BGIII

iTrader: (3)

Anybody got any pointers on how to remove the coaming pads on a Charlie built Banana?

littledcsrodshop

iTrader: (1)

I would think a jackhammer and a sawzall should do the trick just fine... ;-)

BGIII

iTrader: (3)

Another trick would be for you to come pick it up and leave that yellow bathtub as payment.

Top Banana

The pads are,bolted on. When the first boats were built the pads were put on before the deck was put on....as the years went by we came up with cutting a hole in the side of the cockpit liner and installing round twist on covers. With the covers off, you can get a wrench in there to take off the nut. Similar to the covers you see over a fuel tank connection on the floor. The white cover blended in with the white gelcoat.

BGIII

iTrader: (3)

Thanks Charlie -

So I kinda have to destroy them to get them off or put in access panels below the pads? It appears the windshield is bolted down with acorn nuts on the bottom side of the deck, not screwed down from the top with wood screws. What I am really trying to get at is the nuts that hold the windshield on. Would prefer not to destroy the pads to get the sides of the windshield loose.

littledcsrodshop

iTrader: (1)

See I'm not as crazy as you thought, just cut the upper deck off, no big deal..

I separated one yesterday afternoon because I was to lazy to crawl up under the deck to get a ski rope.. On second thought you better just bring it down here and I'll take care of it for you..


btw: don't be lusting after my trailer mags bro !!
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Top Banana

The windshield has a track underneath the lower frame. Inside that track sit the heads of the bolts that hold it to the deck. That windshield was mounted on the deck before the deck was put on the hull.

To get access to both the pads and the bolts for the windshield, you could make larger sized pads that would go over the holes you cut into the side of the cockpit. Over the years, we have done a few like that and a few where we made the holes and then filled them with new speakers for the sound system in the boat.

I know you are trying to keep it as original as possible, but by adding new larger sized pads, you are not disturbing the original style design.

tommymonza

Hey Charlie

That has got to be a Blast from the Past. What an artifact.

Bglll that thing is pristine , nice to see you want to keep it that way and original.

Charlie where did that design come from originally ? Did Aronow ever say. ? Such great hull lines similarly reminiscent of the 32 and 36 Cigarettes.

And never splashed which I find amazing. I know Aronow was in the business to build companies to sell not boats but why was he in such a hurry to rid himself of the 24 ? Did he feel that the 20 and 28 filled the gap before the 36 and later 35s?

Also non of our business but how did you happen to walk up to the man in charge and ask him about getting into the boat building Biz and walk away with a nicely designed 24. Also was the 24 ever raced before you got your hands on the design.

Always love your history stories Charlie ,thank you for taking the time to inform and entertain us old offshore history buffs.

Top Banana

Tommy, good to hear from you, hope all is well.

On the website www.bananaboatco.com. there is a section called Media. In that section are some stories that I wrote for the old Extreme boating magazine, one of them is about Don and how we first met.

The 24 was too close to the 20 and the 28 and Don thought he would be better off without it. So he sold it to me. He knew with me he always had access to it if he needed anything. I built him a 24 hull only for his new company Squadron XII. He cut it down the middle and put a wing between the two hulls and presto, he had a new 24 cat. With twin outboards, this boat ran over 100 MPH.

Interesting fact about the 24. When Don first introduced it, a couple of workers at Cigarette would build one of these boats per week. Oh yes, who were those two guys? Bobby Saccenti and Sonny Miller who both went on to found new boat companies. MSV being the first fir both.

On the website there is also the story of how the 24 was first developed for Doc Magoon as a twin engine outboard playboat.

When I designed the deck for the 24 all I did was copy the 28 SS deck and take out the rib that ran down the middle. My market was simply the guys that wanted the looks of the 28 but could not afford the twin engine prices. When I first started building the single engine Merc 280 / TRS packages, they were a hot seller. And the guys who wanted more speed and twins, were very happy with the twin 200 HP outboards. My 24 deck is almost the same length, bow to cockpit, as the deck of the 28 SS. Even used the same windshield people that Don used for Magnum and Cigarette.

tommymonza

Thanks Charlie.

Some great great reading and all of my questions answered from you as usual.

For anyone that wants to have some great reading check out this story .

http://www.bananaboatco.com/articles...me-2007-08.pdf

Real cool that Don worked with you so that you could build your windshield base around the common dimensions of Dons bases and that he allowed you to access his suppliers.

I thought those windshields looked familiar. makes your Banana look very similar to the 25 Magnum .

In this threads pics I did notice how tight the helm seat was to the rear bench, It made the cockpit appear not any bigger than the 18"vee i have. But what a foredeck my friend ,the way it was meant to be long and lean.

Once again thanks for being who you are and filling in the history for us ?s for us .