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View Full Version : Who owns this Arneson offshore cat?


pyro
09-07-2002, 09:18 AM
On the way to work this morning in Clinton, MI along US-12, I saw what appeared to be about a 28' offshore cat tunnel with a huge ARNESON logo on the sides and rear. Tow pig said Budweiser Racing. BAD ASS! The drive was swingin' a nice shiny 4-blade cleaver. I've never seen one of these drives before. Pretty cool. The boat was mostly white. It was covered, so I don't know if it was the one with the turbine engine. :confused: Who owns this bad-ass offshore killer? And, what's it doing out in the Irish Hills, there ain't a lake big enough out there for it! US-12 runs from Chicago to Detroit, maybe they were headed out that way. Too bad I didn't have the digital camera with me.
Racemore
09-07-2002, 10:28 PM
Might be one of Howard's boats.He has a fleet of them and has a 28 in the mix.He might have sold it,who would want it when you have a 46 that runs 180??:cool:
pyro
09-08-2002, 08:31 AM
I'm not sure if it was a 28. It looked to be somewhere between 25 and 30 feet I'm guessing. It 's probably out on St. Clair or the Detroit River right now, judging by the direction they were heading.
insptech
09-10-2002, 05:01 PM
Did it look like this??
pyro
09-12-2002, 09:24 AM
Not sure, I'll tell you yes or no as soon as Greg gets the images working again.
It was a big deep-tunnel catamaran, with a short center pod protruding down a foot or so at the very rear where the drive stuck out. I think it was all white, with ARNESON in huge letters on the sides and transom. The prop was a 4-blade cleaver, it looked steeper than 30p, smaller than 16" diameter. I think it had a Chevy or GMC SUV towing it, with a BUDWEISER RACING logo on the hood.
Damage Inc
09-12-2002, 12:28 PM
Probably Bernie Little. He bought Arneson's 40' Skater. There were only 2 other boats with Arneson written on the side, he still has the 46' Skater and the 32' Skater that he sold to a guy in Texas (I think), burned.
pyro
09-17-2002, 08:13 PM
Yeah, same hull style, I'm not sure how many steps it had on the sponsons, if any. Plain white hull, ARNESON on the side. It was covered, couldn't see what was pushing the prop.
insptech
09-17-2002, 08:23 PM
Arneson played with some Cougars in the 80's. Mine is a 28 and I think he had one. I would love to see some pics or talk to whoever has it now. Heck, when we repaint I might even put ARNESON on the sides:D
LakeTrash
09-17-2002, 08:43 PM
99% the boat you saw is the 32' Skater Howard set the Mississippi River run record with. He sold the boat to Bernie Little which would explain the Budwiser.

I will have the privilage of meeting with Howard this weekend. I will get a pic of the Cougar. He has a pic of it on his Wall of Fame.

This is the latest - 46' Skater

http://airmasterstab.com/46.jpg

LT
insptech
09-17-2002, 09:43 PM
That would be great. If he has anything else on the Cougars that he can tell you, let me know. I have only seen a few pics of them but now I have my own to stare at:D
LakeTrash
09-23-2002, 04:02 PM
Here are some Cougar pics from the wall.

First - Howard and Ken Warby in front of the wall.
http://airmasterstab.com/KenHoward.jpg

Now the Cougars
http://airmasterstab.com/Warby Trip 009.jpg

http://airmasterstab.com/Warby Trip 014.jpg

http://airmasterstab.com/Warby Trip 016.jpg

Hope they are what you wanted.

LT
pyro
09-23-2002, 04:13 PM
cool...
insptech
09-23-2002, 09:02 PM
Very Cool! I have heard what a great guy Howard is, would love to meet him some time, but I don't think he would have time for all my questions:D
LakeTrash
09-23-2002, 09:29 PM
Howard would love to answer any questions you might have about the old Cougars or anything else.

The best time is 9PM to 2AM Pacific time. He says he thinks best when all is quiet. I don't know how he does it.

415-485-0788

Tell him Dennis gave you some pics of his wall. He will probably say bad things about me but you will find him very gracious.

Spending 3 days with Howard and Ken was awsome. These guys are a walking storybook of all things boating.

LT
insptech
09-23-2002, 10:24 PM
LOL-I'd probably be peeing my pants like a schoolgirl calling Howard Arneson in the wee hours of the morning:p
LakeTrash
09-24-2002, 03:38 PM
Insptech,

I hope you do not pass up the oportunity.

Pyro,

I was wrong about who owns it now, but this is the boat you saw, direct from Howards wall.

http://airmasterstab.com/32 Skater.jpg.jpg

LT
pyro
09-25-2002, 06:51 AM
I don't think that was the one. This one was shorter, no more than 30 feet, maybe 28 ft. It was also a pure white hull, if I remember correctly. the logo was on the sides, and on the transom. I think the logos were in a different fost, too. Something really plain "arial" looking, maybe italic?
speedracer
09-25-2002, 07:03 AM
Lets see, you and warby and howard all at the same place at the same time, I smell speed record attempt of some kind. Yes,
Racemore
09-25-2002, 07:08 AM
The boat you are talking about is the one featured in Hotboat about 10 years ago I think. It had the same paint or close to it,had a turbine,single surface drive and 2 retractable electric propulsion units on ench side of the drive(kinda like trolling motors) to manuver the boat for docking ect.The same article also had a little tunnel of Arneson's featured with it.I think it might have been a Silverwing.:cool:
Ken Warby
09-25-2002, 09:01 AM
Dennis was good enough to set up a meeting for me,in San Francisco,with Howard Arneson.
I have long admired that man and although I had spoken to him on the phone once,I had never met him.
For a man of 82,he has more drive than most people that I know.
It turned out to be a visit well worth the trip.

Now,about some sort of record run??????????????

I can only tell you the we did not discuss the possibility of Howard driving the jet.

Also we did not discuss me driving his 46ft tunnell either.

But we did discuss............................................................................................. .............record.

My computor only printed dots, Damn and I forgot what I was typing.

Oh well,maybe I will think of it later.

Memory loss is a terrible thing.

:D :D ;) :rolleyes:
LakeTrash
09-25-2002, 07:32 PM
Racemore,

HotBoat has done two articles on Howards Skaters. They did the 32' that set the Mississippi record and then did the 40', the ultimate hot boat.

The pic is of the 32 Skater, single T58 GE turbine, Arneson drive, two electric motors for low speed moving around.

I asked the question and the answer was this is the only one still out there with the Arneson Logo. There may be another but Arneson Research is not aware of it.

Speed Racer,

Amazing what crazy thoughts came to my head while talking with Ken under the By-U-Boyz tent after a great day at the Rumble.

I will let Ken handle what's up. Until his computer fills in the dots, it will have to be unknown. Anyway - he is just trying to blow a bunch of smoke to hide the thrashing my ET boat is going to give his Skiff.

Thanks again to the Fastest Amigo, it was a great trip.


Dennis