If you’re looking to stand out at the next vintage boat show, or just want a boat that’s incredibly unique and useful with room for the whole family, check out this mind-blowing time capsule 1975 Silverline Antigua 18T. I don’t know if all eight of the Brady Bunch – nine with Alice – could have fit in this beauty, but I can picture them in this one.
Silverline Boats, sometimes seen as Silver Line, or SilverLine, was an interesting company, and I don’t say that just because they were based in Minnesota – Moorhead, Minnesota to be exact. Ok, that helps, but it also helps that they eventually made snowmobiles as a lot of 1970s companies did to create work for their employees during non-summer months. Our own Jeff Lavery showed us one here on Barn Finds back in 2018.
Moorhead Plastics came about in 1959 and production started in 1960. The company was known for its mid-sized fiberglass boats, such as the Antigua 18T seen here. Sales started slowly and after some help from an investor, things took off in 1961. By 1967, 300 employees were making 4,000 boats annually. By this time, they were known as Silverline and were also making Yukon King snowmobiles during the incredible boom era for snowmobiles. A merger with Arctic Cat in 1970 and a new factory in Florida for ocean-going boats grew the company, but by 1980, overproduction and inflation took their toll and Arctic closed production.
The company made several models by the 1970s and this 18-footer is almost like a motorhome on the water. A vintage advertisement talks about how it’s a fast, family cruiser and a fully-equipped camper, I don’t know how it gets any better than that. Wait, now I know, check out that seat pattern! That’s as cool as it gets in my world. As a tri-hull design, they were pretty stable but also took the waves fairly hard at times. We had a tri-hull boat years ago and it was a nice cruiser, but if it was windy, it would bounce over the waves rather than cut through the water.
This one is powered by a Mercruiser 165, a GM-sourced 250-cu.in. OHV inline-six with 165 horsepower. The seller says this one runs “wonderfully” and this boat sure looks like a jewel. They have it listed here on eBay in the last place I would have ever guessed: Mesa, Arizona, and there is an unmet opening bid suggestion of $4,900. Have any of you heard of Silverline boats?
With the regional drought, there may not be enough water to enjoy this boat in AZ. All the comforts of a pontoon boat with the ability to pull a youthful skier. Plus that wacky green. What’s NOT to like?
💯 awesome boat. 👌 bet that I6 Mercruiser has a great sound as well. Too cool 😎
As a matter of fact, I have. As a kid, we had a wooden boat at our cottage I barely remember, except it had a Johnny 18 twin. Not enough for dad, research shows, he then got an early 60s fiberglass Silverline 350 Vacationer 16ft. The Johnny was too small and somehow got a Mark 75( 65hp) Mercury “Dockbuster” ( no neutral) 6 cylinder, clearly too much, and settled on a Mark 58A Merc( 45 hp) that was just right. They were nice boats. Back then, there were so many boat makers, you rarely saw 2 the same. That boat logged a lot of hours, as “boat rides” were the #1 draw at the cottage, and 90% of the time, I was the driver. Smaller boats like this are still popular, upper Midwest has some beautiful places to explore. The mighty “Chip”( Chippewa Flowage) the Turtle Flowage, Wisconsin River, or any of the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, the motor will be a bit thirsty and noisy, but even big enough for the intercoastal waterway( ocean, not so much) but boating is universal fun for most. Can’t go wrong here.
I knew you had seen one, HoA! You’re right, boats were like snowmobiles back in the glory years (60s/70s) when everyone seemed to make them to bump up sales during the off-season.
My parents had a 1968 Robin’s egg blue Silverline Deville w/a 100 hp V-4 Johnson.
Was luxurious for a 16′ speedboat and could pull 4 skiers at the same time.
Lived in Moorhead in the early 80’s, and yes had a 18′ Silverline 165hp. Friend had a cabin (actually an old ’50s mobile home built on to) that he would rent it to us of weeks at a time. Only charged me enough to cover the taxes and propane. REALLY good memories of days skiing with our kids and fishing when they got tired and went to the cabin. Alas, those days are gone and couldn’t afford to own a cabin today anyway
I live right next door to Mesa AZ. There are several sub divisions with water ways in this area. If I lived on one of those ,I would own this boat. It is just too cool! I wish I could come up with a valid reason to buy it.
I actually don’t think it is a 6 cylinder. I only see 5 wires and 1 is for the coil.
Look again at the distributor cap
This is a six cylinder. You can see all the wires when the photo is enlarged.
Really
She’s the perfect choice for navigating the Haulover, on a windy day!
Hah! I can see the video now of this thing navigating that potato patch…
Boca or Boynton, it might do OK.
Haulover inlet in North Miami Beach? I don’t know. I spent a lot of time there when younger and saw a few boats come to grief and a whole bunch more beat the heck up there.
Usually it was beer induced error but when the tide and current isn’t right it’s a nasty inlet.
Cool boat and it’d be great in lakes and, as mentioned, the Intracoastal.
pretty kouwell but of min length for ocean (that being 17 ft).
I too like seating arrangement. The lill galley (looks like my ele. school daughter’s kitchen play set (same plastic material too). Just needs toilet/shower to finish the camper vibe U mention.
Small enuff to pull behinda intermediate car, I can gofurid. Best when pulled in under some branches at some freshwater nooks’n crannies. Or beached as base camp on a island for two…
got pretty much the same motor in my 1st gen bronk (4.1 ThriftPower).
I would drop a little Chevy V8 in that thing with a little field supercharger
Man, if I hadn’t just sunk a wad to refresh my boat, I’d be all over this! Of course, at my age maybe the on board potty I’ve got is more essential than the kitchen this has.
Auction update: this one made it to $7,900 and didn’t meet the seller’s reserve.