"Letters from Heaven" Miami 1960's

**velox** · 01-30-2007, 10:35 AM

Under General Discussion I saw a Thread " How to Flip a Boat"
The writer was talking about turning a boat over to work on it, But the Thread title brought back memories.
How many different ways did you end up in the water?
I flipped a lot of times both in practice and in races.
1. Blew over several times and came really close lots of times.
2.Tripped a chime in several races once at Pelican Harhour and once in Clearwater. This same windy day another racer died in a flip.
3. Steering broke , getting the engine to instantly torgue steer. This happened at the Miami Marine Stadium. I never knew what hit me. I was leading the race, by a large margin and dreaming about the trophy when "Bam" I was swimming. The boat did a barrell roll throwing me out and came upright!.
If I had not had a big lead I would have been killed.
4. Once racing a very small runabout with Merc 1000, I started haveing the engine cutout with a single pin turn 1/4 mile from the finish. I was going very slow around the one pin turn when I had to give the engine more throttle to get the engine to keep running. All of a sudden , the engine caught full power and simply rolled the boat over. That was the slowest I was ever going when I got wet! Cost me the race and a lot of prize money.
5. Labor Day 1964, I was running a Twin Raveau Cat with Big Mercs and speedmasters. On the very last lap on a windy day I came around the last turn. There was a very small bridge to the outside of the turn letting the wind channel through. I lifted on my right side and almost blew over.
When I came down on the left side the boat hooked and threw me out.
I skipped like a stone on my back about 6 times. I watched in horror as the boat going full speed headed for a crowd of people standing on the rip rap from the bridge. The boat going full speed turned at the very last second and missed crashing into the rocks and went through the bridge! It went out into open water and ran around in circles for about 5 minutes . It finally came down off a plane and came back through the same bridge! It made it all the way through a second time, but hit the rocks, tearing the front of one sponson off. As I was leaving the boat, my leg got caught tearing up my knee.
The doctors said I would walk with a limp, my after a years recovery I came out pretty good. I still have a stiff leg, but I later ran several marathons and still ski hard every year. Its the only time I got hurt, so I was lucky.
How about it you old guys? How many times did you flip and how did you manage to do so?

**Fish** · 01-30-2007, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by BUIZILLA

if you were a CRYC member and remember Ding Schoonmaker and his 28 Cary open cockpit??? he owned it since new in 1972, that boat is now mine as of today, a 35 year love affair brought together today, I am VERY patient

...

JH

Very cool Jim, congratulations. do you have any pics?

fish

Now back to velox's last post. those are some great stories, it reminds me of going to the races and watching my dad do many of the same things... except for the bridge round trip.

**BUIZILLA** · 01-30-2007, 10:51 AM

pic's you ask..........

of course I have pic's u silly wabbit

**2us70** · 01-30-2007, 11:56 AM

In 12 years of OPC racing I blew over several times in all kinds of boats,stuffed once, hooked and rolled a few times, had collisions with competitors twice and also had one total steering failure. Out of all those incidents I was fortunate to suffer no serious injuries. I did however manage to swap ends making a one pin turn at Belle Glade without going over or getting spit out. I did finish but my back still acts up from that one every once in a while.

**Fish** · 01-30-2007, 01:31 PM

Ok, no personal experience but did see my dad do it a lot- some worse than others. One of the wierdest ones was at the olson classic in St. Pete(I think). He blew over his molonari just before the finish line and both the boat and my dad crossed the line seperately. There was a big argument from the guy in second place about disqualifying my dad since he did not cross the line in his boat. I think my dad got the win since there was noting in the rules saying you had to be in your boat, but I was pretty young and I am not totally positive.

So jim, where are the pics?

**Jeff_G** · 01-30-2007, 03:09 PM

I've been very lucky. In 28 years in the seat I only blew over once, in a Royal Craft (Allison pop) in the JP class. Did it in testing the first time my father saw me in a race boat. Came close a number of other times but that was my only blow over.
Went through the side of a tunnel a few times without going over. Hooked the V-bottom a few hundred too. Barrell rolled a SE tunnel in front of the pack of SE and EP's in Miami in 1982 I think.
I learned young the throttle goes both ways. I was lucky.

**velox** · 01-30-2007, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by Jeff_G

I've been very lucky. In 28 years in the seat I only blew over once, in a Royal Craft (Allison pop) in the JP class. Did it in testing the first time my father saw me in a race boat. Came close a number of other times but that was my only blow over.
Went through the side of a tunnel a few times without going over. Hooked the V-bottom a few hundred too. Barrell rolled a SE tunnel in front of the pack of SE and EP's in Miami in 1982 I think.
I learned young the throttle goes both ways. I was lucky.

The flat bottom Raveaus rode great in a light chop.
They would just hang the nose and float. We would set them up with as much weight in the back as possible with lots of tilt. Remember this was before power tilt. We were running on the edge most of the time. They would catch air and blow up until vertical. If you were lucky you could stay with it and walk it down. For every 10 times you did this, once it would end up on its back. The good thing when it caught air ,the speed would drop down to almost nothing so you usually weren't hurt.
When the boats started to be V bottom or not so flat, They weren't so prone to blowovers. Of course the tunnels and cats were, and the ones that camee after the early 70's were really fast and made for some spectactular flights!
Since I quit racing in the mid to late 60's I was spared from getting real hurt.

