Classic AquaSport
General Aquasport Forums => Aquasport and ClassicAquasport.com History => Topic started by: steved on April 18, 2005, 03:36:14 PM
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What follows is a first pass at the history of Aquasport boats over the first ten years of production. It probably leaves more questions open than it answers, but this is what I can document so far. It’s a start in any case. Anyone who can put in additional pieces of the puzzle, please help us out! I am particularly interested in obtaining information about original prices (I have a few and will post them soon) and numbers of units produced for each model/ year. And of course, we still have the period from 1976 through 1989 to cover. I think the best way to proceed is probably for me to ask Captain to also post the working history as a downloadable file, which I will update periodically. We will put a note in the blog when a new version is available.
Working History part One
In 1964, Fred Coburn and Lennox Sargent, a naval architect, form C & S and produce the first Aquasports, a 22’2” open, modified-vee hull, center console, outboard-powered fishing boat. The boat is an immediate success. Shortly afterwards (date unknown), Coburn buys out Sargent.
In 1967, the company changes it’s name to Aquasport, Inc.
In 1968, a 19’6” smaller sister to the 22-2 is brought out.
In 1969, Coburn sells Aquasport (still looking for the name of the new owners).
In 1970, Walt Walters (identified by Boating as “well-known for his offshore racing boats” (if anyone has any leads on that let me know) is commissioned to design a 17-footer for Aquasport.
In 1971, Walters designs a 24-foot model, an open like the other three, and also outboard-powered. All of the models are still with modified-vee hulls.
In 1973, Aquasport also offers the 19-, 22- and 24 –foot models with inboard/outboard power.
In 1974, the 22- and 24-footers are also offerd with inboard engines.
In 1975, the 22-2 is re-issued in a new version with a Walters design, still with a modified-vee. All of the boats are called “Open Fisherman”.
NOTE: at about this time, Aquasport also starts bringing out models with enclosed space or berths and even separate heads. I do not yet have precise information about the year in which each length “Family Fisherman” (erroneously called Cuddly Cabins) was first produced.
In early 1976, the 19’6” open is re-issued with a Walters design, so at this point all of the models are his. The 19’6” and the 22-2 are also out as Family Fishermen, the 19-footer with either an outboard or an inboard/outboard, and the 22-2 with an inboard/ outboard. As of March 1976, there are 15 different Aquaqsport models available (and 4 models are re-issues, so there have been 19 produced all-together to this point).
Current Aquasport models as of March 1976:
170 Open Fisherman, OB
19-6 Open, OB
19-6 Open, I/O
22-2 Open, OB
22-2 Open, I/O
22-2 Open, IB
240 Open, OB
240 Open, I/O
240 Open IB
19-6 Family Fisherman, OB
19-6 Family Fisherman, I/O
22-2 Family Fisherman, I/O
22-2 Family Fisherman, IB
240 Family Fisherman, I/O
240 Family Fisherman, IB
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I guess Walter's redesigns dropped the flatback and changed to the 12 degree deadrise at the transom? Does that seem right?
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Great information Steved! I am sure alot of time and research went into this History report!
I never knew my 1983 222 CCP was built during the second year of production for this model.
Thank you!
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Great work Steved!
I can tell we elected the right guy to lead this project.
Keep it comin'...
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Great job Steve
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great work steve,I don't known how you did it also thanks for the technical stats in the other section,I was able to get all the info on my 17 ' about capacity and hp ratings.
thanks mike
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Excellent job!
A big boost for this project would be if we can find some of the folks who worked for C&S / Aquasport back then. I know we've talked about this before but I'd be willing to kick in a few bucks to take out an ad in one of the local papers down there to see who we can turn up. Worth a try?
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JimCT,
It would be good to talk with former Aquasport employees. There are a number of problems with this, however. First, we are talking about 35 years ago, and natural selection may have taken its course. Second, if we are looking for information about the company and its product lines, we will need to talk to former manager types, which limits things even further. It's a good idea in any case and if you want to try the ad, go for it. I might try a search of the internet white pages for various Florida locations on the odd chance that one of the names pops up. Unfortunately, they are pretty common names. I will also try contacting Aquasport to see if they can give me a couple of names of long-time or recently retired employees who might give us some leads.
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Hi! This is my fist post on the website, I just joined today. Wasn't the 19-6 originally the 19-1? I have a 1971 19-1 that I am going to rebuild and I was wondering where it fits into the picture. Thanks.
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You are correct that a 19-1 was produced in 1971 (according to NADA) and I am not sure how it fits into the overall picture. Will update as I can.
Steve
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I don't recall ever seeing a modified v hull Aquasport prior to 1973.
