Baker Custom Boats- History?

[BCB85]

I've just purchased a good looking bass boat with a wicked hull design and a 225 Yamaha outboard out back. I bought the rig from the original owner who told me it was built for him by a Mr. Baker , who was a racer / builder in the 80s. He also tells me as rigged, it will run an honest 85 mph... Does anyone here know anything about the company or the builder? Do you think it might be this fast? I mean, the hull design looks like a cross between a tunnel and a tri-hull, but I hav'nt owned a boat in 15 or so years, and have never seen anything like it. Thank you in advance , Will....:cool:

[racer]

Know that model, it will not run those speeds with a stock engine. Baker stopped building boats in the late 80`s and passed away in the early 90`s.

[DAVEBB]

call Sam at Baker marine 1 847 838 0066

[BCB85]

Wow, that was quick!! Thanks for the responses so far. Does anyone have an idea how fast it will run? I plan on a shake-down run tomorrow, and dont want to get in over my head trying for an unrealistic speed too quickly..

[LakeRacer99]

Post some pics of that bad boy...
Very few like it around.
LR99

[Ron Hill]

Jerry Baker, no relation the The Baker Marine People, built boat for years in California.

Stoker (John's Custom Marine), Al Stoker, ran the the first V-6 Evinrude 200 in Mod VP at Parker's 9 Hour.

When the 235 Evinrude came out, Al Stoker raced a Witch Craft with a 235. He won the Havasu Classic with his jaw wired shut (From a football injury)....he actually carried wire cutters, duct taped to him or the boat, in case he was knock out the medics could cut the wires...


Anyway, after Havasu, John Stoker decided to bulid a longer hull. He and Jerry Baker got together and built the Baker Mod VP...It had a stepped bottom, different and in my opinion better than any offshore steps of today, but had kind of a Taylor Hull deck...round at the back.


A year or two passed and Baker and Stoker turned this VEE Hull into a modified tunnel... The Baker, I think, RST. The hull with Stoker at the wheel, Fred Bowden at the wheel, Wilbur Weeks at the wheel, was very successful...

Baker and Stoker, as many partnerships end up, ended therie relationship.

Stoker redesgined the Stoker SST, which they still build today...

Jerry built the hull into a bassboat. The boat was big for most motors and few were sold. BUT, they did haul ass with the then, new 2.4 EFI and their were several 2.4's that were king of the RIVER.....

[AnthonySS]

COOL Info RON, THANKS...

...I remember a few yrs back asking Sam Baker about Baker Boats....NOT the same Bakers!

I local guy here in Canada has a Baker Mod tunnel with a 2.4 EFI on it...it real sweet and in prestine condition.

It has not seen the water in yrs???

Stoker Picture Posted

[Ron Hill]

ADD BAKER BASS BOAT:

Tim Soares and I basically "TEAMED" in Mod VP with 21 Eliminator 21' Daytonas... Mine was Evinrude blue, his was maroon and yellow.... Tim and I were very fast at Parker....don't recall the year, but I blew gearcase early, while leading, Jerry Gilbreath was driving.... Tim took over the lead and basically lead til the end of 7 Hours, but twisted a drive shaft off, at the water pump, on the last leg of the last lap.....Al Stoker went on to win, Tim had the same laps witha quicker time, but the rules were "Running at the end".... I actually stopped and talked to Tim, we discussed talking my gearcase off and putting it on his...but we didn't think we could do it fiast enough to make the 30 minutue time limit....and I was in 4th, when he broke, so I was now in 3rd,, while we were talking Greg Ewald, in Jerry Gilbreath's Spectra VEE hull passed me for position, Tim and I decidec I should hurry and pass Greg for third money.......More!!!

[Ron Hill]

Well, I spent most of the day, yesterday, looking for a picture of Tom Soares building the "PLUG" for the Darth Bake Pickle Fork..and never found it...

After Tim "lost" at Parker, he never really recovered his interest in MOD VP.... But when he came home from Parker, he drew some drawing for a new boat. Some of the design features I liked, but I thought he's made it too big for MOD VP....

