Friends,
I have found a LONE STAR aluminum hull that I've never seen here in the San Antonio suburbs & that I can find NOTHING similar to in the FiberGlassics library.
It was "stripped out" to a bare hull by the deceased previous owner, is an OUTBOARD hull & appears to have always been an OPEN design (which is to say, NOT a "cutdown" cruiser). - The PO's widow is disinterested in talking to me about the boat. ALL that she wants is some cash & the hull being OFF of her property.
(The hull appears sound, other than the plywood in the transom is rotten & in serious need of replacement.)
The overall shape of the hull LOOKS very similar to a 24 foot CRUISELINER III of the early-mid 1960s in profile but I've NOT ever seen an OUTBOARD Cruiseliner.
(Fwiw, there are millions of things that I've NOT seen, so "I've not seen" means little.)
Inasmuch as I've for numerous years wanted a BIG, BEAMY, high-sided open boat for fishing the Texas Gulf Coast, a few questions:
1. Does anyone KNOW which LONE STAR boat that it is?
(I'm wondering if the boat was a "one off" that was factory-built "on special order" for a buyer. -Both the US Army Engineer Corps & the USCG, at various times, had "custom-order" & "special order" boats made for various "special purposes".)
2. Do any of our members have a photo (or a group of photos) of what the big boat looked like when it was new?
3. Any idea of what HP outboard(s) would be suitable to power the open/outboard boat for saltwater fishing?
(The I/O Cruiseliner III usually was equipped with a 120HP MERCRUISER & OD. - I'm wondering if a PAIR of 40HP "long-foot" JOHNNYRUDES of the 1960s would be suitable for that service.)
NOTE: The Texas title information is singularly UNHELPFUL as the TPWD did NOT title boats when this boat was likely built.
Further, when the "title law" was instituted, the TPWD asked owners what their boats were & titles were commonly issued with obvious glaring errors. - For example, I know of a Texas titled & molded-plywood hull HOLMES runabout that is titled as a fiberglass hull & several boats that have "date of manufacture" that were long before or after the boatbuilder was in business.
(It seems to me that ALL that the TPWD wanted was to get every possible boat registered/titled & to GET THE MONEY, even if there was little/nothing factual in the "information" that the boat owners provided.)
(I sometimes think that the Texas title records for boats older than the mid-1970s have MORE ERRORS than FACTS.)
THANKS for reading this post. - ANYTHING that any member knows about this LARGE puzzle & that would help me restore it to "factory stock" is solicited & thankfully received.
Sincerely, Tex
Ft. Sam Houston
San Antonio 78208