Early Skagit Cleat saga

[Kelly]

So I was out on the water today in a Skagit 14 when suddenly and randomly another Skagit 14 (fisherman/utility model) showed up at the boat ramp. It was a 1957. The gentleman said it was a '56 but the gelcoat was the '57 style and my research leads me to believe it to be a '57.

It was 80% original. The bench seats were gone and some late 70s back to back seats were installed. There was also a steering wheel installed...in the center. Unique but not original as the fisherman model didn't have a steering wheel installed (in the brochure it didn't).

Anyway, long story short and the real reason for this post; this other 14 had the original cleats installed and they were the exact same ones that are installed on my '58 hardtop! I've always believed the hardtop cleats were original to the boat, never swapped out because there's no indication on the gelcoat of any replacement holes etc...

This is important. Why? Because this 14 is a '57 and I've always believed my '58 hardtop was a very early '58 that potentially had '57 leftovers on it. Today confirms my initial thoughts on this topic. Later '58 and up models used the more art-deco style that most know today.

Proof is in the pictures!
My Hardtop, note the stamping:
IMG_6491.jpgIMG_6489.jpg

The '57, note the stamping:
20171016_141308.jpg20171016_141310.jpg

[Helmar]

So I was out on the water today in a Skagit 14 when suddenly and randomly another Skagit 14 (fisherman/utility model) showed up at the boat ramp. It was a 1957. The gentleman said it was a '56 but the gelcoat was the '57 style and my research leads me to believe it to be a '57.

It was 80% original. The bench seats were gone and some late 70s back to back seats were installed. There was also a steering wheel installed...in the center. Unique but not original as the fisherman model didn't have a steering wheel installed (in the brochure it didn't).

Anyway, long story short and the real reason for this post; this other 14 had the original cleats installed and they were the exact same ones that are installed on my '58 hardtop! I've always believed the hardtop cleats were original to the boat, never swapped out because there's no indication on the gelcoat of any replacement holes etc...

This is important. Why? Because this 14 is a '57 and I've always believed my '58 hardtop was a very early '58 that potentially had '57 leftovers on it. Today confirms my initial thoughts on this topic. Later '58 and up models used the more art-deco style that most know today.

Proof is in the pictures!
My Hardtop, note the stamping:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15035[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]15036[/ATTACH]

The '57, note the stamping:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]15037[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]15038[/ATTACH]

Some times its hard to know what they used and when. Seems is what they had handy at times.

I know of the 14 Utility/fisherman model which was most common, then they had one that is a Double cockpit model, no clue on what its called, but Marty Loken had one stored at my place in Quilcene for several years.
Then they made the 14 Skagt, at least in 1959 that was called the Sportster.
It resembled the insides of the Skagit Skimaster, just a tad smaller boat. Lets see if I can dig up some pictures of the Sportster..

[Kelly]

I like those gelcoat colors together, blue/white.

From all off the pictures I've looked at (a ton) I feel like I'm tracking in the right direction, at least with my hardtop assessment.