Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

Please help me identify this mystery fiberglass tri-hull? I don?t have a way to upload a pic right this second but I can describe the hull and would appreciate any help. A year supply of thank yous goes to the winner.

I posted the question a couple days ago as I just joined this forum looking for answers to refurbishing an old bass boat but never had any replies, other than someone that suggested using it as a giant flower pot if it was an old boat that used wood under glass as subfloor or in transom?

I bought it a couple days ago when a friend told me about what he thought was an aluminum boat, got a descent price since the trailer was worth it by itself so Bought it anyway. Here?s the problem ? On the hand written bill of sale ? says Monark , but on registration says Monarch. On registration says 15? as advertized by the seller ? but my tape measure says 14?. So unless I have a magically shrinking boat hull ? it?s wrong too.

Are there to different manufactures with Mon Ark vs Monarch? It gets better - on the sign and the seller said verbally it was made in ?79, but the registration doesn?t have a year shown, and on the bill of sale had hand written ?unknown? as year.

The serial number is 64320 if that helps. The Model says Mark I (not sure if it roman number 1, or capital ?I?, but when I Google it ? I get ?No Results? for keywords Monark Mark 1, as it says on the transom tag. I get everything from Noah?s Ark to a contortionist Arching her back ? but no boat.

Forgive my lack of natical terminology - but I'll try my best to describe it. It?s completely open from Bow to stern, with a fiberglass storage box on the port side about 12?x 4?. Starboard side had raised fiberglass pedestal mounted about 2? forward of the stern, screw holes for where I assume the controls were mounted directly in front, and then another small storage compartment about 12? x 18?. The deck extends from stern to bow for 8? and steps up about 6? to accommodate bow curvature with another approximately 4? platform with a pedestal mounted in the center for trolling. I know I could have saved a thousand words with a pic ? but appreciate any help you guys could offer to a boating newbie trying to learn by doing my first boat refurbish project.

Any help with specs ? how much weight it can handle, will an old 30 hp Johnson will be enough to push it, how many ppl can I take fishing, limits, what was the original layout, etc.

Although I thought it was solid when I bought it, there are a couple places near the stern that sag and sound like I?m walking on rice crispies ? so it looks like I?ll be doing a lot of searches and reading about replacing the floor. Thanks in advance guys! - TJ

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

Both Monark and Monarch are/were boat manufacturers. Monark is still in business and specializes in aluminum boats and pontoons http://www.monarkmarine.com/ Probably not your make. Monarch was a fiberglass boat company that (as far as I know) as been defunct for several decades. Little information is available about them.

A HIN (Hull Identification Number) would help greatly. Located in the upper to mid Right corner of the transom (back) of the boat.

Crunchy should only apply to your breakfast cereal.. not the sole of your boat. If you can hear and feel it that bad already you are probably in deeper than you want to be. Rotten floors/soles usually mean rotten stringers, transom, etc... BIG, frustrating project, check out some of the projects in the restoration forum http://forums.iboats.com/forumdisplay.php?f=22 Good luck.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

KW - thanks for the quick reply.

It looks like I'll probably have to gut it out completly in the spring down to the stringers to restore it correctly , would be a good winter project if I had a garage ,but fortunitly there are a lot of posts here with repairing floors and transoms. I know It'll cost quite a bit and take a lot of reading for each step -but will be a learning experince. I can't wait to land a couple of those bass that keep mocking me just outside my off-shore casting range. I'll probably improvise till then with a quick fix so I can get some fishing in while I can.

As for the HIN it is 64320 according to the registration, and says it's the "serial" number on the bill of sale. It also says "Montecello Ark" on the tag - but when i do a search - just gives me a town in Arkasas. Frustrating!

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

hull id # should be on the outside of the transom, upper, starboard side. that will get you the best results.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

The length you measure may not match the bill because of the way they measure length on boat. It is measured around the outside gunnel not from the transom to the bow in a straight line.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

MidMichigan said:

As for the HIN it is 64320 according to the registration, and says it's the "serial" number on the bill of sale. It also says "Montecello Ark" on the tag - but when i do a search - just gives me a town in Arkasas. Frustrating!

