Vasard 7.5mtr Centre Cab

[outwide1]

There is another guy on here with one. It was originally called Mortal Kombat with a Volvo Penta petrol. Nick bought it off Kane and he is Black and Blue on here. He renamed it and put a diesel Steyr into it to the Volvo leg. I think he had leg problems then so he might have put a new leg on it. He was trying to sell it but dunno if he did. Some of the Tweed Heads boys might chime in.

I like the concept of them. Jack shafted so your weight is in the middle and you fish right to the transom other than the little steering box. The bunks down below are good for a centre cab. The only thing similar is a 25' Luhrs. A guy here on the coast has one which has a similar cab and bunks down below but as a bridgedeck with engines underneath and he has twin 170hp Yanmar 4 cyl diesels to shaft drives.

Theres not too many boats you don't know about out there Rob.
Very handy guy you are.

[ashleyhj74]

Hey there,nice looking rig!! Do you happen to have any pics of the jackshaft setup at all?
Regards,
Doug

G'day mate, I dont have any photos with the floor section up above it at the moment no. Basically its just as it sounds, a jackshaft/driveshaft (smaller than a cars) running through a centre bearing from the back of them engine to the sterndrive leg. All pretty simple really, plus it frees up a hell of alot of space at the transom compared to a standard sterndrive box. The exhausts run down the outsides of the stringers, it had massive fibreglass mufflers in there, they wont be going back in. Going to put some smaller free-flow marine mufflers in there so it sounds like a V8

[ashleyhj74]

Hey Ash74,

Man .. that sure is a blast from the past, i had to check some old photos (kodak that is) and yah i've been out for a couple of trips in that old girl years ago (no gps in those days) he navigated off his sounder, lights and landmarks, darn good skipper to. The guys name is Paul and he was the original founder of bribie pontoons and built the boat on bribie .. O and she fished a treat so hopefully some good karma there for you.

haven't seen him for over 10 years but she rode like the mercedes of the ocean

nice looking hull and great userfriendly layout .. i'm sure your goin to be stoked with her man

Cheers
Rod

Gday Rod, thanks mate, i'm completely happy with it so far, and I havent even fished it yet. I just loved the shape/layout the moment I saw it. I saw the two others for sale on Boatpoint (one centre cab, one cuddy) at the time for $49K+, you know how it is, dont have that kinda money sitting around, just drooled over the photos. Then I manage to buy one, in the same town as i'm in, around the corner from our shed. Couldnt believe my luck. I'd love to see the old photos if you have the technology to transfer them into a email mate? Cheers, Ash

[Tickleish]

Beautiful boat Ash, If you ever want to sell it give me a yell -I'm serious, I've got a little Yanmar lying around that would be perfect in that boat.

Make sure you give us some fishing reports from her.

Cheers

[ashleyhj74]

Beautiful boat Ash, If you ever want to sell it give me a yell -I'm serious, I've got a little Yanmar lying around that would be perfect in that boat.

Make sure you give us some fishing reports from her.

Cheers

G'day mate, yeah i'd love a diesel for it (pity the prices for them are so high), I havent even spent half a hour on it in the water yet haha, so I reakon i'll keep it for a while thanks all the same, it took me just on/over 2 years to find a replacement for my Spearfish 21, and I never thought I would for the price I got this for (unless somewhere down the track someone makes me a offer I cant refuse of course......but for the forseeable future, I cant see it leavin my possession ). Ripped the Chev out of it today actually, some of the wiring is just beyond a joke, this is the same wiring thats apprantly all just been re-done too........ Goin to go over everything and re-do all the wiring on the motor/everywhere else. My old mans a retired diesel mechanic, he's all for the soldering/shrink wrapping, so I know when its done I can definately say "the wiring is all perfect and re-done", and not bullsh1t about it Also goin to look at any bigger camshaft options for more grunt, and replace the bearings on the jackshaft and probably repaint the engine (its all freshly painted, but eh, mose well do it again while its out).