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Hello, I just found this website. I have owned a 17 foot Aquasport for over twenty years. It is registered as a 1971, the only number I see is c298. I would call it a modified V. It is a great boat that will go anywhere. Can anyone give me more info? Do I have something that is like an old corvette? Thanks, Pat Green
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Welcome Aboard, Pat :!: :!: :!: :D
Always great to have an experienced long-time Aquasport hand in the mix. As you have been reading the AS history steved's pieced together, you've seen that we're a dedicated group here. One request you'll get sooner or later will be to post some pictures of your 170. Experiences in working/maintaining the boat are also sought after.
Jim
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Welcome aboard Pat.
Do I have something that is like an old corvette?
I think you do. :wink:
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Just found out that Aquasports were actually produced in the 50s! Sargeant and Coburn built center consoles from plywood and showed them at the 1958 New York Boat Show. The boats were based on the oringial Scopinich center console design (Scop Cruiser) and the first Aquasport prototype was built by Fred Scopinich at the Freeport Point Shipyard. The original Aquasports were all wood, powered by outboards, and produced on an order basis.
The first fiberglass Aquasports began production in 1965/66, and began the real Aquasport legacy. But... I wonder if there are any of the original wood models anywhere? That would be pretty cool!
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Thanks for the new info! There might be some 1958 boat show magazines out there somewhere with some articles or pictures. Will do some checking around.
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Great job on the research, any idea how to find how many 72 19/6 I/O were built?
John
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Nice work Steved!. I actually met Fred Scopinich last year by chance at my local boatyard.I was not aware he was a part of the Aquasport line.
There seems to be one model missing from the list made after '76.The 22-2 Family Fisherman O/B model,which I'am a proud owner of a '79. :wink: Just wish I had more time to take her out. :roll:
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I purchased my 1989 new and it was one of the last boats if not the last to come out of Hialeah it is a 17.5 and it has a 26 gallon fuel tank as it was supposed to have a 35 gallon tank, I have just finished repainting the hull and putting on new 115 optimax motor on it but there are a few Cubans around that have lots of stories that used to work there.
All I know that I have been in 4 to 6 seas and it is a great boat
Doug Ft Lauderdale Fla 8)
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My 19' 6" is supposed to be a 1972, according to previous owner and limited paperwork I have on it. It does not have a hull ID number on it so I guess it must be pre-73 anyway. It does have the 12 degree deadrise at the transom.
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Have spoken with Nat Hammond at www.vmsl.com (http://www.vmsl.com) and he will check around his inventory for any NY Boat Show info. concerning the Scop Cruiser.
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See if he has anything from '58 or '59 on the original Aquasports. By the way, I found out they were originally designed as SKI boats - it seems Coburn did not get into fishing until later...
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This is a thread I just found! Thanks steved for all your hard work in the past. Is there anything any of us "new guys" can do to help? What a wealth of knowledge! :afro:
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Wow! :shock: What a great find Lewis! Very interesting.
Should this be sticky material?
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Wow! :shock: What a great find Lewis! Very interesting.
Should this be sticky material?
I think it should
Marc..
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I have to thank capn dave one of the really new members. He mentiond something about steved in his very first post so I started reading last night. There are a lot of really good threads about a lot of the same things we all talk about now that were dicussed right after the site came on line. Absolutely fascinating reading! I also found one by steve saying he has a really good hi res file of the CA logo! Come on steve and hook us up!!! :afro:
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Lewis, thanks for digging up this thread. As you can tell I'm a longtime lurker, joined way back when I was fixing up my 222. If I remember right, there was a lot more info that was gathered - not sure what happened. This does tell me though that there was a redesign in 75 - I don't know how much, and whether it was enough to change the boat's ride over the previous few years. I'm also not sure when the flatback was discontinued...
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'71 is reportedly the last year of the flatback although we have seen references to a '72. So figure 71-72.
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Thanks Rickk!!!! :thumleft:
I hope steved will post some more info to this. Heck I hope everybody posts more to this thread!
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Here's the first Aquasport ad I know of - pretty cool, huh? Note it has the diver platform... From the June, 1965 Yachting magazine:
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j7/GoneFission/22-2_June_1965_Yachting.jpg)
See ya on the water!
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Here's the first Aquasport ad I know of - pretty cool, huh? Note it has the diver platform... From the June, 1965 Yachting magazine:
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j7/GoneFission/22-2_June_1965_Yachting.jpg)
See ya on the water!
Very Cool 8)
One thing I'm confused about- Wasn't the 22-2 unavailable until the early 70's? Or is this a drawing of the Flatback?
