The really "Old School" boating thread

[2manymustangs]

Sorry Bruce, but that animal made soooooo much power that they could only sell them to highly trained professionals, and even then it proved to be completely uncontrollable and they were forced to destroy the tooling to avoid litigation.

AND IF YOU BUY THE COCK AND BULL STORY, I HAVE A BRIDGE IN BROOKLYN FOR SALE. I'LL EVEN THROW IN SOME MAGIC BEANS.

......

[westair]

I have no idea how many times Caselli got wet, but I am not mistaken, the one restored Mouse is the only one he didn't destroy if you count the last one as well. I think maybe 4 Panic Mouse boats were built.

No, this is not the accident that took his life. That was a single boat accident just after he crossed the finish line, winning the race.

I read that his boat he crashed and died in was the new Hondo T-deck or GT Deck that he just helped design to make it safer for the drivers, I think it said it wasn't even painted yet.
Although I guess there is some confusion on whether Ray ever ran a t-deck or not.

[CampbellCarl]

Sounds reasonable. I wonder how they sealed the floor where the lower unit dropped through....?



They must have been joking if this is true... right? I'm definitely no Campbell expert, but all the Campbells I've seen (if they weren't flattys) only have a slight v. Maybe they were thinking on those rare days where the ocean is really calm with just a little gin in a really tall glass.

There was an actual well created in the floor. Picture a four sided box (open top and bottom) glassed into the floor. Then remove the floor from within the box and drop an outboard into the box and mounting it to the forward wall of the box.

I never said the Martini story was true. Only that it is rumored to have been Billy and Bobby's goal to create a cruiser so smooth that passengers might enjoy a martini on the way over and back.

[steveo143]

I read that his boat he crashed and died in was the new Hondo T-deck or GT Deck that he just helped design to make it safer for the drivers, I think it said it wasn't even painted yet.
Although I guess there is some confusion on whether Ray ever ran a t-deck or not.

Ray created the 1st T deck, he took a chain saw to a new boat and cut it to his likeing and said fix it. This is the best thread on all the boating forums by the way, hope it keeps going!!!!!!!!!!!

[gn7]

Ray created the 1st T deck, he took a chain saw to a new boat and cut it to his likeing and said fix it. This is the best thread on all the boating forums by the way, hope it keeps going!!!!!!!!!!!

As I remember it, came up with it after Larry Schwabenland's accident.

Imagine, a boating thread like this being popular on a boat site. Who'd a thunk it.

[Sharp shooter]

Imagine, a boating thread like this being popular on a boat site. Who'd a thunk it.

Lol!!!!

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I believe this is the boat ray died in it was a t-deck. The 1st T-decks I've seen were 73 hulls and Ray died March of '73




Copy/paste from the Drag Boat and Water speed record racer memorial page.

Ray Caselli


Born: November 4, 1933

Died: March 18, 1973


Buried:

Age: 39

Full Name: Raymond Caselli

Nickname:

Location: Oakland Marine Stadium, California

Event: American Powerboat Spring National Championships

Accident Date: March 18, 1973

Boat: "Panic Mouse" blown fuel flatbottom

Biographical: Just after winning his race at a speed of 131.38 MPH, the boat started riding on its side and then nosed into the water. It was thought that he may have broken a rudder. He was thrown clear of the boat and his emergency parachute opened, but hit the water at a bad angle on his neck. It was a freak accident. He was transported to Alameda Hospital where he died five hours after the crash. He was a former world record holder from Reseda, California. Just a week earlier he had won the blown fuel flatbottom class during the California Drag Boat Championships at Long Beach with a speed of 144 MPH.


Sources

"Drag racer dies in Oakland crash," Hayward Daily Review, March 20, 1973

"Boat driver dies in flip," Long Beach Press-Telegram, March 20, 1973

[Donnell Culpepper column], Long Beach Press-Telegram, March 21, 1973

"Crash claims boat racer," Bryan Times, March 20, 1973

"Racer killed," Ellensburg Daily Record, March 20, 1973

Social Security Death Index (Raymond Caselli, born Nov. 4, 1933, died Mar. 1973, SS# issued in Illinois)

[Sharp shooter]

This is the best thread on all the boating forums by the way, hope it keeps going!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Steve!

I'll do my part to keep it rolling at least for a while I'm off work. Hopefully others with keep it going too. I am going to start loading up some more videos to my youtube channel soon so that will take away some of my time from here.

[Sharp shooter]

I have no idea how many times Caselli got wet, but I am not mistaken, the one restored Mouse is the only one he didn't destroy if you count the last one as well. I think maybe 4 Panic Mouse boats were built.

Panic mouse boats not including the Guasti.

[gn7]

[Sharp shooter]

'62