**lilabner** · 07-24-2007, 09:27 AM

We South Florida old timers have lost another Icon..Clarence Earl Wahl, known to his friends as Bugger Red, passed away on July 20th, 2007. He was 85 years old and had suffered from a lenghty illness. He was a survivor of the D-Day Invasion in Normandy, and received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He was one of the first to receive a Mark 75H when production began. He raced runabouts mostly, then bought the number 40 PowerCat from Chuck Mersereau, complete with Merc 800 stackers..the next year he bought Chucks PowerCat Hydro with Merc 1000's..had a disagreement with Mr Kiekhaefer, and put on Mac 630's..He would help anybody who asked, and was a great friend to many..RIP Bugger..
Service is Wed at 11 am in Pembroke Pines..

**moparbarn** · 07-24-2007, 10:48 AM

never knew the man, but i do remember the name (s). my thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends. i'm 55 now, a few years younger than some of you old racers, i was still riding my bicycle to races at pelican harbor, to watch you guys race. but, these reports are starting to make me think about my mortality. don't get me wrong, i don't think or feel old, just starting to think....... oh well, made it this far, still healthy (according to my last physical & heart stress test), no sense in changing anything now

.

**2us70** · 07-24-2007, 03:43 PM

Butch
If you go to the funeral please convey my sympathy. Red Wahl was one of the guys that made OPC so much fun back in the day.
Jim

**velox** · 07-25-2007, 11:04 AM

Hi All,
Butch let me know about Bugger's passing.
Bugger was one of the first guys I met when I started racing.
It was his Powercat Hydro that Richie Baiz and I drug out of the weeds and modified to make the 4 point hydro with. We even made one for Bugger from our molds.
Bugger was about 5'4" tall and had sorta high pitched country boy voice.
He was one of the real characters in the 50's and 60's Miami racing scene.
We will all miss him.

**velox** · 07-25-2007, 11:28 AM

I just got off of a 2 hour phone call with Oliver Land.
I have not talked to him in about 20 years!
Oliver was the guy to go to for OPC props in the 60's in Florida.
He did not use prop blocks, but did everything with a special steel table that measured each blade angle. He would use a hammer and anvil to custom shape the prop. Not only did he do props he was one of the best drivers in the D and E OPC classes. Because of this he could test the props. He would do several and take them to the lake just south of the Miami airport and test them all at once. I hung out at his shop for hours. Oliver would usually keep the best prop for himself and pass the rest to his buddies via a pecking order.
Herbie Reeves was Olivers best friend and would always get one of the best props. I would hang at Olivers shop so long he would make me a good prop just to get rid of me. I had no money back then so he would usually do it for nothing or next to nothing.
Oliver is about 78 , but just as sharp as ever!
He remembers all of the old guys and even remembers the going away party we gave him at Bobby Ridgels house. ( Bobby was Roy's brother of Lake X fame)
Before Oliver moved back to Georgia I took a prop over to Oliver to Polish. I told him I wanted it polished as good as he could get it. He did not understand why it was so special. All of his friends signed the prop and presented it to him as a going away present. That's over 40 years ago and he still has that prop!!!
I was only in OPC racing in South Florida for about 5 years,
But the friendships have lasted a lifetime. Most of us don't talk to each other too much, but we keep track of a lot of other guys and what and how they are doing.
PS I told Oliver about this forum. Lets hope he joins us

**lilabner** · 07-25-2007, 03:03 PM

Sorry to report we lost an Icon in Stock Outboard Racing also..

William Hutchins
William T. "Hutch" Hutchins, 85, of Lake Placid died July 16, 2007. Born in Wilkesboro, Pa., he had been a resident of Lake Placid for 29 years.
He flew crop dusters for Del Monte Foods and at the same time managed several small airfields. He flight instructed future combat pilots at Sparta Field. He joined Pan American World Airways as a pilot in 1951, flying the South American and European routes. He retired as a captain in 1982 with over thousands of flight hours. He served as a lieutenant in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He flew the China-Burma route known as "The Hump."
He was a builder of many national championship outboard racing engines. He was a member of the Airline Pilot Association, American Power Boat Association, the Model Airplane Club and the Lorida Trap and Gun Club.
Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Lois; children, Lois Edwards of Crystal Lake, Ill., Bill of Lake Wales, Jeff of Land O' Lakes and Carrie Fish of Miami; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to the evening hours Saturday at the family home.
Memorial arrangements are being handled by the Michael A. Brochetti Funeral Home, Lake Placid

**GENE LANHAM** · 07-26-2007, 12:06 AM

PS I told Oliver about this forum. Lets hope he joins us[/quote]
I worked with Oliver at the downtown Flagler Street fire station, in the mid 50's, his Dad was also a firefighter. We cut yards together on our days off. He and Herb Reeves talked me into running Key West '57 or '58 in a Holtcraft w/KG9. First closed course!! (finished last) A long time ago!!

Leonard, if you talk to him again, tell him I said Hi. I would like to say Hi to him---
Gene

**velox** · 07-26-2007, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by GENE LANHAM

PS I told Oliver about this forum. Lets hope he joins us

I worked with Oliver at the downtown Flagler Street fire station, in the mid 50's, his Dad was also a firefighter. We cut yards together on our days off. He and Herb Reeves talked me into running Key West '57 or '58 in a Holtcraft w/KG9. First closed course!! (finished last) A long time ago!!

Leonard, if you talk to him again, tell him I said Hi. I would like to say Hi to him---
Gene[/QUOTE]

Hi Gene,
Oliver and I talked about you and your continued success in racing after we quit. He did mention working together with you as firemen.
Give him a call, but use a phone with a low rate as you guys will be on the phone a long time. Olivers number 706 327 7584

Wher do you live now?
I am in Stuart, Florida in the Fall and Spring and Utah in the Summer and winter.
Lets ge a group of old guys together this fall in Florida.
PS I go by Charlie now, but I still answer to Leonard when called by my old friends. my number is 772 708 7021