When Tim had the bottom finished, I worked out an agereement with Jerry Baker to build a deck mold and built "US" a boat. Jerry built the deck, and the boat became known as THE DARTH BAKER. Had the had 2.5 EFI power it would have been a ROCKET.. Or had we contiuned to race Havasu in 4 foot waves...

Tim raced the boat at Parker and I don't recall how it did. Jerry sold quite a few DARTH BAKERS as jets. Because of their size they supported the car engine weight and with extra horse power, they ran really well...

About this same time, Lavey Craft, which was owned by the Hortic Iron Works....(May have spelled this wrong)....I helped Lavey with an OUTBOARD PROJECT (I had Dick Sherrer "tune" their 150 Mercury and with my 26" "Hummer Propeller" LAvey looked good in POWERBOAT TESTS...

Anyway, Lavey wanted to built a MOD VP... I suggested that I knew what I wanted. (John Castelli had been driving my Sleek Craft, which Jerry Baker had cut the whole center pod off and replaced with a Hill/Castelli design....our Sleek ran flat more liekan STV or Stoker)...

Anyway, Lavey, John Castelli and I cut a deal. Lavey purchased a Baker Bass Boat bottom and I got written permission to "Splash" the bottom. We never really splashed it, as Castelli and I made some major and minor changes to the bottom. We did keep the original keel, and if you'll note a Stoker and Lavey, the keels are near perfect copies at the entry...

I know where the Baker Bass Boat molds are, and I've kept my eye on them for years.....

I want to say Jerry died in 1987 or 1988 and out west the Inboard Outboard has been the only market.

The one with the mustache is Tim...The other is me, 1985...

[Ron Hill]

That prop was the FAMOUS 34" Cleaper, looks a lot like the 2000 Bravo One prop......that Mercury "Designed".

My 21' Eliminater..Jerry Gilbreath's FIRST outboard ride... 1983??

[Ron Hill]

This is the frist Lavey tunnel... Powered by Yamaha.. Parker 1985... We had 4 Lavey tunnels in the race... we got a 3rd...in Mod Vp with our Stoker (Berg/Nelson's), my Mercury..

Bob Wartinger drove the Yamaha with TWA Captiain, Rod Zapf.

[Ron Hill]

My picture didn't post..

[DSwartz]

I'm running a 82 Baker RST with a 2000 Johnson 225HO (4th engine). With a Bob's nose cone, 8" setback jackplate and a 29" shooter the boat runs 81 (GPS) @ 6200. I have 2 friends with Baker Bass boats and they repower rather than go new.

[racer]

Ron,

The Lavey actually has a couple of degrees less angle in the ctr.

Al

[Ron Hill]

I guess, on the "third" splash, you lose a few degrees.....

I think the old SST Stoker would still be a boat to beat in Super Sport. What do you think, Racer??? Like some of the light lay ups with a drop in capsule???

Was the rest of my "Story" pretty correct???

[racer]

Yes

[Ron Hill]

"YES" meaning a Stoker SST with a light lay up would run well in Super Sport or "YES", my Baker history is close or "YES", splashing the third time loses a few degrees....???

Found that picture of Tim Soares building the "PLUG" for the "DARTH BAKER", Spring of 1983.

[Ron Hill]

This is a colored picture of the first Lavey Mod VP....Yamaha powered driven by Bob Wartinger and RoD Zapf (APBA 5 Liter Inboard Hydro National Champion 1985 and TWA CAPTAIN, now retired....

We ran this rig seven hours and when the race was over, we took all the kids and anybody that was around for a ride....We only won one race with a Yamaha...the one time we "FORGOT" to take off the cheater heads.....See there were people that made the rules that didn't really like the JAPANESE playing in MOD VP....

Broc Glover, and the guy that ran in the IRL,......(Jeff Ward) These guys wanted to race MOD VP.......These guys liked racing with no engine rules... When Merc could have .100 off heads and Yamaha had to run stock heads, these guys lost interest MOD VP......

This is WHY SUPER SPORT will make a great class!!! (If they make noise)...

[racer]

Yes to all.

