The Critchfields

[Tom Foley]

I am hoping that some of you guys can bring out some history about the Critchfieds in terms of the family and boatbuilding history . In 1986 or 1987 I went to an industrial park around Jacksonville somewhere to buy a Tri -Dyne 22 center console and to the best of my recollection I met Mr . Critchfield and we spoke for a while about stock outboard . I learned shortly thereafter that Danny Crichfield was tragically killed testing a Mod - VP boat. Thanks for your help .

[Mark75H]

I'm interested, Jim. Please contiue!:)

[brianT2]

i think i can help dad with some pictures if he wants to elaborate on the critchfield story.

[MagicFloat]

Yes,Jim,please continue. I remember the Critchfields,not only the raceboats but the family runabouts Bill built. Tell us more,please.

[lilabner]

We had a Critchfield demo at Dade Marine..Treasure and I took it on our honeymoon to our Lake House on Lake Francis..circa 1964..it had my merc 700 on it..motor was a gift from Brigade 2506 & the CIA..it was in the Bay of Pigs invasion..A great boat with more CIA stories...

[Powercat]

Critchfield Hydros..

[Tom Foley]

Thanks guys , what a great era for hull experimentation ! As a kid in the 60's I was influenced by so much on this forum . I guess the Critchfield name came up in the same time frame as the Allisons for me . Then during the heyday of OPC within the APBA , the 13 Critchfield seemed to be a popular boat . Please continue to elaborate and feed pictures . I really appreciate your time as I am sure , do others . Thanks ,Tom .

[brianT2]

couple of more pics

[11badknot]

It's been a few years but I had thought Danny was in a V-bottom 13' or 15'r,the story I heard was he possibly could have hit a manatee by the way the boat nosed into the water and a few days later they found him in the mud, very sad time , Danny was too good a boat driver to let the boat get away. He built a 120 boat he ran at St. Louis and just blew the field away. Went to his memorial , a few years passed and his wife (Karen) finally married Roark Summerford, they have one son (Robert) who I believe is 17 yrs old now

[2us70]

I sure remember the little gold Saber. When I got out of the Army in 65 I ran against it first with Olegator in it then Felix Poppel. I only managed to beat it in one heat at Miami with Felix. Felix was one of my all time favorite drivers to race with. We had many deck to deck duels and never a cross word after because we could trust each other not to do something stupid. I recall a heat at Miami that was so close that when we went to the infield we didn't know who won but we both had so much fun that we almost didn't care. Felix also sold me the motor I won Nationals with in 70.

[brianT2]

E boats

[2us70]

The equipment looks to be from my time in the E Class but I don't recognize the boat. I don't recall ever comming up against that one.

[fastboat]

Not to hijack this thread, but Gail and I were wondering if you are going to make it to Smith's Bend this year. We hope so.

[brianT2]

I boats - sorry for the delay in getting these two posted

[Li'l Toy]

The Critchfields I remember were the 13' or 14' hulls that were pops of Deltas and ran in E class with the 75 OMCs. Mark Titus (Jeff's son) ran one that was so light he had a piece of 12" or so PVC pipe about 18" long filled with concrete and bolted in behind the driver to make class weight. As the class changed, the hull was built with a deck and cowl like a tunnel hull (after my time).

I loved to watch the Sabres in the Gold Coast Marathon earlier, but never knew that they had been built by the Critchfields. Was there a guy who successfully ran one with a 75 McCullough, maybe in the mid 60's?

[mr fun]

we moved to jax. i started riding my bike up to Buddy Haskels marine where Danny worked as a merc mechanic along with Charlie Lions. the first race boat i saw Danny in was an Osborne about 14' light blue w/85 4 cyl merc. it was a copy of an Allison. i belive they made a copy of the bottom and started building hulls w/wooden decks to race in the 50 hp class, Charlie went on to set a world record in 50 hp class that year or following, 74-75 or so. we had races at the jax outboard club, several a year and those 2 guys were our homies. that's where i saw Jim (olegator) for the first time also. I asked Danny one time why he was turning wrenches for Buddy when his dad had a boatbuilding company, his reply was, "it would just be a job if i went back and worked for my father, at least here i'm doing my own thing" i later graduated high school and started shipping out, Danny kept moving foreward with the boatbuilding and left Haskels all together i found him in about 80 on Sunbeam rd. in jax with a fullblown shop building under the name Sabre i belive or it soon changed to lake and bay boats, i asked why all these fishing boats? gruffly he replied "thats all anybody around here will buy". he was into motorcross at that time with a guy who he had become very good friends with, Jerry Hastings (this guy is a whole nother story!) a wiz bang fabricator and machinist type (genius) i went out one time with them rideing and got schooled quick. i belive that was about the last time i saw him, he continued building and was last doing something with a cut down allison and had put tunnels in it i herd, he was one of the first around here to put nitrious on a big ole johnson and would race for money out on the creeks around here, Curtis Johnson knew about his secret wepon and turned my dad on to it, they both died within months of each other. fun out

[2us70]

Charlie Lions broke the 1 hour record in SD in 75 at Key West. I set that record the previous year. My McCall was about maxed out by then and I never could get on terms with Charlie's little Critchfield. What ever happened to Charlie?

