Has anyone heard of this model of Taiwan trawler

[AlaskaDreaming]

Looking at a boat - a 1979 ABC 40' tricabin ... ABC apparently stands for Aquastar Boat Corp. It is powered by the 120 Lehman and seems like modeled like most of these boats, but any info at all would be helpful. I have found these boats under lots of names but have not seen any ABC's ... so would like to know more if anyone does!

Also if anyone knows of a good surveyor for Tawain built trawlers in Nanaimo BC or close by that would be GREATLY APPRECIATED..

Thanks - and perhaps the AlaskaDream will soon be realized!

AD

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. ABC? As in simple as...? From what little I understand and comprehend, during the early 70's to early 80's, anybody and his brother in Taiwan, could buy a hull or two or twenty from one of the Taiwanese manufacturers (Albin, CHB, for example), finish it to ?? standards, slap a model/yard/company name on the build sheet and be pretty well guaranteed to make some $$ selling it in the USA. I've seen the exact same Marine Trader (MT) year and model with two different hull shapes and interiors.
Using MT as an example, they might decide to "build" 40 boats (marketed under the MT banner). They would get hulls wherever they could, get them finished by whomever they could and ship them off to Tom's River, NJ and sell them there.
Could be your ABC had a short history and maybe only marketed 4 or 5 boats and then moved on. This is not to say an ABC is a substandard vessel but would explain the scant information you're able to dig up.
ONLY a good survey will tell you what you really should know.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

RT is right. It is my understanding that many of the builders were related in some way or another and would trade designs, blue prints etc. After you have seen a lot of these boats as I did you start to reconize the same sdesins on differant manufactures.

And welcome.

 

[Irish Rambler]

Actually it stands for the Aquastar Boat Company based in St Peter's Port in Guernsey in the English Channel Isles.
Hand built, Very tough, sought after and very highly respected heavy weather and used by armies/navy's and harbour pilots all over the world
The company is still very much in business.
Google them for more info with all your boat details.

 

[AlaskaDreaming]

This is the info I have from a survey available on the boat:

Built: Aquastar Boat Corp., Taipei, Taiwan
Year: 1979
Hull: (GRP) Moulded Fiberglass

So perhaps this company like others had a hull or two done in the Taiwan market. Would be great if it meant this boat had excellent quality control, but it has had the decks redone. It says the tanks are 'painted welded mild steel' so not sure if those were redone or not.

I did find Aquastar on the internet but didn't find any tricabin trawlers ...

Thanks for the lead though - will see if I can figure out if they are the same company or if this boat was from a small company that just did a few hulls.

Appreciate the comments!

 

[Donsan]

This is the info I have from a survey available on the boat:

Built: Aquastar Boat Corp., Taipei, Taiwan
Year: 1979
Hull: (GRP) Moulded Fiberglass

So perhaps this company like others had a hull or two done in the Taiwan market. Would be great if it meant this boat had excellent quality control, but it has had the decks redone. It says the tanks are 'painted welded mild steel' so not sure if those were redone or not.

I did find Aquastar on the internet but didn't find any tricabin trawlers ...

Thanks for the lead though - will see if I can figure out if they are the same company or if this boat was from a small company that just did a few hulls.

Appreciate the comments!

The surveyor could be incorrect, specially if he was unfamiliar with the company or the brand.

What are the first 3 letters on the HIN? That might give you a clue but my TT's first three letters don't accurately reflect the manufacturer in the USCG database.

 

[AlaskaDreaming]

The Hull ID number is ABC7083807. It is a Canadian boat - but likely the USCG database have some listing for all boats? How would I look to see?

Thanks for the info - interested in exploring further, especially since the name of the boat (don't know if it is original name though) is a Galic word!

Appreciate your info!

 

[Andy G]

Looks like a lot of boat for the money, check possible engine overspray though

Edit;

http://imt.boatwizard.com/images/1/50/40/5025040_20150318160016781_1_LARGE.jpg

http://imt.boatwizard.com/images/1/50/40/5025040_20150318161138149_3_LARGE.jpg

 

[AlaskaDreaming]

Here is the URL for the brokers info... can't seem to get one 'picture' from this

Calibre Yacht Sales : Vancouver based boat brokerage. We sell used powerboats, sailboats, trawlers, Bayliners, Camanos and more. : 1979 ABC Yachts 40 FT Trawler Tri Cabin for sale BC CA

 

[Marin]

Based on the two photos Andy put up there are features on this boat that remind me of some of the earlier Taiwan Trawlers like CHB. Notably the sliding, bright-finished doors, the large wood frames around the cabin windows, and the Grand Banks-type hand rails that dip to the cap-rail, end in a curlycue and form an attach point for the stainless bow rail.

As others have said the boat building process in Taiwan in the 1970s and 80s saw hulls being molded by larger boatyards and then farmed out to small, familly-owned yard for completion. This process meant that the quality of the boats varied all over the place, even within the same brand name and model type.

