Powercat 4pt Hydro

[Powercat]

I have mentioned before that photos of the Powercat 4pt Hydro are hard to find.
Very few of these boats were made. These photos were sent to me by Ron Sloan who was a Powercat Dealer and race driver from Madill Oklahoma on Lake Texoma. This was a boat that they rigged and sold to a customer with twin 100 hp Mercs in 1965. If anybody knows the existence of one of these boats anywhere please let me know...
Danny Leger

[Powercat]

one more

[Powercat]

and at speed

[Raceman]

I've never seen a picture like that. I'll bet that was a bad boy in it's day.

[T2x]

Raceman:

I always thought that the 4 point was Powercat's crowning achievement. But at that time the race courses got rougher (Hudson River Marathon, Chicago-New BuffaloMarathon, Around Long Island, etc) and the Switzer Wing was faster in calm water, so the boat never seemed to catch on. I remember racing against a P/C 4 point in Maryland that was badly rigged with a single engine and it almost looked lost.

Very soon after those pictures were taken, the Shultze's and Molinari's arrived. THey handled rough water better and turned on a dime........

I guess in this case.....the design arrived a little late, and timing is everything.

T2x

[Powercat]

Rich:
This photo was posted in another thread, but the caption
says Howard in 1966.. Hudson Marathon. It is a
Power Cat 3pt named Mr Lucky. Do you by chance remember
the owner/drivers name? Just trying to fill in some of
the history..
Danny Léger

[T2x]

Rich:
This photo was posted in another thread, but the caption
says Howard in 1966.. Hudson Marathon. It is a
Power Cat 3pt named Mr Lucky. Do you by chance remember
the owner/drivers name? Just trying to fill in some of
the history..
Danny Léger

The owner driver's name was Howie Stein from New Jersey, but I don't recall him winning the Hudson River Marathon in 1966 ( He raced in it no doubt, but I believe Charlie Scruggs won the JJ class that year). Howie and I battled head to head for two years in the old JJ class, he in his Powercat and me in an assortment of Glastrons, Allisons and Power Cats. Later he bought Joe Maybrown's legendary SK "Das Fireschpittinloudinboomeragain" and raced in the Inboard division for a year or two. Finally he became a yacht captain and has been plying the world's waters ever since.

Howie was at the OFF meeting a few weeks ago. I hadn't seen him since 1967.

Rich

[T2x]

Danny:

Now that I look closer at that picture, which appears to have been taken from a turn boat (there were no turns in the Hudson River Marathon), That may have been in the old Nyack Regatta. The Nyack race was a closed course Marathon in Nyack Harbor on the HUdson River....but not the Albany-NY race which was the major race labeled "The Hudson River Marathon". Howie may have won the Nyack Regatta in 1966...I really can't recall.... but since I didn't win it, I probably blocked it out of my mind. :D

Rich

[oldskier]

"had a nice old yacht captain come by the shop, within a minute or two we were talkin' racin' and he went out to his car anfd brought in a magazine with a picture of his powercat...take a look you might have raced againt him!!!"

Rich, above is the quote from the other thread.

"Finally he became a yacht captain and has been plying the world's waters ever since."

Must be the guy!

Bernie

[Powercat]

As you can see from my original post back in 2003 this search has been going
on for some time... Well I located and now own one !! For now its just another
piece of "yard art" till I can get a restoration started, but one step at a time...
This is the only known Power Cat 4pt hydro we have found so far.
Danny Leger
Austin, Texas

[Mark75H]

Congratulations!

[oldskier]

Congrats Danny! WONDERFUL to know that the originator and proprietor of the Powercat Website and the son of founder and owner of Powercat Boats now actually OWN's one!:eek:

It figures you didn't up until now, knowing you were looking for a rare one and that you would be owner of a one of a kind.

Get with Dave L. and get it ready for Degray!:D

The Arkansas boys will be gunnin, so you better bring on the power....Dick got sumpthin 'special' for you?:confused:

Bernie

[Powercat]

Bernie:
Oh! you know, Dick and I have had several discussions about potential power for this
boat.. The only problem with this one is it has been "southern engineered" by several
previous owners so that as it sits it weighs a ton.. To bring it back to fighting weight
where it would perform with a pair of inlines would mean complete strip and grind every
piece of wood and reinforcement out of it to the skin and completely rebuild it. As you
know from the ones you have done, when you take a stock production hulll and rebuild
it strong enough to handle some decent horspower after 40 years of aging, sunlight
degradation, and stress, it winds up being heavier than you would like.
There are a lot of decisions to be made on the path to go with this one, and I am
just getting started. If I had a bunch of money it would make the decisions easier,
but that will not stop me, only slow me down.
Danny Leger
Austin, Texas


Congrats Danny! WONDERFUL to know that the originator and proprietor of the Powercat Website and the son of founder and owner of Powercat Boats now actually OWN's one!:eek:

It figures you didn't up until now, knowing you were looking for a rare one and that you would be owner of a one of a kind.

