I'm a relative newcomer to this forum, the reason being I just acquired an Invader from my brother-in-law, and brought it home to Idaho from Indiana last week.
I've been searching for information on the boat since about May. I knew the company had likely gone out of business (Invader, Giddings, Texas); in an unrelated tangent, I also had incomplete information from my brother-in-law about the boat, which temporarily sent me on a wild goose chase looking for information on a totally different boat.
This Invader Capri 15 boat is a 15' tri-hull runabout. The hull number on the boat begins with XVA. It presently has a Mercury 650 outboard on the back (I don't know if it is the original, but the serial number seems to indicate that it is contemporary with the boat, at least within a year or so). The plaque mounted near the driver's seat indicates a maximum payload of 1365 lbs, and a maximum engine horsepower of 85 hp. At one time it had an integral fuel tank, but that is no longer present, and I have a portable plastic 6.6 gallon fuel tank sitting in the back instead (the original chrome fuel cap and mounting assembly is present on the left-rear top corner of the boat, as well as the fuel vent on the side of the hull). There is a bilge pump, but I'm not sure if it's original (I don't think so). The boat has navigation lights on front and rear, and the instrument panel includes tachometer, speedometer, and fuel gauge, all of which appear original to the boat. The passenger console includes a glove box.The hull is cream colored, and the top horizontal surfaces as well as the painted surfaces in the cabin are brown metal-flake. The original Invader logo is present on the rear quarter of the hull on each side of the boat, and an Invader decal can be found on each side of the boat, directly below the side windows. A canvas top for the cabin area as well as canvas covers also came with the boat. I haven't fully explored them, but I know for a fact that there is a cover for the bow seating area; the other canvas covers are awaiting attention, but I'm more interested in getting the boat on the water right now, and will revisit them later.
Between the information above and the pictures I'm able to attach, I hope this can serve as a reference for other Invader runabout owners looking for information on or validation of what they have. I know I searched long and hard, and this forum proved to be the best source of information on Invader boats of this vintage. For those who might be interested, I have many higher-resolution pictures available upon request, but no other original documentation of any kind.
Although I've not decided what to ultimately do with this boat, it is possible that I'll attempt a restoration after the end of this boating season (in the automotive world it would be called a frame-off restoration, can anyone suggest what the boating equivalent might be?). I do have to keep it in the family, it's kind of a family heirloom, or curse, depending on how you look at it.
Best Regards!
Brian
I've been searching for information on the boat since about May. I knew the company had likely gone out of business (Invader, Giddings, Texas); in an unrelated tangent, I also had incomplete information from my brother-in-law about the boat, which temporarily sent me on a wild goose chase looking for information on a totally different boat.
This Invader Capri 15 boat is a 15' tri-hull runabout. The hull number on the boat begins with XVA. It presently has a Mercury 650 outboard on the back (I don't know if it is the original, but the serial number seems to indicate that it is contemporary with the boat, at least within a year or so). The plaque mounted near the driver's seat indicates a maximum payload of 1365 lbs, and a maximum engine horsepower of 85 hp. At one time it had an integral fuel tank, but that is no longer present, and I have a portable plastic 6.6 gallon fuel tank sitting in the back instead (the original chrome fuel cap and mounting assembly is present on the left-rear top corner of the boat, as well as the fuel vent on the side of the hull). There is a bilge pump, but I'm not sure if it's original (I don't think so). The boat has navigation lights on front and rear, and the instrument panel includes tachometer, speedometer, and fuel gauge, all of which appear original to the boat. The passenger console includes a glove box.The hull is cream colored, and the top horizontal surfaces as well as the painted surfaces in the cabin are brown metal-flake. The original Invader logo is present on the rear quarter of the hull on each side of the boat, and an Invader decal can be found on each side of the boat, directly below the side windows. A canvas top for the cabin area as well as canvas covers also came with the boat. I haven't fully explored them, but I know for a fact that there is a cover for the bow seating area; the other canvas covers are awaiting attention, but I'm more interested in getting the boat on the water right now, and will revisit them later.
Between the information above and the pictures I'm able to attach, I hope this can serve as a reference for other Invader runabout owners looking for information on or validation of what they have. I know I searched long and hard, and this forum proved to be the best source of information on Invader boats of this vintage. For those who might be interested, I have many higher-resolution pictures available upon request, but no other original documentation of any kind.
Although I've not decided what to ultimately do with this boat, it is possible that I'll attempt a restoration after the end of this boating season (in the automotive world it would be called a frame-off restoration, can anyone suggest what the boating equivalent might be?). I do have to keep it in the family, it's kind of a family heirloom, or curse, depending on how you look at it.
Best Regards!
Brian
