Hi all, I am still looking for the next boat... Looked at a 1988 Vantare 44 sun deck with 3208TA the other day. Does anyone have any info regarding these yachts? who built them, hull construction etc? I did notice that the stringers are all glass ( no wood) and the fittings etc seemed good quality. Any help or info appreciated thanks, Gary
Vantares were a line of yachts imported from Taiwan in the late ‘80s, mostly to the West Coast through dealers in Southern California and Seattle. The owner of the company, Mike Guth, was a retired Navy officer and he had the boats built at Chung-Hwa. The first was a 58-footer designed by Jack Sarin, followed by a 64-footer. They all had “cab-forward” styling with the pilothouse very far forward to maximize the saloon. All sorts of power was available, with most getting Cats or Johnson & Towers, but you could also opt for vee-drives, jet drive or Arnesons, although I doubt if any were built. They all had upscale detailing, with imported Italian lighting and the like, but they were typical of Taiwan construction for the time and had balsa-coring throughout the hull and deck, so that would be something to consider. The company lasted a few years and Guth left boatbuilding and moved to Florida where he started building the luxurious Vantare motor coaches that were very successful for years.
I would double check the stringer construction, be double sure there is no wood under there. Check the foredeck around hatches ,winches and any penetrations etc for softness. Survey of course is mandatory.