Thanks Ratman
 

Last Friday the wife and I met up with Ratman for a run in his Misstress.
Never met the guy before, but after a handshake and an introduction, we jumped in his truck and headed for the water.
As soon as we put in, he headed straight for the Gulf. It was some big water out there - SOLID 6's, and occaisonal 8's. Slammed the throttles down!! Running in the low-mid 70's
We were launching off every other swell. I think Phil was testing us just to see if we were "true" performance boaters.
We saw HUGE air time - and that old Cig handled it without flinching. By the time we pulled back into the ICW we were all soaked from crushing waves. What a ride. I now truely understand what it is about a Cigarette.


Phil, I think you're right, - We would have made Don proud.
Awesome run! - Thanks

Re: Thanks Ratman
 

So he's really a nice guy after all :eek: :drink:

Rob :drink:


Note to self dont let Phil dive my boat :eek:

Re: Thanks Ratman
 

Kinda hard to explain but I know what your saying ... same reason Cigarettes stole my heart too ... Sure helps when the Captain knows what they are doin tho ... ;)

Glad you had fun. :cool:

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:eek: I wouldn't let him drive it either.

He knew what he was doing though. Knew when to get on or off the sticks, good read of the waves and how to land it.

What a ride.

Re: Thanks Ratman
 

It's a controlled crash, just like with airplanes. :eek:

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tim you are such a boat slut shamelessly weaseling rides across the country :drink: :drink: :drink:


did i say thanks for the beer :D :D

by the way how did everything turn out up here. i saw some stuff on the news a few weeks after you left. guess they cought the guys. messed up deal there :mad:

hope you guys can make it up here in the summer time

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yo bouyhunter, glad you made it home ok. it was a pleasure meeting you and your wife. i knew you guys we ok as soon as we made it out of the cut. when i looked back to see if your wife was ok, she gave me the thumbs up and then i fed it the coal. i love the way that boat handles big water/big air, i get that warm fuzzy feeling when i see white caps and big water in the cut heading out to the gulf :D im sure you will find a sweet mistress in your price range just make sure you get one with ssm#3 or #3a's and you'll never be posting about broken drives :evilb: then you can spend your coin on beer and fuel :drink:

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BTW i always have an empty seat or two for oso'ers that like ain't skeeert of big air rides :D

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Ratman,next time me and the missus are down in belair bluffs (where my folks live 2 blocks from the ICW)I'd love to throw you a couple ben franklins for gas and go for a ride. I'd even buy the beer and cocktails versus beating my little 272 up out on the gulf and dragging it 2400 miles for a couple rides,Smitty

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Tim, glad you and Jody got a boat fix. When Tres Martin sea trialed my boat after re-rigging, the bottoms of my feet hurt for a week. Joe Murray

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Ratman, do you have a picture of your ride?

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Hey, I resemble that statement!!! :drink:
C'mon though - Dinner was good.

I'm working on a ride for myself, still counting my pennies.

We will be there this summer - look forward to meeting up with you again.

Re: Thanks Ratman
 

Rat, - yeah, that was a helluva ride out of the cut. Jody can handle the rough stuff, the first time she really met me we made a similar run, but my old Baja didn't have what it takes to get the air we did on that run with you. And that Mistress of yours can and did handle it.
I had a great time.
Thanks again.

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f311/Joe,
I just realized I was supposed to give you a call. Been hectic getting back and with the holiday.

I know what you mean about the "pain to play", Jody and I were both sore the next day, but isn't that part of the fun??

I hope all is well with you and Sue, I imagine these past two weeks have been hectic for her.
If you guy's need anything, my extension is 2053 - back at the office Mon.

Re: Thanks Ratman
 

articfriends...bring it, pm me a few days before your gonna be in town and i'll give you my contact info and we'll make plans, ratman

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here ya go team baha, pics. its really an awsome boat, its a 1979 and ive been all thru it re-rigging it and there isnt a bit of rot anywhere, no stress cracks and i run the crap out of it in big water all the time there are zero stress cracks in it. for a 26 year old boat thats awsome. it came originally with 650 hawk blower motors and bw 72c's and ssm#3 drives. i have 700hp 577 n/as in it now but since she's been such a good girl, she's getting 1000hp 588ci blower motors for xmas :D

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rat what kind of exhaust is that? pretty trick lookin :cool:

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Respect that sweet old Cig and get a real tow rig!! GMC baby!! :D

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glassdave mark at bam told me he thought they were made by a company called drake. im not sure how old they are but im gonna put new exhaust in when i install the blower motors. heres a pic of the headers off the boat, ratman

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Cool! Thanks for the pics! Probably should have bummed a ride when I was down there in Sept/Oct!

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Looks good! :D

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the guy i bought it from blocked the woven roven texture out of the sides and deck and re gel coated it 2 years ago. im not crazy about the stripes so i may paint it this winter after i get the new motors installed :D

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Those old school non step Cigarettes can really perform in the rough stuff!

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strip was there any question?

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Thanks for the pics. Great lookin boat. Those exhausts are something that I've never seen before. But if they work, what the heck.... use them.
What kind of headers are you planning on changing to?

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Sweet looking Cig., if you need Stellings I have one pair of Black style Stelling on Ebay right now they are for a side by side Cig..

Re: Thanks Ratman
 

my engines are on 35" centeres so they tubes need to fit that dimension. mark at mer has a set of cmi split tops i can buy from him reasonably, im also looking at the stainless marine gen III system with 5" drytails, tommy at chief engines thinks a lot of the gen III's but the headers look way cooler and mine are over transum so im leaning toward the headers. anyone know why cmi stopped making the big split tops? do they have leakage issues at the slpit top? thx ratman

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nykamp, whats the history of the stellings you have? how much time or yers in the salt? why are you selling them? how much for a new set to match yours? what are you looking to get for yours on ebay. what is the listing # on ebay? thx, ratman

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Don Aranow said the Mistress was the best riding boat he ever made.

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Ratman, these are freshwater headers with 50 hours, I was going to use them on the 38 Top Gun, Rodger 1 has, he out bid me and got the boat. So I have some letf overs I can't use on my 41 APACHE. I think new they are around $5000 a set, but I don't know I don't sell new. Start bidding, the item # is 4592361791.

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The over the transom set-up looked and sounded great.

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nykamp, those wont work for me i need the header to pint straight back to go over transom. those appear to turn down. thx, what was your reserve?

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hey Ratman - just got off the fone with my dad down in Dunedin, a snow bird, talking about finally getting down to see him this winter - I'll be callin!

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cmg, i usually dip my boat at the ramp off ft harrison, seminole boat ramp in clwtr. pm me when your comin a few days ahead of time, ratman

Re: Thanks Ratman
 

:D