New member

[Garry Painter]

I'm interested in finding out how many are still around and interested in how many were made.

I would estimate that about 100 out of the approximately 25,000 manufactured, still exist.

[1956 Burchcraft]

Might I ask how you came to that estimate Garry?

[Garry Painter]

Might I ask how you came to that estimate Garry?

It's based upon a couple of things:

1. The number of Burchcraft owners that have contacted me (~27)
2. Boats registered as "Burchcrafts" in the states of Oregon & Washington (~190, back in 2002)

I have have also never seen a random Burchcraft on the water. They are quite rare.

The 25,000 number came from a 1959 newspaper article.

I liken Burchcrafts to a NW version of the VW Beetle. Great entry level boats. Everyone who owned one loved it. And now, they are almost all gone.

And being made out of wood, they disintegrate a whole lot faster than a bug.
So, there may be fewer than 28 left.

[Garry Painter]

Wait a minute, this is your boat, isn't it:



I'm afraid, that you caught me at a bad time.

[1956 Burchcraft]

Yes that is my boat and after hearing your information I'm really glad that I keep it in our garage. I know one thing I will never give it up.

[Garry Painter]

Yes that is my boat and after hearing your information I'm really glad that I keep it in our garage. I know one thing I will never give it up.

There should be a law against people buying wooden boats who don't have garages. I have 5 wooden boats and no garage. People have told me I should be in prison. Maybe, but if people would stop selling them for $500 each, I'd stop buying them.

Two main reasons they are so cheap.
1. The wife told me I have too many boats. She told me to keep the prettier one.
2. Grandpa died. Do you want his boat? I would keep it, but I want a jet ski.

ps. I've declined the last two offers to buy people's Burchcrafts. I may be an insane criminal, but I know I don't have any spare room in the back yard, nor the side yard.

[1956 Burchcraft]

That sounds about right. I only have the one that was my grandpa's that I got last year from my uncle, I had to keep going over there and ask him what he was going to do with it, and finally he told me I could have it since it was taking up yard space and that he was probably never going to restore it since it had been sitting for 23 years rapped up in many layers of tarps. It's on the original 1956 TeeNee boat trailer it was bought with and has only seen saltwater once according to my uncle, My grandpa said it was to much work to take it in saltwater, so it has been a freshwater boat. I was told a little about Burchcraft boats by a guy at Belfair Marine, he hadn't seen any in years and was amazed by the condition. When I restored it I had to sand it all the way down to the bare wood because all the paint was flaking off so since I had it that far why not take all the old sealing off and reseal it to, so it has all new sealing, filler, and paint. As for the trailer all I had to do with it was lightly sand, paint, and repack the wheel bearings. As for licensing, the boat was not a problem, the trailer on the other hand was a challenge because it was out off the system for so long that the trailer title had to be redone, thankfully we had the old title. And now all we use the boat for is lake fishing.

[1956 Burchcraft]