TOPIC: HIT THE JACKPOT - WOO HOO!!!

Friends,

Just today, I was emailed by a man from about 100 miles Southeast of San Antonio, who asked me if I wanted TO BUY his grandfather's old boat/motor/trailer.
(He said that he found out that I was interested in antique TEXAS-BUILT boats on a TX boating forum.)

I asked him, "What kind?" & got a SHOCK. = The little 15 foot runabout, on a "shop-built trailer", is an early glass La Mar with BIG FINS. - The hull looks quite similar to a 1958 GLASTRON FIREFLITE.
Further, the boat includes the ORIGINAL Mark 75 Mercury "tall 6" dock-buster, which was running when the boat was stored inside about 30+ years ago.
(After he sent me several photos of the boat/trailer, we quickly made a deal for cash & I will soon go pick-up the rig.)

I called my friend, CARY SATTERWHITE, (whose dad designed the boats & owned the GENERAL BOAT COMPANY in La Marque, TX until he passed away.) to tell him about this "find" & all that he could say was, "WOW. That is a really old & rare boat, that was probably built just after Dad stopped building wood boats." (LONG PAUSE) "Not many of those were made. And those few, about 1960 or 61."
(The little runabout has a DARK GREEN deck with a WHITE lower hull & includes the ORIGINAL seats.)

COLOR ME PLEASED, clear down to the ground.

Note: Inasmuch as I cannot have two boats "on property", Cary will "get SOLE custody of" the 17 foot La Mar open fisherman, that I currently own.
Further, looking at the La Mar information sheet in the FG Library, it appears that my "new to me" is a: 15 foot DELUXE SMALL FISHERMAN.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all.

yours, tex

Excellent Tex, congrats!!!!!

Bob

Bob,

FWIW, I'm REALLY, REALLY PLEASED to have found the little La Mar runabout. - Fwiw, I talked to a supposedly "expert" guy this PM & his comment was "You may have found the ONLY 15-foot Lamar runabout of that era that is still around."

I've wanted a TEXAS-built runabout with FINS for years & years. - As the boat/OB/trailer have always been together since bought NEW, that makes it "just a bit more special" to me, at least.

tex

bob; All,

Since you (Bob) posted to the forum, I talked again to Cary & he said that ALL of the transoms/frames of the glass La Mar boats were PERSONALLY handmade by Mr. Satterwhite.
(Because ALL of the La Mar boats were SPECIFICALLY made for fishing the Texas Gulf Coast, they were made "heavy duty" & each hull was made by hand. - For each hull's length, breadth & depth, the hulls are about 15-20 percent HEAVIER than similar hulls of that size. - That construction means that La Mar boats are NOT "speed demons" & NEED more HP to run at equal speed as other "similar looking" boats of the same dimensions.)

Fwiw, the La Mar 15 foot X 68" SMALL FISHERMAN weighs 400# & is rated for 60HP.
(Otoh, the VERY similar sized/looking GLASTRON SKIFLITE of that same year weighs 360# and is rated for 40 HP.)

yours, tex

Sweet! Nothing like a hand made boat.

sorry I'm late to the party..... I haven't replied till now, because there are no pictures ? So I say.... no pictures ? it didn't happen !
Nice going Tex ! I can tell by your post you are super excited.... SO POST SOME PICTURES so we can be excited with you too ! Ha-Ha-Ha !

Chuck in Cincinnati,

You are 100% correct about my excitement in finding a TEXAS-built, FINNED boat. = I've wanted a FINNED boat for years.
(The other thing that I've looked & looked for W/O luck is a >21 foot HOLMES molded-plywood OPEN FISHERMAN, that is NOT a "pile of rotted wood". The HOLMES boats were built in HOUSTON until 1965. = I've looked at SEVERAL such hulls & ALL of them were "past fixing")

I do NOT know WHY but I cannot even FORWARD the emails with the color photos to Cary Satterwhite, despite trying more than 10X. = USUALLY 'forwarding" an email is EASY, even for an only "semi-literate guy" in "computer stuff", like me. But NOT this pair of emails, for some unknown reason. = !@#$%^!
(Tomorrow morning I'm going to Xerox the 6 photos & snail-mail the photos to Cary), as I tried AGAIN a few minutes ago to forward the photos, with NO LUCK.

IF you go to www.classicglastron.com & look in the 1958 area of the "years", the pictured 1958 GLASTRON SURFLITE looks almost like the little La Mar runabout, except the La Mar is GREEN/white with "SNAP ON & OFF cushions' over plain/painted plywood seats . = The La Mar 15 foot DELUXE LITTLE FISHERMAN is "pretty plain vanilla" but it suits me for its "designed purpose" = SALTWATER FISHING.
(I'm told that ONE REASON for Mr. Satterwhite's SIMPLICITY of DESIGN was that he wanted the boats to be EASY TO CLEAN OUT at a fishing trip's end. = Fish blood/guts, left over bait, mud, etc. can literally be HOSED OUT with little difficulty.)

NOTE: The MAIN difference in the STANDARD LITTLE FISHERMAN & the DELUXE has the "two-tone" paint & the seat cushions. The STANDARD model has PLAIN PLYWOOD SEATS. Additionally, the STANDARD model could be ordered without the windshield.
(Tomas Leon told me that his UNCLE EMILIO VARGAS bought a La Mar BIG FISHERMAN new in 1960 & he essentially ordered a "bare hull", which his uncle then "tricked out" to suit his desires/taste/needs. ====> Tomas told me that his uncle said that there was NO point in buying "stuff" on a boat that he was going to tear out/throw away, as HIS IDEAS for a "proper game-fishing boat" were NOT anything that he had seen in other builder's "stock designs".)
FWIW, I AGREE 100% with Tomas's uncle. = I've NEVER seen a fishing boat that I did NOT believe could be FAIRLY EASILY IMPROVED, but that is just MY OPINION.

yours, satx

To all,
It's been OVER A WEEK since i made my last post. This is for several reasons:
1. I've been 'up to my ears" in "stuff". = MOSTLY BORING but necessary.
2. Car has been in the hospital & had an operation.
(He is doing FINE, now.)
3. Despite being busy, I finally found out what I must do to get the La Mar runabout/fisherman titled.
(Ryan W___________'s grandfather never titled the boat, as it was still OK to NOT title a boat at the time of his passing.)
The "process" is called "a PROCESS" as it is BOTH SLOW & COMPLICATED to do, when a boat in Texas was never titled & the PO is deceased. - In this case, the PO died "INTESTATE" & thus there is no probated will that assigned the boat to anyone.
I must also get TPWD's boating office to ISSUE a NEW "TX Number", as the original "TX number" has been "reissued" & is now on a 2017 boat.
Finally, Ryan & I must take the boat, motor & trailer to the TPWD District Office in Victoria, Texas & have it inspected by a TX Game Warden, "to collect any possible evidence of theft".
(I'm told that this process will be "an all-day affair".)

TRUTH IS if this was NOT a RARE Texas-built boat, I would NOT bother.

yours, satx