Are Hawaiian & Tahiti the same hulls?

[77_Tahiti]

Im trying to figure out some boat history here. I have been looking at a few 18 foot Hawaiian's and they appear to have the same lines that my 18 foot Tahiti has. Also seems like a lot of manufacturers specified their boats as "bubble deck's", what does bubble deck refer to?
http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif Attention: ""Old Farts"" http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif
A history lesson would be nice here for all the "young guns" on the various extinct custom boat makers!
[This message has been edited by 77_Tahiti (edited July 19, 2001).]

[mario]

77 TAHITI,
IM NOT SURE 100% BUT THEY LOOK VERY MUCH A LIKE. I HAVE A 28 FT. HAWAIIAN AND AM TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE WITH ONE MY SIZE. GO TO
(RIVERTOYS.COM) THEY WEB SITE OWNER HAS HIS 18 FT. HAWAIIAN PIC ON THERE. TAKE A LOOK...
MARIO

[058]

An opinion from this "old fart"....Tahitis and Hawaiians were built at the same time so I doubt if they were made by the same mfg. I have to go take my Medamusl now so I can have a bowel movement without straining too much....good luck young wippersnapper.

[Oldsquirt]

"bubbledeck" refers to the shape of the deck surface ahead of the dashboard. It is different than my 73 Tahiti which has a flat slope up to dash. Many manufacturers copied that bubbledeck design.
Don't know if Tahiti and Hawaiian are same hull. Tahiti produced many different lengths abnd styles. If you are looking at a Hawaiian, check the manufacturer's plate. Tahiti was produced by Schuster Boats

[RiverToysJas]

I do have an 18' hawaiian (and love it). But I've been fooled so many times by boats that I thought were Hawaiians because they looked just like mine. They always turn out to be something totally different. I know they were made at the same time, but sometimes I swear someone was driving around with the mold on a trailer dropping boats off at every manufacturer.
Jason.

[rivercrazy]

There was so much Splashing going on in the 70-80's it was really hard to tell the brands apart.

[Eric]

I've heard that Dick Schuster built Tahiti boats, left Tahiti to build Southwinds, and then started Hawaiian Boats. Maybe some of the molds traveled with him. I bet Ultra28 knows the history.
Eric

[Oldsquirt]

Bubbledeck example http://images.traderonline.com/img/6.../1169263_1.jpg
note the way the deck curves or "bubbles" up to dash.
[This message has been edited by OLDSQUIRT (edited July 19, 2001).]

[Bubbledeck]

hmmm .. I thought Bubbledeck referred to me heh

[old rigger]

Dick Schuster did indeed own Tahiti then he and another guy, Jerry Groom, started Hawaiian Boats. They were involved in a big lawsuit over Hawaiian boats because they started it with stuff they had back doored at Tahiti. Groom ended up going to prison over the deal. Hawaiian was going to be called "TIKI" and they even had a few boats leave with thoses name plates but had a court order to stop. Even had the little tiki head and the same style of writing as Tahiti. Dick had sold Tahiti to Bell industries in the late 60's but stayed on as president. Groom was a bean counter with Bell that knew diddly about boats. Schuster had nothing to do with Southwind.
Sanger Jack made the first Bubble deck, Rogers was the first to splash it for his 18' and later 19' models, then the whole west coast boat industry followed.
My Dad started to work for Dick Schuster in 1966 and stayed with him until 1980 or so, when the gas crunch hit. I started to work for him when I was a kid, going there after school and cutting wood, waxing molds and stuff like that. Went to work full time at Tahiti when I got out of high school and followed him to Hawaiian a year later. Stayed until 1979 then worked for Rogers for 5 years. From there I went to Advantage to be general manager until they move to Havasu. Also worked for Warlock and Howards. got out of the boat thing in '95.