shooting star

[abbeynormal]

Hi, I'm new here so I hope this works.This is a picture of my dad in my switzercraft shooting star on lake Hopatcong NJ in the early 70's. I have looked at many pictures on different sites but only found 2 that I believe are this boat. ( marked sea Isle). Some of the last wood stars were the same hulls but none had a nose like this. Anybody know anything about it? I have looked for it but it was in poor shape when I left it.
Thanks Greg

[abbeynormal]

These are the 2 pics I found. When I sanded the boat to repaint I found this paint job. If you look close you can see a NJ number on it. I read some threads on these. Mine was a 3 pt hydro with a curve between the sponsons. At speed it sort of turned left, If you turned right the nose turned but the boat kept going straight (scary). Young and dumb, I loved it

Greg

[DanUmbarger]

Hey Greg, Does this look familiar? My dad worked for Switzer Craft early 50's to the early 60's. This was the last boat he built at Switzers. It was built for Ray Lyons and painted the same colors as his inboard hydroplane...Steel City. My dad even raced this boat for him a few times. Although he said he didn't recognize the shape of the deck I think they are the same comparing them side by side. I think the paint job is throwing him. He said they only built a few boats with that bow shape so there probably are not a whole lot of them out there.

[abbeynormal]

Hi Dan thanks for the reply. I thought your dad had something to do with this as I have looked at his history and knew he worked for the switzers back when they were building wood boats. I read that they made some "one off's" and thought this might have been one of those. I looked for it years ago but it was over 40 years ago when I had it and it was in poor shape then. It was a beautiful boat and if I could have found the remains I would have rebuilt it. I read that they had no plans and built them off of chalk marks on the floor!

Thank again for the info Greg

ps Is your dad still alive? God bless him

[DanUmbarger]

Yea...my dad is still around....he did tell me they gave him his own room and had him build the orange one specifically for Lyons. Not sure about the one offs but very well could be. I know he had alot to do with the first wing that they built. I know what your saying about trying to find the old Star...if I could ever find one of my dads old wood Hustlers I would rebuild it also....he was layed off in 63( I believe) from Switzers and started building his own wood design out of our garage then started his own company building fiberglass sport boats. I just finished restoring one of first fiberglass boats he designed.

[Scream And Fly]

I know @Raceman had, or has, a Shooting Star. It was actually one of our very first feature boats. Maybe he'll come here with some photos
Very cool boats!

Greg

[Scream And Fly]

Here is a beautiful Shooting Star that we features way back in 2003. This boat is owned by Gary McNorius.

[DanUmbarger]

Greg, That looks like a glass boat...I've never seen that style before...I'll have to show these pics to my dad ans see if he knows anything about them.

[Richard]

Greg: Is that a bullet or a shooting star. the only shooting stars i've seen we're air entrapment hulls. Several were sold around the Finger Lakes through Trident Marine. haven't seen one in years.

[largecar91]

If I am not mistaken, they grafted an Action or similar bottom to the shooting star in the pics

[Whaler9113]

Those two pictures were taken (1963-65) at the Sea Isle Yacht club in New Jersey. They had power boat races every weekend. The boat, named Tiger, was owned by Ed Sprigman. I think he now resides in Naples Florida. I know at one time, that was the fastest pleasure Boat in the world. Clocked at a little over 81 miles per hour. I can remember Ed running a that star in the back waters of Stone Harbor, NJ in the evening. You could hear those three stacks on the engine wining for miles. I think the person that ever came close to beating him was Ted March in his Alison. Great boat and fun to watch!

[abbeynormal]

tiger

Those two pictures were taken (1963-65) at the Sea Isle Yacht club in New Jersey. They had power boat races every weekend. The boat, named Tiger, was owned by Ed Sprigman. I think he now resides in Naples Florida. I know at one time, that was the fastest pleasure Boat in the world. Clocked at a little over 81 miles per hour. I can remember Ed running a that star in the back waters of Stone Harbor, NJ in the evening. You could hear those three stacks on the engine wining for miles. I think the person that ever came close to beating him was Ted March in his Alison. Great boat and fun to watch!

[abbeynormal]

Hi Whaler, nice to hear from someone who remembers the boat . I thought Ed was the driver back then. I think Jim Umbarger (Husler boats) was the builder, as he worked for the Switzer boys back then. His son sent me a picture of one other that looked like it. I looked for it years later, I wanted to rebuild it but, no joy as it was in pore shape when I had in the mid 70s.
Thanks for the note Greg