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Maybe you're looking for the former MonArk Boat Co. that is/was based in Monticello, AR (hence the MonArk moniker). It is now known as SeaArk and their website is http://www.seaark.com/

I don't know if they build in fiberglass. Might be worth it to give them a call with your HIN, etc.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

joed said:

The length you measure may not match the bill because of the way they measure length on boat. It is measured around the outside gunnel not from the transom to the bow in a straight line.

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Huh??? I've never heard that and everything I have ever seen says that boat length is measured in a straight line from bow to stern.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

Does it look like this??

this was a 1975 MonArk McFast 7 it was 16' long


Go thru all the years under MonArk Boat Co, and see if you can find yours.

http://www.nadaguides.com/default.aspx?l=1&w=24&p=38&f=5692&gc=MR&gtc=MR&ml=M&pg=4

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

109jb said:

Huh??? I've never heard that and everything I have ever seen says that boat length is measured in a straight line from bow to stern.

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Nowadays, yes thats how you measure them. but back then, they measured them like that.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

In the end, I don't think it matters who made it or what it is called. Parts are all purchased after market for all except the newest boats or those with custom made fittings (if the manufacturer or its dealers maintain and inventory like Boston Whaler).

Rebuild it, register as is and enjoy it. It is not really worth the time to try to figure it out.

Enjoy the project,
Dan

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

Tashasdaddy ? the hull ID on this is on the Inside Transom, on this one and on the Port side ? it reads from top to bottom:
Mon Ark Boat Co
Monticello, ARK
Model No: MARK I
Srial No: 64320

Joed ? thanks for the measuring tip but confusing when looking at fee charges and measured differently by Michigan DNR. According to their Boating Hanbook undr ?Vessel Length Classes? it says ?length is measured from tip of bow in srtaight nine to stern. This does not include outboard motors, bracket, ??ect?. There are fees for less than 16, and increases from 16? to less than 26?, and although wouldn?t apply in this case ? would be confusing if it measured 15 in sraight line, but 16? with outher method around gunnel. Do I have it right ? when selling a boat sellers measure outside for longer measurement, but for DNR fee purposes measure in straight line? Sorry ? I?m new to this and clarification would help.

109jb ? do I disreguard the different measuring comment? Doen?t make sence to me ? measure around the side and only adds about 2? ? still a 14 footer ? unless I find a magical boat strecher, or a tape measure that starts at 12?.

MrDancer ? thanks for the SeaArk tip ? will look into it.

Fishing Dan ? thanks for the advice ? But I?m also trying to find the original layout, and specs. I'd like to rebuild it as close to the original as possible. It's basically a blank slate, had some cobble-job loking repairs done in the past - but I'm confident I can do it a lot better with the advise of the experts here.

Randal106 ? It looks simular to the McFast but mine is shorter, more rounded in front, butt McNaked, and still trying to find it?s orgins. I can?t believe none of the experts here have never hadone of these models somewhere ? mine must be an orphan.

Here?s another question, at the expence of exposing my lack of boating knowlwdge. The stern is boxed off and there?s a 6? high glassed baord upright separating the walking area from the back where one would put the fuel, etc (don?t know what that area is called) But in the center there is a 6? x 12? recessed area and a drain plug in the center bottome of th transome, as expectd ? but there are also 2 more, to the right and that left sides of the recessed area to dair from unde the deck? Does that mean there was livewells originally and they were useds for draiage? If not why are they there? If someone left the plugs out, water would flow to the stern, and be contained it that area untill it drained undre the deck filling it with water.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

MidMichigan said:

109jb ? do I disreguard the different measuring comment? Doen?t make sence to me ? measure around the side and only adds about 2? ? still a 14 footer ? unless I find a magical boat strecher, or a tape measure that starts at 12?.

