Flatback Fireboat

[gran398]

Exciting day!!

Pulled out early this morning to meet Vince to pick up the flatback. We met in Florence, SC on I-95. Went on Google Earth last week and found a state ramp on a creek 500 yards from the interstate. So we were in business.

Vince came with his dad Al. The first pics show them pulling off the interstate, then a pic of them showing off a bragger from back home Vince, it was a sincere pleasure meeting you guys, thanks for the long pull.

The rest of the pics tell a neat story.

After crawling around on her this afternoon....it is my opinion (FWIW) that this boat was made as a custom fireboat.

It has twin factory consoles. More pics on those later. The stock 22-2 was never rigged as a dual console, center console only. The Bill of Sale states "For marine commercial use only". It was sold as a "22 foot workboat." No one even knew the brand.

In the floor, between the consoles, is a deteriorated aluminum fitting. It has a tube emanating from the bottom, going belowdecks.

The consoles....when you look closely...they are OLD. But yacht quality fit and finish. Original teak trim. The boat has exactly the same fore deck as the '66 model in the Rudder article we've been referencing.

She was set up to run for commercial use with twin above-deck gunnel tanks. The fills and vents are there. You can see on the floor what is left of the mounting pads.

The floor is not cored. Solid glass, again like the very early model referenced in the article. More on all of this later..here are the first set of pics

[gran398]

the ramp

[gran398]

Original stern rigging tube w/teak. The aft boxes were added later

[gran398]

[gran398]

The next pics show the consoles. The port one opens from the top, not sure why. Check out the fit and finish from the factory...even the screws line up, going the extra mile...old school Florida work. They are glassed in under the gunnels, teak trimmed to finish.

One of the pics shows the hole in the floor behind the starboard console. You can see the rigging tube leading into the starboard helm console. Reckon the helm seat tore out and left a hole. The foam you see is in the stringer. This  boat has foam-filled fiberglass stringers.

There is also a pic in here that stumps me...bear in mind its a commercial fireboat.

Each side of the boat has two screw-in garboard drain plugs 8 to 10 inches below the rubrail....exactly placed. I mean EXACT to the sixteenth on each side...any ideas??

[gran398]

teak trim ring, mahogany framing, starboard helm console


the hasp was added later

[gran398]

Top of the port console...it opens...why does it open? Wish we could interview Coburn.





Under-gunnel teal trim where consoles glass to hull



Saddle tank vent, and pic of forward garboard drain plug beneath rubrail

[mevince]

Was an exciting day indeed!! Great to finally meet you & thanks for lunch by the way Ive been watching this evening for your post. Nice pics. You need to mount that prize catch we brought you. Good to see your figuring some of the oddities of this flatback out. I knew it was special the first time I saw it. Glad I didnt strip it to make a CC now. Oh....both passenger side trailer tires ended up with 1/4 of the outer belt missing by the time we got back. Neither one blew after being speed tested at up to 85mph!

[gran398]

Aft (midships) garboard plug below rubrail. Four threaded garboard plugs, two per side



Fuel fill and vent for removed saddle tank



Deck fill for saddle tank



This is the circular hole in the deck with recessed fitting feeding the high pressure fire pump:

[gran398]

Was an exciting day indeed!! Great to finally meet you & thanks for lunch by the way Ive been watching this evening for your post. Nice pics. You need to mount that prize catch we brought you. Good to see your figuring some of the oddities of this flatback out. I knew it was special the first time I saw it. Glad I didnt strip it to make a CC now. Oh....both passenger side trailer tires ended up with 1/4 of the outer belt missing by the time we got back. Neither one blew after being speed tested at up to 85mph!

You guys are the best! We had great fun in a brief time

I really liked your dad too. What a hoot today...and warmest regards to him and his harem

When he whipped out the two "babe" cell phones....that tore me up

I'm tickled pink with this boat. There is little doubt it was custom made for that marina in the sixties as a fireboat. Maybe before the term "Aquasport" even existed. It has been in freshwater all of its life. Zero corrosion, and the running surface is as clean as when she left Hialeah.

The custom factory consoles...today, those custom boxes would price out at 2K plus each.

Whoever restore this boat...hope she remains original. She's a terrific slice of Americana. They may have made another or two fireboats...but am willing to bet my best dog this is the only survivor.

Thanks Vince!  

[gran398]

Starboard side rigging tube, stringer to left, 5/16ths solid glass floor, no plywood core



Rigging tube leading to side helm console



Hi/lo custom factory consoles

[GoneFission]

Cool, unique boat!     I wonder if anyone would want to keep it as original...    It's probably most valuable as a flatback rebuild fishing boat.

[gran398]

Cool, unique boat!     I wonder if anyone would want to keep it as original...    It's probably most valuable as a flatback rebuild fishing boat.

Certainly not the commercial aspect; saddle tanks, pump feed, four garboards, etc. But the side consoles...very cool, good looking, old school Palm Beach style, and functional.

Somewhere on here is a photo of an original flatback from the day with twin consoles. Looked for it this afternoon 'till I was blue in the face

And it wasn't a 240 Seahunter. It was a flatback. May have been a diver

Hope CB checks this thread ...hope I'm not crazy...

[gran398]

Something to chew on:

http://www.hammerheadlivewell.com/resto ... asport.htm

and

http://www.hammerheadlivewell.com/flatb ... g-boat.htm

Entirely different stringer system. The '68 is five plywood stringers, the '69 features trapezoid foam-filled fiberglass stringers.

From '69, our archives:

http://www.classicaquasport.com/gallery ... 69&cat=569

Since production records no longer exist...we'll figure it out on our own.

[RickK]

Maybe the garboard plugs gave them a way to connect/use a bimini that folded down inside boat out of the way?