Thirty-Six Cylinders

[Scream And Fly]

Six Mercury 1350 engines, six cylinders each - thirty-six cylinders powering this boat. Randy Rabe (http://www.screamandfly.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=3196) pictured.
Photo date: about 1970.

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[eli]

so is he the guy that started all this nonsense up to today ,lol

[TooStroked]

Wow, check out the two blade props and the engine heights!

[Michael J Giesler]

Man my dad would love to have one of those motors

[Slimm]

This deserves a 'Love' button!

Slimm

[SCT]

Wonder how fast?

[Robby321]

Wow, check out the two blade props and the engine heights!

Ya know, theres zip wrong with 2 Blades. Had a 14x28 SS cupped on my 70's XS1500 Switzer and ran it surfaced! Flatty I have now, a 135 and 15 feet with a 12x24 cupped SS 2 blade. And on Randy? I won't even bring up the kid he produced, but Parker lives among us and too late to deal with the "little Squirt"...(that came from dad, so not all bad!) Anyway, on props...

"I am always asked why should I have a 2, 3, or 4 blade propeller on my boat. The answer truly comes down to how you use the boat.
Two Blade

If you primarily use the engine to power in and out of the marina or when the wind dies a two blade is a great choice. Or if your primary use of the boat is to race. As a two blade will have less drag than a 3 blade, while not much more drag, there is more drag in your mind and you will use it as an excuse as to why the boat is going"..

More..

"Drag boats, usually V drives, still run 2 blade props, they may be submerged in theory, but from the pics I've seen there isn't much or any boat in the water.
I'm not sure what unlimited Hydros are running but I think they too are running 2 blades"..(they do)...

Me now. Actually a single blade would be most efficient, but its impossible to actually "work". As I know first hand running surface the XS? Beats the crap out the L/U guts. Expands the back the bullet, and twice shot the guts out in a lay off the foot. And 2 blade 14x24 SS cupped alone were $285 in the 70's! Chit happens when ya having FUN!

[TooStroked]

Ya know, theres zip wrong with 2 Blades. Had a 14x28 SS cupped on my 70's XS1500 Switzer and ran it surfaced! Flatty I have now, a 135 and 15 feet with a 12x24 cupped SS 2 blade. And on Randy? I won't even bring up the kid he produced, but Parker lives among us and too late to deal with the "little Squirt"...(that came from dad, so not all bad!) Anyway, on props...

"I am always asked why should I have a 2, 3, or 4 blade propeller on my boat. The answer truly comes down to how you use the boat.
Two Blade

If you primarily use the engine to power in and out of the marina or when the wind dies a two blade is a great choice. Or if your primary use of the boat is to race. As a two blade will have less drag than a 3 blade, while not much more drag, there is more drag in your mind and you will use it as an excuse as to why the boat is going"..

More..

"Drag boats, usually V drives, still run 2 blade props, they may be submerged in theory, but from the pics I've seen there isn't much or any boat in the water.
I'm not sure what unlimited Hydros are running but I think they too are running 2 blades"..(they do)...

I think you took my post entirely the wrong way. I haven't seen a two blade prop in years. And a race boat with motor heights like that? Ditto. Nothing wrong with 2 blade props at all. It's just that nobody running offshore runs them anymore. Geez, take a chill pill!

[Robby321]

I think you took my post entirely the wrong way. I haven't seen a two blade prop in years. And a race boat with motor heights like that? Ditto. Nothing wrong with 2 blade props at all. It's just that nobody running offshore runs them anymore. Geez, take a chill pill!

YOU calm down! I didn't read yer post any way wrong, just a comment and I'm old enough to see/done/did the 2 b days. We ALL were learning "what works then, and after MANY us "need to chill out old fucs? Without "us", there would be no "you know better now". Dude, time changes EVERYTHING if life, so what ya got now? Trust me, it didn't start yesterday, and we old salts...(did the dirty work to get it figured out)

And another thing here as ya on S+F? Attitudes like yours aint gonna fly well here. Some the best damn people on here, and if ANY give a opinion? Thats all it is, and comes from experience also. Keep it civil, or a bitch?..do a PM.

PS..hmmm..did you NOT see Randy's OS boat? Thats yer 2b's, and pic NOT taking last Friday either..(grow up)..........

[TooStroked]

YOU calm down! I didn't read yer post any way wrong, just a comment and I'm old enough to see/done/did the 2 b days. We ALL were learning "what works then, and after MANY us "need to chill out old fucs? Without "us", there would be no "you know better now". Dude, time changes EVERYTHING if life, so what ya got now? Trust me, it didn't start yesterday, and we old salts...(did the dirty work to get it figured out)

And another thing here as ya on S+F? Attitudes like yours aint gonna fly well here. Some the best damn people on here, and if ANY give a opinion? Thats all it is, and comes from experience also. Keep it civil, or a bitch?..do a PM.