The name notwithstanding the boat has so many characteristics of the dozens of brands of cruisers being turned out in Taiwan during those years that were I to see it sitting in our marina I would immediately take it for one of these boats.

Why the yard that built the boat used the name of a company apparently based in Europe is anybody's guess. Perhaps a joint venture, perhaps a basic name rip-off, perhaps an attempt for a European company to produce a competitive product. There's an answer out there somewhere.

As to the build quality of this particular boat, a survey by a competent surveyor should go a long ways toward determining that.

Do you know what "decks redone" means in this instance?

 

[AlaskaDreaming]

Pretty sure the decks redone means the teak removed ... it is definitely removed and the windows were all replaced with painted aluminum windows. So it seems like the things I have learned to look for on a Taiwan trawler have been dealt with.

Okay, so may really show my lack of knowledge here, but what is engine overspray ... other than what happens when you paint an engine, I am not sure what that refers to.

Having both a mechanical survey given the high hours and think I have found a surveyor who has a good handle on what to look for on these boats. Crossing fingers I he is an excellent one!

 

[Forkliftt]

Man- I don't know Marin. I've got a CHB and I'm not seeing anything that ties this boat to one. The hull is wrong (entry is too fine), the interior doors are wrong, even the the trim profile around countertops and flat areas is wrong. This may be something else.
I must have overlooked the engine overspray comment. The engine looks great and has had some time spent on it being detailed is my guess.


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

 

[AlaskaDreaming]

It certainly doesn't have the carved doors that I have seen in many, and when i was aboard, the master cabin head is also smaller - no 'tub' which I have seen on lots of the 36' boats.

It is a very clean boat so I think it has been well cared for along the way. Hoping surveyor won't find a bunch of bad stringers or anything...

 

[Forkliftt]

It is a very good looking boat. Good luck!


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

 

[Marin]

Man- I don't know Marin. I've got a CHB and I'm not seeing anything that ties this boat to one.

I was just going off the first photo Andy put up. But I have to admit that to me ALL the sliding-door Taiwan-type cruisers look like CHBs to me. It's not a genre of boat I've paid any attention to other than superficially. So I couldn't tell you if the entry of a CHB is fine, fat, or medium.

We were temporarily moored in a slip next to a CHB a couple of years ago as they were finishing installing our new dock, and the boat in Andy's photo looks "just like that one" to me. To someone who knows CHBs well there probably are all sorts of differences between this "ABC" boat and a CHB.

I don't have any real interest in production boats (despite having one) so I'm afraid I don't pay any attention to them be they Bayliners, Nordic Tugs, or the ubiquitous Taiwan boats. (Fleming is a different story, however.)

 

[Andy G]

Regading my 'engine overspray' comment, it came from the ER photo from the dealers site.Sorry it was not one of the photo's I posted.I will see if I can get it up.

http://imt.boatwizard.com/images/1/50/40/5025040_20150318161555808_1_LARGE.jpg


Top right of the photo seems to show some repainting where the head bolts to the block, may be nothing of course.

FWIW, I also think the boat has many of the Asian style finishing that were so common in the 80's. Lots of Teak. Looks a nice boat all in all from the photo's.

 

[Donsan]

The Hull ID number is ABC7083807. It is a Canadian boat - but likely the USCG database have some listing for all boats? How would I look to see?

Thanks for the info - interested in exploring further, especially since the name of the boat (don't know if it is original name though) is a Galic word!

Appreciate your info!

Sorry, I could not find ABC in the USCG manufacturers identification code. If it was an Aquastar made or imported into BC, the three letters would be ZAO or ZIA. Your HIN number seems to be of an invalid length so couldn't find anything on it. Most Taiwanese boats are not there. My Taiwanese Tub (TT) is not there.

From the pics at Calibre, it does look like a typical TT. Very nice looking boat priced very reasonably.

 

[Donsan]

Was looking thru my old history files and found this that was posted back in 1998 or so on Yahoo.

"[FONT=&quot]Chung Hwa (CHB) entered the U.S. market in the early 70's with the 34 badged as "ABC Yacht". It was so bad they are still embarrassed when these boats are mentioned."

I have no way of knowing of the truth of that statement.
[/FONT]

 

[Codger2]

I have never owned a TT or anything close to it and this is not a knock on those boats. I've seen some really cool TTs that were "beautiful" that almost anyone would be proud to own. (I don't consider a Halvorsen or Island Gypsy a typical TT boat.) I will say that upon reviewing the listing, this appears to be a very nice boat that has been well cared for which IMO is the most important thing to look for when buying. To get all tangled up in your underwear researching the pedigree of the boat is an exercise in futility. As mentioned several times in this thread, have a qualified surveyor pour over the boat and if he/she thinks it's sound...BUY IT!

