Bay Marine Ltd Lightning? Anyone know what this boat is?

[smallcal]

Okay, so found a good deal on a center console boat but have no idea what it is or where to look for help on it.  The registration MIC is BMH which is Bay Motors Ltd. and the year is listed as 1983.  No luck with GoogleFu finding anything. 

 

The owner thought it was from the 70's and the local marina called it a McKee Craft. 

 

Any help or direction to look would be appreciated. I've attached a couple of photos and the "Lightning" is in the second photo.  Please let me know if you have any ideas.  Thanks.

 

 

[MCF]

I do not think it is a Mckee Craft.   This boat looks like one, it also looks like the 17 Boston Whaler Montauk but both those boats have more curved lines in terms of hull shape. I own a Whaler myself.   It also looks like a boat that was made by MFG in the 1970s, they also made boats for Sears as well.   Look up MFG Fishing Gypsy as the model. There should be a stamped ID number on the transom, outside.  How long is the boat?  I believe this is also a Canadian boat because they use ltd a lot in Canada,  

 

The boat business is full of splash stories over the years, where they use someone else's boat as the mold.  Companies have also gone out of business very quickly over the years as well.      

[Gator]

We had an MFG tri hull on Keuka back in the 1970s that looked remarkably similar to this boat, with the exception that it was a dual console with full windshield.

 

I also found a payment notice from the province of Ontario to "Bay Marine Limited" in 1981, which jives with MCF's conjecture. But absolutely no other information, and no details regarding the company. However, I also saw that BMH is the boat builder MIC for "Bay Marine Limited", which is located in Deltaville, VA and is listed as a boat manufacturer. Not much info there either.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Gator

[lost a lure]

Run away

 

[skiff dude 42]

This is mine, still in the process of somewhat restoring. they are out of sarasota, fla

[bulletbob]

 I had a similar boat, built by a company called CMF.. It was ok, stout little hull, but certainly nothing special.. Looks like it will be a  pretty hard riding hull in a chop, but roomy and  quite stable  when still fishing or drifting as mine was.. It all depends on how much it is, and what you plan to use it for... if you plan on running fast on big rough lakes forget it, its the wrong hull.. Perch fishing, still or drift fishing, casting, a lot of slow trolling, why not?- looks like a nice roomy open hull... If its solid with a good floor and transom, its   fine  for running around in a river or lake setting... These boats were cheaply made by several companies using the same designs, and possible the same molds, using a chopper gun, NOT hand laid glass.. The hull is fine for general use, and will be easy to repair and maintain same as any other fiberglass boat.. If its priced right and suits your needs, grab it, if not there are a million other boats out there that will suit you needs.... bob

[Shakemsam]

Not an MFG! I owned a 71 Gypsy and the outside strakes of the bow hull were flat, not sharp.

 

A lot of boats in the 80's were what we called XYZ boats. Company's that bought the molds from out of business boat builders from the 70's and through a name on it.

[Shakemsam]

Here ya go! Looks like it might have been a Wellcraft hull.

 

http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/index.php?title=Lightning

[smallcal]

My original post was in 2020 so here is what happened with the boat in the original post:

 

I did buy it but found a bowrider with a blown motor right after that I purchased as well.  Swapped the 88 special from the Lightning onto the bowrider.  Replaced the floor on the Lightning and sold it without a motor.  Bowrider went 6 months later.  Just not a fiberglass guy I guess.  

 

Do not really have time to boat right now either even though I try!

[MCF]

That is the correct path, I have seen the Critchfield product, was also into bass boats for a while.