[dugggy]

jackshaf.jpg

Does your set up look anything like this?
Doug

[ashleyhj74]

That picture wont load mate

[dugggy]

Sorry ,should work now.
doug

[ashleyhj74]

Um, not really, thats way more "complicated" than mine. I have no pulleys/belts etc at the transom. Theres the flywheel on the back of the engine, cover over that, jackshaft bolts straight to that, through under the floor through 2 centre bearings then into the sterndrive leg as it normally would if the motor was connected straight to it i'd assume. The picture showing the cockpit on page one, that small "box" on the transom that runs from the centre-ish to the side is where the steering/gear/etc controls are. Between that and the engine theres nothing but driveshaft, gearshift cables/steering, oh and the exhausts run on the outside of the main stringers.
Interesting new fact (Well, new to me........), also found what appears to be a 2nd fuel tank running below where the driveshaft is. Cant see that its hooked up to anything at all, added it to the list of things to do.

[ashleyhj74]

Ok, thought i'd add a bit of a update. Boat is off the trailer and on a cradle, and all without dropping it onto the concrete, rather happy with that Engine is out (took that out prior to removing the boat from the trailer), gave it a good flushing with SaltX a few times prior. Possibly might rip the heads off for a look, I know I was told it was all rebuilt, but as my old man is a retired mechanic, he'd like to know himself that everything is cool. Got no dramas with that.

Bought a heap of trailer parts to aid in the conversion from wobble rollers to keel rollers/side skids/etc. Found a bloke a couple of hours from me with a heap of trailer parts going cheap (from a trailer manufacturer that shut down). Axles will come up good with a going over with a flap disc, bit of a prime and respray with decent paint. Gotta swap the axle mounting positions from below to ontop of the springs, and get new springs.

[ashleyhj74]

Still unsure on what how i'm going to raise the hardtop. I'd love to get rid of it all together, but its got basically brand new side clears that go with it, as in the pictures below. Current thinking is making a new support system to raise the hardtop, then get a front clear to cover the gap between the top of the existing windscreen and the hardtop (about 150mm, possibly higher, might round it up to 200mm). At least then in summer I could remove the clears and get a heap of air flowing through. Of course the side clears would have to be extended to suit the extra height, but thats easily done. The rear sunshade/bimini setup goes back to far for my liking, plus the canvas is alll stuffed so thats gotta be redone. Unfortunately with the design of the side clears that has to be on so they fit, thats why I'd like to shorten it a bit maybe. At the very least get new canvas and a zipper for access to the rocket launcher. Once again, still not 100% on all that.

[ashleyhj74]

I might even get rid of the rear bimini all together and just make it so the clears can still fit so its just like the picture below, but with the clears on. (The side clears mount off the rear bimini setup. That bolts on halfway up the sides of the hardtop. So to remove that, and still have the clears, it'll involve making up rails/something to mount the clears where they currently do, still not 100% on that haha)

[sambos]

Hey guys .I know this boat well.I ve spent hours workin on it with the original owner Paul Vasicek,one of the best fishos around.a very smart man also ,he started vassard marine many years ago and decided fishing was better than working so decided to sell the now very succesfull poontoon side of the buissness.Only 2 boats were sold out this mould (which I have in my possesion.Your boat was named "prospector""it was the colour it is but obviously has been resprayed .The entire deck casting was white which i now notice has some blue on it .The boat rides extemely well with the center mounted motor/weight.Mid 90s this boat was sold to a guy on bribie .Gary,He sold it about 5 years ago which is obviusly when it whent south.
The other boat sold from this mould was grey gunal and rest white it was a diesel with duo prop leg and was original named "richochet" and went to the president of a gold cost fishing club early 90s this is the one mentioned in earlier posts with the new diesel in it.I worked on it with him from polishing the mould for the gelcoat to be spayed through to the water test.
There are a couple of others out there but they were built as mate deals using the mould so not labeled as a vassard as such.
Paul lives up at sandstone point and is currently producing a half cabin model which will have outboards.The boat is about 3/4 built ,but has to fit between fishin trips.

[DALEPRICE]

lot of history in that for sure,
Paul lives down the road from me and currently has a sportfish.
Good luck with modifications she is a fine boat.
cheers dale

[Tim_N]

Dale has got it right, Paul now owns a Sportsfish.
Paul sold this boat to Gary, a local real estate agent on Bribie, and he too caught plenty of fish out of it. The boat then went South.
From all reports, it is a really really good sea boat.
Tim