B= bring O=over A=another T=thousand that is just my observation. Doesn't stop me, as I have a couiple old flats. I say go for it.
Mercruiser marketed a v-12 stern drive about 15 or so years ago. It was powered with a Lambo engine. Didn't last too long though, as I remember, it was very pricey and they had some problems with them. I think they were around $80,000 per drive and most boats had twins. They were rated at 600+ hp each and had to use a racing drive. Now you can get the same power with a blown big block for less money.
You know I think it's pretty cool that you built your own boat, a glen L I'm guessing. My son built one for his high shcool senior project, a 11 foot outboard. Crackerbox racing, like another class of racing is a science on to its own. The can only run 275 cubic inch engines and like you said they non adjustable plates, no trans or gear box. They only started to hit 100 miles an hour in the late 1970s and crackers are the oldest inboard class still racing. Most are glass hulls today but there are still a few old wood Patterson, and a few new hulls patterned from wood Patterson's racing today. Back in the 40's and 50's a fast record setting cracker with flattie for power would run in the 60s and 70s. They're timed in the kilo, not 1/4 mile (or on a 5 mile course) so that's a lot of water to build up speed. There's nothing remotely similar between jersey speed skiffs and crackers other than they are both rear cock pit, driver and a monkey, mid engine direct drive boats. That's it. The hulls could not be more different from one another. The average cracker today will buzz it's engine well above 11,000 rpm down the straights to run with the pack and reach 100 mph. Sorry but your 'theoretical speed with a 17" prop is about 84mph' is just that, a theory. 65 is going to very tough to reach, imho. But it's still a very cool boat. Oh and for plym49, wood over glass is not heavier than glass. Glass boats can be lighter if built to a specific lamination schedule, but they're as a general rule much heavier than this style of wood boat building, like this cracker were talking about which is plywood not wood planking like an old chris craft. Plywood boat building is very light and strong.
Where do you get your info? Hulls like this were the back bone of drag boat racing when it started in Bakersfield in the 1950s. Most were Raysoncrafts, Stevens, Sangers and a few others (even a Glen L or two) but they were running over 100 in the 1/4 back then.
I have a buddy that restores old wooden ones, I build the engines for him but the rest looks like a lot of work. It would be fun if I was retired and had all kinds of time though. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jFR8TDL3hE0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jFR8TDL3hE0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
The point of my original reply was that the particular boat pictured and described was no 100 mph boat. I stated 60, and as of now you and someone else have agreed that that is the more likely speed of that boat. You are correct that there are lightweight ways to do fiberglass over wood. My own boat has a balsa core, and is fairly lightweight. Again, though, the point was about the boat pictured, which I do not believe was of lightweight construction - the point being that that was one more reason that particular craft would not be seeing 100. It is my observation that some folks get very testy whenever someone doubts claims of some boat's top speed. Even more so than with cars. Wonder why. Maybe it's because they never go as fast as we'd like them to, or last as long as they should before they break, for all of the $$$ they consume.
That makes sense, When I listen to the soundtrack it always sounded like twin engines rather than a single V12. It's hard to tell from that vid but that could be a twin engine hull. I went looking on youtube for V12's on a dyno and the Later Ferrari seemed to be as close to the boats sound as any hence I believed that it was at least Italian/racing powered. That thing sounds almost unearthly. And now that you mention the Lambo V12 powered Twin Engine Hulls it all starts to make a little more sense. Thanks for the info.. I'll go search for info on the Mercruisers... .
You're confusing two different way of boat building. Glass over wood, like the cracker we're talking about (his boat is light because it's built with plywood) has nothiong to do with your boat that is fiberglass, built in a mold, and then wood added later to the glass skin. A wood boat is built from the inside out. A glass boat is built from the outside in. The two styles have nothing in common.
Mine's a bit slower. But It is a hell of a lot of fun and cheap to operate. The biggest expense is towing it to the water to use it. Top speed about 8 mph.
