Summer run for Bananas
 

I will be back up north for the summer pretty soon...(When the snow finally stops) and have had some interest from some people, about putting together a summer fun run for Banana's primarily, but surely open to any old school high performance boat.

No fees, no prizes, just a great day on the water and a nice lunch somewhere, with people who all enjoy the same type of boating.

Probably won't have a definite date until I can sort out the other events happening this summer, poker runs, races, special events etc. Plus I will be gong to Cowes this year, so it won't happen that late in the summer, September

Also have a little more motivation this summer.as we are re-powering the first production boat Banana Boat Co ever built, hull #2 Built 1976 to 2016, it is 40 years old and still going strong. (Hull # 1 was a race boat, naturally.)

Innovation Marine has put together a nice 383 cu in small block package, with fuel injection and fresh water cooling. So we are dropping some weight from the former big block and expect some more speed.

So everyone is welcome and we look forward to a great day with old friends and some new ones too.

DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED NO LATER THAN MAY 15, Stay Tuned!!!

Here are some photos of hull # 2.

We named it Banana Split and it was powered by a 280 TRS package from Mercruiser.

The boat had been sold several times and most recently my son found it in NC powered with a big block, still with a TRS.

It was painted white. That has been changed now, as the boat had the original deck removed and a new deck was made for it and installed. The boat is now a black boat with a red boot stripe, white bottom and deck

The young boy in the photos is my son who is now over 50 years old, so this boat was a big part of his boating experience as a child. When he had the chance to purchase it back he did.

The # 6 race boat Top Banana was powered with twin 400 HP small blocks with TRS drives. That was hull # 1.

Charlie here again, using the HORBA membership so I can post some photos.

With the new release of the 400 HP Mercury outboard, a few people have asked if that would be a good motor for a 24 or a 28 footer.

We built so many of the 24 footers with twin 200 HP outboards, that I think it would be a natural. First you will lose a bunch of weight by using just one motor instead of two. You will have less drag as you have only one lower unit and prop.

We have a former customer who is interested in a single 400 on a 24 set up just for zipping around, no cabin, just a three man bolster. More discussion once I get back up north.

Here are some of the previous twin or more engine boats that have been Banana 24 platforms

Quick look at proposed run in July. The run will be in the lower part of Narragansett Bay, starting at the state ramp in Warwick Rhode Island @ Oakland Beach. Good trailer parking there too.

We start with a run south, down the west side of the bay under the Jamestown bridge and out in the ocean, around the tip of Jamestown Island. (Banana Boats are made for ocean running!!!!)

That puts us with a return to the Bay past Newport and now heading north up the east passage, all the way north to the bridge in Fall River, Massachusetts for lunch. The restaurant has good dock space and is just on the other side of the Battleship Massachusetts and the PT Boat museum.

The run will end at the lunch stop.

After lunch a return to the ramp in Warwick, for those who launched there. There are plenty of fuel stops along the way, starting in Newport for those who have small tanks. There is a marina close to the restaurant too.

Total mileage for the day ramp to ramp will be around the 60 miles.

Dates on a Saturday in July would be either the 9th or the 23rd, as those dates have high tide around mid day. That way, boats can be launched before high tide and put back on the trailers right after high tide in mid afternoon.

Still checking dates so as not to interfere with any other events in the area. THESE DATES ARE JUST PRELIMINARY!

Looks like JULY 9th, Saturday will be the day.

First Saturday after 4 th of July.

Will have more information as the date gets closer.

Now that we have the date set, JULY 9TH here is a little added incentive for those interested.

We have a bunch of HORBA Anniversary Tee Shirts left over from last year..BUT only in size LARGE.

So if you are coming to the Banana Boat Summer Run and would like to purchase one of these Tee Shirts, we are offering them to participants in the run for just $10.00, when they first were selling they were $30.00.

Send me an email either through the Banana Boat Co website www.bananaboatco.com

or the HORBA website www.historicboats.com and let me know you want a Tee Shirt or a couple... and we will bring them with us and sell them that day.

Sales will help support HORBA which is trying to save as many old raceboats as we can, before they are all chopped up and lost forever.

Looking forward to a great day and a fun run.

Everyone who attends will be given a FREE memento of the day...A Don Aronow Memorial Race Key Chain from the Miami to Bimini race and a 8 X 11 photo of the 38 footTop Banana racing in California

Here is the restored first boat..... Banana Split..... on the way to Innovation to get it's new engine and drive.

can old school carreras join or is this just for the banana guys

All are welcome. JULY 9TH A Saturday

There are a lot of 30 foot Sutphens in the southern New England area, we hope they join us for the run too.

The idea is to get as many of the old school boats together and have a good time in some sheltered water...Narragansett Bay and then some ocean running...out around Jamestown Island.

A slow cruise through Newport Harbor and then a quick run up to Fall River and the battleship Massachusetts and PT Boat museum and then a nice lunch where we can compare our knowledge of the history of these boats.

There is a definite lack of runs that cater to smaller and old school type boats. We hope to create such a run and are open to anyone who is interested in joining us.