[mr fun]

left Buddys i guess around the same time and started his own merc repair biz and i guess dealership, River Marine. he got the "kingfish" bug like so many around here and has been lost at sea ever since, the times i've stopped by there he's been "off at a tournement" somewhere while his brother runs the shop. alot of the big center console guys are his customers, hey they got's the bucks! fun out

[mr fun]

i got you on video at the swannaee top end deal in a sporty tunnel, just curious as to the whearabouts of some of the old "love boats" keep the stories coming, cause you was tha "MAN" back when this sport was accepted with open arms, not like today. most people hate us, probably jeoulously. fun out :cool:

[Racemore]

I grew up in the auto electric bis and met Danny at Haskells Marine.We rebuilt stuff for Buddy Haskell who also raced at Jax Outboard Club down the road from my house.I knew Charlie before that from Pottsburg Creek where my dad skied with Larry Teague whos oldest daughter Charlie eventually married.Danny was a great guy and very outgoing to me.They both loved to race and just have fun boating.I think things got a little rough at work and they weren't getting paid.This led to them going their own directions in the boating business.Charlie started River Marine which he still owns.As far as Dannys boat Jerry Hastings had the Allison with sponsons added that he got from Dannys dad I believe and eventually sold it to Sam (Spanky) Jenkins after he bugged him to insanity lol.I am not certain exactly what boat Danny blew over.I have a mold for a 15ft roundnose tunnel open capsule boat that is a Critchfield but im not sure if it was the boat he was driving.I do know that you won't find many people in your life as good as Danny.He left his Vest on the dock for a quick ride,forever.If there could ever be any good from it let it be a Lesson.

ps 2us70 Charlie recently lost his wife Debbie and I've never seen him so lost and I worry about my Bud and I pray for him.

[2us70]

Sorry to hear of Charlie's loss. I never got to know him very well since we were from opposite ends of the state. We had a few good races in 75 and I think Charlie had the better of me most of the time. I quit running my McCall after that season because it wouldn't turn with the tunnels at the speeds we were running by then. Charlie seemed to stay with them better than I could. I wonder who was doing his props back then?

[mr fun]

in orlando is where Curtis always recommended, old man kindsey, a sweed as i remember the story told, send him your deminsions, weight, hp, and your desires. Danny was extreamly nice. never saw him in a bad temper. Lonnie, i'm shocked about Debbie, i'll pm ya. fun out

[Vulture27]

Hi, The red sabre looks like one I had that I bought from Mark Hauptner and ran in SJ back in the late 60's.

[Vulture27]

Hi, The Sabre was red gelcoat, glass, it was named Red Witch when owned by Mark.

[Vulture27]

I ran a Chrysler 105 on it.

[Tom Smyth]

pic of the 1971 15 footer I restored a few years ago. Took me 3 years to find it. They used to be quite common around central Florida, cant imagine why there aren't more of them still around.

[kb5050]

I grew up in the auto electric bis and met Danny at Haskells Marine.We rebuilt stuff for Buddy Haskell who also raced at Jax Outboard Club down the road from my house.I knew Charlie before that from Pottsburg Creek where my dad skied with Larry Teague whos oldest daughter Charlie eventually married.Danny was a great guy and very outgoing to me.They both loved to race and just have fun boating.I think things got a little rough at work and they weren't getting paid.This led to them going their own directions in the boating business.Charlie started River Marine which he still owns.As far as Dannys boat Jerry Hastings had the Allison with sponsons added that he got from Dannys dad I believe and eventually sold it to Sam (Spanky) Jenkins after he bugged him to insanity lol.I am not certain exactly what boat Danny blew over.I have a mold for a 15ft roundnose tunnel open capsule boat that is a Critchfield but im not sure if it was the boat he was driving.I do know that you won't find many people in your life as good as Danny.He left his Vest on the dock for a quick ride,forever.If there could ever be any good from it let it be a Lesson.

ps 2us70 Charlie recently lost his wife Debbie and I've never seen him so lost and I worry about my Bud and I pray for him.

Danny was driving a cutdown 18' V-bottom with a tunnel V deck and a Dick O'Dea modified 2.4. It was my boat, his motor. His dad took the motor off, I kept the boat for a while and then sold it, I think it went to the keys. I have two 18's a v-bottom and a tunnel v.

[Mark Poole ModVP]

I first met Danny at the old outlaw Hazelhurst boat race on the Altamaha river 1984. It was the first race for his new cab over 13 V hull. I ordered one shortly after this race. The boat smoked everything on the course. Rusty Campbell had been racing one of his open deck boats for a couple years that he and Danny modified by pulling the front sides of the boat in to make it narrower and deeper. It always won. This is where he got the idea to build the narrower decked over boat. Once this happened, Rusty found it much harder to stay out front as now everyone had the same boat he did. Not long after this Rusty started racing Mod-VP. The Mod-VP that Danny built was probably the most underrated Mod-VP out there. Set up right it was very fast and handled great. More to come......