Just out of curiousity what does that boat weigh...

Stopped by and checked it out on Saturday. Interesting boat. It's not in the same location as those photos. So, I guess it was towed relatively recently from Sylmar (I think) to Signal Hill (Long Beach). It's sitting in a gated lot behind a strip join.

The boat is HUGE! Seems like it is closer to 50' than 46'. It was stripped of engines, drives and most of the steering hydralics, but still had all the plumbing, seats, guages, throttles, etc. I'm guessing that Gentry or someone may have used it as a "show" boat for some period since there was a nice permanent aluminum stair case that came up the stern between the rudders.

I asked the owner about the hydralics and he said that the trailer didn't use any for the tilt system. He says that the plan was to tilt the boat with the crane after it was loaded. He also said he didn't think you'd be able to travel with the boat tilted becuase it didn't seem very stable. Seemed more like a display thing that a DOT thing... He also said that one of the guys who built the boat is local (in Signal Hill) and thinks he has a line on the original or a similar Gentry drivetrain.

I didn't take any more photos. The photos with the ad are pretty consistent with what I saw. With the original paint, there was definately an eerie sense about the boat. It had obviously been open to the elements for some time, but when I poked my head under the canopy, for an instant, I could see the cockpit as new, with the crew in their seats and the ocean blasting past out the wind screen... (That is how people get in trouble with projects right there! :D )

Out of curiosity, why wasn't the boat de-rigged if Gentry was done with it? It looked like the motors and drives were pulled, but the boat was otherwise ready to go, at some point in the distant past. The dry sump tanks and sea strainers were still in the boat, for example. Was that common practice to only yank the really expensive stuff and just toss everything else out into the pasture?

We built that boat for Tom at Cougar England as a 46' in the middle eighties. It was his version of the 4 engie cat. Sammy James was the crew boss in those days. Later, John Connor stretched it (I thought to 50') and the left coasters put on those oil derricks on the back. The last time I saw it run, in the Key West version of the Worlds, they were leading, but the line to the fuel pressure hose took a dump, and the closed canopy was full of avgas fumes. Norm Gentry stood up and used his hans to vector air to John, who was passing out from the fumes. The leak was on his side. They hung on to win. Tough bunch!

My input: I remember the boat as being a 48` or 50` when it came from cougar. Sammie James was in charge of the project, rigging etc. The story goes that his garage in Belle Glade Fla. was only 48` deep????????? when he went to put the boat inside the garage/shop he was unable to close the garage door, so he cut off the pickle forks and kind of made them nubs. If you see the early pix when she was Budweiser you should be able to see what I`m talking about, I`m sure Brownie will remember as it was kind of the joke of the circuit. Tom ran the boat for awhile, but I don`t think it was fast enough. During that time is when he bought the Arneson 48` wood four engine boat that Bobby Beich and I rigged with the dereks at the back. That is the boat Connor and Tom set the Kilo record in, when it had arnesons. We never had very good luck with the derick, plus the wood boat kept blowing the tunnel out. Again during the whole superboat era, Tom hired Connor to rebuild the Aluminum Sammy boat, to what you see today. I raced against it in 1993 for the worlds in K.W.
I was in the Apache Heritage, we ran out of fuel on the last lap first day and Tom passed us, we finished few seconds behind. Tom was the first to come over to the boat and said to me, Richie that was the best racing I have done in 10 years, you guys looked incredible, well done. He broke in the final, we won. I believe that was the last race four the four engine super boats, they all went to the bone yard after that.
You asked why we didn`t take the sea strainers and misc. parts. Basically because we didn`t have any more shelf space.
On any given day you could find enough used parts in the Gentry shop to build five boats, we didn`t throw anything away, but hardly ever reused anything either. I think it was a West Coast thing. By the way the Gentry shops were always the best, cleanest, best tools used etc. of anyone around. Tom always demanded the best, and paid for the best. Sorry to go on, I`ll put the rest in the book.

I wondered why it had those little wooden blocks at the ends of the sponsons! It reminded me of the break away tips on an F1 boat.

Thanks for the background on this boat guys! If only I had unlimited storage space and a tree that grew $100 bills instead of leaves!

You mentioned the wooden blocks at the tips. It is impossible to build a combination welded/riveted all the way to the end. It is easier to square it off 6 or 8" back, and carve a nose. Most of the smaller cats had hard rubber noses. Richie is right about the length thing. Hell, I can't remeber how many drinks I had last night.........

brownie got a 19 supernova with a v-drive and small block chevy that traces back to chris craft any history?

hOW ABOUT A PIC?

The aluminum boat has been for sale for almost 10 years. I looked at it in '99 and it was offered to me for $25K on the trailer. I don't remember where I got the number but we set hull weight at 16K/lb. Too heavy to do anything with.

The last I heard, the boat was going to be stripped and a cpuple of diesels installed on straight shafts- the person was going to make it into a floating billboard - don't remember where. I was told the story as the seller called to see if I was interested in the drives. Obviously that didn't happen.

I remember the Arneson boat from the mid-80's. It was absolutely magnificent. The bottom was varnished- you could see the wood grain. The rest of it looked like it was built by NASA. Gentry didn't skimp.

Old story, but good. The Arneson 48' 4 engine boat was my favorite. It was built in the Phillipines by a bunch of native carpenters (think 10 cents per hour). We sent in good European plywood and glue and screws and such. The boat was built in a crude shed, and carried out of the jungle by about 80 guys. No machinery whatsoever. Everyone who drove that boat fell in love with it. Cougar M, do you have a picture of it being transported by hand?

