TOPIC: Hydrocraft Fantasy 1961 16'

Got back from delivering the Del Mar and went right over to get the Hydrocraft. Our original deal was for the boat, trailer and two 35 horse Johnsons, for 400 bucks. When i got there the guy said he wanted to trade for another boat that I had, a 1975 Reinell 15 foot tri-hull with a 650 Merc with a bad powerhead. Ah shucks, alright!

Cool, so you got rid of 2 boats and got another one all at the same time and saved money in the process, Sweet. Now you have restoration money, lol....
The boat sure looks fast and in good shape. Im excited about seeing this in the water, Mike

Ya did good Neil, IMO! Can't wait to see this project come to life. (I'll save the obvious "Fantasy" puns for later. LOL)

That baby would look real cool with a tower of power on the back...

Frank

Thanks guys
Here goes the pun,,,,, my "fantasy" would be to hang a 115 Merc on the back.
I was also considering letting the FG community pick the motor and hp range.
That may be alot of fun. I just love the hunt. I bet there would be alot of fantastic suggestions. What do you guys think? Are you in?
I know nobody would steer me wrong here, so, why not?
Neil

N: CONGRATS, very nice style . trailer looks nifty with lights & rear rollers.? Not sure of hull length or able to support weight of 6 cyl ..? I had a 115 hp 1987 & started to raise up the transom on a Custom Craft , but long shaft Merc are real heavy over 70 hp stuff.

. Definately I would pick a power tilt & trim engine & those OMC 3 cyl STINGER 75 hp are on the collectible list. . Merc 850 XS also a hard puppy to FIND.
...................

Great deal there! It definately needs a Merc in the 95hp and up range. The mo' the better!

Great lines! Gonna need a glassy surface to enjoy that hull! What year is it?
And yeah, a merc tower is the route to go!

Hey Neil glad you got home safe .Ild go with that 115 if the boat can handle it . Does the Hydrocraft have a short or long transom ?? Almost looks like a short one in the picture .Is the transom solid ?? Do a search for a Mercury Mark 75 . I think that would look pretty cool on there . They were kinda the original Tower of power ...

Split
Yup, those are rollers on the back of the trailer.
The hull length is 15'11".
Jim
She has a flat bottom for sure. That is going to make a choppy ride when the wind starts on the lake.
This is a motor that I was considering
It is attached to a 17 foot tri hul sitting on a trailer for $500.
I may be able to get it for a little less.
115 with no tilt.

More is Better !!
Well how about twin 700's .. Sounds about right to me!!
The hull will handle it, as long as you stay in smooth water

classicfins wrote:

Great deal there! It definately needs a Merc in the 95hp and up range. The mo' the better!

There is a guy in Arizona named Curtis Bowman that is running that boats twin with a 105 Chrysler.
Looks to be fast, fast, and fast.
I'm thinking that if those boats can float a big Chrysler or twin Mercs, mine should do just fine with a 115 Merc.
Going fast in a straight line or cruising around nice and easy in an old classic is the choice. I just want to do a little of both, so
the question for the forum would be, is a 115 Merc the choice to do both?

I got a friends boat here with a 115 with t&t but the pump is not suppose to be working. He would like to trade boat motor and trailer for a 14 to 15 fising boat with something like a 40hp. I'm in norther Nevada if interested
Mike aka pathfinderz1

Mike
I am in central Idaho, not to far north of you.
I am talking to a gentleman out here with this boat.
It is an all aluminum 69 Hewescraft 16 foot with an older 50 horse Mercury.
The motor has a jet unit on it now, but the lower unit is with the boat. The guy said that it ran good the last season he used it, he is an old retired farmer and he just quit fishing. It has been sitting since 92. I will be talking to him about it again mid next week. I have a couple mor pics if you want to look at them.
Neil

Hey Neil ..Is the Fantasy a short Transom or a long ?? It looks a little like a short shaft transom in the pictures ..You could always get a Jack Plate if it is ..Is a 115 good for cruising and hauling tail ?? You bet she is ..Ive towed Knee boards all day at around 20 to 25 MPH and it ran great for years .And just before trailering it Ild take it out and let her Run ..You need to find a Tilt and Trim for that motor so you can get the nose up out of the water .That boat looks pretty light and like a fast hull and if that motor could pull a 23 pitch you might see mid 50s Just dont let it get away on ya ...

Oh .. You didnt grab those props out of the Delmar for the Javelin ..Would you want me to UPS them to you ??

Larry
I thought about those two props about halfway home. If you would send them that would great.
The transom is 17" exactly.
Looks as though the main concensus is to hang a big Merc on the back of the Fantasy. I guess i'll just have to go ahead and do it.
Have you got started on the Del Mar?
Neil

17 is a short shaft Im pretty sure .That Merc is probaully 23 ..It will push her but will slow ya down ..Might handle a little funny to Ive never tried it ..Measure the Merc from where it would sit on the transom to the Plate thats just above the prop ..See if its closer to 17 or 23 ..You can always put a Jack Plate on it to lift her up . Thats what we did on my Carlson Challenger .Does the Fantasy have the Old cable type steering or the tele flex cable style ..?? If its like the Delmar with the cables Scrap that and update it .If you were ever going close to 50 and a cable broke or a pully came louse Things would go Real shitty Real fast ...L.O.L.. But you probaully know that already .

