Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

[originalvision]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Talk about bringing back memories.

My father was President of Ship-a-Shore from it's inception. A product far ahead of it's time but plagued with a manufacturing issue that ultimately led to it's early demise.

Wonderful concept but the devil in the detail.

TRADERROB!! Where have you been all my life? No, really just the last 4 1/2 years. I have googled every possible keyword, posted on every houseboat and classic boat forum I could find, and have been posting ads on Craigslist in Mishawaka! The only result has been finding more people who want one!! I did finally find one other Combo Cruiser still in use in NW Canada and a few pics of another in a field in NC.
Your father was a genius! Very innovative and way ahead of it's time, this boat offers features not found on anything else ever made. I truly love mine! She is sheer pleasure to go cruising in, the only possible drawback being that whenever we anchor around other boats, they come flocking for a closer look and to get the story. But as of now, I don't have much of a story to tell. So, if you would be so kind, I would love to receive anything and everything you may have or know about this boat, it's construction and history. I would be eternally grateful as would my buddy in Canada! It would be cool to get a club going if I can find some more out there.
Thanks so much for posting, hope to hear back,
Scott
aboard the "Lima Bean"

 

[Rayandrewss]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Heres mine before some work. I'll try to post some after pics soon

 

[southkogs]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

I'm in !

Nice looking boat! Used to race one of these out on my lake as a kid ... neither of us were bright enough to figure out that 30mph. was not really all that exciting of a race. Always kept my eyes open for one in good shape, but never wound up with one.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

I'm in !

Thats a sharp looking boat man...I got one myself....did some work to it, but not quite like yours!

Before:

After:

lol sorry just had to share! I actually got the hull purely for the windshield and hardware for my current restore! If it did not have such extensive damage I may have tried to restore it as well, yours looks great

 

[redfury]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Blasphemy!

 

[lefty1820]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

JDA1975,

How did you cut up that donor boat? I picked one up similar to it for the windshields and steering system and need to get rid of the boat. I sold the trailer and need to get it off and outta here.

Lefty

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

JDA1975,

How did you cut up that donor boat? I picked one up similar to it for the windshields and steering system and need to get rid of the boat. I sold the trailer and need to get it off and outta here.

Lefty

I just used a cut off wheel on a grinder and went to work...I am sure you could use a reciprocating saw as well, but I have bad luck with breaking blades with the sawzall so went with a cut off wheel, only used 3 wheels, sure I woulda used a lot more blades and blades are more expensive lol

 

[traderrob]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

TRADERROB!! Where have you been all my life? No, really just the last 4 1/2 years. I have googled every possible keyword, posted on every houseboat and classic boat forum I could find, and have been posting ads on Craigslist in Mishawaka! The only result has been finding more people who want one!! I did finally find one other Combo Cruiser still in use in NW Canada and a few pics of another in a field in NC.
Your father was a genius! Very innovative and way ahead of it's time, this boat offers features not found on anything else ever made. I truly love mine! She is sheer pleasure to go cruising in, the only possible drawback being that whenever we anchor around other boats, they come flocking for a closer look and to get the story. But as of now, I don't have much of a story to tell. So, if you would be so kind, I would love to receive anything and everything you may have or know about this boat, it's construction and history. I would be eternally grateful as would my buddy in Canada! It would be cool to get a club going if I can find some more out there.
Thanks so much for posting, hope to hear back,
Scott
aboard the "Lima Bean"

I 'll give you a bit of background and then I'll try and answer any specifics you may have.

They started the Co in early 1970. My father and two other fellows. The original idea came from
a man name Wasserman and the 3rd partner was an engineer (can't remember his name). All 3
knew they had a real winner so most of the investment was from them. There was a feature story
on the craft in Business Week I think in 1971. You can check the archives. I believe the title of
the article was "Ship-a-Shore, Where Women Man the Boats". The reason being that a full 80%
of the employees were women, quite progressive for that era.

The Hull and Topper were made from Royalex, a composite material, comprising an outer layer
of Vinyl and hard ABS and an inner layer of ABS foam. A truely revolutionary material that was
highly resistant to UV rays and posessed terrific structural memory. It would have had countless
applications if it wasn't for a problem that I'll go into later. The two sections were fabricated in a
Uniroyal plant in Warsaw, Ind and then shipped separately to the Ship-a-Shore plant in
Mishawauka for assembly. The fabrication of the two component parts entailed a
thermo/vacuum-forming process over a rigid mold.

The plant was set up in a true mass production fashion, Henry Ford would have been proud. Also
Royalex was significantly cheaper than fiberglass or aluminum. This allowed the craft to be sold
at far lower cost than Houseboats of that period (approx $10,500). At peak production they could
put out 3 per week. For a small plant that was extraordinary.