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The "Diver" model :thumright:
http://www.classicaquasport.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/2056/sort/1/cat/500/page/9
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One thing I'm confused about- Wasn't the 22-2 unavailable until the early 70's? Or is this a drawing of the Flatback?
The 22-2 name was used from the beginning and denotes the overall length of the boat at 22 feet 2 inches. "Flatback" is the term commonly used for the original, almost-zero deadrise models produced until around 1972. The 12 degree deadrise hull came out around 1973 and replaced the old 22-2 (flatback). The 22-2 became the 222 Osprey in 1981. All the Aquasport models dropped the dashes for the 1981 model year - the 22-2CCP became the 222CCP, etc.
Hope this helps - see ya on the water!
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Yeah... I think I knew that. :) I think it was the profile of the boat in that drawing that was throwing me off- looks to me more like the 22-2 with deadrise :pl: But, I can see now the interior setup is a little different than the later 22-2
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Very Cool 8)
One thing I'm confused about- Wasn't the 22-2 unavailable until the early 70's? Or is this a drawing of the Flatback?
Note that this first review reads "Power, twin".
As specified, twin Homelite 55's....but certainly not "lite" then.
Forgetting HP, shows that C & S's industry-entry 22-2's were designed for substantial weight on the transom (twins), yet remained self-bailing at rest.
Although in recent years have been "modernized" with closed transoms, "mini" brackets, and high HP singles........the open transom Aquasport 22-2 remains per design "Classic Aquasport".
GF, thanks for digging this out...good stuff.
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What follows is a first pass at the history of Aquasport boats over the first ten years of production. It probably leaves more questions open than it answers, but this is what I can document so far. It’s a start in any case. Anyone who can put in additional pieces of the puzzle, please help us out! I am particularly interested in obtaining information about original prices (I have a few and will post them soon) and numbers of units produced for each model/ year. And of course, we still have the period from 1976 through 1989 to cover. I think the best way to proceed is probably for me to ask Captain to also post the working history as a downloadable file, which I will update periodically. We will put a note in the blog when a new version is available.
Working History part One
In 1964, Fred Coburn and Lennox Sargent, a naval architect, form C & S and produce the first Aquasports, a 22’2” open, modified-vee hull, center console, outboard-powered fishing boat. The boat is an immediate success. Shortly afterwards (date unknown), Coburn buys out Sargent.
In 1967, the company changes it’s name to Aquasport, Inc.
In 1968, a 19’6” smaller sister to the 22-2 is brought out.
In 1969, Coburn sells Aquasport (still looking for the name of the new owners).
In 1970, Walt Walters (identified by Boating as “well-known for his offshore racing boats” (if anyone has any leads on that let me know) is commissioned to design a 17-footer for Aquasport.
In 1971, Walters designs a 24-foot model, an open like the other three, and also outboard-powered. All of the models are still with modified-vee hulls.
In 1973, Aquasport also offers the 19-, 22- and 24 –foot models with inboard/outboard power.
In 1974, the 22- and 24-footers are also offerd with inboard engines.
In 1975, the 22-2 is re-issued in a new version with a Walters design, still with a modified-vee. All of the boats are called “Open Fisherman”.
NOTE: at about this time, Aquasport also starts bringing out models with enclosed space or berths and even separate heads. I do not yet have precise information about the year in which each length “Family Fisherman” (erroneously called Cuddly Cabins) was first produced.
In early 1976, the 19’6” open is re-issued with a Walters design, so at this point all of the models are his. The 19’6” and the 22-2 are also out as Family Fishermen, the 19-footer with either an outboard or an inboard/outboard, and the 22-2 with an inboard/ outboard. As of March 1976, there are 15 different Aquaqsport models available (and 4 models are re-issues, so there have been 19 produced all-together to this point).
Current Aquasport models as of March 1976:
170 Open Fisherman, OB
19-6 Open, OB
19-6 Open, I/O
22-2 Open, OB
22-2 Open, I/O
22-2 Open, IB
240 Open, OB
240 Open, I/O
240 Open IB
19-6 Family Fisherman, OB
19-6 Family Fisherman, I/O
22-2 Family Fisherman, I/O
22-2 Family Fisherman, IB
240 Family Fisherman, I/O
240 Family Fisherman, IB
Take a close look....a clue to model/rubrail change, 74-75?
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In my recent fiberglass shop endevours I dropped by J Ryan's fiberglass shop in Tampa. The owner was out and had a discussion with one of the guys there. He showed off their work on a boat he referred to as the original flatback called a Sargeant, which was a 22 footer and was for sale, all redone. Not sure if it is still there and i obviuosly cant back up the story, but there you go.
