Bought a Larson tri-hull, but can't seem to figure out what it is.

[jgrote]

Hello there forum. I bought what I was told is a 1980 Larson 18ft tri-hull. However, I think it's quite a bit older than that. There isn't any hull number on it on the outside of the transom. I found a tag on the inside of the transom with a 6 digit id number on it. It has a 120hp i/o in it, and the engine numbers date it to between 1975 and 1978. As soon as I reach the magic number of posts, I'll post some pics. However, if you all have any info on how to find out what I actually bought, please let me know.

 

[Scott Danforth]

first, welcome aboard

second, what does the bill of sale and the registration say it is?

third, many times without proper paperwork, you have a yard planter

4th, buying a 41 year old boat anyway makes it a project. expect to dump in about $5000 to restore the hull and interior

5th, no HIN on the outside and only a 6 digit serial number on the inside makes it older than 1972.

6th, see if you can return the boat, first, you dont have the proper paperwork, the boat is much older than you were told it is, its going to cost you a fair amount of coin to make it seaworthy.

 

[jgrote]

Well, that's a little doom and gloom. This isn't my first rodeo, just my first Larson. Registering a boat in my state is not nearly as difficult as you make it sound. The boat runs and drives as is. I really don't care if it's a 1980, 1972, or 1968. I pulled it out today and started it up, ran it up to temp, and made sure everything works. Then I got everything organized and made sure I have all the needed gear. She's ready for the lake. While cleaning, I found out that it's a Larson Shark. So I guess my next bit of research will be finding out what years Larson made the Shark in 18ft, tri-hull, and I/O.

FWIW, the floor is solid, the engine purrs, and the upholstery is ok for it's age. And it floats. I guess that's probably the most important attribute of a boat.

 

[jgrote]

So after more digging here, (and the use of a tape measure), I have figured out that it is a 1977 Larson Shark 16.5'. This fits better with the info I found on the engine and drive. Now I just need to figure out where Larson put their HIN's in 1977. This site is pretty darn cool. Time for more digging...

 

[jgrote]

Now that I have the magic number of posts, here's a couple of pics. As you can see, this tag is on the inside of the transom. It's the only thing I can find.

 

[GA_Boater]

Take a pic of the entire stern. By 1977, HINs were the law for 5 years. In my no title state, the registration paperwork for my sticker has the HIN.

 

[jgrote]

Take a pic of the entire stern. By 1977, HINs were the law for 5 years. In my no title state, the registration paperwork for my sticker has the HIN.

It's put away in the garage for now, but I'll try later. However, I've been over the entire stern with a fine tooth comb. There is nothing there. The only thing I can think of is that it's had work done to the back that would have covered it up. Well, my state is not really picky at all about old boats, so it isn't a huge issue. It'd still be nice to find though.

 

[jgrote]

All the paperwork is done. All the gear is bought and loaded up. The boat is mine. The trailer is mine. And today, we got it out on the water for a little bit. For newbies, we did a pretty good job. Even managed to relax a little bit.