I have a feeling you might get crashed by quite a few outerlimits, if the date doesn't conflict with other poker runs!!!

Shaun....my feeling is all are welcome, BUT once the Outerlimits guys get thrashed by the overall top speed, of some of the single engine 24 foot Bananas, they may sulk away with their outdrives between their tabs.

LOL Everyone is welcome, the purpose of the day is an opportunity for people who love this sport and type of boating to get together and maybe explore some new boating areas they have never seen before.

We already have plans to include a run out to Block Island next year, so we see this thing just growing and growing and then maybe there might even be some interest in reviving some of the old courses that we raced on, like Gloucester and Plymouth and then Around Cape Cod events. Not as races, but just nice day cruises with a great lunch somewhere along the way.

These boats were meant for cruising long distance over real open water conditions, no reason to limit them now, just cause the pant jobs got fancier.

Who may be coming??????

These Banana boats are local, so we are extending an invitation to them for sure.

Yellow 28 center console is in Massachusetts, with twin 200 HP outboards on a bracket.

24 outboard is in Rhode Island, with a 2nd owner from new and it has a single 250 HO outboard on a bracket.

The 24 foot yellow race boat....S 29..... has 3 outboards 2.5 vintage......a definite Outerlimits Killer. We hope he comes too.

My old 33 footer is now in Massachusetts somewhere, if anyone knows the present owner, please pass the info on to him. It had twin 454 X 370 HP with TRS drives, back in the early 80's when I built it.

It was the first one we built and the new deck design was not ready yet, so I used one of JC Simon's decks that he used on the Coyote hulls.

That 33 was a great running boat. I kept bottom paint on it as I used it a lot and always wanted it ready to go.

The dock photo shows my three boats at the time, inside was my 24 foot Banana, with a Stan Irwin Custom Engine 350 cu in small block, with a TRS drive / next out was the 33 you see here, botht he 24 and 33 were bottom painted. On the outside is the 38 foot Top Banana that I would put in for weekends sometimes.

We took the 38 Banana mold and blocked it at 34 feet. Banana built a boat we called a 33 foot out of it and Coyote built a 34 foot our of the same mold.

A lot of the race boats had both logos on them, Banana and Coyote.

What restaurant are you planning to hit in Fall River? The cove or tipsy seagull?

Not tipsy seagull...The one beyond the battleship Massachusetts and the Sub and PT Museum. It has a lot of dock space.

Sine we don't have any idea of numbers, we are planning for lots of dock space. I don't know the name of it, sorry. When I get back up north, I plan to take a trip by car over there and talk to the manager.

I know tipsy seagull docks plenty of boats for their summer run, but someone told me they move some of the regular docked customers out for the day.

That's the cove. Nice place! That's great that the invite to anyone. We'll be there in a 42 ol.

No problem, there just seems to be a lot of interest from a lot of guys that just want to have a get together and enjoy each others company.

High performance boating started way back in the Miami area with a bunch of guys who enjoyed each others company and found any excuse to go boating with what ever boat they had. Sam Griffith who won the first offshore race with a deep vee boat was the organizer. Sam was the founder of such different boating happenings, like Pelican Harbor Yacht Club and the Gold Coast Marathon. The yacht club was the place where everyone hung around and the marathon, was a race from Pelican Harbor Yacht Club to Palm Beach and back on the Intercoastal. The largest fleet that raced was over 200 boats and had everything from Switzer wings to Boston Whalers.....Sam? oh yeah, he raced a three point hydro that did over 100.

So in the spirit of Sam Griffith, when I have an event, all are invited! You have an Outerlimts and I have a 40 year old 24 Banana and if anyone has a three point hydro out there....you are invited too. Look forward to seeing all my old friends and making new ones.

Give me a call, I manage the marina, and maintain the boats there. I can set you up with Allison the events coordinator and she can get together anything you'd like
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Thank you very much!

There is a marina at the Cove?

Yea and alot of dock space too.

Thanks....What is the JJ30 for?

Back in the day the boats that ran the JJ class OPC in the APBA were the fastest out there.

Glastrons with twin outboards of the biggest horsepower made at the time.

Did you run back then in the Outboard Pleasure Craft?

No racing here. Although the thought of racing my buddy's 26 sutphen this summer might happen. He should be coming the 9th too.

Yes, we have 34 seasonal slips on the north side, 6 overnight transient slips with power and water, and over 400' of transient space. I added a couple fingers on the transient side so boats can back in and not take up as much space.

For those who don't know, CHATIM RACING on OSO is my son Charley, so if you see him chiming in here now and then, that is who it is.

He has been around boats a long time and plans on being up in Rhode Island for the run on July 9th...... to make sure I am not abusing his boat!!

After I stopped racing offshore boats, he and I raced in the IMSA Firehawk Endurance series, Sebring, Road America, Watkins Glen 24 hour race etc.

Spoke to the marina manager this morning at The Cove.

