# Cuda Craft Flats Skiff



## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

One of my fellow club members in Gold Coast Anglers had one of those Cuda Craft's in the seventies. Myron Shorter or something?


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

I didn't know anyone personally that owned one, but I do remember seeing them around. That quoted weight seems suspiciously low to me for that era though.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Without an inner liner, the weight might be accurate.... My '88 Maverick was listed at 735lbs and also didn't have an inner liner. I think you saved about 150lbs going that route. Of course back then that might have been just the weight of the hull without even a deck cap.... Manufacturers were always a bit dodgy about hull weights.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

> Manufacturers were always a bit dodgy about hull weights.



were? I think they still are.


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

A not so good photo of me running Myron Shorter's what I believe to be a 70's Cuda Craft


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## jhunnicu (Feb 25, 2010)

Pretty sure I saw a cuda-craft on CL lately, didn't realize they were so rare.


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## jhunnicu (Feb 25, 2010)

Ah yes here it is: http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/boa/1678087979.html


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

that boat has been on cl for over a month now if not more


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## jhunnicu (Feb 25, 2010)

Probably because its badly overpriced.


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## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

Were these pretty solid boats?  Any wood or design flaws? They look really nice...especially that one...


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## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

So...I spoke to John Emery today (the son of John Emery, the builder of the 18 Cuda Craft flats boat). He said while his father built them, they were made with Divinycell and were, in fact, the first boats made that were strictly composite. His father passed away in '85 which was the last year of the composite production (to my knowledge). Apparently, the boats were way ahead of their time.

From my understanding, the composite construction lasted from the early 80s to '85.


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## aflatsnut (Feb 12, 2010)

I know the fella you bought that from in Palm Bay...small world


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## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

> I know the fella you bought that from in Palm Bay...small world


Yeah he was a great guy and a pleasure to work with. He kept the boat up very nicely, as well as the motor. It's hard to find people who actually take care of stuff...


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## treasurecoastflyer (Aug 21, 2010)

That's my old boat...I sold it in Stuart, FL to a guy that took it to South Carolina about 3 years ago. I'm not sure he knew what he had nor appreciated it. 1985 hull, 2001 3-cyl 2-stroke 90 HP Yamaha, 2001 trailer...best rig I ever owned! Light and fast..easy to poll...owned it since 1990.


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## aflatsnut (Feb 12, 2010)

Kinda wish I had bought that skiff when I had the chance.


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## Bluegrassredfish (Mar 23, 2011)

> That's my old boat...I sold it in Stuart, FL to a guy that took it to South Carolina about 3 years ago. I'm not sure he knew what he had nor appreciated it. 1985 hull, 2001 3-cyl 2-stroke 90 HP Yamaha, 2001 trailer...best rig I ever owned! Light and fast..easy to poll...owned it since 1990.


That was me and I did know what I had!  It was particularly nice after I got that damn GHOSTBUSTER sticker off the side.  It was a great boat but had to sell for financial reasons.  It is an awesome boat.


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## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

Just a little update...I've gotten curious lately as I decided to hang on to the boat for the foreseeable future. Unless something traumatic happens, I don't know if I'll ever get rid of it.

I spoke to Raul Mas the other day, the builder of this fine craft. It was, indeed, the first flats boat built fully composite. Transom and floor are sandwiched Divinycell. Stringers are the same. His construction was clearly top notch as the boat is nearly 30 years old and still solid...well...as far as I can tell 

There were only 3 boats built in this color. 1 is no longer around (to his knowledge) and the other 2 of them went to Flip Pallot and John Emery. I thought that was pretty cool...knowing that I own one of their old boats.

Raul sold the molds after John Emery Sr.'s passing in the mid 80s and got back into boat building again in the 2000s, building the Man-O-War 17 which is now owned and built by Gause.

My plans for the boat...for now, use it. In the near future (pre-winter) I'm going to have some spray rails installed and some minor imperfections fixed. Once the boat needs a repower, assuming I have the funds, I would like to do the following:

- new poling platform
- new power (likely ETEC 90 for weight)
- remove motor bracket, reinforce transom, and mount motor inside sponsons on jackplate
- refinish and repaint and new trim on deck, floor, console, etc. (also add a small door for console)
- structural repairs (stringers, etc.) if needed
- fair and repaint hull exterior
- rewire
- refinished hatches and add hatch lid supports of some sort

I figure I'll end up dumping about $10K-$15K in it at that time. But, it'll be basically new and UNIQUE with a lot of good history. Something I can cherish and appreciate...hopefully pass on to my future kids some day. Plus a new boat of this size is $40K plus. My total investment (less normal B.O.A.T. expenses) would be about half that.

