Hot Singles ! - Pictures

**willabee** · 03-21-2007, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by peterse90

Not sure if this attached picture and caption (if you can read it?) has appeared before.It's about how this radically new "pickle-forked" boat was secretly brought to Dayton, Ohio on June 17, 1972.Was this the first sighting of a pickle-forked boat in North America?Please elaborate on this secret mission.

The picture is on both posts #105 & #188 with some background info about it before it came here (I have the black & white picture, no caption). The secret stuff the writer is refering to is how the boat was covered at the nose and the rear until it was in the water and then immediately covered before it was pulled out again. Merc made a bit of a spectacle out of trying to hide it

(that's always good for some additional PR.....act like you don't want it).

I think Stylecraft or Powercat might be called the 1st pickle fork in the OPC ranks, but to me, that's a bit of a stretch (you posted a photo of Harold Eis in his Salty Cat Stylecraft on the "Hot Multi's" thread and that was from 1964). I think they had more of a "relief" in the nose than they did pickle fork sponsons. Olegator could probably tell us when McCall started building his pickle fork. The 1st full pickle fork I recall was the 18' twin Ron Jones that Bill Cooper won the Long Beach Invitational with in 1968. Jones was building pickle forks for the drag racing people before these boats made the scene.

Here is Eis, Cooper and Gary Ferguson .....

**Old fiberglass** · 03-23-2007, 11:49 PM

Does anyone know anything about this Molinari #95 called Hales Comet ?? Bad picture, but the only one I have.

**BrianSmith** · 03-24-2007, 09:04 PM

Re Willabee.........Speed records. Yep you are absolutely correct: Dick actually had Bill Sirois take some runs too in my "Sprint" Miles boat. I forget what his time was but mine was a tad over 113 MPH. Pretty slick for a Miles and it didn't even "snap-over"!
I think I still may have the jacket we were given, but as we all know it likely has the "closet shrinking" problem so it likely is too small.

**willabee** · 03-25-2007, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by Old fiberglass

Does anyone know anything about this Molinari #95 called Hales Comet ?? Bad picture, but the only one I have.

Nothing rings a bell for me, where/when was the picture taken? Are you sure it's a Molinari.....something looks wrong or different.

**Old fiberglass** · 03-25-2007, 12:52 PM

Willabee I was told it was a Molinari, but I don't know much about them. I'll double check the info. I believe the picture was taken in the early 70's and had a Twister on it.

**Mark75H** · 03-25-2007, 01:03 PM

I'm sure it is a Molinari ... from the era of the "banana" bottom I think. Comments from Mr. T2X would be helpful

**peterse90** · 03-25-2007, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by willabee

Nothing rings a bell for me, where/when was the picture taken? Are you sure it's a Molinari.....something looks wrong or different.

The strong box looks higher than most Molinaris and the cockpit looks much smaller than most of the old rocker-bottom Moly's...could it be a Del Craft???

**T2x** · 03-26-2007, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by Old fiberglass

Does anyone know anything about this Molinari #95 called Hales Comet ?? Bad picture, but the only one I have.

I'm going to guess..and this is just that,.... a guess..... that the boat is a Kitson. Just about everybody was popping Glastron Molinari's back then...and Kenny was probably the most prolific...building at one point, one boat per day. He had both Miles and Molinari hull molds in the early 70's.

T2x

**willabee** · 03-26-2007, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by T2x

I'm going to guess..and this is just that,.... a guess..... that the boat is a Kitson. Just about everybody was popping Glastron Molinari's back then...and Kenny was probably the most prolific...building at one point, one boat per day. He had both Miles and Molinari hull molds in the early 70's.....T2x

I don't know, there is something about that picture that makes me think it is not a Molinari or a glass copy of one. Do you see something that tells you it is a glass boat?

I have not seen enough Del Crafts to comment and I'm not sure where to find a photo of one. Weren't they run in "SJ" rather than "U" or "S" as this would be if it in fact has a Twister bolted to the tail?

That style windshield, what appears to be the plastic sheet to keep water out around the fuel cap and the "single" fuel filler .....who in the states used them around 1970? Something about the blend lines .....early Cougar?

**MN4V** · 03-26-2007, 10:48 AM

This is an old Dell Craft SJJ boat.
Mark

**T2x** · 03-26-2007, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by willabee

I don't know, there is something about that picture that makes me think it is not a Molinari or a glass copy of one. Do you see something that tells you it is a glass boat?

I have not seen enough Del Crafts to comment and I'm not sure where to find a photo of one. Weren't they run in "SJ" rather than "U" or "S" as this would be if it in fact has a Twister bolted to the tail?

That style windshield, what appears to be the plastic sheet to keep water out around the fuel cap and the "single" fuel filler .....who in the states used them around 1970? Something about the blend lines .....early Cougar?

I'm thinking it's a glass hull because it has a rub rail.......

As far as The Cougar question.....every Cougar I ever saw had square cowlings.

T2x

**lilabner** · 03-26-2007, 10:18 PM

Where ya been? Missed you at the last few old motors and folks meets..
Butch & Treasure

**willabee** · 03-27-2007, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by MN4V

This is an old Dell Craft SJJ boat.
Mark

Thanks, do you have it from the other end?

**willabee** · 03-27-2007, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by OLEGATOR

To The Noa Nationals In 1969. I Have A Picklefork Built In 1963. It Was Made By Bill Critchfield. Rodney Thompson Built The Molds A Couple Years Earlier By Cutting Down A Jav Cat.

1969, I would have guessed earlier.....You have any thoughts on that #95 hull ?

Trying to see how the #95 and the old 18' rocker Molinari's (Mark 75H's "banana" )compare.....The Glastron/Molinari's were made from the design of the #177, #251 and #457 18'ers that came immediately after the #S36 which is shown in the center. So if it is a glass boat copied from a Molinari, it would have to look like the three I mentioned on the far right. If it is a wood Molinari, then the one in the center is it's mate...........Damn it Old fiberglass, why did you have to bring this up?

I can't tell, what do you guys think?