Brownie: I remember the boat. Point Pleasant, 1986? I was flying Miller, Birkett, Branson over the race, and they stuffed it!!! We saw Tom, Norman and Sammy back at the Marina a coupla hours later and no one was very happy. The aluminum boat had a huge kink in the hull and deck. Sammy was going to take the boat back to Belle Glade to 'fix' it---you're right, all Tough Guys.

Those stories are pretty consistent with what the current owner told me. I guess he traded a center console for it. He thought about making it a non-floating billboard (road side attraction) but the transport costs weren't worth the trouble. He said that he'd thought about doing it up as a turbine boat or maybe big diesels with sixes as well... :D

No pictures of that as the 48' was buit in England, I remember seeing it during construction in the Netley Abbey workshop when I was back home one summer, the only wooden boats made at Asia Craft where:
The first Arneson class 1
Six 32's (the first was Powerplay, the second was for the Toleman twins, two where shipped to the UK and I eventualy burned them as they where rotten, the other two I think remained in America)
A Light weight 32' triple outboard for Craig Mosley! and Sony ?? (this came as just a hull and I put the deck on in Smittys raceshop)

Is this the Medicine man ?

Here are some old race programs I saved .
For me , back in the day was the early/mid 80's when I was introduced to the sport , later doing a little racing that I sorely miss .

I know Ben Kramer needs no introduction on this forum , the first one is from the 1986 Apache Offshore Grand Prix of Miami .
The second is us ( before we added canopies ) from Billy Martucci's United Grocer's Classic in Barnegat Bay New Jersey . We only ran 2 guys in the boat , but that year Don Hermann an APBA inspector from NJ asked if he could tag along for a race . I figured Barnegat was a safe venue . He was thrilled .
I'm on the deck , my driver/navigator , Lanny Dellinger is seated and Don Is the readheaded dude .
New Jersey is a great place to race , everyone there is so into it . I remember going to events , asking directions and getting the reply " What race ? " You'd never get that in NJ . In New Jersey they'd give you an escort !

Didn't Stu Hayim own that boat when it was new?

He did , it was rigged by Bobby Moore . They did a great job .
I've got a program with Stu and I think Joe Imprescia on the cover . I'll try to find it and post it .

Before she was the Medicine Man, she was Steve Baum's Maverick Marine, 1 of 3 hull's he built.

Any photos of it in it's current condition?

I heard it sank, and when it was recovered the hull was beyond repair.

Bummer. It's a very racy looking boat! Love the shorter length with the staggered motors. But probably for the best, since un-repairable boats keep me from having to live in my car (after my wife kicks me out for brining home another pile!).

Here's a program from Point Pleasant 1989 .
The cover boat is a Shadow Cat " Pipeline Express " owned by Bob Schug and throttled by Richie Danscision .
They were great guys and tough competitors .
I spoke to Richie recently and he is well . I hope Bob is well also .

Can we see the inside of that program?! :cool:

You sure may , anything in particular you're looking for ?
Or should I scan and post it all ? It's about 30 pages .
Featured boats include Kurt's Smokey and the Bandit , Lethal Weapon , Spirit of NJ , Team Hydra , Koncrete Kat , Shock Wave , Finish Line and of course the famous Fever .
Let me know and I'll work on it .
Here's another cover . Isn't that a great shot of P 15 ?

I search the entrants of the biggest class Open 1,but maybe that programs are those wrong.:confused:

Any history on baja boats raceing?

This was a divisional race , no UIM 1 boats . I will see if I have some and will let you know , I do have the Atlantic City Trump program circa 1988 . One of the Italian teams invited us for lunch in their hospilality trailer at that event . What a gourmet selection they had ! We were like peasants in comparison .
Regards ,
Serafino
PS , did you see the F1 today ? Too bad about Massa . GO FERRARI !

Sorry Serafino,but I am for McLaren.
However the F1 today it's a stupid Circus Barnum.
I'm interested to the list of entrants in Open 1 class of the Atlantic City world final. I would like to know something about it.
Marco

To each his own , Good luck to your team BT.
Here are some open class boats from1988 Trump Program . I'll look for more .

Jim, no sooner had I read you message to BT about Massa (to my handheld via email alerts) than I looked at the TV and said "Dang what's going to happen to Massa!?" and then immediately saw him spin off into the gravel. TiVo... a blessing and a curse! :D

I personally prefer sportscars to F1, but the production quality and resolution is so good on the F1 races, that it's hard for me not to enjoy it, even if it is a political circus!

DS , 19,000 rpm , gotta love it !
Massa just got too agressive , maybe he needs to mature or chill . He's as good as Kimi , just not as calm . I think he has an inferiority complex and pushes too hard .
We're going full force on the Chris Cat .
Go Ferrari !

My dad found a box of old slides, wild turkey,great adventure,mich light......How due i get them converted over to regular pics so i can scan them....

You can buy a small viewer gizmo - at a photo shop - and put each slide in that - then scan directly from the slide -

PHIL
[email protected]

Finaly I have been able to make some still shots of this 1973 super 8, video I have. These were taken at the 1973 Sam Griffith Race. The start looks to have about 40 to 50 boats in it, check out the Plane [in the middle pic] next to the boats at the start. Sorry that they are a little fuzzy but it's 35 years old.

who can we donate to, to receive a copy?

Sorry I can't make copies .

Anyone remember this boat Satan's Finger, the year around 1973. Looks like it would be one wild offshore ride back then.

Looks like a Formula Jr. same as what Bill cooper built from Calif. Remember the 20` formula jr.( Snoopy ) where the guy Daryl Jenkins rode behind the boat, so that the boat could qualify to run APBA UIM class. Maybe that was the boat prior to Snoopy, and then modified as history shows???????????????????

Champ.

Why did one guy have to ride way out back on Coopers boat?

I thought Formula Jr's where 17'8" I have one behind the shop, It is set up as a pump boat.