fiberglass trihull possible purchase

[superflydudebike]

Looking at a 14' fiberglass trihull from 70's. Made by Shell Lake, but has Lund sticker on outside of boat. Has not been used since early 90's. Looks structually sound, but has been stored upside down on supports outdoors. It is heavy. I have a 15 HP Evinrude that I would put on it. Will this push this boat along at a decent speed? The boat is rated for up to 20 HP. Will all this outdoor storage have adverse effect on fiberglass? I looked at this at night, so I just wanted some input before returning to see it in daylight. I can get it for next to nothing, but I'm thinking that an alum. boat may be a better choice. I have a 12' alum. now and I want something a bit larger and more suited for fishing and taking family out for rides. Thoughts on this type of boat?

 

[EJ3]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

I think a 15hp motor will move you along quite well on a 14' fiberglass. I have a 12' v-hull, fiberglass, and a 9.8hp motor moves my father, myself and fishing gear nicely. It's no speed demon but it gets us up on a plane. Before that I had a 5hp motor and it didn't quite do the trick. I fell confident that if I put a 3rd person in the 12' w/9.8hp it would still plane, but never tried. I personaly would take the fiberglass over an alum. The reason being that repairs can be done without a welder.

I do believe that over time fiberglass will lose its integrity being exposed to the elements. The only thing I can suggest is standing/applying pressure to the fiberglass and listen for any cracking noises and visual signs of weakness. Hope this helps!

 

[fishdog4449]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

what is the beam?
I would double check that rating, seems very low to me. A 15 seems very underpowered I had a Evinrude 35 on my 14' Lonestar fiberglass and it was a bit underpowered (boat was rated for a 40).

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

can you post a picture of it. i've had a 14 ft malibu open fisherman, that the 1955 15hp pushed very well.

 

[superflydudebike]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

No pictures, but I'm pretty sure that the plate said 20 HP max. The guy selling it said that he had a 9.5 Johnson on it and that pushed it around okay. I'm considering it because it has a flat floor, unlike my 12' Mirrocraft. I thought Shell Lake boats were supposed to be pretty good.

 

[Solittle]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

Make sure that you check for rot.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

If it's from the 70's even though it's a fiberglass it may have wooden stringers inside. Being stored upside down would probably be good for them. But, until you flip it over and check how good the floor feels you really have no idea. It might be the deal of the century. But, Better take a closer look before committing to a project that may be bigger then you think.

Remember, I'm new here and, new to boating. I have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm just saying take a closer look, in daylight.

Hope it works out good for you.

 

[oops!]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

after you check out the transom and floor!!!!
remember that in rougher waters (1 foot chop) a tri hull will tend to bounce you around.
i dont think rough water will be much of a factor. ti sounds like you will be in a sheltered lake.
the more freeboard the better!

good luck
oops

 

[hibbert6]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

I have to agree that the 20hp rating seems awfully low. My 15'tri hull is rated for 85hp, though I have a 65hp. It's way more than you'd need for just fishing, but still...

I have to commend you on wanting to go with a tri hull, though. Lots of room to spread out, and very stable when not moving. It will bounce you around in choppy water at plane, though I've never trolled in mine so I don't know what that's like.

The floor is critical, though. I had a soft spot in mine - took me 2 months to do a 20 hour repair job, 'cuz I didn't know what I was doing. I worried too much about doing the wrong thing. A pretty big project for a first-timer.

Good luck!

Dave

 

[Texasmark]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

What does it gain you to get something for nothing that you may not be happy with? Once you spent the money (for what you want) it's gone. Only thing left is the enjoyment of your purchase rather than kick yourself for a bad decision.

Way under powered for that kind of boat in my opinion having had 2. 45 hp wasn't even enough for one of mine which was a 16' Chrysler Sport Fury. These particular tri-hulls were probably the lightest anyone ever built.......and rode like it too.

Get a semi-V alum open fishing boat to hang your 15 hp on and enjoy it.

Mark

 

[superflydudebike]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

Thanks for the input. Actually, the lake that I use most often is very shallow and it is rare for the water to be calm. Often it has fairly good wave action. My dad had a trihull similar to this one with a 15 HP Johnson on it. Believe it or not, I actually tried to waterski behind it once. Not advisable. He eventually put a 25 HP on it. I think the aluminum boat with a V shaped hull sounds like the plan. My circa 1964 12' Mirro has a rather deep V and it knifes through the waves pretty well. It just tends to rock quite a bit when anchored or drifting. The boat was stored for forty years in my father-in-law's machine shed. He won it and used it once or twice. It is in excellent condition.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

If rocking while fishing bothers you on the alum hull, position the boat such that it's fore and aft to the waves and you'll minimize that. 2 anchors will do that, or if drifting, use the engine as a tiller, or drag a sea anchor and attach it wherever it gives you the best angle and smoothest fishing.

Mark

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

my 14' MFG is rated for 50hp. why such a difference?

 

[superflydudebike]

Re: fiberglass trihull possible purchase

I may go back and look at this boat again in the daylight. If I do, I will recheck HP rating and get back to those folks that are up at night worrying about this. This boat does not have very high sides. I was able to lift up the back end on my own, so perhaps it is lower profile than most?