Early on the problems hit. The first one being that they couldn't get the boat to consistently
"plane", a real issue. It was being advertized to be able to pull 2 skiers so they needed to do
something. Some minor modifications in the hull and a beefed up inboard cured the problem.

Then the real issue hit and it's what led to the ultimate demise of the Co....uniformity (or lack
thereof) of standardized parts ie. the Hull and Topper. In the process of vacuum forming those
two components there were inconsistences in the thickness (especially at the bends) of the
finished sections. Not a lot but enough to throw everything else out of whack. When you have to
install Ranges, Refrigerators, Cabinets etc etc. and you even millimeters off it can be a nightmare
and it was. Some of the "shells" came in pretty good many did not and they sent untold numbers
back to Uniroyal for not meeting spec. That didn't help their business relationship either.

They tried everything and then some to cure the problem but could never get it licked. With that
major issue unresolved the entire project was untenable. I believe that somewhat less than 150
were ever produced.

Royalex was a revolutionary material that held so much promise, the talk was that they may even
build cars out of the material. It appears that to this day the molding problem was never solved
as the only thing they use the material for now is canoes.

I'll answer any specific questions you may have if I can.
Regards, Mike.

 

[glnbnz]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Count me in...our boat is my Avatar. A 1973 Ozark T-164 with an 85HP 1975 Johnson outboard. I have only had it out 1 time because I bought it late and it got cold.

I am working on the deck right now. Had a soft spot and read that that means a whole lot of rot and they where right. No worries thought don't have too much in it yet LOL!!

 

[fastempo]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Here is my entry, '73 Silverline Comoto 17T w/ 3.0L 140HP GM I/O, Named "Blew-By-you", presently under-going a major restoration :
transom, stringers, deck, interior, engine overhaul, kicker motor addition, wind shield, instruments, sound system etc.
Should be ready in abt. two months, (working inside garage), have been at it for close to a year now...

 

[originalvision]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Mike, thanks so much for getting back and posting the background summary. Very interesting! I had a feeling that problems with the Royalex were what hurt the long time production of these boats. Mine is inconsistent in some areas and I just had to go with what "looked best" and then fit the new bulkheads and flooring to the shape of the hull.
Questions?? Well, I guess the first would be did the Royalex come pre-colored like it does now for canoes or did they paint them, and if so, do you know what kind of paint they used? (see if I guessed right for my paint job) And then secondly, do you know of any other Cruisers still around? I would like to share experiences, possibly start a club, and I know a couple of people looking for one to restore. Next would be from your comment about beefing up the engine. My boat had a 140 hp GM engine, which I thought had been retrofitted by the owner because I was under the impression that they all came with the Ford 90. So maybe that was the factory upgrade? My outdrive is also longer than the one behind the 90. And then lastly, for now, do you have any propaganda? Like ads, flyers, manuals, posters? I would definitely be willing to pay any expenses to have reproductions made or just scanned, along with any spec sheets, articles and pictures. I tried to look up the Businessweek article online but their archive offering only went back to 1997.
Again. thank you so much for the info, you are helping me solve a big mystery!!
Scott

I 'll give you a bit of background and then I'll try and answer any specifics you may have.

They started the Co in early 1970. My father and two other fellows. The original idea came from
a man name Wasserman and the 3rd partner was an engineer (can't remember his name). All 3
knew they had a real winner so most of the investment was from them. There was a feature story
on the craft in Business Week I think in 1971. You can check the archives. I believe the title of
the article was "Ship-a-Shore, Where Women Man the Boats". The reason being that a full 80%
of the employees were women, quite progressive for that era.

The Hull and Topper were made from Royalex, a composite material, comprising an outer layer
of Vinyl and hard ABS and an inner layer of ABS foam. A truely revolutionary material that was
highly resistant to UV rays and posessed terrific structural memory. It would have had countless
applications if it wasn't for a problem that I'll go into later. The two sections were fabricated in a
Uniroyal plant in Warsaw, Ind and then shipped separately to the Ship-a-Shore plant in
Mishawauka for assembly. The fabrication of the two component parts entailed a
thermo/vacuum-forming process over a rigid mold.

The plant was set up in a true mass production fashion, Henry Ford would have been proud. Also
Royalex was significantly cheaper than fiberglass or aluminum. This allowed the craft to be sold
at far lower cost than Houseboats of that period (approx $10,500). At peak production they could
put out 3 per week. For a small plant that was extraordinary.

Early on the problems hit. The first one being that they couldn't get the boat to consistently
"plane", a real issue. It was being advertized to be able to pull 2 skiers so they needed to do
something. Some minor modifications in the hull and a beefed up inboard cured the problem.

