1959 outboard houseboat - anyone ever seen one of these?

**Sinister** · 06-16-2007, 09:18 AM

axle, hitch and taillights are built into boat.
40hp Scott motor

**AirRide** · 06-17-2007, 01:32 PM

She's a dreamboat...

**150aintenuff** · 06-17-2007, 05:47 PM

i want one....

**smirnoff** · 06-18-2007, 07:43 PM

Looks Home-made To Me????

**warrior74z** · 06-18-2007, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by smirnoff

Looks Home-made To Me????

I remember a few of these on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina, in the 1960's. I feel most certain they were factory produced. Always wondered how reliable those wheel bearings would be...Reminds me of the time a boater ask my Dad for advice on why he could not plane his boat out only to find out the fellow had left the trailer strapped to his boat and un hooked the entire rig, trailer and all from his tow truck..this was in the early 60's and boating was kinda new to some around here.

**gotboostedvr6** · 06-18-2007, 11:06 PM

o_O nice

**Sinister** · 06-19-2007, 08:41 AM

It's factory made. Something like Terra Marina, Houston , Texas
Check out the horizontal springs.

**moparbarn** · 06-19-2007, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Sinister

It's factory made. Something like Terra Marina, Houston , Texas
Check out the horizontal springs.

remember seeing a houseboat like this in popular science or popular mechanics back when i was a kid. they had done an article on it, so i would beleive they were produced. i have an OLD 'dutchboy' horse trailer with springs like that. one of the best pulling/riding bumper pull trailers i have ever backed up to. that set up doesn't allow side to side motion like leaf springs do. a big plus when you have 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of horses shifting their weight while you drive. my trailer is a early 50's model, don't remember exactly. only differance i see is my axle saddles/bearing blocks sit directly under tthe frame rails, not hung on the outer edge like those. you also end up with a lower frame and floor, easier to load horses without ramps. would help give more room inside the hull with lower frame rails, too

AIRWALK

**1BadAction** · 06-19-2007, 02:50 PM

a torsion spring axle that uses steel springs instead of rubber blocks... pretty neat.

**moparbarn** · 06-19-2007, 03:46 PM

yep, and when they are fully wrapped/tight-it's the suspension stop. very simple and reliable. i would be willing to bet we have put 30,000 miles on our trailer, owned it for at least 20 years. 2 floors and 1 roof so far, no suspension issues, just wheel brngs. when we bought it, it had ball brngs. in it

! tapered roller brngs., now. it's made 2 trips from fla. to n. va. 1,100 miles one way. i like the sring version, i've heard of bonding issues on the rubber torsion style. just hope i don't need springs or other suspension parts, probably past obselete! but, i'm in big time horse country, we actually have horse trailer specific salvage yards. still don't want to have to try to find parts.

AIRWALK

**gfreeman** · 06-28-2007, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by moparbarn

remember seeing a houseboat like this in popular science or popular mechanics back when i was a kid. they had done an article on it, so i would beleive they were produced. i have an OLD 'dutchboy' horse trailer with springs like that. one of the best pulling/riding bumper pull trailers i have ever backed up to. that set up doesn't allow side to side motion like leaf springs do. a big plus when you have 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of horses shifting their weight while you drive. my trailer is a early 50's model, don't remember exactly. only differance i see is my axle saddles/bearing blocks sit directly under tthe frame rails, not hung on the outer edge like those. you also end up with a lower frame and floor, easier to load horses without ramps. would help give more room inside the hull with lower frame rails, too

AIRWALK

The company was Terra Marine or Terra Marina. They were in Houston. They purchased a number of surplus amphibious trailers after WWII and built these beauties into them. I have never seen one in person but I ahave always hoped to find one when I could affor the time and money to restore it. There is one in Montana, being restored, and I did see an ad for one in NC a while back.

i read an article sometime back about someone who found one in a barn in almost new condition. The wheel bearings would indeed be an issue.

**motorworks2** · 07-28-2007, 10:28 AM

In the late 50's my dad got the distributorship for Terra Marina Houseboats in Central Kentucky near Lake Cumberland. We had two models, I think the smaller one was about 20 ft. and the larger one about 28 ft. He took the larger one to the Louisville Boat Show around 1958 or 1959, can't remember exactly, but we pulled it with a 1956 chevy. He only sold the two and it took a long time. They didn't make them long.
I am trying to find some of the family pictures of it and will post when I do.

**oileywells** · 03-26-2008, 12:22 PM

i would like to buy something on the order as the terra marina shown here larry wells ph 817 999 8212 oileywells@aol.com

**kneeboardingtom** · 08-02-2009, 11:41 PM

I've got a 59 Terra-Marina that's for sale. The hull is in good shape, all the windows are there and intact, the transom is good, and it still has the original "ice" box in it. The read deck wood needs replaced, and the top needs to be repaires. It has leaked in near the middle of the starboard side and damaged some of the paneling, but the cabinets are in good condition. I also have brochure copies from 1959. Here's a few pic.'s...
Tom

**AirRide** · 08-03-2009, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by kneeboardingtom

I've got a 59 Terra-Marina that's for sale. The hull is in good shape, all the windows are there and intact, the transom is good, and it still has the original "ice" box in it. The read deck wood needs replaced, and the top needs to be repaires. It has leaked in near the middle of the starboard side and damaged some of the paneling, but the cabinets are in good condition. I also have brochure copies from 1959. Here's a few pic.'s...
Tom

kneeboardingtom, Welcome To Scream And Fly! What a great look'n ride! You'll fit right in here, lol.