# Fibercraft



## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

The earliest reference I've found to FiberCraft Mfg, is back in 1958.
Fibercraft hulls were used by many of the original guides as flats boats.
Flat bottom hulls with a vee entry to cut the chop.
Stu Apte's "Mom's Worry IV" is one of those.








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Apte worked with the FiberCraft boat company designing boats.

Vic Dunaway, outdoors writer for the Miami Herald Newspaper, had one of the early fishing hulls.
Pictures of that boat showed up in many of his articles.
These photos are from 1961.








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1961 and already the setup of the basic flats skiff is apparent.
Small side console, bow casting deck, stern casting deck and horizontal rod storage.


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

Thanks Brett! I heard from a good friend/mentor of mine that Capt. Ken Collette also ran about the bay in a Fiber... Trying to get more info on that.

There is a great article by Jan Fogh about the Evolution of the flats boat... Trying to find a copy and get permission to post it here...


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

This is a 1962 FiberCraft, images captured from craigslist.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

This link is to a 1968 Fibercraft restoration:

http://www.classicseacraft.com/forum/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=32647&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=11&o=


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

And then there's this item of boat porn that is amazing...

http://www.classicseacraft.com/joeyfibercraft/index.html


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

That last one is one that Karl built... The toerail is one piece of teak!


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

From a story I read on Capt. Karl's website, NativeSkiff.com (now gone)
he was going to produce a line of custom flats skiffs from a mold taken from his old boat.
The model was going to be called the Flamingo Skiff.
That was back in 2004, but health issues interfered.


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

Here is a picture of one of the original "Natives" 1965 Fiber Craft


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

Karl's love is alive and now produced by Ankona as the Native Skiff. Challenger front end and Fibrecraft aft. Truely a great skiff offering. Mr Gloekner put his love of all is good into the design. 



> From a story I read on Capt. Karl's website, NativeSkiff.com (now gone)
> he was going to produce a line of custom flats skiffs from a mold taken from his old boat.
> The model was going to be called the Flamingo Skiff.
> That was back in 2004, but health issues interfered.


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

I've been in contact with the son of the man who started FiberCraft. He sent some great old pix and wanted to share. I'm trying to get him to join and share his knowledge.



> Here are a few pictures of the 14' FiberCraft skiff that I located. I'm the little guy driving with my brother. In one of the shots my mom, dad, sister and brother are in the little runabout and I'm in the back of the fisherman with Bill Amin and his wife. You can see how the boat evolved from a fisherman with no deck to a sunken front deck to different runabout decks. Notice the little tail fins after the 1955 Cadillac.
> The boat with the cement on it was done on a tv show to show how strong fiberglass was. It was new in the early 50's. They had to stop loading more bags on the boat as the cradle was breaking.


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## james_bingham3 (Oct 22, 2009)

great pics


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## backlashnpcola (May 26, 2008)

I own a 1958 fibercraft I gutted it added 8" stringers foam filled it (2pt foam)Glassed in a new marine grade plywood floor Sank a 12gal tank up front under the casting platform and built a center console for it I use it to fish pensacola bay as much as I can great stable fishing platform


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## anytide (Jul 30, 2009)

this thread has some great picts.
got any picts. or your sled ,backlash???????
-anytide


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## franklin.howell (Aug 11, 2009)

Those are very cool pictures . Remind me of a gentler time here in South Florida.


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

To bad that more people have not gotten a ride in the old style hulls. They ran much better than one may think. I'm still tuned in to them via my memories of using them in the seventies. The new high tech build materials and few tweaks to one of these old hull designs would produce a unbelievable package. The greatest accessory item that came down the pike has been trim tabs and they have helped many fairly good hulls such as the Challengers, Fibercrafts, etc, to become shining stars.


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## james_bingham3 (Oct 22, 2009)

just out of curiosity does the 15 johnsen share the same mold or just a lot of common design features like alot of newer boats when compared to the older models


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## billhempel (Oct 9, 2008)

Just maybe, Jan can find that out through his aquaintence with the FiberCraft folks.


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## intowishin (May 10, 2010)

My old Fibercraft '19


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## lularuth (Jul 12, 2015)

iMacattack said:


> I've been in contact with the son of the man who started FiberCraft. He sent some great old pix and wanted to share. I'm trying to get him to join and share his knowledge.


I have a 1955 or 56 14'6" fiber craft like the white one in the 2 nd pic also the model in the last pic the one in color. I am looking for info on it from these story's there are only a few left in Florida I would like info on how to date it. Any help would be great.


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## lularuth (Jul 12, 2015)

billhempel said:


> Just maybe, Jan can find that out through his aquaintence with the FiberCraft folks.


I have a 1955 14'6" fiber craft back water boat that rides like a dream! I am getting the date from pictures only. I would love info on it, people are saying there is only a few left and I would love to be able to date it and value it. I am looking for help with either of those questions. Thank you. I am attaching a picture of the model I have.


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## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

The bow of this Fibercraft














looks just like a pic of the Ankona Native SUV when it is running.


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## Flatbroke426 (May 5, 2018)

GREAT! old boats. I've been looking for an old one to rebuild.


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## lularuth (Jul 12, 2015)

iMacattack said:


> Thanks Brett! I heard from a good friend/mentor of mine that Capt. Ken Collette also ran about the bay in a Fiber... Trying to get more info on that.
> 
> There is a great article by Jan Fogh about the Evolution of the flats boat... Trying to find a copy and get permission to post it here...


Guys I read all this talk about fiber craft but nobody can seem to tell about my 14'6 fiber craft that i fish every week! I wanna know what to do with it in the future as it seems it may be one only a few left and maybe gather a value on it also. I hope someone reads this and can help me out with a few questions.


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## lularuth (Jul 12, 2015)

My 14'6 fiber craft hull number 1461


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Do whatever you like with it. Looks like it is in good shape except for the back bench.

As for the value - it is whatever you can sell it for. There certainly is no collectors value even if it was the last one in existence - unless you happen to stumble on a millionaire who just has to have it for his grand kids because that is the boat he had as a kid.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

a little harsh DN. but true.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

its funny how many of the old pics show tiller motors with remote steering but they left the tillers in place.


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## Mako 181 (May 1, 2020)

Old Posty
My dad had a 1959 16' Fibercraft that he got out of Capt Ted Naftle. It came without a motor so dad bought the biggest outboard made by Johnson in 1963. 40 HP Tiller. 
Old pic of dad in boat and me with my first snook around 10 years old.


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