In the immediate future, I'm going to wet sand the hull and bring it back to life (and get rid of the minor oxidation where you can still make out the Ghostbuster decal that was there!). Also, I'll add the spray rails in the next couple months. I'll post pics!


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## Ginclear (Aug 11, 2013)

There is a glaring gap in the history of the Cucacraft skiff that I would like to
try and fill in for those who are interested in such esoterica . In or about 1986
an excellent fly fishing guide located in Rockport , Texas , Sam Carpenter ,
bought the molds and started building them in Texas . Using entirely composite
materials , which was rather new at the time he and his crew (some other 
guides and craftsmen from the area ) built a number of skiffs for the fly fishing
poling skiff enthusasts of the day ( which consisted of me and about 5 other
guys . ) He built a really nice one for himself - extra light with teak rod holders
and console door . It had pop up pole clips , aluminum poling and casting
platforms , guttered hatches , live bait wells with a self - circulation water
system . The boat had a white hull and ice blue decks . It was a beauty .
When Sam left Rockport and the skiff and guide business and became a
rep. for Suzuki he put his personal Cudacraft up for sale . Since I knew Sam
and had actually been on his skiff as well as one of the others , I knew the
skiff was the ultimate for what I wanted to do , and his was and probably
still is , the finest Cudacraft ever made , I and my fishing buddy partnered
up and bought it in '88 . We kept it in a boat barn near Rockport and
used it together and separately until '09 when I sold my half to my partner
and bought an '09 Waterman 18 . He is still running the Cudacraft ( with 
a 2S 90 Yamaha ) . After Sam left , another fellow whose name I don't
remember , continued making the skiffs . I remember that he made some
modifications in order to widen the appeal to the general boating public .
I don't think that strategy worked but the modifications did succeed in
running off the fly fishing market . I don't know where the molds are today .
   I would love to hear from someone who knows . They were ahead of
their time , and are still a viable skiff for today . A lot like the HB Marquesa .


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## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

> There is a glaring gap in the history of the Cucacraft skiff that I would like to
> try and fill in for those who are interested in such esoterica . In or about 1986
> an excellent fly fishing guide located in Rockport , Texas , Sam Carpenter ,
> bought the molds and started building them in Texas . Using entirely composite
> ...


Cool stuff man! Good post. Any chance you have some pictures laying around that you can post?


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## Ginclear (Aug 11, 2013)

Yes , I do have a few old pics and a couple of more recent digital shots . 
Most , if not all of them were focused on something else other than the boat 
( kid with a fish , etc. ) . I don't think I have any glamour shots . Perhaps I
can persuade my former partner to snap some and send them to me .
And then all I have to do is register on some photo sharing site and figure
out how to post them here . I'll get to work . 

I hope you will update us on your refinishing project . Do
love that old skiff . I've always thought it would be the perfect Keys skiff .


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## mwolaver (Feb 6, 2014)

Here's my $.02:
We owned a boat in the late 70's that was I believe called a 20' Cudacraft.  It the last boat built by the original Cudacraft owner, a man by the name of Ray Bond.  The boat was a battleship for a small center console: big paper and pen bottom machine, big fuel tank, twin Johnson outboards, big live well in under the deck.  Anyway, we also fished out of a 16' Cudacraft which belonged to an airline pilot friend of my dad's named Gene Rhehard.  He fished Chokoloskee almost exclusively, having grown up in the SW Florida area.  It had a 60 hp Johnson outboard and slid alarmingly in a tight turn, as I remember.  I can't remember where Ray Bond built his boats, but I believe that the next owner of the molds built them in an industrial area off Quail Roost Dr., down in the Perrine area near our house.

Love reading about these boats and the industry back in the day.  Thanks, Mark


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## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

Just an FYI I have mine for sale in the classifieds section here! Take a look and let me know if you're interested.


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## whaler76 (Apr 7, 2014)

Ran across this earlier today and hadn't heard of them. Knew microskiff would have some info on them. Sorry to drum up an old thread, but thought someone might be interested in a project (not mine).
Marketplace - 17ft Cuda craft skiff and trailer | Facebook


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Back from the dead... For those contemplating a re-build of an older skiff - just remember that any money you put into it will never come back to you in a later sale... A complete re-build of an older skiff does make sense - but only if you plan on keeping it - come what may... Every now and then I consider doing a complete re-build of my old Maverick (bought in 1988) as a bare hull then rigging from stem to stern.. by me.. all those years ago.


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