Then the real issue hit and it's what led to the ultimate demise of the Co....uniformity (or lack
thereof) of standardized parts ie. the Hull and Topper. In the process of vacuum forming those
two components there were inconsistences in the thickness (especially at the bends) of the
finished sections. Not a lot but enough to throw everything else out of whack. When you have to
install Ranges, Refrigerators, Cabinets etc etc. and you even millimeters off it can be a nightmare
and it was. Some of the "shells" came in pretty good many did not and they sent untold numbers
back to Uniroyal for not meeting spec. That didn't help their business relationship either.

They tried everything and then some to cure the problem but could never get it licked. With that
major issue unresolved the entire project was untenable. I believe that somewhat less than 150
were ever produced.

Royalex was a revolutionary material that held so much promise, the talk was that they may even
build cars out of the material. It appears that to this day the molding problem was never solved
as the only thing they use the material for now is canoes.

I'll answer any specific questions you may have if I can.
Regards, Mike.

 

[originalvision]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

And now FINALLY, the Lima Bean is GREEN!!!

Just got the windows back in and the bottom paint done this week. Topside will need some buffing as the humidity turned on me after the fourth coat but she looks great! Working on some custom decals now.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

And now FINALLY, the Lima Bean is GREEN!!!

Just got the windows back in and the bottom paint done this week. Topside will need some buffing as the humidity turned on me after the fourth coat but she looks great! Working on some custom decals now.

View attachment 126019

View attachment 126020

lol I hate that color green...but man it looks good on your boat! that would be a fun one to hit the lake in, bet ya get a lot of conversations started over it!

 

[southkogs]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Here is my entry, '73 Silverline Comoto 17T w/ 3.0L 140HP GM I/O, Named "Blew-By-you", presently under-going a major restoration :
transom, stringers, deck, interior, engine overhaul, kicker motor addition, wind shield, instruments, sound system etc.
Should be ready in abt. two months, (working inside garage), have been at it for close to a year now...View attachment 125870

A brother Comoro owner!! Welcome aboard! Can't wait to see yours restored ... It would be great if you posted a thread on your progress! Welcome aboard!

 

[traderrob]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Mike, thanks so much for getting back and posting the background summary. Very interesting! I had a feeling that problems with the Royalex were what hurt the long time production of these boats. Mine is inconsistent in some areas and I just had to go with what "looked best" and then fit the new bulkheads and flooring to the shape of the hull.
Questions?? Well, I guess the first would be did the Royalex come pre-colored like it does now for canoes or did they paint them, and if so, do you know what kind of paint they used? (see if I guessed right for my paint job) And then secondly, do you know of any other Cruisers still around? I would like to share experiences, possibly start a club, and I know a couple of people looking for one to restore. Next would be from your comment about beefing up the engine. My boat had a 140 hp GM engine, which I thought had been retrofitted by the owner because I was under the impression that they all came with the Ford 90. So maybe that was the factory upgrade? My outdrive is also longer than the one behind the 90. And then lastly, for now, do you have any propaganda? Like ads, flyers, manuals, posters? I would definitely be willing to pay any expenses to have reproductions made or just scanned, along with any spec sheets, articles and pictures. I tried to look up the Businessweek article online but their archive offering only went back to 1997.
Again. thank you so much for the info, you are helping me solve a big mystery!!
Scott

Yes, Royalex did come pre-colored. Colors were a reddish maroon and light blue if I remember correctly. My father says you can paint it but you'll want to check with a paint expert as to the process and type of paint to use.

No, sorry I don't. Actually I'm surprised that any were still in use considering the small amount that were produced. I believe the Ford 90 was standard but I'm pretty sure they used some Chrystler motors early on as well approximately the same size. I was not aware of any upgrade options at the time.

YW, I'll keep my eyes peeled for you but I would guess that all that stuff is long gone. They made some promotional videos but who knows what ever became of those. Probably find the BW article at a decent sized library on microfilm.

 

[Roadrager50]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Heys guys I am deffinately in. I have a 77 Thunderbird Signa 18 with a 302 Ford and a OMC 800 Stringer. I will post picks when I am done doing a little work on her.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Welcome aboard Roadranger ... Stringers, ahhhhhhhhh

 

[glnbnz]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Welcome Roadranger50. I am looking forward to seeing some pics

 

[small block ford]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

rebuilding my grandfathers 77 caravlle tri-hull any help on wiring or any other will have a pic some time today

 

[boatnut74]

Re: Tri-Hull Club...Yes? No? Maybe?

Here is my '73 22' Silverline Grand Bahama I'm in the process of restoring. I have only been able to find one other like it.