Aronow 39ft cigarette cat

jaysflatdeck · 10-05-2009, 11:01 PM

I found this on ebay and though its cool

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...fvi%3D1&_rdc=1

DisturbedVelo22 · 10-06-2009, 08:08 AM

LOL I saw that on ebay last night too. Pretty cool, pretty much just looks like a 38 cig from the profile.

wannabe · 10-06-2009, 08:50 AM

Don Aronow designed this cat by taking a 38 foot flat deck and splitting it down the middle, adding a tunnel between the hahalves. As cats go they are not very efficient. They were called Blue Thiunders and were heavy and slow. The main customer was the Customs Service. Some were built with Lambo V 12 engines.

Wannabe

mr vinyl · 10-06-2009, 11:35 AM

According to what I have heard,they were very fast when they hit the water,however became slower after they were in the water for some time.Maybe Bronnie can confirm that the problem was the balas core absorbed water ?

Griff · 10-06-2009, 12:43 PM

Its a floating brick by cat hull standards. Will barely keep up with an equal length V bottom of the same size and power.

Black Tornado · 10-06-2009, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wannabe

Don Aronow designed this cat by taking a 38 foot flat deck and splitting it down the middle, adding a tunnel between the hahalves. As cats go they are not very efficient. They were called Blue Thiunders and were heavy and slow. The main customer was the Customs Service. Some were built with Lambo V 12 engines.

Wannabe

A true job with photocopier Agfa....

MILD THUNDER · 10-06-2009, 10:55 PM

This is my buddies boat. not comparable speed wise to say an older cougar or ocean express, but this boat handles rough water better than a 38 V bottom cigarette in my opinion with similiar speeds. Very stable. Solid as a rock.

I actually got a email today from a guy who ran this particular boat in the Round Britain race in 1984. He also agreed of its rough water handling. He also noted that they were unable to finish the race because during the second leg, they busted a motor mount due to the water conditions. Boat originally had 600HP sabre diesels and ASD surface drives.

The one Mark Mcmanus re-rigged with 800SC mercs and 3A's was a low to mid 80 mph boat and that was a full pleasure version and plain old fiberglass, so Im sure it was quite a bit heavier than this one being kevlar and a race layup. I'd like to see how this one would run with some 800-900HP mills....

Most refer to the 39 aronow cats as Blue Blunders, pigs, etc. But they really arent a bad boat, just not really a true cat, nor a true V. I always liked the gigantic molded in swim platforms on his along with the huge rear deck area.

flying fish · 10-07-2009, 05:43 AM

That Round Britain boat virtually fell apart.The owner Sherman Whitmore was so incensed by it`s failure, that he wanted a letter highlighting the horrors to be sent to Aronow,but it never happened.Willie Meyers also crewed the boat.

O.C.Barry · 10-07-2009, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wannabe

Don Aronow designed this cat by taking a 38 foot flat deck and splitting it down the middle, adding a tunnel between the hahalves. As cats go they are not very efficient. They were called Blue Thiunders and were heavy and slow. The main customer was the Customs Service. Some were built with Lambo V 12 engines.

Wannabe

You are correct except Don used a 35 Cigarette as the base for the plug, not a 38.

wannabe · 10-07-2009, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O.C.Barry

You are correct except Don used a 35 Cigarette as the base for the plug, not a 38.

Thanks OC, i knew he used a Cig as a plug. I just assumed it was a 38 since it's close in length. I saw one of the US Customs boats at Cat Cay in 1988. It had the Lambo engines and when it idled in the docks vibrated. The Customs guys were upset the new boats were going to be center consoles with 3 OB's hung off the back. The cost to repair the Blue Thunders was to high. Apparently they would sometimes ram the smugglers boats to disable them.

Wannabe