Vintage OPC in South Florida

[Ronster43]

While visiting my parents for Thankgiving, I got out their scrapbooks to find them in poor shape. Gonna rebuild them over time...will post interesting pics as I find them.
These are from Belle Glade on the rim-ditch canal around Lake Okeechobee circa 1965. This is my dad, Jeff Titus, in his first "Odd Job". It was all wood...most of the later ones had glass bottoms.

[Ronster43]

Sorry these are small. Perhaps someone can tell me how to resize them?
This is Jock Horner's first "El Lobo" twin at same race in Belle Glade.

[Ronster43]

Wally Qualman in the twin hydro, Belle Glade 1965. Don't know who is in the Chrysler hydro??

[lilabner]

Your dad was one of my idols when I started running A Hydro's..I would try and look at his equipment whenever I could..We were the same age..He has done my pleasure boat props a couple times..He is a master craftsman...

Butch Stokes

[Ronster43]

http://www.resizepictures.com/image_data/12072009/250_00436033.jpg
(http://www.resizepictures.com/)
Resize Pictures for Free (http://www.resizepictures.com/)

[Ronster43]

<a href='http://www.resizepictures.com/'><img src='http://www.resizepictures.com/image_data/12072009/250_00436034.jpg' alt='Resize Pictures Online' border='0'><div align='center'></a><br><a href='http://www.resizepictures.com/'>Resize Pictures for Free</a></div><br><br>

[Ronster43]

http://i49.tinypic.com/2py9mye.jpg

[Instigator]

Your Dad is a legend to be sure!
Keep the pix's coming.

[oldschoolltv]

Here is a good link on how to post bigger pictures, keep them coming, Matt

http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144623

[oldschoolltv]

last one looks like Miami marine stadium?

[Ronster43]

My PC is crap...using my wife's now...stand by.

[Ronster43]

This clipping was attached to a note from Jack Leek who sent it to dad. He is driving the inside OMC-powered Scat Craft in the center pic. Jimbo is in an early tunnel with no rear cowl.
Matt...your dad obviously won FE in the Guppy.
Also see the 2 Hustlers that someone was posting about earlier.

http://i50.tinypic.com/2912qmg.jpg

[Ronster43]

1970 was a good year for Jeff. If the wind was calm, he could outrun the tunnels. But into a wind, he had no chance against power trim.


http://i47.tinypic.com/2emo9ww.jpg

[Ronster43]

He won U in his Scat Craft "Pickle Fork" with an OMC.

http://i46.tinypic.com/i75x6v.jpg

[Ronster43]

He won I and J in Danny Critchfield's Scat. The OMC was bolted to the transom on his, so they used Danny's boat to switch the Mercs which were clamped-on. Notice there were both names on the deck. Thats Danny handing Jeff the fuel can. Danny blew it over the week before the race at his home lake almost ruining their plans.

http://i50.tinypic.com/2qsp0ra.jpg

[MN4V]

Is the boat name in the last photo Pickle Fork?
Mark N

[oldschoolltv]

It is funny to see pics of your parents when they were younger then we are now yet the memories are still fresh in your head, cool pictures Matt

[Ronster43]

Is the boat name in the last photo Pickle Fork?
Mark N

Yes..."Pickle Fork". There is a 1969 or 70 newspaper article somewhere quoting Jock Horner saying he thought it looked like a pickle fork. The name stuck and I understand that to be the origin of the term. When buliders started relieving deck area on tunnels, the points were called "pickle forks".

[harrells]

Nice bit of history. I grew up watching boat racing at miami marine stadium, even saw some big hydroplannes run down there. Is it still there or waterfront condos.

[Mark75H]

It is there and lobbying is going both ways on its future. You can help keep it if you are interested.

[SCT]

Speaking of V-OPC......where has John Sherlock been? I haven't seen him post on here in awhile.

[CALVIN]

Great pics of those scat craft pickle forks..were they kneel downs?

[2us70]

Every one I saw was a kneel down boat. At that time a lot of us were going back and forth between sit down foot throttle boats and kneel down hand throttle boats. All of the Production( Family) classes required a sitting drivers position while the Sport classes allowed either position. Funny thing was it didn't seem all that difficult at the time.

