That's for sure, the old Lib runs pretty good, and while it's been humbled a LOT by faster boats, once Bob (marine kinetics) helped me piece together this "budget 502" now I feel like I can at least have some fun, and do some (that's a very limited some) of the humbling myself Now if I only had a hull to go with the power it had, I'd be in luck...Any donations of 260 velocity are being accepted now.

With all the horsepower on this site, it's easy to get lost about what a fast boat is.

I will say I have yet to lose to a boat with an aft cabin, though now that I've said it, it's surely coming. Gotta watch out for those pesky Sea-Rays


By the way, let's make it official.

There is a 26 Velocity down the road from me for sale with or with out power !!!!

1998 $20,000 neg with power $ 12,000 without on a trailer, drive and Hyd steering !!!

Uncle Dave,

you have a beautiful boat !!! what is the top speed ?

69 Miles an hour in the ocean is hauling A. Once you get past 55-60 MPH the crowd thins out at 70 it thins out a lot.

Well said...and true enough...except here in SE Florida. It's a bit deflating to have your well built, well tuned rig tearing it up off shore running 70~75 and have Mister Top Gun come breezing by at part throttle making 80 with 4 aboard...lifting their mugs to you as they zip on by.

There are a lot of VERY FAST BOATS down here!!!

Gary,

thank you for giving us your opinion !!

Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.

Thanks.

The mill is an Ilmor 710.

It's top speed ranges from 85 in the Arizona heat, and lakes like lake mead with 4 people and 50 gallons of gas. Too a high of 90 with a couple guys and 35-40 gallons at sea level on a cold high 40's day.

It'll spin a 4 blade 28 5900 - 6K.

It isnt really built for speed but more of a luxury cruiser its loaded up with every bell and whistle- a big old escalade on the water.

Boats called a 2750 and its 28.4 feet long with the step (hence a true 27ft boat. Its made from a little company here in Southern california thats been in business since 52 called Laveycraft.

This hull has a stellar race heritage and was the first SVL to hit 90 with a 525 in it.

Beam is 8'6 mine weighs 5350 loaded as you see it with 10 gallons in its 100 gallon tank. 24 degree V.

This one is balsa cored, vacuum bagged, and fully interlined.

Lots of fun fun on Ocean trips to San Diego from Marina Del Rey and an absolute blast on a big lake.

Uncle Dave

I totally get what you mean by deflating- there is always the faster guy regardless of what you spend.

I have that problem on big lakes and calm water with all my buddies that have 100MPH cats, I stopped trying to be the fastest guy decades ago..out here you run across 100MPH boats with regularity.

Where my setup excels is in navigation under -0- visibility through busy shipping areas and in nighttime navigation. With radar and AIS sync'd to my GPS.

I can run hard where almost everyone else is blind I have perfect awareness, I can get a boatful of us from the casino at the hacienda back to temple bar marina at night without even raising my blood pressure, or come back from Catalina at night like captain Kirk navigating an asteroid field.

UD

You overestimate my budget. I have 14k in the boat, the aluminum trailer, engine build, new vinyl, and a year of gas and storage. I know, I'm a cheap-a$$. Take a Zero away and I'm on it!!!