18 Shark Cat Hulls

[Mupster]

Hello all,
Im looking for a project cat to do up with my two young boys and today for the first time in a long time I had a look at a 1980ish that was toasted so didn't even make an offer. Anyway while I was having a look I noticed that the underside of the hulls was a very rough finish, like you could see the glass mat, is this how they were build? It's been soo long since I've looked at cats I have forgot.
Also I noticed it had the fuel tanks under the gunnels next to the helm and passenger seats, I thought from 1980 on they were all under the floor behind the helm seats?
Any feedback would be much appreciated, the search continues!

[Noelm]

The only "proper" Sharkcat that had the tanks above the floor was the really old 20', some had tanks added later if the under floor tanks split, or to add capacity, but back in the "old days" range was not an issue.

[Mupster]

Yeah that's what I thought. This cat was original but too far gone! What about the underside of the hulls? It looked like flo coat over mat!

[adam sharkcat]

Hi Noelm
yep your 100% right with that, Ive owned 5 cats, 3x 18ft Bruce Harris Cats 1 was a 1980,then a 1989,then a 1992 with pods, none of them had above floor fuel tanks,the other 2x 20ft Harris cats both had above floor fuel tanks these boats where 1974/5 boats
both boats i had rebuilt and put hem under floor
I am rebuilding the last one as we speak and fuel tanks are 250 ltrs each and are slightly located to the rear of the boat by 500mm back from the original location
cheers Adam

[adam sharkcat]

Hi there
The 3x18ft Cats that i owned, where not as bad as yr saying,Sounds like that boat has been repaired or damaged at one time
Are you certain it was a 18ft SharkCat?? or something else,theres a lots of copys out there,and some are not worthy of being called "SharkCat"!!!
The original 18/20/23ft Bruce Harris Cats are fabulous seaworthy Boats, pound for pound pretty hard to beat
cheers Adam

[The Woo]

The boat you looked at doesn't sound like it came out of a mould, so unlikely to be a Sharkcat.
I've seen the types of finish you're describing on a few home made cats previously used by pro fisherman. They're not Sharkcats, but the name seems to have become a generic household term for trailerable twin hulled powered cats.

[Noelm]

Yep, 100% correct, I have seen so many boats advertised as being a Sharkcat, and they have nothing to do with the brand at all, it just seems to have evolved as a common name for almost any cat.

[Mupster]

Hi there
The 3x18ft Cats that i owned, where not as bad as yr saying,Sounds like that boat has been repaired or damaged at one time
Are you certain it was a 18ft SharkCat?? or something else,theres a lots of copys out there,and some are not worthy of being called "SharkCat"!!!
The original 18/20/23ft Bruce Harris Cats are fabulous seaworthy Boats, pound for pound pretty hard to beat
cheers Adam
Definitely a Sharkcat. Both transoms gone (both had previous botched repairs) floor was like a trampoline, tunnel had cracks everywhere.
Thats why I was curious about the finish on the bottom of the hulls. It may have been a damaged boat along time ago and time has shown its faults. Besides that it was a very original boat, just knackered.
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/coburg/motorboats-powerboats/excellent-project-boat/1102153659 this is it. Didn't want to bag it too much as the lady is trying to get rid of it for her brother.

[Flex]

Not sure what you mean by underside is bare glass Matt. Do you mean the actually underneath-touching water side? Or inside the boat?
The photo looks like normal gel coat on outside to me. Or has the outer gel cost been sander/ground off?

Like any boat if it's been neglected and 35y old it's gunna be super soggy in nearly every place it can possibly be soggy.

[Mupster]

Thanks Flex
its the underneath, you can see the weave of the mat and then like flow coat over it, the full length of both hulls. I've never seen it before, but like everyone had stated there are so many variations in 18's over the years it maybe a certain mould. I don't know.

[adam sharkcat]

Hi Mupster
its a Bruce Harris 18ft Shark Cat 100%
this boat is a 1977 to 1979 Shark cat
its been for Sale for quite awhile and they have been reducing the Asking price alot
this boat (in my opinion) is ready for Boat Grave yard!!! Not work the effort and DOLLARS you will be tipping into it
If it was for " Sentimental reasons" that's an exception
There are quite a few Bruce Harris 18s around and far better Value too $$$$$
Victoria has quite a few Bargains at the moment,much better then that one
Cheers Adam

[The Woo]

Ok it's definitely an 18' Sharkcat but no, they were never made with glass matt showing through. They were rough, but not appalling.
Sounds like it's been to hell and back, and should probably head to heaven now.

[Noelm]

I know some of the very early ones did have a sort of "pattern" in the gelcoat, it does look kind of like woven mat just under the surface.

[Dean1]

Looks like alot of hard work. Those early 18s arent worth the trouble in my eyes, try to find the newer model 1985-1990 and you'll have a better boat.

[Mupster]

Yeah definitely for the tip that one is. Thanks for all your replies, Noelm what you've said about the pattern sounds about right but it's very noticeable. I'm looking at a Devil Cat 5.2 late eighties, from what I can research on them the tassie build ones are tuff as nails but heavy. Anyone got an opinion on them?

[Noelm]

The mat pattern is pretty noticeable, but it does not pose a problem in any way, as long as that is what it is!

[Mupster]

Had it explained to me by a boat builder. When they go to lay up the first layer in the mold if the gel coat has not been left in long enough the first layer sinks into the gel coat and that's the pattern I could see. Makes sense to me!