Another NW BellBoy owner

Hello there,

I'm coming from large sailboats so this is a completely new adventure for me. We were looking for another sailboat when we came across a '58 16' Express for a price that eventually ended up being around $100. Sailboat can wait for a hundred dollar boat.

The boat had been sitting for a decade when we got it but wasn't a total loss. The outboard will turn over but without a fuel line I haven't had a chance to see if it actually will work. It's a '61 50hp Merc. I'm used to diesel inboard Yanmars so there may be a few questions asked on here.

I will post pics of it later today.

[Helmar]

Welcome to the group.

We have several folks (including myself) that has gone though those from stem to stern and know ever inch of the boat...

Looking forward to photos too.

Heres mine.

That's great to hear! Anybody in the PDX area?

Here it is after 8 hours of cleaning. Not bad but not great.

[Helmar]

That's great to hear! Anybody in the PDX area?

We have several folks in Oregon with me included.
I have two shops, one in Quilcene Washington and one going together in Sandy Oregon.

I am hoping to put together an introductory event in the Portland area as soon as I can get things settled down.

Here is the tread about it..

[ame="http://www.classicboatclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3893"]Roll Call for Oregon Members - Northwest Classic Boat Club Forum[/ame]

[Helmar]

Here it is after 8 hours of cleaning. Not bad but not great.

That is a rare breed. I myself have only seen 4 of those, that makes 5 in the northwest that I have seen...

Good score

[Tim_Mattson]

Another Welcome ,
Cool Boat,nicely priced.
Older trailer boats seem to have common weak spots,Bow eyes and straps ,Rear tie down loops and cleats should all get new bolts as they can fail when you are winching on/off or on road.
Had a winch stand fail as I winched a Dorsett on trailer once time,luckily had a cargo strap within reach and had a bow line to hold on to as the stand took a dive.Rainwater had collected repeatedly in the stand tube with rust weakening it until it failed with the load on a ramp.
Put the plug in and check for leaks with boat filling up inside if you don`t trust it.Takes 6 inches to match water pressure from outside.
Some "Plastexx" by Meguiar`s will clean those hazy windows up too.
Some Oregon members should be chiming in soon,Bruce Drake always shares good stuff from down south....
TimM

That is a rare breed. I myself have only seen 4 of those, that makes 5 in the northwest that I have seen...

Good score

I've definitely had a heck of a time finding any info on them. A youtube walk around video has been the best asset as to what it's supposed to look like so far. I'm guessing this forum will be a big help, too.

Another Welcome ,
Cool Boat,nicely priced.
Older trailer boats seem to have common weak spots,Bow eyes and straps ,Rear tie down loops and cleats should all get new bolts as they can fail when you are winching on/off or on road.
Had a winch stand fail as I winched a Dorsett on trailer once time,luckily had a cargo strap within reach and had a bow line to hold on to as the stand took a dive.Rainwater had collected repeatedly in the stand tube with rust weakening it until it failed with the load on a ramp.
Put the plug in and check for leaks with boat filling up inside if you don`t trust it.Takes 6 inches to match water pressure from outside.
Some "Plastexx" by Meguiar`s will clean those hazy windows up too.
Some Oregon members should be chiming in soon,Bruce Drake always shares good stuff from down south....
TimM

That's some great info, these trailers can always seem a bit sketch.

Here's a shot of the interior, plenty of work to be done. Everything appears to be original, though. Well, what's left.

[Helmar]

That's some great info, these trailers can always seem a bit sketch.

Here's a shot of the interior, plenty of work to be done. Everything appears to be original, though. Well, what's left.

I personally would put a bulkhead in with a door.
I mean if you have a woman first mate, you need a Head with some privicy

Did it have any seats in it. I see the brackets are still in place.
I can show you what it had if you don't have them..

Marty at Island Boat Shop also had one of these that he did some work on so he knows the boat inside and out too.

[BellBoyBob]

Welcome to this, the best site for Classic Glass enthusiast! Congrats on acquiring a great Bellboy. There are several members that know about this boat and can help you to restore and update in such a way that the classic appearance is not compromised but the modern amenities can be enjoyed. Here are a couple of shots of my family heirloom, purchased new by my dad in 1960. This is the Bellboy 404 Express - 19 ft. Merc 1350 for power.
Best,
Bob

[Outlaw]

that is indeed rare. nice buy. have fun working on it.

Outlaw

[BruceDrake]

Bell Boy 16

Here is a picture of the Bell Boy 16 I found on Puget Island near Longview, WA. It was $400 or $500 with a really nice vintage trailer. Somehow it wandered over to Marty land where it was restored. It had the same curved bulkhead on one side with a curtain track to close off the forward area. I have seen essentially the same model with wood panels on both sides as well. It had front seats like yours, and two aluminium and fiberglass seats at the splashwell corners. The windshield had been slightly chopped by a prior owner but was the original. Really nice lines on the boat, hard to resist. I am in Scappoose Oregon.

[TheBronze]

Congrats! I'm mid restore of a 404 Express (like Bell Boy Bobs). You have your work cut out for you!