[CALVIN]

Yeah seen a lot of those kneel downs in southern maryland back in the day..scatcrafts,McCall,E&T...any others

[Ronster43]

I think it was "Family S". Hull was an all glass Critchfield/Sabre. Notice the duel seating.

http://i45.tinypic.com/33eo48m.jpg

[Ronster43]

As you will see, this heat didn't end so well. Jeff got a poor start, but he was on the inside. There were a couple boats ahead of this group, but they jumped the start.

http://i47.tinypic.com/2iqn9zk.jpg

[Ronster43]

He had a lane, and thought he'd come out of the turn in the lead. I believe that's Wally Hunter just ahead.


http://i48.tinypic.com/jind76.jpg

[Ronster43]

Don't know if Wally hooked, or if there was a dissagreement about that lane. But...

http://i47.tinypic.com/2lxcu8k.jpg

[Ronster43]

Oh boy!

http://i49.tinypic.com/2dcj0k8.jpg

[Ronster43]

...oh boy!

http://i45.tinypic.com/2nvfj29.jpg

[Ronster43]

And...relax...

http://i48.tinypic.com/2lw17uo.jpg

[2us70]

I think that was FJ class later called J Production. FS class required a riding mechanic in the boat, a higher weight limit and engine height limits. FJ did require the second seat but it didn't need to be occupied. I tried to qualify an Action that we put together at the last minute in FJ that year but it was not competitive.

[AirRide]

I think it was "Family S". Hull was an all glass Critchfield/Sabre. Notice the duel seating.

http://i45.tinypic.com/33eo48m.jpg
Looks to be a "Viscount 15" Scat-Craft... Great running boat in its day. Thanks for sharing the photo(s) with us.

[Ronster43]

Great pics of those scat craft pickle forks..were they kneel downs?

To my knowledge, this is the only sit-down ScatCraft ever built. Titus ran it in class "S" for only 1 year...1971. He and Bill Critchfield built it because they couldn't run the kneel-downs against good tunnels with power trim. I think it was 19ft. Didn't work well. Was either stuck or trying to blow over. You can see the large steps that were added, but they didn't help. He finally did blow over and was hurt in Belle Glade...a hospital you do not want to go to if you can help it. Bill allegedly towed it back to the shop in Orlando and burned it.


http://i48.tinypic.com/339rtau.jpg

[Ronster43]

Yes..."Pickle Fork". There is a 1969 or 70 newspaper article somewhere quoting Jock Horner saying he thought it looked like a pickle fork. The name stuck and I understand that to be the origin of the term. When buliders started relieving deck area on tunnels, the points were called "pickle forks".


Found the article...

http://i46.tinypic.com/23mvce9.jpg

[oldschoolltv]

found these the other day while looking for some other pic, Ron Titus and Kim Jernigan, Matt
<a href="http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a198/MATT8889/?action=view&current=RONTITUS.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a198/MATT8889/RONTITUS.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[oldschoolltv]

I think those were Lake Alfred when you forgot your prop and had to barrow one.

[Ronster43]

I guess you'll never let me forget that. This pic is actually Mark Titus (I was always #43) and Kevin Jernigan. Our older brothers were both running D-Production when I ran that Midget.
Even if we did remember the prop at Lake Alfred, Suzanne Neeley still would have clocked us all!

[oldschoolltv]

I did not know that, so was that the same boat you drove later and Kim as well? I still have 3 of my midget props I can't ever let them go, Matt

[LightNBug]

Ron, I noticed in the last paragraph of newspaper article the name Rick Nutt.
I'm sure you met Richard Nutt at some of our club races. He ran some Mod VP and Formula V. Is this possibly the same person? Maybe your Dad would know. I guess an easy ID would be his size.

[Ronster43]

I did not know that, so was that the same boat you drove later and Kim as well? I still have 3 of my midget props I can't ever let them go, Matt

Yes...same boats. The hydros were way faster than the runabouts with those little motors. Yours was a yellow hydro, right? We had a hydro at the end, but I started EP shortly after.

[Ronster43]

Ron, I noticed in the last paragraph of newspaper article the name Rick Nutt.
I'm sure you met Richard Nutt at some of our club races. He ran some Mod VP and Formula V. Is this possibly the same person? Maybe your Dad would know. I guess an easy ID would be his size.

Sure...I remember Richard. I helped him get through safety inspection a couple times at Augusta. I'll ask dad if its the same guy.

[oldschoolltv]

I had a couple of POS's then got the yellow hydro at the end, sold it to Harley Wilson after one season, that is when we got into motorcycle racing, Matt