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Old 07-03-2014, 07:30 PM   #1
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1979 Hardin SeaWolf 41 Triple Cabin

In my search for a fg boat to replace our wooden lobster boat based pilot house cruiser, I came across a Hardin SeaWolf 41 Triple Cabin Trawler. So far my searches for this brand only bring up sail boats. Does anyone here have experience with these? Thanks!
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Old 07-03-2014, 08:51 PM   #2
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I would really want to see the paperwork and HIN # in person for that boat. The name is definitely sailboat model names, and this boat looks like it's had much customization, especially the aft cabin area and windows. I mean it looks good, but doesn't look like any original factory boat from Taiwan that I've ever seen.. Back in the 80s/early 90s people were having to restore these boats due to extensive rot, and I saw many in yards where the decks and superstructure were just chainsawed off and the boats were rebuilt new in the old hull, but with different designs to their own tastes. It looks partially like a Litton.
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Old 07-04-2014, 02:09 AM   #3
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But the window slant the right way-right?
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Old 07-04-2014, 06:53 AM   #4
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To me that looks possibly like a Grand Banks hull. I do like it though.
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Old 07-04-2014, 09:40 AM   #5
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After going back to the page on my site "OLD print ads, long live the internet", I have a photo posted of a Litton 41', that matches this boat exactly with exception of the aft cabin windows.

That said, It's quite possible the people who named their Taiwan imports Hardin could had imported one, and named it Hardin, whilst other dealers called theirs a Litton.. Back then (probably still ) there were many builders in Taiwan making the same boats from the same moulds, and you as a dealer were free to call them anything you wanted.
I was the East Coast dealer for Lien Hwa, who was like the General Motors of Taiwan, actually having a huge covered facility, a testing tank, (while dozens and dozen of "name boats" were built outdoors by roving bands of workers, at mom and pop "yards")architects, engineers on staff, with a surveyor supervising some projects, and even with such a professional huge organization (and me having Chinese partners to translate) it was hard to keep up with just how many "manufacturers" Lien Hwa "built for" (they built LOTS of yachts of all sizes, styles, both power and sail on spec, and sold them to whomever wanted to buy them, who were free to call them whatever and sell them for whatever price they chose) which is why there's s so much confusion now.
Heck, there was confusion then! Some of the boats we built were called: Little Harbor (marketed by Ted Hood ), same boats I sold as LH's (identical boats but huge price differences), Marine Trader(some models), Hartman Palmer, Vitesse, President (some models) and McKinna......it's why you will see both High Tech and Johnsons. Same boats different dealers. Spindrift etc.

As a historical aside, the owner of Lien Hwa was one of the richest men in the world, and he kept the yacht facility solely out of sentimental reasons, because as a child he had a toy boat. He got a piece of the action on ALL petro chemicals coming and going off the island, built tanker ships, built tractors, built mainframe computers, you name it- boats were a very small piece of his puzzle. Yes, it's safe to assume he was very well connected with Chiang Kai-shek.
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Old 07-04-2014, 10:20 AM   #6
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Follow up to my post. The owner of Lien Hwa is also now heavily vested in food processing.
But back to boats: It's also why you see such inconsistency in the construction of Taiwan built boats. The same model could had been built by dozens of different builders, anywhere from a mom and pop, built outdoors to having been built indoors in a humidity controlled room supervised by a surveyor with fresh resins.You just don't know.
The government of Taiwan didn't allow seatrials, (huge bond had to be posted and it had to be supervised by the military -as they didn't want boats used to go to China to possibly bring back guerrillas) so many dealers didn't know how their boats would float until they arrived, which is why you will sometimes find ballast hidden all through them, as they tried to make them float on their lines.

LIEN HWA had a test tank, where they tied up their boats, operated all systems, sprayed them with fire hoses to discover and repair obvious leaks, something other builders couldn't/didn't do. So Lien Hwa built boats should be considered the best built in Taiwan. And even with a British Lloyds surveyor on location supervising some builds I remember him telling me TELLING TALES about the character of the Taiwanese. And mind you this is THE quality yard- that when he left to go to the bathroom, everybody's eyes would follow him, and he regularly caught them switching cheaper materials just in the short time his eyes were off the build. So, there you go.

Now let me tell you why I'm such a big fan of contemporary boats built in mainland China; they will execute somebody for doing what the Taiwanese regularly did. That's quality control! That all said, I've had nothing to do with Taiwan companies in over 20 years, so this could had all changed by now. But when we're speaking of boats built in the 70's- mid 90's, I stand by my statements, and will keep a eye out for Taiwan Ninja's intent on honor killing hiding in the tree's, although they should just be aware that panthers and boars live in my woods-if the mosquitos and deer fly's don't get them first.

It might also explain why I'm such a big fan of Bayliner and Meridian pilothouses. They all were built in very high tech modern facilities with consistent quality control which is why they fly through surveys with no inherent latent issues. Nothing is more frustrating than to finally get a buyer to a deal, then lose them (and the boat) on a survey. Those who know-know.
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Old 07-04-2014, 01:07 PM   #7
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Did the tour

The owner didn't have any hull photos. But said it looked just like the Grand Banks stored next to it. He does have paper work identifying the brand as Hardin & model as Sea Wolf 41 Triple Cabin

I went aboard this morning. The cabin does look original but with the aft windows were replaced with pickup truck rear cab windows . Decks & cabin have the usual rot. Also, visibility aft from the lower station about nil.

So, I'll pass.

Thanks every ones input!
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Old 07-04-2014, 02:57 PM   #8
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It's hard to imagine that the cabin design didn't come from Litton, the kind of wannabe windows. Interesting stuff, PK.
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Old 07-04-2014, 05:46 PM   #9
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There's a photo here...

Trawler Forum - View Single Post - Interesting boats

So it's also a Litton Universal....

And I found an add from 1979 that lists the boat as a Funship 41' Stuart Model, Litton's Luxury Line, Base Boat $81,900 Twin 120s.
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