[inspectorlance]

I am looking for some info on a 1986 Baker Tunnel. I am helping a friend out that has one of these. This boat is a jet, and the hull looks very simular to a stoker. Are there many Baker jets out there ? I thought that most of the Bakers were outboards.
Just looking for some history.

Lance

[Laker]

Ron And Racer
Thank the maker that you guys help and give here!!!!
Super Sport will make it when they allow 225s with open exhaust and nose cones.
It will be like Mod VP all over again and the manufactures will be pooping all over them selfs to be the top dogs.
Can you say Mod VP again?
Nobody cares about the 150s any more as they are not the top dog like they they were years ago when the bass boaters limited the HP to 150
The 225s are closer to the big dog motors..
Close enough to be really cool and offer braging rights.
The 250-300s are the untimate and would be by far the most fun to watch but I still hate the Idea of a no mods class. Mods are simply what outboards are about and why Mod VP was SOOOOooo Freakin cool! SOOOoo much the Coolest class of outboards Ever!!
My favorite?... Since I was 9 years old? STOKER 235:cool:

[Ted March]

Them was the days. You have pretty good memory after ALL THESE YEARS. Not too bad. And Laker, you are right in there.
Alphabetical order and for no other reason. Bowden, Bush and Stoker. And one other, at that time a young man, Castelli. Nipping at their transoms every race. And of course, Rusty.

Them sure was the days.

[Ted March]

i helped rig that blue boat. even tho i hated the color. but that's neither here nor there. we had fun.

and i remember when we were at parker and testing, prior to the race. castelli, bruce, Pat Murphy and me. and Pat's statement was: "you can buy an omc and put $5000.00 into it and hope you can be competitive". or... you can buy a merc and go racing.

mercury screwed up mod vp racing. if they would have left every one to their own devices, it might still be here, in one form or another. that's a maybe yes or maybe no.

Statement: Pat said it all.

and that was 19 years ago.

[Tango]

Gosh... Here I was seeing you are from Texas and thinking you were talking about David Baker!!

I would have to say he is a craftsman and also builds an awesome boat! Repairs them really good when you hit stuff or blow them over too!!

Just be sure to bring lots of Corona!

[cstarnes]

I recently acquired a Jerry Baker custom 18 foot runabout with a 140 hp Erinrude motor in Bonita, CA and towed it home to Tyler, TX. I'm 72 years old and not too steady on my feet so it only took one outing on Lake Tyler to convice me that it's way too much boat for me. Does anyone know if there is a dealer or Baker enthusiest in the area who can maybe give me some pointers on handling such a boat?

[ReAPer928]

Hey fellas,this is my first time here and posting,my question is have any of you heard of a baker rst tunnel hull built with a ford v8 power plant and a berkley jet pump? If so i would like some more info and history on this boat as i have resently baught one and am very interested in what i have, Its a very custom looking boat and very fast, It kinda looks like an old trans-am in the front any info would be helpfull< Thanx, Also it looks like the hull was made for an outboard aplication but was customized for the jet pump and ford power plant.

[DMR]

Bakers are great boats I wish we held onto ours. It needed major transom work and was water logged.

[BuckCamp]

Did "Hardin-Marine" out of Mira-Loma, CA ever splash the Baker or Stoker Mod-VP hull? I have a 1988 20.1' "Caribbean by Hardin-Marine" (Mod-VP-Hull, 1,350# dry-weight w/o power, seats 6-7, left-side-steer, 2-aluminum-saddle-tanks-24-gal-each). Coast-Guard plaque is there, but is blank, nothing stamped or written.

I have been trying to research this hull for about a year now & still drawing a blank. Sold with O/B power only & was originally rigged with a Merc 2.4L 200-V from 1989. I am the 3rd owner, boat was bought new in Anaheim, CA; back in 1990. Then went to Sparta, MO in the early 2000's. I brought it to NE-OK in November of 2011. Blew the old Merc & now have a 225PM hanging off the back - 4-hole-CLE, 20"-Mid is drilled/relieved, 12"-set-back w/ Hydrodynamics-manual-jack-plate. She is getting a 1-pc-plate, dry-stacked & dyno-tuned through the winter.

Any info would be GREAT!!! I am trying to get her set-up before Spring!!!