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I would say yours is a 14 foot boat. For all practical purposes it is anyway. I'm not saying anyone is wrong, but I have never heard of a boats length being measured around the gunwale. I'm not as into all the history as many on this forum are, but I have been boating since I was a kid (I'm 43 now). It just doesn't make any sense. As far as them doing it that way back then (1979 for your boat), I have a 1974 Starcraft and its length is measured front to back in a straight line. After it was mentioned that they used to measure them around the gunwale, I did some searching on the net and could find nothing anywhere that says that anyone did it that way. Doesn't mean they didn't, but I could find no reference. If anyone has a reference, I really would like to see it for my own education.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

OK. Since it's important to you, I went to www.nadaguides.com and went year by year. The only year there was a Mark I model was 1973. It is a 14' fiberglass trihull boat, like yours.

That's the only year that model shows up, so it sounds like you've got one of those titles that started out as one boat and ended up as another. It's pretty common.

You can see the specs at:

http://www.nadaguides.com/default.a...y=1973&ml=M&z=34135&gc=MR&gtc=MR&d=1600122564

I hope that helps. At least you'll know what year it really is. I couldn't find any photos of that model, but that's not unusual. 14' trihull fishing boats just aren't that interesting to collectors, so there are few photos of them.

Good luck with your trihull.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

CATransplant Thanks!

Called Sea Ark - and they had nothing available for info. Just Said Mon Ark stopped making fiberglass in '88. Guess I'll have to forget about the original layout and just rebuid what works for me.

Any ideas on why it has three plugs in the stern area? One in the transom to drain boat, but two more on either side of recessed area.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

A lot of those boats had live wells. My old Glastron V-147, another trihull, had a drain in the bottom of the boat for the livewell. Used the same size plug as the transom's bilge drain. Actually, they weren't for draining the livewells, but for filling them. Once you were in the water, you could pull the plugs, and the water would rise in the well to the level equal to the waterline of the boat. You drained them through the same plug when the boat was on the trailer.

They worked OK, as long as the livewell was intact. If it had a leak, though, you ended up with water below the deck, leading to rot and soaked foam.

Probably, your boat had livewells where those drain plug are located.

I can't see your boat, but I imagine it is a typical trihull fishing or fish and ski boat for the period. Most are more or less rectangular in shape, with rounded corners at the bow. Most have a side console, with seating next to that. Some have stern seating, with storage or livewells under the fold up seats.

They're stable fishing platforms, but were built very cheaply. Many don't even have stringers under the deck, but use foam for stiffness as well as flotation. That they have survived for 30+ years is a credit to their simplicity of design.

It's not hard to restore one, even if the foam is soaked. If you remove the bumper trim from around the perimeter of the boat, the upper half of the boat, usually including a fiberglass deck, will lift off. The foam and any stringers can be replaced. Often, the transom isn't a full transom, but is, instead, a solid wood panel across the top of the transom, with an extension down into the bilge.

Horsepower ratings for the 14-15' boats is generally 35-50 hp. 35 is plenty, and will push the boat to the mid 20 mph range.

In chop, they're quite slappy, but they're easy to fish from, due to their almost rectangular shape. Good small water fishing boats. They plane quickly and work out well as fishing boats.

Good luck with yours.

Re: Mon Ark OR Monarch ? Model doesn't exist? What the H*** did I just buy? Augh!

CATransplant - thanks. Sounds exacly like what I have - a floating rectangle. I'll look for posts of those that have done it. Not sure how to remove the bumper and even though the boat is butt ugly untill I put some serious work into it - at least it's unique if only made for one year. just don't want to damage the bumper when I do it.

So it is two formed fiberglass molds connected by rivets or bolts, concealed by the bumper if I undertand you correctly? If it is supposed to weigh 500 lbs, I probly have a couple hundred lbs of added weight in underneath. Another benift is that I could flip and paint the bottom much easier once apart. Thanks Again. - TJ