Fixing up a tri hull

[Greenacarina]

I just got my very first boat! It's a 1975 Fantasy 17 foot tri hull.
I can't find much info on the web about this boat or the builder...i am hoping to find some pictures, a brochure or owner's manual. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Also, the fuel cap is missing. Looks like approx 1 1/4" threaded thing. Where can i find one?

Thanks
Chris

 

[Scott Danforth]

boats dont come with owners manual.

the company most likely went out of business. it looks like they made boats in the mid 70's, and a short time in the mid 90's. so the brand was most likely part of a merger that wasnt used again for a while, then resurrected in the 90's. dont know, just speculating.

http://boatspecs.iboats.com/Fantasy_...ts/bp/20br1175

regarding the fuel cap, if its missing, most likely the fuel system has crud and water in it. your going to have to fix that before you run the motor

iboats has fuel caps. http://www.iboats.com/Boat-Parts-Acc...6&q=fuel%20cap

 

[briangcc]

Nice project. I see the potential to bring it back.

The boat's 42 years old so any manual you may find, and it'll be a chore since a google search turned up little for me, will more than likely be useless. Why? Over 42 years, the boat's more than likely been serviced by any number of marinas and been subjected to any number of redneck fixes. And I'd safely guess that things have been added/removed/changed over the years. Pretty much, expect the unexpected when it comes to wiring. You're best bet is going to come from tracing the wiring. Same would be true for the motor & trailer - my expectations for it being "factory" would be incredibly low.

Very few manufacturers give you a true "owners manual" that lays out all of the systems I've mentioned. My '05 Four Winns was one of the exceptions as I had all those diagrams in (2) binders provided by the manufacturer. For my current boat, I've had to search out the manufacturer and download the manuals from their website.

 

[Greenacarina]

The mechanics and electrics i am not too concerned about...i can figure all that out. I was more thinking for the fuel tank capacity (gauge shows almost full. If i'm lucky it's 7 year old gas.)
There is a tight fitting rubber plug in the fuel filler hole...but no idea when someone decided to put it there. Would be nice to know how many gallons of ick i will be removing.
Also curious what the original interior looked like. No seats in my boat...not hard to put some in, but i thought it would be fun to restore some original 70's flair

Thanks.
Chris

 

[tallcanadian]

First off, great looking tri hull. I love these tri's. It's great that you want to bring this back to life. Just remember it's 40 plus years old. You will likely run into things that will be unexpected. Now, let me ask this, are there any soft spots in the floor? Any cracks in the transom? You may want to check these things out before you worry about manuals and gas tanks, etc, unless you are planning a full restore. I'm not trying to rain on your parade but want to make you aware of possibilities. Expect the unexpected.

On the outside of the transom, usually top right hand corner, you may find a series of numbers and letters. That is the HIN number. Hull Identification number.

I would like to follow along if I may.