I wanted him to be aware that the lunch stop will be at the end of the run and even with a slow cruise through Newport Harbor, there will be probably be two waves of boats finishing.

First of course.... will be the Banana Boats and Sutphens and Superboats and Carreras and assorted other small craft. Then....PAUSE......the big Outerlimits, Cigarettes, Fountains, Apaches,maybe even some Cigarette fish boats. Of course while the smaller boats tour Newport Harbor, we have sketched a course for the bigger boats out to Nantucket harbor and then back to Fall River. LOL No just kidding guys....you can run out front to break the water for us.

HOWEVER he did tell me that there may be a room available where we can show some old offshore racing movies that have hardly ever been seen. One is the Bahamas 500 that Aronow won in 1969. Black and white but still cool.

Some other races from the 70's and 80's courtesy of Darren Luhrs with the old Needle Nose film library. If you like them you can order a copy from Darren at Big Seas.

Charlie , I didn't know there was a triple outboard 24 Banana . Did I read that correctly ?

Yes it had three 2.5 Merc's on the transom.

Additional motors don't always provide what we are looking for. I was with Bobby Saccenti last Saturday in Miami and we were talking about the different boats we had built over the years. In regards to outboards, Bobby always figured 10% for the second motor back in the 80's. Meaning if you had a boat that could reach 70 MPH with one engine and you added a second engine to it, the speed usually went up 10% or 7 MPH now giving a top speed of 77 MPH.

Not sure if that works today with all the improvements in props and jack plates and lighter lay ups.

Thank you Charlie , that is an interesting formula . When I had my Banana I though about trying triple 200's . Then I figured it would upset the balance of the boat and I'm sure the original transom wasn't up for it . So I went with dual 2.4 bridgeports instead .

Charlie the bigger guys if they want can run ocean a bit around beaver tail. Makes it a little more interesting.
Sounds like a good event. And the cove is becoming a good spot for performance boats as an outlet for many things to come.

Had lunch today at the Cove. The place has everything we need and more, plenty of docking space.

Beautiful view of the ...In The Water Naval Ship Museum.....everything from the battleship Massachusetts to various smaller craft down to a submarine.

Trying to schedule a meeting with the Events Coordinator at the Cove.

One of the questions they will be asking is ...How many people will be attending and on how many boats?

So if anyone who knows for sure that they are coming, please let me know. Thanks

More information to follow......

Shaun, how is our date of July 9th lining up with any other events?

How many Outerlimits? If Dan isn't working on Saturday the 9th, he can drop that beautiful 40 in the water.

I think he is a little intimated by those single engine banana speeds!!! I hop to make it and drag a few boats along, if I can get a pass from my youngest daughter, it's her birthday! That being said she probably doesn't want us around !

Hey that is understandable, we have had to deal with that over the years. I spoke to some of the Banana guys that are coming and they all agreed for the sake of community, they won't run at full throttle.

Listen if your daughter comes, we can get her a cake and sing Happy Birthday, off key of course.

When you get a number that you think, let me know and I will meet with the restaurant and marina people.

Maybe some day I will be talking to you about your "officiating skills" !!!!

Happy to oblige! I am up for the summer..... until IBEX in Tampa in October and then.....Florida until next May. But I have been known to travel!!

Here is the latest on the restoration of Banana Split.

Engine room totally finished with new transom and stringers.

Outside of transom sealed and ready for new installation of engine and sterndrive.

So far we have a new deck, new bulkheads, new transom, new fuel tank, new cockpit interior, new paint and soon we will also have a new engine, sterndrive, prop, and trim tabs.

Reminds me of the man who loaned his neighbor an axe. A few years go by and the man asks the neighbor for the axe back.

Neighbor says, sure no problem, but of course over the years I have been really using the axe a lot and during that time, I had to replace both the head and the handle.....But it is still your axe!!!

Well, we still have the hull that is totally original 1976 era...now 40 years later... 2016, it soon will be ready to go. Water test the week of June 10th.

I can drive these things.....but I still can't figure out how to post the photos right side up all the time!!

May have a nice restored 24 from the Newport area join us.

Well the final water test was done yesterday in Sarasota with my son aboard along with some Innovation technicians. The boat with the new engine and drive is awesome. It feels much lighter than the old setup and even with a very conservative X dimension, seems to be able to run faster than even the big block was capable of.

It has gone back to the east coast for some final modifications and a another water test with Bobby Saccenti and then a few special tweaks and then it comes home........Born in Rhode Island 40 years ago. This boat was laid up in Bristol in the same glass shop building that a few years later, a new company was started there...Outerlimits.

July 9th is the day for the fun run, hope to have many old and new friends join us for a great cruise and a great lunch at the Cove restaurant in Fall River. Run starts in Warwick at the state ramp in Oaklnad Beach.

Hey Charlie,
I'm trying to get 2 33 Sutphens, a 31 (McCoy's), and a 26 OB RumRunner to join me in the trek from CT for the run. If Sewfast and T-mone see this, Steve, too. Chime in. A CT Sutphen caravan up 95 would be wicked pissah!
C