Sorry Bob, but the Red Sasquatch is the later model Plastic boat—— the “ORIGINAL” is the wooden Seebold with the V12 Jaguar——- not a Lamborghini!
Printable View
nice sunset photo..."It's A Deusy"...;)
Jackie, you can PM him on here. He uses the sign on name of RAYZOR.
Rayzor is still around. He has been posting over on OSO lately with a thread about the history of the 46 Skater hulls. He just purchased the US1 46 Skater and is in the process of getting it back on the water.
To those of us running slower than a "Skater 46", I would like to reminiscence about an episode decades ago.
Chattanooga Tennessee around May 1987 and the weather is inviting. It’s an invitational bass tournament and Mercury is the host sponsor. There are at least 40 to 50 (maybe more I do not recall exactly) identical bass boats for the invited fishermen to compete in.
I am on vacation from work in California, and I come by to help dad and Leroy test the boats. One does not realize how long it takes to unload and check gauges, trolling motor and engine on the water, when dealing with so many boats.
Good timing for me, the second day a Merc engineer from Wisconsin arrives, and wants to test boats for the upcoming weekend bass tournament. I tell dad later today, I am heading north to attend the Indy 500 time trials. And therefore I do not want to get my hands dirty (everything on these boats were new & clean) :) and I was not going to operate anymore 70 mph +, bass boats today.
Side note the Indy 500 time trails for pole position, was still drawing over 200, 000 spectators for the event. And in the 1987 infield I was among the masses enjoying the race atmosphere. Now back to Chattanooga.
Varoom!!! – agh… Varoom!!! – agh… Varoom!!! – aagghh…
To be continued.
Attachment 456799
Varoom!!! – agh… Varoom!!! – agh… Varoom!!! – aagghh…
Is there something wrong with that brand new Merc engine?
Of course not the engines I test drove the previous day were flawless. Then what is the young Mercury engineer doing or not doing. He and I were in the same age bracket, but I do not recall his name.
Varoom!!! – agh… Varoom!!! – agh… Varoom!!! – aagghh…
Dad and I are standing on the park’s parking lot where all the bass boats are in symmetrical aligned rows. And we look back down at the boat ramp area, where we hear an engine revving repeatedly, but going nowhere.
Varoom!!! – agh… Varoom!!! – agh… Varoom!!! – aagghh…
And the engine noise subsides with the unaccomplished task. Now Roy Ridgell and I both correctly assess the problem. The engine is fine and healthy; but the driver is new to the seat. Dad thought it a little humorous, and I felt empathy for a learned guy, but a novice at hands on application.
Finally after an embarrassment of delay, the engineer changed his tacit, and found and utilized the engine trim button. Eureka! Getting on plane is made easier. In my opinion one of the top five innovations for the motor boat industry —engine power trim.
First trim I ever saw was around 1966/67 at the Idroscala in Milan .
Bob Spalding and me were there with a tiny 16’ Schultze and a 1000 BP. That ROY, Don Ross and me had got really buzzing.
Deiter Schultze was there with his 18’ and a 1250 BP fitted with POWER TRIM ????
Renato protested UNFAIR advantage——— the ITALIAN Federation stepped in and said he could race if the power trim was disconnected!!
I agree with you Steve—— Power trim made a bigger impact than the power lift ever did!
Ah well Steve, don’t look like many of the old farts are particularly interested in “Power Trim”——- I suppose FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT!
RAYZOR never answered the PM I sent either——— somedays you eat bear !!!!
Did manage some new straphangers for the springs on the latest ROLLER !
See if I can post a piccie tomorrow of the underside of a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. Hell of a lot more to it than would at first seem apparent .
I bought the little SCHULTZE to put a 65hp Koenig on its bum—— But Dieter Koenig was slow in delivering it to Paddy Rolfe ( Koenig UK distributed)——- but I did have a 1000 BP that had just been delivered, so I stuck it on the transom——- went like sh-t ofn a Teflon coated shovel .
Don Ross—— Bob and me decided to race it in the first big race of the season in Milan,
Renato never did build another 18’ boat after he saw that one and the way it went.
The build up to the race and the race itself is a saga in its own right—— one day I might get around to telling it.