The Maritime that was banned was owned by Carl Kiekhaefer...... who was always ahead of the curve. That was about the same time that Andy Grannatelli won Indy with a turbine STP sponsored car...and many race organizations recognised the cost issues and limited vailability of turbine parts as a reason to ban them. Maritimes were made in the midwest and I remember the West Coast Ford powered hull. I believe a guy named Peter Rothschild campaigned it. THe boats were about 33 feet long but they did make some smaller versions....There was also an Aluminum tri hull variant that had something to do with Thunderbird (ex Formula-Thunderbird...... hence Racesdad's confusion).

I believe Jim Wynne and Walt Walters designed the hull and Jim Wynne raced the first one.

T2x

"Mama Maritime" was the third of the larger aluminum Maritime hulls. It never really got off the ground. Conceived as the lastest technological breakthrough, it had a slopey transom, Louis Unser turbo Fords, automatic transmissions (originally) that stalled at 1900 rpm's, v-drives, and was driven by Merrick Lewis and Billy Rosensteel. Never ran worth a ****. The second was Jim Wynne's twin st6 Pratt and Whitney powered 32' which was later purchased by Carl Kiekhaefer, and campaigned by Odell Lewis, Mel Riggs and Ed Leslie. The first 32' was raced once by Jim Wynne and then sold to Billy Wishnick. I drove it a few times for Bill. In the 1966 Gateway Marathon, the winds were 20 knots out of the northeast. Seas were incalculable. The Maritime, then named "Big Broadjumper" and Aronow's 35 Magnum left the fleet behind. I decided to let Aronow go, as I was having a time with the throttle lag on the 427 turbo Daytonas. I found a manageable speed, and finally passed Don after he broke. We won the leg over to Lucaya by an hour and ten minutes over the second place boat, and we only averaged 32 mph!

That was the last race without an automatic weather cancellation for small craft warning (Real men....If it's too rough for you, don't show up!). 24 guys went to the hospital for one thing or another. To this day, I have never felt more in command of a situation than I did in that 17,500# tin sonofa***** in a 10' head sea! We won the leg back by a bunch.

Did Wishnick rename the boat? I think it was sitting behind what is now Lightning Jacks marina in Brick NJ for several years.

Thanks guys,
I need to find some pictures of that boat. i saw them when I was younger. I just have to start digging.

The boat with the automatic transmissions is the one that I was talking about. My father told me that he ran a special type of torque converter system to help get the turbo boost up to get the boat up on plane. I was told that Merrik did not want anything to do with Merc that is why it had shaft drives. When they tried it my mother said it was churning up the bottom and going noplace with the engines screaming. They pulled the boat out and the props were cavitated to death. Mewrrik was not very pleased. That was the only story I had about the boat. I am looking for more.
I will post the picture when I find it.
Mike call me 949 645 4064
T2x not to be picky but the turbine broke at Indy.
pat W

Yeah....... but it was so far ahead ....and...and got so much publicity....that it might as well have won.

T2x

P.S. Brownie: ...... Rothschild...Rosensteel...... at least I was close.

Pat W.,

I heard that it was the gearbox that broke..... Ring any bells?

i thought i saw formula or thunderbird on the side of that boat.as i said i think i could have been mistaken. i am pretty sure the turbine boat had that name on the side.it was in searace the book.

If the STP car had ours in it it would have made it.
We have 4 Indy crowns.
Is that Rosensteel from Bluewater?
pat W

Pat W. Yes. That's Billy from Bluewater. He is a transplant from this coast. Great guy, by the way. I was just jerking your chain about the tranny. I am one of your dad's greatest admirers.

In answer to an earlier question, we scrapped the tin Big BJ in 1970 when Bill W. bought Odell's red 31' Bertram (Boss O' Nova) with the very first set of SSM III's. Seems like yesterday........

The one that was sitting in Brick NJ had shafts and rudders. No outdrive.