Get with Dave L. and get it ready for Degray!:D

The Arkansas boys will be gunnin, so you better bring on the power....Dick got sumpthin 'special' for you?:confused:

Bernie

[seeroy]

Danny - I did not know that you were in Austin. Guess I assumed you were in California. Well, since you are half way here, I sincerely hope you will consider coming to OFF2010. Rich is bringing his Switzer Wing AND his Powercat. Last years event was one of the most memorable things I have done since I left the boat racing world 40+ years ago.

Best Regards and Hope to See You There - Steve Sirois

[milkdud]

Danny,

In those photos is looks like its run with long shaft 20 inch motors. Is that how yours is rigged? Im surprized they didnt use 15 inch shorties in 1965. I supose the dual weight might bring them down too low in the water.
Conrad

[oldskier]

Danny, When you get it done, I'm sure it will be the fastest existing 4 pt Powercat! As far as weight goes they were built to run on the edge with minimal safety concerns determined by whoever the racing authority was at the time. With modern materials you should be able to make it safe and fast. I'm just a piker in the boat rebuild world, you have access to some real builders. I'm sure it will be fast enough, just don't bet the farm at Seguaro!

[T2x]

As you can see from my original post back in 2003 this search has been going
on for some time... Well I located and now own one !! For now its just another
piece of "yard art" till I can get a restoration started, but one step at a time...
This is the only known Power Cat 4pt hydro we have found so far.
Danny Leger
Austin, Texas

Congratulations on a great find!!!!!!!



Wanna sell it?


:D :D :D

[oldskier]

Danny, I don't see any messages at the Powercat site about this, is this a surprise? Some of those guys are sure to see it here.

Bernie

[Powercat]

Conrad:
These were pretty much custom built to order on an individual basis..
The standard molded transom height was 15" but could be ordered with
a 20" or higher transom as the customer chose. In race applications
even 15" motors would be mounted up about 20" to get the prop shaft
centerline as high as you could and still pick up water.
As far as handling weight these were run with 2, 3, or in a couple cases
4 motors and it will handle them.. It has a beam of over 7ft and will float
4 motors and a gas load with no problem.
To justify production of these they were marketed to dealers as a
sport/ski boat but honestly very few went to non-racers. The photos
of the red one was one of those sold as a sport boat.
Danny Leger
Austin, Texas



Danny,

In those photos is looks like its run with long shaft 20 inch motors. Is that how yours is rigged? Im surprized they didnt use 15 inch shorties in 1965. I supose the dual weight might bring them down too low in the water.
Conrad

[Powercat]

Steve:
I would very much like to make it to OFF2010, but I have the big Power Cat event
in Sept. the month prior, and since I still have to keep my day job, I probably will not
be able to do both. Look forward to hearing all about it though, ... Especially if Rich
has his Power Cat there, which I bet many of the guys have not seen one like that
for 30 or more years..
Thanks,
Danny Leger
Austin, Texas


Danny - I did not know that you were in Austin. Guess I assumed you were in California. Well, since you are half way here, I sincerely hope you will consider coming to OFF2010. Rich is bringing his Switzer Wing AND his Powercat. Last years event was one of the most memorable things I have done since I left the boat racing world 40+ years ago.

Best Regards and Hope to See You There - Steve Sirois

[Powercat]

Rich:
Wanna let me borrow your S-3000's ?
:D


Congratulations on a great find!!!!!!!

Wanna sell it?


:D :D :D

[Powercat]

Bernie:
I did put out a message some time back that it had been aquired and would
be rebuilt, Did not say who or give any particulars at that time because the
deal was still in limbo. But with the help of another good ole' Texas boat nut
I got it transported home a week ago. Most of the guys have figured out whats
up with the boat, and as you suggested, both Dick Davis and David Lemke, have
been and will be a part of what happens with it going forward. :) :) :D
Danny Leger
Austin, Texas


Danny, I don't see any messages at the Powercat site about this, is this a surprise? Some of those guys are sure to see it here.

Bernie

[milkdud]

Danny,

Give us a little info about where and how you found this boat? Did the owner give you any history on how it was used when it was sold to you?
Thanks
Conrad

[T2x]

Rich:
Wanna let me borrow your S-3000's ?
:D

You could mount a set of center sections and borrow the powerheads and lower units.......


at OFF of course..... ;)

[oldskier]

Bernie:
I did put out a message some time back that it had been aquired and would
be rebuilt, Did not say who or give any particulars at that time because the
deal was still in limbo. But with the help of another good ole' Texas boat nut
I got it transported home a week ago. Most of the guys have figured out whats
up with the boat, and as you suggested, both Dick Davis and David Lemke, have
been and will be a part of what happens with it going forward. :) :) :D
Danny Leger
Austin, Texas


I must have slept trough that one, just glad the keeper of Powercat Knowledge now owns one.

If you got Dave and Dick involved, it'll be fast enough alright....:reddevil::D

Bernie