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Jon - as you can see from the Yachting article above, the very first 22-2s were sold as Coburn and Sargent (C&S) boats. Then Coburn took over (see Scott's notes above), and the Aquasport name was born. So if the boat you are talking about is a '65 or '66, it would be a C&S, and could be called a Sargent if someone wanted to call it that, but technically is a Coburn & Sargent.
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What is the history of the manufacturing locations? I live just outside Bradenton, FL and I think they were built, at least for awhile, in this area. Did they move to FL, out of FL, etc?
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What is the history of the manufacturing locations? I live just outside Bradenton, FL and I think they were built, at least for awhile, in this area. Did they move to FL, out of FL, etc?
After Genmar bought AS, it was moved to the Wellcraft plant at Old 301 (15th st E) and Whitfield Ave. I worked there from '94 until May '00. Might have built and wired that 225 Osprey you looked at at O'Neil's...
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They were in Hialeah until 1989 I think. :scratch:
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hello
i just joined
i bought my 1980 22-2 in miami at there plant in hialeah florida. 31 years ago
a tech that worked there still works on them at his wear house.
he has done all the work on mine .
i will ask him if he would like to talk to you.
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Rodman,
We would love to have him on here,bet he has some great aqua-knowledge and some great stories!
:salut:
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I just purchased a an AS 240. It has the transom shown on the brochure pictures the 'funky a$$" one. From product brochures I have seen I thought 1971 was the first year of the 240 O/B CC. but mine is titled as a 1970. Now some of the younger folks might not remember when all cars came out in September of one year and were labeled as the following year. Could this be what happened to mine? does anyone remember when AS rolled out their new models? Was it fall of each year. I gues it doesn't matter, because I am going to title it as a homemade boat when I'm finished, but I'm just curious.
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The "official" year of 240 Seahunter introduction was 1971. It is certainly possible your hull was built in late 1970, and titled as such.
The following article appeared in August of 1971. To have the full lineup of 240's available to the buying public at this time... tooling without a doubt occurred many months before.
Your Seahunter appears to be the earliest documented on Classic Aquasport :salut:
(http://www.classicaquasport.com/gallery/data//562/68AS_240_Boating_article2_1971.jpg) (http://www.classicaquasport.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2794&title=as-240-boating-article2-1971&cat=562)
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When I ordered my AS 200 boat in 1987 I went to the factory in Hialea Florida to watch it being poored and built. It was exciting and when it was finished I was well pleased with its quality. They really did have all fiberglass stringers and no wood in the hull or transom.
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Walt Walters was 50% of the team that Ron Aronow made to design Formula, Donzi, Magnum Marine and so forth. This was where the 24 degree deep V design came from that revolutionized the boating world. Offshore powerboat racing birthed the design and influenced boating as a whole.
He most of been brought in to modify the bottoms and better performance for offshore use. Im sure he made changes to strakes and chimes too.
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When I first got my Aquasport (last year) I had a heck of a time finding any history on the brand until I found you-all. The only mention on Wikipedia is a brief reference on the Genmar page. Have "we" thought about creating a Wikipedia page? I would volunteer to compile some basics from here and submit it to a few of you long-time owners for review. Thoughts?
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I have never messed with a Wiki page but do understand that it is open source for review and updates/correction. I don't think there is any other history of the origin except what you find here. Please be advised that the Aquasport Brand is still alive and owned by Ebbtide holdings, so if we were to create a Wiki page I'm sure they would have to be a part of the decision.
Here is another source of some vague history. https://www.soundingsonline.com/news/aquasport-stops-building-boats
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Hello... I hope everyone is staying safe. This is my first post and more of an introduction for now until I can elaborate.
I own the largest Facebook group related to Sarah Coventry jewelry. I am writing a book about the history of its parent company CH Stuart out of Newark, NY. The Stuart family was involved in over 50 different companies including Aquasport. They purchased the company in 1965. CH Stuart went bankrupt in 1981 and new owners brought it trough Chapter 11 bankruptcy but some divisions were either consolidated or sold off. The CH Stuart link fills in some gaps on Auquasport's early history and I will expand on it in a follow-up post. I am working from home and have an evening shift so will write again soon.
Eric Huffstutler
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:welcome01: Eric, this will be interesting to see what you can fill in, data wise. Feel free to reach out to me or Capt. Bob for help if you need it.
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We have been getting a lot of members from Italy lately and I'm finding that they have models that weren't offered in the USA. One being a 250 Osprey around '84 witha console like we see on a 250 CCP and it has sink and stove at the front. Nothing we have has a 250 Osprey until '99 or '00. So there must have been specials sold in Europe. I have a member in Italy searching ebay over there for ads and catalogs. Maybe we'll find some new documents.