Not really hotrods but I got a low maintenace Amsterdam canal boat, just for having fun with friends and beer. It's a glass ex-lifeboat with a BMC diesel. Lots of fun in summer!!! Queensday at the Amstyerdam canals!!! Party all day, boat looks like sh*t at the end of the day but who gives a sh*t: My first boat, steel lots of maintenace, Albin 4 cil. flathead (+/- 1952), great little engine:
I think we are in violent agreement. Different designs, different methods, different weights per square foot.
You are getting away cheap, at least on fuel. I gave up sailing the first time I needed to get somewhere and it took me 4 hours to go two miles because of doldrums.
Here's a 16' '62 Dorsett Catalina Cuddy I restored 3 years back. Original gel coat, built the trailer 4 it.......................
I lurk on there once in a while but trying to concentrate on getting a 280 class Hydro and a wood double cockpit in the water.............
Flyin-T You seem to have a good understanding about performance boats. I dont know why I get in a pissing match with some others that dont really understand all they think they know, it just gives me a headache sometimes. Yes it is a Glen-L. Anyone trying to compare the prop pitch of a flattie with direct drive to any kind of outboard just does not fly. By the way, the cracker weighs 650# less engine.
I remember seeing that double cockpit hull of yours on another site. I don't know if it was when you found it or maybe the guy you bought it off of. Cool boat.
It sat in Edmonds Wa. in my friends back yard since the early '70z, I have had it posted on Don Danenberg's wood boat forum as a mystery woody. Know one seems to know much of who, what or where about the 19' woody. I posted it on E-Bay with a huge reserve only to try and find out more about it hoping to shake some info out of the guys that check E-Bay for woody's on a regular basis. One of the reasons I like it so much is that it is not a CC or Garwood so no rules to follow when restoring. The transom just slopes off and disappears into the water.........
brigrat, I talked to you through pms on another board I think when you had it for sale, or maybe you just posted pictures of it. That's a one of a kind for sure. narducci, I grew up in the boat biz, started to work in the shop at 10 in 1966. All glass boats though no wood boats but I'd love to have one someday. Well, I started to make wire looms for my dad at 10 and started to go to the shop after school a few years later. Glen L is a few miles from my house, still selling kits and plans. I bought a few plans from them in my quest to get back my dads first boat. Their Rebel outboard is about 60% of what that boat was. I changed the line drawings to match the pictures I have but never did get the project past that other than collecting a few parts that were on that boat. Maybe someday. dads boat, 1961 on the river
Flyin-T Ive been around boats all my life also. My first boat was a 1958 Barbour 14' runabout with a Royal 12 OB. Ran about 20 with just me in it. Couldn't even plane with 2 aboard. I worked for Coastal Recreation in Costa Mesa as production mgr in the early 70's until 1974. We built the Aquarius and Balboa sailboats. I guess you have been to LB marine stadium, wife and I have been there a few times when we lived in Socal.
I think you should buy a 53 Chris Craft 17 Sportsman with a triple carb hot rod motor that needs resto for $1800. Weird coinsidence is that I have one, go figure.
Yep, been going to Marine Stadium my whole life to watch the races. There's one race a year now in August, circle races, and I still go. No more drags. From the late 60's until '74 I was at Tahiti boats. Just about the same time I graduated high school in '74, Hawaiian Boats was started by the same guy that started Tahiti so we went there until they went tits up in 1979. Both were really entry level boats, but great experience. In 1980 I'm sure you remember, it was much like now and you couldn't give a boat away but I got a job at Rogers Custom boats and stayed with him until 1985. Went over to Advantage who had just bought most of Rogers molds and was general manager and then in the early 90's went to over to Warlock boats. Then it was to Howard boats. When I was a kid Howard Brown lived 6 doors down so I got to know him and his twin daughters during the glory years when he shattered the drag boat record. Boy is stuff was nice. By the time I worked for Howard he had just sold the company to it's current owners but I'd see him when he'd come to collect his $ and we'd shoot the bull. He passed away this summer too along with Roger. Then back to Advantage who had moved to Havasu but I rigged all the 20's down here in Anaheim Hills. Few more shops here and there until I got out of it altogether. The industry's deader than hell right now and I miss building boats, but the older I get I really miss working with my dad and a few friends back in the old Tahiti days. That was a lot of fun.
The Jalopy Journal