~Buck

[Michael Martin]

post some pictures

[BuckCamp]

Here are three -->

one of the Pad, Under-Bow & the Stern w/ the old 2.4L 200-V still on it. Didnt think the top made any difference, as the cap could have been changed. Can post some of the top if you would like. Also more pic's in my profile.

THANKS!!!

~Buck

[Old fiberglass]

Got a picture of the deck ?? At ~20' yours is a couple of feet bigger than the ones in question I believe.

The center sponson looks pretty wide compaired to other tunnels I have seen.

[BuckCamp]

Here is the top & inside...

I did read where it appears that a fire hit the Tahiti-Facility in So-Cal in the 80's. This lead to some of the Tahiti molds being sold off & Hardin may have bought a few. I have researched Tahiti's & have yet to find anything remotely close.

I have the original brochure that came with the boat; it has other Jet & I/O powered (Caribbean/Tahiti-Boats by Hardin-Marine) displayed. Mine, the Caribbean Model "GT-200" is the only one that is powered by O/B-ONLY from the factory & the only Mod-VP they offered in the late 80's & early 90's.

It is not a "Super-Light-Lay-Up" & shows NO stress cracks on the deck, or anywhere else. It is a Full-4-Stringer-Hull (balsa-wood), with Hand-Laid-Glass throughout; no spray-crud -- but no kevlar. All seats & non-essential-interior can be removed VERY quickly.

Thanks Again!!!

~Buck

[Michael Martin]

very pretty - I'd like to see the bass deck too

[BuckCamp]

Sorry for my ignorance Mr. Martin, but what is the "bass-deck"?


very pretty - I'd like to see the bass deck too

[racer]

Buck, The Hardin boat was not splashed from the boats you mentioned I however cant remember it origin right now

[BuckCamp]

Thanks Racer, Glad To See You Chime In!!! I have some receipts from your fine shop; back when the boat was in California --> prop-work, jack-plate, L/U-work, PH-tune, etc.

I Love The Boat, it is my first performance-type-hull & I will never go back to a "vanilla-boat" - Thanks to 2-Stroke-Oil, V-Pads, Tunnel's, Out-Boards, S&F & the Members on the board!!!

I had heard that Art Carleson may have had some design-influence, but this info came from a sketchy "6th-hand" type source... Thanks For Any And All Input You May Have!!! I am trying to get her set-up correctly for a few different circumstances --> Lake Cruising w/ passengers, 800'-Passes & Top-End-Run's. I know i will have to change prop's, engine-height, etc for each purpose. I am also putting her on a dyno this winter so as to dial-in the PCU (Brucato, 10,250 max-rpm, 260-curve). It is a Dale Eaves built 2.5L 225PM power-head, steel-sleeves, forged-pistons, top-pinned, SVS, 39psi, Bosch-pump, 30-mic before pump, 10-mic before rail, ported, cut-chest, rod-slots, steel-caged-bearings, 33cc-heads, balanced, lightened, 16-amp, etc.

Thanks Again & Lemme Know If You Come Up With Any Other Info; I'll buy you a tank of gas if I ever make the Parker-Run (it's on my bucket-list)!!!!

~buck


Buck, The Hardin boat was not splashed from the boats you mentioned I however cant remember it origin right now

[F14]

Baker built this model as well, the Rampage. I have seen one with a blown V8 jet.
http://i47.tinypic.com/2n02552.jpg

[Da Bull]

Well, I spent most of the day, yesterday, looking for a picture of Tom Soares building the "PLUG" for the Darth Bake Pickle Fork..and never found it...

After Tim "lost" at Parker, he never really recovered his interest in MOD VP.... But when he came home from Parker, he drew some drawing for a new boat. Some of the design features I liked, but I thought he's made it too big for MOD VP....

When Tim had the bottom finished, I worked out an agereement with Jerry Baker to build a deck mold and built "US" a boat. Jerry built the deck, and the boat became known as THE DARTH BAKER. Had the had 2.5 EFI power it would have been a ROCKET.. Or had we contiuned to race Havasu in 4 foot waves...

