Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Maybe - someone in Florida knows how to put it back together the old fashion way :) Just kidding . . . sorry Ben it's your boat and you should do what you like to it. I just wanted to point out that you own something pretty special.

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

No immediate plans to visit CA, but if we do we will take you up on your offer to take us for a spin in your SeaCraft.
Many thanks. Re: "Around Miami Beach Race". Photos of Carl in the water next to the cat race boat. Rough water flipped him out of the boat but it started circling and wearing a racing jacket it was difficult for him to swim away from the boat. He managed to grab a vinyl rub rail that had come loose, climbed in between the two outboards which were still running. Treasure and I passed him (while he was in the water) in the #21 boat. I believe we finished first in our class and Carl .....finished the race. Wet but otherwise fine.

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

You guys are pretty close to me and Capt Matt, especially Capt Matt since he's in Yankeetown, all the SeaCrafts aren't over on the SE coast. I was at Interbay Marine in tampa as a salesman in the 70's when all these nifty boats were made and fell in love, 18-23 Sceptre now a 20 MA. Met Bill Potter one day, and Jack McGaughy could do some great rigging and baitwell jobs on those boats. Nice to meet you.

Jeanne
 

Thanks bigshrimpin, we got a wonderful call from Jeanne tonight..talked for quite awhile about the good old days, kids, old friends, and whatever..I told her about Mt Dora and she is thinking about it..I also gave her Dave Craigs number..Maybe I can talk them all into meeting us at Mt Dora in March..
Thanks again,
Butch

Re: Jeanne
 

Unbelievable thread. Great history....

Re: Jeanne
 

This has been a great thread.
lilabner ... welcome to CSC!
Bigshrimpin ... Thanks for the links to ScreamandFly. I've been enjoying exploring that site. Many good stories with names and people I remember, only in my teens at the time. Race day was always a 'family affair'.

And to JMoesly, I'm glad you joined CSC!

Re: Jeanne
 

Thanks 65 Bowrider..The last time I saw you was around 1963..we were all standing around on the dock at Pelican Harbor during some event..I think there were more eyes on you than the raceboats. :o
It was great talking to your Mom last night..

Butch

Re: Jeanne
 

Butch,
The internet has made this world so much smaller ... a lot different than when we were growing up!
It's great to hear from you again after soooo many years!

Re: Jeanne
 

Yes, and the internet has also made the world so much BIGGER in alot of ways too...... got to love it!
rockdoc

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Came across this while looking for info on Don Aronow Boats.
Info on Lake X and the 1st Bahama's 500. It's Good!!
http://www.powercatboat.com/Racers/Stories.html


[image]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/krn54/43_01.jpg[/image]

See ya, Ken

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

I got the DVD.

The Bahama's 500 segment was very interesting. There were some partial shots of seacrafts, but mostly the segment was about Odell Lewis, the course, and Odell's boat. The video is partially narrated by Odell who's not a man of many words (a real slow talker). There's some cool footage of the race and I have a new appreciation for the distance covered by these boat in some nasty conditions.

The footage from LakeX in 1957 is really neat too . . . I can't believe how rural and unsettled Florida was (but in the movie they mention a "mobile phone" at lakeX . . . weird). Watching the drivers change shifts on the water @30mph while refueling in the rain . . . for 68 3/4 days (with one break at 25,000 miles) during the 50,000 mile marathon was incredible. That event could never happen today with insurance, unions, and legal depts.

One of the other segments covered the speed record set in 1958 with the Mark 75H which is clocked at 109mph . . . also amazing.


Oh Yeah . . . A few more question for Jeanne, Carl, and Butch . . . How come you guys raced in powercats? And what's this about LilAbner in a Seacraft Cat ? And are those wine barrel tanks in the back? I actually have MANY more questions to ask . . . So please stop me if I get to be annoying.
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...7/MVC_002F.jpg

