Mercury Vintage Racing DVD

[Bigshrimpin]

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

[nestorpr]

That's an original allright!

[RUSTYNTABATHA]

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

[Fr. Frank]

"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?

[ledfoot]

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.

[Bigshrimpin]

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.

[65Bowrider]

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.