Tim raced the boat at Parker and I don't recall how it did. Jerry sold quite a few DARTH BAKERS as jets. Because of their size they supported the car engine weight and with extra horse power, they ran really



What ever happened to this "Darth Baker" boat? Did any make it to any of the COR races? Parker of latter years? Ron i know you have a picture or two.

DB

[Kona 21]

I know this is an old thread but being a Kona fan I found this looks around and find it interesting. Wasn't Jerry Baker the owner or Co-Owner of Kona Boats? The Baker 20' XTR-2000 Mini Day Cruiser and the Kona 20' Mini Day Cruiser are the same hull and deck right? Who has those molds now?

[Da Bull]

Wow this is an old thread. Kona was made by Fiberglass Unlimited in Westminster, Ca. untill they sold the molds to VIP in Vivian, La. I think it was in the mid 80`s.

[Kona 21]

How does the Baker 20' XTR-2000 Mini Day of the same hull and deck design come into play between those times? Also my 78 Kona has a HIN of ENP with Kona title and cast Kona emblems the guy (Rod Hudson an avid well known car guy) I bought it from here in the Houston area said he got it new in 79 or 80 here in the Houston area. He told me the boat was one of the traveling boat show boats and was sold off after Kona went defunct.

It for sure in not a VIP since I had another friend who had a 82 VIP Kona and it was the same hull and deck design but rigged (OB) and the gel finish\interior was different with chrome vinyl stickers in the same font. Mine looks like an original Kona.

[Kona 21]

My Kona 20 Mini day

316107316109316110http://www.screamandfly.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=316114&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1323590462 (http://www.screamandfly.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=316114&d=1426046121)http://www.screamandfly.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=316115&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1323590462 (http://www.screamandfly.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=316115&d=1426046121)http://www.screamandfly.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=316116&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1323590462 (http://www.screamandfly.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=316116&d=1426046121)

[Kona 21]

My friends boat looked much like this one.

316128316129316130

[Kona 21]

Here is a Baker or two I have seen on eBay or found in searches.


316131316132316133316134316135

[Kona 21]

316139316140316141316142316143

[99fxst99]

Kona was at one time built by Wellcraft, I believe.

[racer]

Kona was built in Westminster Ca.

The origin of Bucks boat is GMT.

[Vzsuper]

https://m.facebook.com/groups/609440315746960?view=permalink&id=1587736051250710

[Vzsuper]

374294

[Vzsuper]

374296

[Vzsuper]

Here's a classic Baker bass boat a friend of mine owns he's selling it for $2,500 hot fire sale

[gqchris]

Bumping this Baker thread because I love reading it and there is so much INFO in this thanks to Racer and Ron Hill and everyone who has chimed in. Here is my 1986 19'.

442732
442733

[Baker343]

My 20 Baker Rampage

442748

[Mark Poole ModVP]

I think the COR group does a good job out west. If Mod-VP came back I don't know what engines you could run with more than one brand and keep the cost under control. I am still kicking myself for not building an E class Mod-VP back when I raced the class. I went to the IOGP races more to watch Mod-VP than the Champ boats.

[Baker343]

My first race 2013 Long Beach Sprint Nationals. The COR group fielded 8 boats for the main and I was hooked.

86 Baker 18.6 with a James Perry 2.0
Jerry Baker built this hull for Delbert Teague a friend of our family for the 86 Parker 7hr.
I found it in 2013 rotting away. Weird how things happen.

443303

[Da Bull]

So how many boats does COR field now?

[Baker343]

So how many boats does COR field now?
Bull you know the history of our class.
With the tragic loss of Greg and Kevin its getting harder to put boats in the water. Maybe 3 to 4
We get a few tire kickers. I'm concentrating on the Parker Enduro and hopefully more marathon races in the future

443378

[Da Bull]

I had hoped you would have better news. It`s very tough when you loose such good guys. Many classes have died because of things like this. I do think ya`lls class can survive tho. Maybe some rules changing would do it. You want spectators to see full classes and want them to see how much fun it can be. Get the announcer to speak up about how cheap the class is to compete in. Let little kids sit in your boat. Stuff like that.

[Baker343]

Take a ride in a Baker.

https://youtu.be/Z1swTfzN-uE