas I remember the big fire as I lived just across the river from them. at that time this town was a buzz with boat bilding. every empty bilding was put into sevice. ( one just 1 block from our house) often I road my bike up to the back door and watched as the guys lay up the fiberglass. this went on day and night. and then it was all gone after the fire. I work with a guy that his dad was a big invester in span America. he lost $80.000 he lost every thing he had. now for the best part he saved all his papers from them ( like your checks in the mail and so on) the guy I work with is looking for the box with all this paper work in it. when and if he find it ill be able to make copys of them. thanks for putting up with me. Bob

badger bob wrote: Andreas I remember the big fire as I lived just across the river from them. at that time this town was a buzz with boat bilding. every empty bilding was put into sevice. ( one just 1 block from our house) often I road my bike up to the back door and watched as the guys lay up the fiberglass. this went on day and night. and then it was all gone after the fire. I work with a guy that his dad was a big invester in span America. he lost $80.000 he lost every thing he had. now for the best part he saved all his papers from them ( like your checks in the mail and so on) the guy I work with is looking for the box with all this paper work in it. when and if he find it ill be able to make copys of them. thanks for putting up with me. Bob

That's soooo cool that the guy still has paperwork. I start and stop the article I have been writing on Span America Boat history. I have a draft written but keep getting busy with real life work to complete it. Feel free to send me a private message at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The fire at Fort Dodge Boat Company was on Thursday 10 August 1961. There was a fire at Glass Craft Boat company on 24 April 1956 at their location at the old Eno airport. They continued to operate there until the move to Humboldt in 1958 and then that brand new boat factory was destroyed by fire on Friday 08 May 1959.

Andreas

Might be a 1958 Starcraft Royal Star; hard to see the scallop at the front of the sprayrail which should tell for sure: www.fiberglassics.com/library/index.php?title=File:Starcraftb58017.jpg

HandyAndy wrote: Might be a 1958 Starcraft Royal Star; hard to see the scallop at the front of the sprayrail which should tell for sure: www.fiberglassics.com/library/index.php?title=File:Starcraftb58017.jpg

Hello HandyAndy !! thank you for your response !! I does look so very close to the StarCraft Royal Star !! but there is no scallop at the front of the sprayrail on mine, and the front seat is a bench seat with the walkthrough through the seat backs.. everything else looks almost like a dead ringer though !! mine does say Wards Sea King on the sides and on the center of the steering wheel.. Hmmm... I wonder if StarCraft made some for Wards also ??

Here are a few more photos of the late 1950's Starcraft fiberglass boats. One is a "1960 Silver Star" which is probably a 1958-1959 Starcraft model of some description; the other is a Starcraft badged as a Wards.

HandyAndy wrote: Here are a few more photos of the late 1950's Starcraft fiberglass boats. One is a "1960 Silver Star" which is probably a 1958-1959 Starcraft model of some description; the other is a Starcraft badged as a Wards.

Hello HandyAndy !! thank you for more information !! while I was at work I went and looked closer at my boat.. at first look I couldn't see any scallops on the sides at the front of the sprayrails .. even up close they just blended in with the camo paint job and dim lighted warehouse but while running my hand across the sides they are defiantly there !!! so you did a great job identifying this boat !! Thank You !! so it does appear to be a StarCraft Royal Star "Wards Sea King" badged boat !! so StarCraft obviously built boats for Wards also.. John

well I just found this same boat for a very very fair price it even has its original Sea King motor.. its all complete and solid including the transom.. needs the gunwale molding though.. its less then the cost of the trailer I bought for my FREE boat !! lol this will be a lot less work and I have more to start with.. hope to pick it up next week.. this is the only photo I have at the moment .. John T.