Life at Lake X in the '60s

**digital_jeff** · 07-23-2008, 08:17 AM

Since we are on the topic of racing, you may recognise some of these guys.

jeff

**T2x** · 07-23-2008, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by digital_jeff

Since we are on the topic of racing, you may recognise some of these guys.

jeff

Michael, some loudmouth from North Carolina, Billy, Earl, and, I'm not sure.

T2x

**digital_jeff** · 07-23-2008, 08:32 AM

we'll call the last post 'the daily Bonus pic', here is the actual 'Daily Pic'.

jeff

**digital_jeff** · 07-23-2008, 08:38 AM

I found some recent images and put them together to make this. Interesting how much has changed - how much is gone.

jeff

**Mark75H** · 07-23-2008, 09:04 AM

Very cool again!

**lilabner** · 07-23-2008, 05:00 PM

Carl Moesly and Seeroy..Two guys with a lot of Sea Craft "seat" time

Photo taken by Skip and Carla Fink (Moesly)

**lilabner** · 07-23-2008, 05:05 PM

Treasure and Jeanne

Photos from Skip and Carla Fink (Moesly) and lilabner

**seeroy** · 07-23-2008, 06:39 PM

And some stayed just out of my camera range. Hi Butch - Steve

**seeroy** · 07-23-2008, 07:04 PM

Three Legends...Carl and Jeanne Moesly and..Odell Lewis chat about yesteryear. If you have not read Carl's "A Pilot's History" you are missing a huge part of his past. It's not just about boats. Carl's pilot history is incredible. Odell won the first 2 Bahama 500 races. He beat Brother Bill by only 4 seconds in the second race. Odell is fabled as an alligator "wrassler" and he raced barefoot. He was also my boss for one of my stints at Lake X. And I might add...a damn good boss...He was a font on knowledge and experience and he was always very instructive to us youngsters. It was wonderful to see and talk to so many people that I had not seen in 40+ years and some that I had never met face to face before. More pics to come....We are all 40+ years older and some of our pictures aren't as pretty as we used to be. Here's hoping you enjoy seeing some true legends of boat racing. Best Regards to all - Steve Sirois

**seeroy** · 07-23-2008, 08:12 PM

I was sorry that Bob Magoon did not make the reunion, which brings up a story. That's something I haven't done for awhile. As you may remember, during one of my summers, I did not work for Kiekhaefer. Instead, I went to Miami and asked Don Aronow if he needed any help and was hired on the spot. I rode one race with Don in California and that is chronicled somewhere early in this thread. When I got back from California, Bob Magoon asked me if I would take his twin outboard 28' Magnum to New York and run with him in the Around Long Island race. Sounded good to me, so I took the boat to Lake X and did a little work on it. I had asked Bob what he had to tow the boat with and he said his car.......OH OH, this doesn't sound so good. One of the thing we always wrestled with at the Lake was ensuring we had a good tow rig and proper tongue weight. Usually we had at least a 3/4 ton stake body truck to tow with. Now I was going to tow to New York with a CAR! I worked with it the best I could but it was still a little wild. When it developed a little whip, I would accelerate to straighten it out and then slow down.....but the last thing one wanted to do was to hit the brakes. Anyway, I made it up there OK and we ran the race....at least until we puked a motor and had to drop out. When it came time to head back South Dennis (?) asked to ride with me. Sorry I can't remember his last name and maybe it's better that way. Dennis was one of the Wisconsin guys that had come to the Lake to run endurance and he was not exactly the most coordinated guy I had ever met. Also, Brother Bill's son, Richie Sirois, asked to ride South with me. Richie must have been all of 8 or 10 years old at the time. Bill said OK and the 3 of us headed down I-95 (I think I-95 was there then). Somewhere along Virginia or North Carolina I was getting tired but I had not trusted Dennis to get behind the wheel. Well, it was Sunday morning and there was absolutely no traffic on the road so I asked Dennis if he thought he could handle it while I relaxed for awhile and read the newspaper. He was anxious for the chance to drive and he did OK for about 2 miles before he got it a little out of shape. I talked him out of it while I also yelled at Richie to put his seat belt on for about the 100th time since we had left New York. Richie was in the back seat and he kept taking his belt off. Anyway, Dennis managed to get it straight for about another 1/2 mile and then he lost it again. This time he REALLY lost control and the rig was whipping across both lanes. Finally, the trailer took the lead and we were along for the ride...with Richie still trying to get his belt fastened. At last..we came to a stop...The trailer wheels had separated and headed for parts unknown.....The boat, still nicely tied to the trailer frame (One of the skills I had learned at the Lake was how to do an outstanding tie-down job) was sitting sideways across both Southbound lanes. I think I finished changing my underwear about the time the Highway Patrol showed up. The good news was that we came to a stop directly next to an exit and there was a repair shop close by. I don't remember how they did it, but the tow truck driver got a set of dolly wheels under the frame and in no time at all we were at the garage. Two days later we were back on the road. Needless to say, I drove the rest of the way, Richie wore his seatbelt, Dennis rode VERY quietly, and I NEVER pulled a rig like that again with a CAR! Best Regards and Good Night to All - Steve Sirois

**lilabner** · 07-23-2008, 08:16 PM

Steve,

I just finished it also..Once I started I couldn't put in down for long..The pilots that flew transport and support were never given the credit due them..Without their unselfish efforts, we would never win any war..Can you imagine what it must have been like with very little nav equipment to find something like Wake or Johnson Atolls?..I knew he had been a pilot when we raced together in the 60's, but he never talked about it..I could really bend his ear with questions now..

Butch

**lilabner** · 07-23-2008, 08:33 PM

**ssmith007** · 07-24-2008, 07:44 AM

Is that a runway in the pic in post #395? If so, how long is it, when was it built and what kind of planes used it? Thanks. Smitty
P.S. Did Billy Don do an low passes?

**seeroy** · 07-24-2008, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by ssmith007

Is that a runway in the pic in post #395? If so, how long is it, when was it built and what kind of planes used it? Thanks. Smitty
P.S. Did Billy Don do an low passes?

Smith - Indeed Lake X had (has) a 5000' paved runway. Not sure exactly when it was built, but it was there when I first arrived in 1962. I don't know if Pruett ever did low pass or landed there, but I did

- Steve Sirois

**T2x** · 07-24-2008, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by seeroy

Smith - Indeed Lake X had (has) a 5000' paved runway. Not sure exactly when it was built, but it was there when I first arrived in 1962. I don't know if Pruett ever did low pass or landed there, but I did

- Steve Sirois

I took off from there with Pruett...... and he delighted in barely clearing the trees.......... We flew from there to the Bahamas to a race....... where he basically did low level flying at near stall speed around the race course trying to emulate a helicopter. I'm not sure which was louder , his laughing or my flow of profanity aimed at his direction.

T2x