Del VanEmmerik
Del VanEmmerik got more than he bargained for in the restoration of his 1959 CarAqua Runabout, but the end result is a real show stopper.
By Lee Wangstad
February 1, 2006
There's something so deeply personal and, at times, intriguing about the way we select our
boats. For many, it comes down to finding the right deal at the right time. For others, the
selection process can take years, with boaters sampling one model after another until the right
boat is found.
For a select few interesting individuals, the word plays a major role in the boat selecting process. For Del VanEmmerik, and have become a huge part of his vernacular.
The strange boats that were a product of the rapidly developing '50s boating boom sometimes left much to be desired in terms of quality and style. For people like Del, that market left some very interesting choices.
Many thought that Del was riding in pretty exclusive company after his first restoration, a 1959 Herter Duofoil Flying Fish, but they had no way of knowing that he had aspirations that would make the Herter seem commonplace by comparison.
"I had gotten a tip on a 1959 CarAqua from a friend," confides Del. "I knew the value of the boat and how rare it was. I've been around old cars and motorcycles long enough to know that it's the rare ones that really hold their value. I knew there weren't many of these around, especially the runabout model with the rear deck."
After buying the boat - sight unseen - Del made the 1,300-mile trek to pick up the boat. "When I got there, I discovered that it was in much worse shape than I expected," laments Del. "There was nothing good about it except that it was the boat that I wanted. As rare as it was, I knew that I had to have it, and I also knew that I could restore it."
The CarAqua was built by Marine Plastics Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Heading into the 1958 market with a boat that was designed to turn heads and make an impact, Marine Plastics didn't hold anything back. They had three models based on the same hull: the V.I.P., the Runabout and the Station Wagon. The V.I.P. utilized the Fageol Vertical Inboard Power unit based on the Crosley 4-cylinder engine. The Runabout had a twin cockpit configuration, while the Station Wagon was a utility-type boat, both using outboard power. These boats were built in very limited numbers before financial squabbles within the corporate ownership left the company without a future.
Just happy to find the rare and more deluxe Runabout model, Del found many surprises when he got the boat back home and started the long restoration process. "This boat needed everything," says Del. "When I pulled the inner floor up, there was nothing left of the balsa core reinforcing but dust. It had been stored inside a barn for the last 10 years. What was really amazing is that when I cut into the transom, it was still wet!"
After working on the boat, Del made the decision to run twin engines on the CarAqua. Finding a pair of 45-hp Scotts came fairly easy; mounting them on the boat didn't. "They were too wide to clear the fins when you turned the motors, so I extended the transom back three inches where there was more room," explains Del. "You really don't notice that it's been moved."
"I had the engines inspected from top to bottom," says Del. "They've been trouble-free ever since. During the summer I get it out at least every other weekend. The Scott engines run extremely well. The Runabout gets up to around 38 mph; I'm not disappointed in the performance at all."
Once the restoration was complete, Del took the CarAqua to a few select shows around the country, with very favorable results. "You know," relates Del, "I'd taken the Herter to different shows and never got any official recognition. I think that it's restored as well, if not better, than the CarAqua. People just seem to notice the CarAqua more. It's one of those boats that jumps out at you and says, "Hey, look at me!"
For a select few interesting individuals, the word plays a major role in the boat selecting process. For Del VanEmmerik, and have become a huge part of his vernacular.
The strange boats that were a product of the rapidly developing '50s boating boom sometimes left much to be desired in terms of quality and style. For people like Del, that market left some very interesting choices.
Many thought that Del was riding in pretty exclusive company after his first restoration, a 1959 Herter Duofoil Flying Fish, but they had no way of knowing that he had aspirations that would make the Herter seem commonplace by comparison.
"I had gotten a tip on a 1959 CarAqua from a friend," confides Del. "I knew the value of the boat and how rare it was. I've been around old cars and motorcycles long enough to know that it's the rare ones that really hold their value. I knew there weren't many of these around, especially the runabout model with the rear deck."
After buying the boat - sight unseen - Del made the 1,300-mile trek to pick up the boat. "When I got there, I discovered that it was in much worse shape than I expected," laments Del. "There was nothing good about it except that it was the boat that I wanted. As rare as it was, I knew that I had to have it, and I also knew that I could restore it."
The CarAqua was built by Marine Plastics Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Heading into the 1958 market with a boat that was designed to turn heads and make an impact, Marine Plastics didn't hold anything back. They had three models based on the same hull: the V.I.P., the Runabout and the Station Wagon. The V.I.P. utilized the Fageol Vertical Inboard Power unit based on the Crosley 4-cylinder engine. The Runabout had a twin cockpit configuration, while the Station Wagon was a utility-type boat, both using outboard power. These boats were built in very limited numbers before financial squabbles within the corporate ownership left the company without a future.
Just happy to find the rare and more deluxe Runabout model, Del found many surprises when he got the boat back home and started the long restoration process. "This boat needed everything," says Del. "When I pulled the inner floor up, there was nothing left of the balsa core reinforcing but dust. It had been stored inside a barn for the last 10 years. What was really amazing is that when I cut into the transom, it was still wet!"
After working on the boat, Del made the decision to run twin engines on the CarAqua. Finding a pair of 45-hp Scotts came fairly easy; mounting them on the boat didn't. "They were too wide to clear the fins when you turned the motors, so I extended the transom back three inches where there was more room," explains Del. "You really don't notice that it's been moved."
"I had the engines inspected from top to bottom," says Del. "They've been trouble-free ever since. During the summer I get it out at least every other weekend. The Scott engines run extremely well. The Runabout gets up to around 38 mph; I'm not disappointed in the performance at all."
Once the restoration was complete, Del took the CarAqua to a few select shows around the country, with very favorable results. "You know," relates Del, "I'd taken the Herter to different shows and never got any official recognition. I think that it's restored as well, if not better, than the CarAqua. People just seem to notice the CarAqua more. It's one of those boats that jumps out at you and says, "Hey, look at me!"
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Del VanEmmerik: Del VanEmmerik got more than he bargained for in the restoration of his 1959 CarAqua Runabout, but the end result is a real show stopper.