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Why the yard that built the boat used the name of a company apparently based in Europe is anybody's guess. Perhaps a joint venture, perhaps a basic name rip-off, perhaps an attempt for a European company to produce a competitive product. There's an answer out there somewhere.

The same with me. My boat manufacture is "Camargue" which is also a french boat manufacture.

 

[Marin]

FWIW the Island Gypsy, like Grand Banks, are not "Taiwan Trawlers." Neither one was built in Taiwan.

 

[tegdesign]

I did some design work for Aquastar back in the early 2000's while living in the UK. At the time, I believe they were all being built in the UK.

 

[tegdesign]

From what I know about Aquastar and looking at the listing, I would be very surprised if this boat were related to the European company. However, this boat looks like it's been very well cared for and invested in. I like it!

 

[AlaskaDreaming]

Thanks for all the posts! I get an mechanical survey next Tuesday, hope the mechanic is a good one - there were very few choices as most of the shipwright sorts are fully booked right now so difficult getting things done in timelines for the offer.

I found the Yahoo groups post on the ABC's being the worst of the CHB bunch ... it seemed to say the 34's and said early 70's ... this one is a late 70's and is 36' on the water and 40' overall- so not sure if it falls into that group or not. The story at the end about the new yacht that had the bridge fall in during the 'delivery party' was sort of scary!

I have to hope that given the work that has been done to redo the decks, the windows and that it looks as good as it does at age 36 means that it is a pretty good boat. I did get someone who knows Taiwan trawlers for the survey, so he should look for the weak spots. Sort of interesting this one has one of those silver poles that typically have a chain drive from the wheel above- but this one has always been hydraulic, so perhaps someone was worried about the structural stability of the flying bridge?

Thank all of you for responding and for things to look for ... I will do the sea trial this weekend and will look again ... the overspray comment on the engine was also interesting and perhaps someone has 'detailed' the engine room to make it look better- though when I was on it before there were still closets and things that were full of this and that, so I don't think it was totally 'staged' for sale. Again, hopefully the surveyor will tell more!

 

[Donsan]

Sort of interesting this one has one of those silver poles that typically have a chain drive from the wheel above- but this one has always been hydraulic, so perhaps someone was worried about the structural stability of the flying bridge?

Could be for cable and hydraulic runs. Unlikely to be structural support. I kind of wish my TT had that for cable runs.

 

[Marin]

Sort of interesting this one has one of those silver poles that typically have a chain drive from the wheel above- but this one has always been hydraulic, so perhaps someone was worried about the structural stability of the flying bridge?

Grand Banks boats have this same type of cable chase between the upper and lower helms. On the early woodies, the connection between the upper and lower wheels is a driveshaft that runs inside the cable chase with a U-joint and gearing to connect one wheel to the other.

This was soon replaced with a stainless cable that runs up the chase, is wound around the axle of the upper wheel, and then runs back down the chase to be wound around the axle of the lower wheel.

More recent GBs have hydraulic steering (I think) and the lines are run through the cable chase.

The cable chase also has room for wiring. On our boat, some of the wiring between the lower helm and the upper helm runs through the cable chase. Other wiring harnesses for things like the engine instruments run through a chase in the sidewall just inside the main cabin door.

The cable chase is not structural at all. It is simply a tube with decorative teak "doughnuts" at the top and bottom to dress up the installation.

 

[Andy G]

Good luck with the survey.

 

[Tango Bravo]

Looking at a boat - a 1979 ABC 40' tricabin ... ABC apparently stands for Aquastar Boat Corp. It is powered by the 120 Lehman and seems like modeled like most of these boats, but any info at all would be helpful. I have found these boats under lots of names but have not seen any ABC's ... so would like to know more if anyone does!

Also if anyone knows of a good surveyor for Tawain built trawlers in Nanaimo BC or close by that would be GREATLY APPRECIATED..

Thanks - and perhaps the AlaskaDream will soon be realized!

AD

There is a surveyor from Canada named Capt. Wallace Gouk Give him a try. Trawler Forum - View Profile: boatpoker. He may be able to help you.

 

[troutbridge]

trawler

Looking at a boat - a 1979 ABC 40' tricabin ... ABC apparently stands for Aquastar Boat Corp. It is powered by the 120 Lehman and seems like modeled like most of these boats, but any info at all would be helpful. I have found these boats under lots of names but have not seen any ABC's ... so would like to know more if anyone does!

Also if anyone knows of a good surveyor for Tawain built trawlers in Nanaimo BC or close by that would be GREATLY APPRECIATED..

Thanks - and perhaps the AlaskaDream will soon be realized!

AD

Hi, I have a ckip Euro banker 28 ,it is very like yours ,have a look at my pics and if I can help I will .

 

[sunchaser]

It was common in the 60/70s to have a pole/pipe with either a chain or rod connecting upper and lower station wheels. Had a Trojan 36 Woodie that was set up this way.