Reminiscing about my Dad's Magnum 25 sport.
12-17-2014, 10:41 AM
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Reminiscing about my Dad's Magnum 25 sport.
Spent my high school years in the mid 70's in Ft. Lauderdale, but now live in the Pensacola area. Doing a bit of reminiscing lately and one of my favorite things back then was for my brother and I to take out Dad's 25' Magnum Sport every chance we could. Yep, didn't realize it at the time but we were spoiled at that point in our lives.
I was around 15 and my brother 17 at the time and I had a voracious appetite for all things offshore powerboats. I ordered through the mail every Magnum, Cigarette, Donzi, Monza,, etc. brochure I could get my hands on and knew all the models better than my schoolwork. My favorite of all time is the Magnum 27' Sport, if I had the means I'd buy one today and fully restore it. My second runner up was the Cigarette 24, maybe a SS model, not sure, but it had a inlaid teak deck that was just beautiful. I've searched to find any pic of it online but so far no luck. Third runners up were the classic Donzi 16's and 18's.
Dad's 25 had red sides and boot stripe with white bottom and deck. The interior was that cool red and white striped pleated marine vinyl. Can't find any family pics of the boat but if you took at the green and white one in the history section on the Magnum web site and made it red and white that's exactly what it looked like. It was a twin engine and pretty sure 351 Fords. We lived on the intracoastal and regularly buzzed that fantastic boat up and down the waterway in and out Port Everglades (pretending we were racers of course). One time a friend of my Dad's told him "saw your sons jumping your boat out of the water". LOL.
Interesting side note, when Dad was shopping for the boat we visited all the big names on Thunderboat Row and met Don Aronow. I remember part of his office or a back room just chocked full with more trophy's than you could possibly count.
After a couple of years and burning through way too much gas Dad sold the boat. My brother being the ever loving motor head speed freak talked him in to getting a Action Marine 14' which was a Checkmate MX13 knock off extended a foot with a boxed tunnel instead of a pad. Had a 85 Merc on it, center steering and a hot foot and that little boat really flew.
Anyway, for anyone reading this, thanks for taking the time and happy boating.
- Craig Meadows
I was around 15 and my brother 17 at the time and I had a voracious appetite for all things offshore powerboats. I ordered through the mail every Magnum, Cigarette, Donzi, Monza,, etc. brochure I could get my hands on and knew all the models better than my schoolwork. My favorite of all time is the Magnum 27' Sport, if I had the means I'd buy one today and fully restore it. My second runner up was the Cigarette 24, maybe a SS model, not sure, but it had a inlaid teak deck that was just beautiful. I've searched to find any pic of it online but so far no luck. Third runners up were the classic Donzi 16's and 18's.
Dad's 25 had red sides and boot stripe with white bottom and deck. The interior was that cool red and white striped pleated marine vinyl. Can't find any family pics of the boat but if you took at the green and white one in the history section on the Magnum web site and made it red and white that's exactly what it looked like. It was a twin engine and pretty sure 351 Fords. We lived on the intracoastal and regularly buzzed that fantastic boat up and down the waterway in and out Port Everglades (pretending we were racers of course). One time a friend of my Dad's told him "saw your sons jumping your boat out of the water". LOL.
Interesting side note, when Dad was shopping for the boat we visited all the big names on Thunderboat Row and met Don Aronow. I remember part of his office or a back room just chocked full with more trophy's than you could possibly count.
After a couple of years and burning through way too much gas Dad sold the boat. My brother being the ever loving motor head speed freak talked him in to getting a Action Marine 14' which was a Checkmate MX13 knock off extended a foot with a boxed tunnel instead of a pad. Had a 85 Merc on it, center steering and a hot foot and that little boat really flew.
Anyway, for anyone reading this, thanks for taking the time and happy boating.
- Craig Meadows
12-17-2014, 07:59 PM
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Craig, Your about the same age as me. Your talking about the best days of your life. I grew up driving past the Powder Keg Magnum every weekend in my eight foot little hydro by myself when I was a little kid picturing racing offshore. Those days where as good or not better as being behind the wheel.. I have raced and built a few myself and as I rebuild my Magnum Sport, I reminisce about the old days. And why? Because those where the days that injected the sickness of offshore into our blood.. I don't know one person that has stood behind the wheel of some kind of offshore machine that has been able to remove the want from their mind. They don't name them after women for the hell of it! A hot women and a race boat are the two most addictive things to man.
12-17-2014, 10:51 PM
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Nice post ! I grew up in the Hollywood / Ft Lauderdale area around the same time ( high school in late 70's ). We always had a 18 Donzi in the family , first a '71 then a '68 . My dad rigged for Miller / Saccenti back in those days , so I grew up with race fever . I remember turning 16 and being able to finally hitch the boat up and take it out on my own ( which I had done thousands of times in my daydreams at school ) . We would run up to Lauderdale or down to Miami looking for anyone to race ! One time my dad came home early and found me trying to caulk and screw about a 6 foot section where the hull separated from the deck while jumping wakes from the head boats in Port Everglades. He shook his head , smiled , and said " we better 'glass that on the inside - cover it up before your mom sees it" GREAT MEMORIES !!!
12-25-2014, 06:48 PM
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Craig...great taste in boats! I have many pictures of the boats you mentioned on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ClassicFiberglassPowerBoats
Aaron
Aaron