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Carl and Jeanne ran Sea Craft cats..Carl and I ran the cat in the picture in the 9 hour and the 6 hour..Carl designed it..It was a 4 point cabover cat,,I loved the way it ran and had no problems, I was only 139 lbs at the time..Carl and everyone else had gotten thrown out of it..Carl was hurt pretty bad, but nothing could keep him out of a boat..The 9 hour was first and I started.I ran for almost 2 hours when a swivel pin broke..I was first outboard and 3rd overall at the time..the next week we ran the six hour..Carl started this one..He was running 2nd behind another SeaCraft driven by Charlie Dunn and Richie Baiz..at the 2 hour mark I took over and and got a little closer..and at 4 hours Carl took over again, but the engines had broken reeds and couldn't get on plane..I got back in but they were junk..we got disqualifed with 20 minutes to go still first in class 2nd overall because the boat turned around on the course with only one engine running..I was hand cranking them and running back to the throttles..couldn't get back in time..was tuckered out..
and no, they were fiberglass tanks..not wine barrels..

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

WOW! This is getting very interesting! I wonder if there are any Seacraft cats around anymore? What is so funny is if someone came on the board and said that they had a cat boat that was built by Seacraft, everyone would say that he was full of $hit up until now. :cool:

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Butch - Amazing story . . . which race was that photo taken? . . . you've got a huge smile going in that photo. This is probably a stupid question, but what makes a cat a 4 point cat? Is that the number of pads where the hull touches the water? and how come all the stories so far involve Carl getting hurt?

http://www.powercatboat.com/Group/Beaver/hydro21.jpg

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Seacraft cat?????? Awesome!

Did they have the VDS hull or were they a totally different animal?

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Sea Craft cats evolved from American Marc cats..Carl owned Am Marc and changed the name to Sea Craft when he started his own designs..The 4 pointer was a cut down, cut up Am Marc cat with sponsons..Carl was hurt at Lake X testing for the 9 hour..I heard a couple others got thrown out at that test session..I never did..I loved the boat. The picture was taken during the 9 hour race..Mike Wallace was leading in Tiny Tim, I forgot who was second and I was third..We were having lots of problems with swivel pins in 800's and 1000's breaking..
Carl was like Nordskog..an Iron man..nothing could keep him down..Jeanne could fill in the blanks..

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

I remember a trip to Lake X where Carl (Dad) was testing a new Cat of his design, subsequently named the "Wet Noodle".
The test drivers at Lake X put an engine on it and ran it around their course, but would not take it to full throttle as they said the bow would start to lift. At only 3/4 throttle it was breaking speeding records. Carl was frustrated, so he said 'let me take it for a spin'. And he did. He was dressed in street clothes...atleast someone threw him a helmet before he climbed in. He took off going around the course in the "Wet Noodle", and sure enough, he pushed the throttles fully down, set a new speed record. I was standing on the dock with Jeanne (Mom) and watched on the backstretch as the bow lifted, up and up and over. Carl got very wet, but other than that was ok.

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

65Bowrider
That is the Wet Noodle in the photo..and I think your Dad broke or bruised a rib and twisted a knee in that excursion. He was in a lot of pain in the 6 Hour Race, but never quit. The motors quit on us. When I drove the boat they warned me it might do that again, but I never felt it would. It ran excellent for me, it was a great rough water boat..

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

What other seacraft secrets are you guys hiding? I can't get enough of these stories. What about the CIA contracts? Cuba?

Butch - when you said it was a great rough water boat . . . what do you mean by rough water? How large were the seas/chop that you guys raced in . . . with the wet noodle?

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Well, let me put it this way..I have 2 boats..a 33 twin engine center console Oceanhawk..and a 22 velocity with a V8 Johnson putting out about 340hp..rough for the Velocity is choppy for the Oceanhawk..the cat was about 16-17 feet long.the water in the picture would be considered a little choppy, plus you have 50 other boats around you..the following week it was rougher than the picture in some spots. It really all depends on the size of the boat..When Ocean racing started in the late 50's and thru the late 60's, we actually started in small craft warnings a few times..I only worked on the CIA boats, I don't want to know about any contracts..

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Yeah! What he said!

Great stuff.

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

You gotta love-it! :)
This has to be the best thread ever.
I get goose bumps, to think that the inventor and family of the "Founding Father" of the boat that we hold so close to our hearts is a part of this great web site.
Keep it coming.......

See ya, Capt. Ken

We are truly one big family!!!!!!!!!