PS..hmmm..did you NOT see Randy's OS boat? Thats yer 2b's, and pic NOT taking last Friday either..(grow up)..........

So I take it that my being 60 years old (you read that right) and having been power boating since I was 4 doesn't qualify as having some "been there / done that" experience too? Let's leave it that I respect your age, experience and opinions and I hope you can extend the same courtesy to me.

[electricjohn]

Looks like a Jersey license plate. By the letters on it (TMG) it's early 1970. My early 71 plate is TOD. All trailer plates started with a T back then.

[RIVERRUMMER 70]

SO WE GOT 2-25" MOTORS AND 4-20" MOTORS .........:eek: THE SOUND IT MADE MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE A SWARM OF KILLER BEEE'S:D
FIRST GOOD PROP I EVER RAN ON A 17' SWITZER WAS A 2-BLADE 24" SEEBOLD CHOPPER AND THEN A 26" SEEBOLD 2-BLADE CHOPPER ON A VIPER
WITH A GOOD 140 I-6 MERC .....PUSHED 6300-6500 WITH THE 26" ON THE VIPER, 70 ISH I WOULD GUESS.... GPS WASNT BIG IN 1986;)
HOLESHOT WAS PAINFULL AND TRICKY WITH PEOPLE IN THE VIPER, TRY TELLING SOME CHICK FROM THE BAR SHE GOTTA LEAN OVER THE DASH WITH HER TIGO BITTIES SO WE GET ON PLANE....LOL:D THEY ALWAYS DO IT THO:thumbsup:

[matty b]

Not to one- up. But miss america X had 48 cylinders ! (Not outboard though).340265

[Thunderduck]

I think the outside engines currently lie on the bottom of Tampa Bay (???). What about it Parks???

[AZMIDLYF]

I want to see the steering and throttle set up on this beast. :eek:

[CaptainCraiger]

Does anybody know if the boat is still around?

[Robby321]

I want to see the steering and throttle set up on this beast. :eek:

Ya know, thats something I didn't think of (saw the pic many times too)! Makes my head spin just thinking the throttle setup, and L+S all six?

[Robby321]

Does anybody know if the boat is still around?

I just sent Parker a PM and get him here for some answers...

[Robby321]

SO WE GOT 2-25" MOTORS AND 4-20" MOTORS .........:eek: THE SOUND IT MADE MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE A SWARM OF KILLER BEEE'S:D
FIRST GOOD PROP I EVER RAN ON A 17' SWITZER WAS A 2-BLADE 24" SEEBOLD CHOPPER AND THEN A 26" SEEBOLD 2-BLADE CHOPPER ON A VIPER
WITH A GOOD 140 I-6 MERC .....PUSHED 6300-6500 WITH THE 26" ON THE VIPER, 70 ISH I WOULD GUESS.... GPS WASNT BIG IN 1986;)
HOLESHOT WAS PAINFULL AND TRICKY WITH PEOPLE IN THE VIPER, TRY TELLING SOME CHICK FROM THE BAR SHE GOTTA LEAN OVER THE DASH WITH HER TIGO BITTIES SO WE GET ON PLANE....LOL:D THEY ALWAYS DO IT THO:thumbsup:

Damn! Does that bring back some mems! All true too! that! Ran the "Chain" many years and what a great time! I ran 73 in my 17SS Swit, XS and 3 other boats all along side me all said ."73 mph". But that "get on the bow thing? HA! Damn right! Only had horizontal trim rams, no tilt, and it was "tuck and nail the foot". wait for the prop to start grabbing, then all could sit down and trim it out and away we go! No such thing a fast hole shot with a 2 blade! Lotta fun though. Then the V6 Mercs, 200/235 Rudes started showing up 3 blades, and that was the end the 2 blades. Also the begging the "Blarneys Thursday nite drags! Heck ya might have saw me out there 70's to early 80's when I sold it (should never have done that!) Last pic is before I did the red decals to match the boat, as original 74 blue stripe XS J block. Beast!
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[PARKER RABE]

man guys i dont know.lol. that was before i was born! .'.fujimo might know. belive it or not my mom is pretty sharp with al that old stuff ill ask her.
i remember something about the 2 outside motors not geting water pressure. the 1st time they got it on a plane.

[PARKER RABE]

the 2 Outside motors did not steer, they were locked strait

[PARKER RABE]

ive got alot of pictures of the boat down at rabco , we painted it there, and did a full re rig on it , we would park it behind our house on the weekends and run pass the don crsear hotel in it , full of people.

[PARKER RABE]

john crouse did a story on my dad. talked alot about the 6 ingine boat and 202

[Robby321]

man guys i dont know.lol. that was before i was born! .'.fujimo might know. belive it or not my mom is pretty sharp with al that old stuff ill ask her.
i remember something about the 2 outside motors not geting water pressure. the 1st time they got it on a plane.

Looking the pic I can see why now. Could see the need for a low water P/U on middle hull and run a hose into the outside motors. Still pretty amazing what yer Dad come up with though!

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