Baker Custom Boats- History?

[BCB85]

I've just purchased a good looking bass boat with a wicked hull design and a 225 Yamaha outboard out back. I bought the rig from the original owner who told me it was built for him by a Mr. Baker , who was a racer / builder in the 80s. He also tells me as rigged, it will run an honest 85 mph... Does anyone here know anything about the company or the builder? Do you think it might be this fast? I mean, the hull design looks like a cross between a tunnel and a tri-hull, but I hav'nt owned a boat in 15 or so years, and have never seen anything like it. Thank you in advance , Will....

[racer]

Know that model, it will not run those speeds with a stock engine. Baker stopped building boats in the late 80`s and passed away in the early 90`s.

[DAVEBB]

call Sam at Baker marine 1 847 838 0066

[BCB85]

Wow, that was quick!! Thanks for the responses so far. Does anyone have an idea how fast it will run? I plan on a shake-down run tomorrow, and dont want to get in over my head trying for an unrealistic speed too quickly..

[LakeRacer99]

Post some pics of that bad boy...
Very few like it around.
LR99

[Ron Hill]

Jerry Baker, no relation the The Baker Marine People, built boat for years in California.

Stoker (John's Custom Marine), Al Stoker, ran the the first V-6 Evinrude 200 in Mod VP at Parker's 9 Hour.

When the 235 Evinrude came out, Al Stoker raced a Witch Craft with a 235. He won the Havasu Classic with his jaw wired shut (From a football injury)....he actually carried wire cutters, duct taped to him or the boat, in case he was knock out the medics could cut the wires...


Anyway, after Havasu, John Stoker decided to bulid a longer hull. He and Jerry Baker got together and built the Baker Mod VP...It had a stepped bottom, different and in my opinion better than any offshore steps of today, but had kind of a Taylor Hull deck...round at the back.


A year or two passed and Baker and Stoker turned this VEE Hull into a modified tunnel... The Baker, I think, RST. The hull with Stoker at the wheel, Fred Bowden at the wheel, Wilbur Weeks at the wheel, was very successful...

Baker and Stoker, as many partnerships end up, ended therie relationship.

Stoker redesgined the Stoker SST, which they still build today...

Jerry built the hull into a bassboat. The boat was big for most motors and few were sold. BUT, they did haul ass with the then, new 2.4 EFI and their were several 2.4's that were king of the RIVER.....

[AnthonySS]

COOL Info RON, THANKS...

...I remember a few yrs back asking Sam Baker about Baker Boats....NOT the same Bakers!

I local guy here in Canada has a Baker Mod tunnel with a 2.4 EFI on it...it real sweet and in prestine condition.

It has not seen the water in yrs???

Stoker Picture Posted

[Ron Hill]

ADD BAKER BASS BOAT:

Tim Soares and I basically "TEAMED" in Mod VP with 21 Eliminator 21' Daytonas... Mine was Evinrude blue, his was maroon and yellow.... Tim and I were very fast at Parker....don't recall the year, but I blew gearcase early, while leading, Jerry Gilbreath was driving.... Tim took over the lead and basically lead til the end of 7 Hours, but twisted a drive shaft off, at the water pump, on the last leg of the last lap.....Al Stoker went on to win, Tim had the same laps witha quicker time, but the rules were "Running at the end".... I actually stopped and talked to Tim, we discussed talking my gearcase off and putting it on his...but we didn't think we could do it fiast enough to make the 30 minutue time limit....and I was in 4th, when he broke, so I was now in 3rd,, while we were talking Greg Ewald, in Jerry Gilbreath's Spectra VEE hull passed me for position, Tim and I decidec I should hurry and pass Greg for third money.......More!!!

[Ron Hill]

Well, I spent most of the day, yesterday, looking for a picture of Tom Soares building the "PLUG" for the Darth Bake Pickle Fork..and never found it...

After Tim "lost" at Parker, he never really recovered his interest in MOD VP.... But when he came home from Parker, he drew some drawing for a new boat. Some of the design features I liked, but I thought he's made it too big for MOD VP....

When Tim had the bottom finished, I worked out an agereement with Jerry Baker to build a deck mold and built "US" a boat. Jerry built the deck, and the boat became known as THE DARTH BAKER. Had the had 2.5 EFI power it would have been a ROCKET.. Or had we contiuned to race Havasu in 4 foot waves...

Tim raced the boat at Parker and I don't recall how it did. Jerry sold quite a few DARTH BAKERS as jets. Because of their size they supported the car engine weight and with extra horse power, they ran really well...

About this same time, Lavey Craft, which was owned by the Hortic Iron Works....(May have spelled this wrong)....I helped Lavey with an OUTBOARD PROJECT (I had Dick Sherrer "tune" their 150 Mercury and with my 26" "Hummer Propeller" LAvey looked good in POWERBOAT TESTS...

Anyway, Lavey wanted to built a MOD VP... I suggested that I knew what I wanted. (John Castelli had been driving my Sleek Craft, which Jerry Baker had cut the whole center pod off and replaced with a Hill/Castelli design....our Sleek ran flat more liekan STV or Stoker)...

Anyway, Lavey, John Castelli and I cut a deal. Lavey purchased a Baker Bass Boat bottom and I got written permission to "Splash" the bottom. We never really splashed it, as Castelli and I made some major and minor changes to the bottom. We did keep the original keel, and if you'll note a Stoker and Lavey, the keels are near perfect copies at the entry...

I know where the Baker Bass Boat molds are, and I've kept my eye on them for years.....

I want to say Jerry died in 1987 or 1988 and out west the Inboard Outboard has been the only market.

The one with the mustache is Tim...The other is me, 1985...

[Ron Hill]

That prop was the FAMOUS 34" Cleaper, looks a lot like the 2000 Bravo One prop......that Mercury "Designed".

My 21' Eliminater..Jerry Gilbreath's FIRST outboard ride... 1983??

[Ron Hill]

This is the frist Lavey tunnel... Powered by Yamaha.. Parker 1985... We had 4 Lavey tunnels in the race... we got a 3rd...in Mod Vp with our Stoker (Berg/Nelson's), my Mercury..

Bob Wartinger drove the Yamaha with TWA Captiain, Rod Zapf.

[Ron Hill]

My picture didn't post..

[DSwartz]

I'm running a 82 Baker RST with a 2000 Johnson 225HO (4th engine). With a Bob's nose cone, 8" setback jackplate and a 29" shooter the boat runs 81 (GPS) @ 6200. I have 2 friends with Baker Bass boats and they repower rather than go new.

[racer]

Ron,

The Lavey actually has a couple of degrees less angle in the ctr.

Al

[Ron Hill]

I guess, on the "third" splash, you lose a few degrees.....

I think the old SST Stoker would still be a boat to beat in Super Sport. What do you think, Racer??? Like some of the light lay ups with a drop in capsule???

Was the rest of my "Story" pretty correct???