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

lilabner

I want that sucker on my 23' :eek:

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Butch - Carl was tossed out of the "Wet Noodle" more than once. At Pelican Harbor he went out so fast that his tennis shoes remained in the boat. In trying to stay in the cat he twisted the Mercury throttle handles so the left handle was in front of the right handle - I think that is when he twisted his knee and got a few "dings"

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Hi Jeanne, That's when it probably happened..I was so busy working on boats for the upcoming races, I didn't get to do any testing..I was supposed to run with Charlie and Richie was going to run with Carl, but Richie got a wild hair and quit..so Ken Wilson told me to run with Carl and Richie run with Charlie..I don't remembering even testing in the Wet Noodle before the race, but I'm sure I did..Ken told me Carl was hurt testing at the Lake, I thought, but things are foggy now days on some things. If anyone would know it would be you..I think the most amazing thing Carl did was crawl back in his cat between 2 running motors in gear..I still have the newspaper article..

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

I snagged this picture too from another one of butch's posts on the internet. I thought I was a misprint when I read Seacraft Cat. I also read a while back (in another lilabner post) that there may have been a non-variable deadrise seacraft v hull . . . is that true? What about the mysterious 15ft scamper?

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...7/MVC_020S.jpg

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

My wife wants me to tell you that this is her favorite part about her new (1972) seacraft.

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...020_Medium.jpg

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

That's an original allright! :eek:

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK YOU FOR THE THREAD AND THE WONDERFUL FAMILY HISTORY. MY DAD RACED CATS UP HERE IN NORTH FLORIDA WITH A GUY NAMED HAMP (GILETE?) HE BUILT HIS TUNNEL IN HIS BACK YARD AND THE MOTOR IN HIS GARAGE. MERCURY BOUGHT THE HULL AND HE DETUNED THE MOTOR AND PUT IT ON HIS BASS BOAT. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INFATUATED WITH SPEED ON THE WATER!
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN
RUSTY

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

"My" 1st SeaCraft was my grandfather's 1970 20' Seafari, which he bought used from my great-uncle in '71, rigged at the time with a Chrysler 105 hp outboard that had a bad cylinder. It had the seat with the sink, stove and icebox built in it. My grandfather took the Chrysler off, and put twin Mercury 650's on the back. As I was crazy about boats, and my grandfather wouldn't let me take his Rybo out, he often let me use the Seacraft. From '74-76 I went fishing as often as I could, especially as my grandfather paid the gas & oil.

My older cousin got the boat in '77, and put a single Merc XS1500 on the back. He also used it seemingly every day. In 1983, even though I already had a 23' SeaCraft CC, I bought that boat from my cousin, while I was working as the Tow Boat captain for Waterway Marina in Palm Beach Gardens.

At that time the Merc inline 6 150 was tired and had over 1400 hours on it, so I put a rebuilt 1981 Mercury 200 hp V6 on it, and then I never got it running right. In mid '84 I sold the boat to a marina customer as part of a package with a new 140hp Johnson, and never saw that boat again.

I really regret selling that boat.

All told, I have owned several SeaCrafts, but even today, there are two models that embody the mystique that is SeaCraft: the 1969-73 Seafari 20', and the 1968-69 Master Angler 27' flybridge.

There's absolutely nothing that compares with these SeaCrafts we're obsessed with, is there?

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Just received my DVD tonight, watched it end to end already. The footage of the Bahamas 500 got me all worked up! What makes it so great is that the boats of that era (like the race cars) are so simple, pure, and beautiful. Those big Bertrams-oh man, so pretty.

Can anyone tell me if there are other DVD's of vintage powerboating up through the 80's? I grew up in Sarasota FL and watched the races there every year from the mid 80's on.

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

http://www.classicseacraft.com/broch...edium/0005.jpg

I finally remembered where I read that you guys raced powercats. Was this a typo? . . . it doesn't look like any powercat I've seen before.

Re: Mercury Vintage Racing DVD
 

Bigshrimpin,

The top photo is of "The Wing". It was a prototype, designed, built and raced, but never put into production.
I'll try to get JMoesly to sign on and reply with more information. It was a very 'unique' boat.