The really "Old School" boating thread

[Sharp shooter]

I've never seen one of these but they were definitely advertised well. Anyone ever see or own one?

[gn7]

Ok, Bob so whats up with Bonicis's Deck? His boat goes way back I think.

The Yosemite Sam was a successful boat back when. Is it still down south in the heart of moonshine country.

Yosemite Sam is in Tennessee I believe. The owner is on PB every once in a while and has called me a couple times looking for parts.
He is on PB every so often under the user name Mr Kilowatt. He owns one of the SK Raysons that Army Haines of Haines Electric ran. He also owns the old Yosemite Sam, that Fitzgerald, Duff and Rankin drove, or were scheduled to drive in the BWR 300 a couple years ago.

Funny, always thought that Yosemite Sam was a rocket. It kicked some serious as in its day. It held the kilo record for quite awhile at 95 MPH for a long time until Kenny's Family Tradition GN13 driven by Lance Faulkner broke it at 112. Today, you better being doing 108-110 on the back straight of first lap, or you'll be 3rd by the time you get to the second turn.

[nowski]

Great Thread By The Way!!! Back in the day most people skied with a ski belt, would those things be legal today?

[Sharp shooter]

Great Thread By The Way!!! Back in the day most people skied with a ski belt, would those things be legal today?

That's what we used along with 75 foot double handle ropes.

[Havasuing]

A couple of quick additions: The tunnel boat (#191) in the OMC ad was Jimbo McConnell's. He drove it in the 1974 Parker 7-Hour (first year it was 7 hours, not 9) and the rotary power was awesome for about the first hour (he almost lapped the entire field on a 13-mile course) until it broke. I never got a really straight answer from OMC's Charile Strang in the months and years that followed about why the rotary project disappeared so quickly after all the R&D that OMC sunk into it. The Horizon "Jette" was a great boat (although not very pretty) as far as I was concerned. I drove/tested several for Powerboat and found them to be the best turning vee-bottom in the jet category. The Mel Zikes column from Powerboat brings back memories -- when I started there as magazine editor I had four monthly columnists to wrangle and each was a handful in their own way: Bill Muncey, John Crouse, Mel Zikes and Dick DeBartolo -- for my money the most entertaining team of unpredictable boating pundits the industry has ever had. And Don Aronow has to be one of boating's most memorable personalities -- met him for the first time in April 1967 on the guest dock at the Long Beach Yacht Club. He and Knocky (his cockpit co-pilot) had come out to run the Long Beach to Ensenada POPBRA offshore race with a 32' Cary (Cigarette hadn't been born yet). Don made a gentlmen's bet with Long Beach mayor, Edwin Wade, that he would get to Ensenada in his race boat before Wade could drive there by car. Don won the race and the bet by a mile.

[Sharp shooter]

A couple of quick additions: The tunnel boat (#191) in the OMC ad was Jimbo McConnell's. He drove it in the 1974 Parker 7-Hour (first year it was 7 hours, not 9) and the rotary power was awesome for about the first hour (he almost lapped the entire field on a 13-mile course) until it broke. I never got a really straight answer from OMC's Charile Strang in the months and years that followed about why the rotary project disappeared so quickly after all the R&D that OMC sunk into it. The Horizon "Jette" was a great boat (although not very pretty) as far as I was concerned. I drove/tested several for Powerboat and found them to be the best turning vee-bottom in the jet category. The Mel Zikes column from Powerboat brings back memories -- when I started there as magazine editor I had four monthly columnists to wrangle and each was a handful in their own way: Bill Muncey, John Crouse, Mel Zikes and Dick DeBartolo -- for my money the most entertaining team of unpredictable boating pundits the industry has ever had. And Don Aronow has to be one of boating's most memorable personalities -- met him for the first time in April 1967 on the guest dock at the Long Beach Yacht Club. He and Knocky (his cockpit co-pilot) had come out to run the Long Beach to Ensenada POPBRA offshore race with a 32' Cary (Cigarette hadn't been born yet). Don made a gentlmen's bet with Long Beach mayor, Edwin Wade, that he would get to Ensenada in his race boat before Wade could drive there by car. Don won the race and the bet by a mile.

Bob Brown...?

Great info! Here's another shot of the Horizon out of the Aug '71 Powerboat. The picture headed a Bill Holmes interview.

[gn7]

A couple of quick additions: The tunnel boat (#191) in the OMC ad was Jimbo McConnell's. He drove it in the 1974 Parker 7-Hour (first year it was 7 hours, not 9) and the rotary power was awesome for about the first hour (he almost lapped the entire field on a 13-mile course) until it broke. I never got a really straight answer from OMC's Charile Strang in the months and years that followed about why the rotary project disappeared so quickly after all the R&D that OMC sunk into it. .

I remember when my uncle moved to Havasu in '71, and shortly after that McCulloch had leased space at the Site 6 compound to OMC and they were testing the rotary then. My understanding is the same thing that plagued them then was the same thing as had always plaqued rotary engines at the time. The wipers. Wiper material that would last couldn't take the RPM, material that could take the RPM wouldn't last.
I can remember watching them testing, and they were ungodly fast.

Bob Brown...?

Great info! Here's another shot of the Horizon out of the Aug '71 Powerboat. The picture headed a Bill Holmes interview.

This is a later Jones design Holmes built tunnel. Much better looking. One of these with a couple 2.5s would be a cool ride for the Parker enduro.

[gn7]

I've never seen one of these but they were definitely advertised well. Anyone ever see or own one?

Yeah I have seen few. Some I wish I hadn't. The tunnel cruiser being one of them. That's by far the best pic of one I have ever seen. Maybe that's why they use it. Not the best looking "cat" out there at the time. But a little ahead of its time. I understand Jones had some hand in the bottom of them. They made a couple late in the company's history that were a little more pleasant to the eye. Bill Holmes sold the company and it folded shortly later.
I will say one thing about them, they were built stout.
I have to give some credit to the guy who owns the boat in the ad. At least he knew what it was and named it aptly .

[Sharp shooter]

[Sharp shooter]