The really "Old School" boating thread

[gn7]

One of our Inspectors remembers blowing past boats that were tapped out, on a ski. He said the look on the drivers faces were memorable. He used to run the Catalina deal. His name was Don Smedley, don't know if anyone heard of him.

Don't remember a Don Smedely, but today, if you are doing 80+ in the ocean between Long Beach and Catalina, on any given day, a couple months before the race, you might just get smoked by a skier.
The 2 times I observed back in the late 60s in a flat bottom, I was in worse shape than the skier when we were thru. I was trashed.

On lakes and rivers, its much crazier. You only think your boat is fast and you are hauling ass, until you get passed by a skier. When I first built my GN I was driving to Black Meadows early on Monday, doing about 80 and Ashley Lathrop blew by us like we were tied to a tree. Just a daily practice run to the dam and back before going to school.

If your boat can't cruise at 100+ and do 125, you may just get zapped by a skier.

[westair]

Leroy Penhall in Hot Cinders You can bet your ass that's Bruce holding the boat.
Attachment 28187

These crackers don't look a whole different than they do today .... and they go waaay back, seem to almost predate everything else! ..... must be a traditional thing, they do look fun to drive although doesn't look to easy to make a quick exit out of one.

[gn7]

These crackers don't look a whole different than they do today .... and they go waaay back, seem to almost predate everything else! ..... must be a traditional thing, they do look fun to drive although doesn't look to easy to make a quick exit out of one.

These crackers don't look a whole different than they do today .... and they go waaay back, seem to almost predate everything else! ..... must be a traditional thing, they do look fun to drive although doesn't look to easy to make a quick exit out of one.

The basic hull goes back to 1938. Its the oldest class in the APBA, since about 1948. The engines rules have changed thru the years. If you look they had multiple carbs back then, on flat head engines. You can still run multi carbs or fuel injection on an alternative smaller 275 ci engine verses a 314, but nobody runs that anymore.

The basic hull has remained pretty much the same thru all the years. But the rules covering the hull are pretty well spelled out and there is not much lee way. Its one of the things that caused the current riff and split in the class. So call variations from the hull specs.

When the crackers first came on the scene, they were the closest thing to what was called the Pacific One Design Hydros, and the crackers were the fastest accelerating hull in circle boats prior to the V drive flat coming on the scene around 1953-54 and becoming a class in 1959. Prior to the SK class, V drive flats began to own ski racing, and they had their own circle boat races between themselves at the ski races. APBA SK races and the start of boat drags were almost at the same time, primarily due to the creation of the v drive flat.

Pacific One Design Hydro (PODH)

[Sharp shooter]

The basic hull goes back to 1938. Its the oldest class in the APBA, since about 1948. The engines rules have changed thru the years. If you look they had multiple carbs back then, on flat head engines. You can still run multi carbs or fuel injection on an alternative smaller 275 ci engine verses a 314, but nobody runs that anymore.

The basic hull has remained pretty much the same thru all the years. But the rules covering the hull are pretty well spelled out and there is not much lee way. Its one of the things that caused the current riff and split in the class. So call variations from the hull specs.

When the crackers first came on the scene, they were the closest thing to what was called the Pacific One Design Hydros, and the crackers were the fastest accelerating hull in circle boats prior to the V drive flat coming on the scene around 1953-54 and becoming a class in 1959. Prior to the SK class, V drive flats began to own ski racing, and they had their own circle boat races between themselves at the ski races. APBA SK races and the start of boat drags were almost at the same time, primarily due to the creation of the v drive flat.

Pacific One Design Hydro (PODH)

I've never seen a Pacific one in person Bob.

[Sharp shooter]

You'll never see this going down the highway.

[gn7]

You'll never see this going down the highway.

You'd be surprised Jerry. Bill's dad use to tow the 68 Rayson with 23 T roadster. He towed it from LA to the river more than once, Bill still has the car and the boat. The car had a 427 Ford MR and 4 speed with a M/T cross ram. I'll see if I can dig up a pic of it with the boat behind it.

If you can tow a Stevens with a T bird on slicks, your sure as hell can tow a Rayson with a T roadster

[Sharp shooter]

You'd be surprised Jerry. Bill's dad use to tow the 68 Rayson with 23 T roadster. He towed it from LA to the river more than once, Bill still has the car and the boat. The car had a 427 Ford MR and 4 speed with a M/T cross ram. I'll see if I can dig up a pic of it with the boat behind it.

If you can tow a Stevens with a T bird on slicks, your sure as hell can tow a Rayson with a T roadster

That's pretty cool Bob. Post a pic of that rig.

Yeah my dad had a 427 in both the t-bird and the Stevens. He said he pulled up to a signal once where an unsuspecting Chevelle was waiting for the light. When the light turned green they hit it and my dad pulled away. He said the look on the Chevelle drivers face as he saw the boat passing him was priceless.

The bird had a 3 speed manual with the electric overdrive, slicks and 4.56 gears out back. He ran the hi po exhaust manifolds back then.

When I got the car running again in the late 90's it was a handful on street tires.

[Sharp shooter]

This is before the 427's. The bird had a HiPO 390 in it here.

[Sharp shooter]

'67

[Sharp shooter]

1967


Carlson