Larry
It is newer single cable. No pulleys. That's good.
I am going to go over and measure the 115 this weekend. I am hoping the guy is around, he is a farmer and harvest is keeping him busy this time of year. I will see if he will let me do a compression test and give the motor a good looking over.
I will also talk to him about trading. I might have something that he just can't live without. Barter is good.
Neil

Im glad you got the better steering ..Heres what my 115 is on now ..1975 Glasstron CV16 . With tilt and trim , 21 Pitch prop on a good night with smooth water She hit 52 on GPS ..Ill bet the Fantasy is a bit lighter than Mine is .. Mine has the 18 gallon fuel tank up front ..that hurts her a little ..As a side note .. Always run a good premium in the Towers without the Gasahol junk they put in it now .And its better to under prop a little and let them rev than to over prop and Lug them .Their prone to detonation if you lug them down .Ild think on that light boat a 21 or 23 pitch could be used ..

Not that I want to rain on your parade......BUT, I think you will find that 115 merc way too big, The boat you have is much shorter than the green one pictured with Jeffs twin mercs, These boats are a real handfull and seldom turn......think 65-85 hp in a shortshaft, a jackplate will rip rt through that lil transom with a 300lb 99 cube 1150. Just my opinion. Ck out the 60hp flying scott in the classified.....now that would be the thing!

Ponyboy
How long is that green Fantasy with the twin Mercs?
This may be a silly question, but, are all of the straight 6 Mercs about the same weight wise?
I appreciate your input, I would not want ot build an unsafe boat here and get me and my wife hurt, that's for sure.
I got the funds, just not all of the know how yet.
A guy once told me just because you can buy flour, doesn't mean you can bake biscuits!!
Neil

Neil, I dont remember the lenghth but I do remember that they made at least 2 hulls that looked like that. The one you have I beileve is the same as the famed Scott hydro with the 75hp custom. of witch 2 are known to exist. You do have a rare boat.
If you want to run a 6cyl merc I would suggest the early 60s 700 or 800-850 in cloud white or even a 62-63 merc 1000 any of them would be a good choise,and they weigh up to 75lbs less than the 115 motor you mentioned earlyer,its a 99 cid monster for that small boat. and its a long shaft,your boat is a short.
A 3 cyl omc though harder to find in a short would also be a good motor for that boat.

Ponyboy
Thanks for the info.
That would make this a very sweet deal if indeed this is a rare boat.
So far I am only in $300.
I found a 64 Merc 1000 short shaft in the Portland area.
My daughter lives there so maybe a visit is in order.
The guy said compression of 75 to 90 on all six holes. He is asking $250. This may be the base engine to rebuild.
I really would like to have a Merc tower if I can find the right one for the hull.
Thanks again, I am surely learning from all on FG.
Neil

Neil: That short shaft 64 Merc sounds like a item worth inspecting. I agree with Pony Boy on the weight issue of a 1961 hull. My son had those mid 70's Glastron CV-16 's and able to run the motors of the 70's . He even sampled a 150 hp Johnson Fast strike for awhile.

. Start reading the MERC outpost motor board to get hints on repairs,/ set-ups. Another Glasspar member just had a issue , tech comment on the Check Valve /bleed down hoses & symptoms for poor idle , & alcohol gas effect on older Merc parts. Believe I have your E-mail should forward to ya .
L.

Hey Neil need and email for you on that boat or email me my email is in my profile
Mike aka pathfinderz1

If your Fantasy is the 16 model then it is the exact same hull
as the ones Dick Davis built the 3 cabover Fantasys from.
One of the originals he had was the cabover race deck originally,
he pulled a mold off of it and made the decks that he modified the
other two to match. He had a yellow one that he sold before he
moved from Minn. to Phoenix, AZ, He still has the blue one and this
green one he sold to the Bowmans in AZ.
As far as the 115 the weight nor the horsepower would be any
problem for this boat, but if it is a 20" longshaft motor then
you will have to raise the transom height to match. Having that
much weight up that high will change the handling characteristics
of the boat dramatically.
As others have answered you, no, all 6cyl mercs are not the same
weight.. The first Mark 75's in shorth shaft were under 180 lbs.
The late model 115-150 99ci long shafts with tilt trim were just
barely under 300 lbs. But your dealing with a horsepower range
from 60hp to 150hp (or 200hp if you count the racing T2x)
As others have suggested for what it sounds like your intended
use of the boat will be, find a short shaft motor in the 65-100
hp range, and you will enjoy the boat. My only caution would be
remember this was intended to be a high performance sport boat.
They can be very rough riding in any kind of rough water.
Have fun, be safe..
Danny Leger

Neil wrote:

Ponyboy
How long is that green Fantasy with the twin Mercs?
This may be a silly question, but, are all of the straight 6 Mercs about the same weight wise?
I appreciate your input, I would not want ot build an unsafe boat here and get me and my wife hurt, that's for sure.
I got the funds, just not all of the know how yet.
A guy once told me just because you can buy flour, doesn't mean you can bake biscuits!!
Neil

Gentleman
Thanks to all of you for your input on this project. You guys have offered a wealth of valuable info and I truly appreciate it.
I got a little more done this weekend.
Heck, even the trailer looks fast!!!!!!!!!
Neil

hey Neil, if ya ever want too sell it...........lol

Ponyboy
Ya just never know, I may someday.
I would surely like to see it go to someone from here on FG, they would give it a good home I'm sure.
But not selling yet!!!
Neil

well in that case, how bout tradin for my custom craft..............lol

Put up a couple of pics, variety is the spice of life they say,
I have never owned a custom craft before.

hahaha....its an auqua ray?

That is a beautiful boat, but I had better hang onto the Fantasy for a little bit.
Neil

I dont know if I could give up the Custom craft. Its a very odd looking boat that just needs some love.