Question from JEFFREY the founder of OSO!
 

Can't believe it's been almost 25 years since that one Sunday where I sat with some canned software and created OSO (I'm not even sure Claris software is around anymore). After selling the site to Steve a few years later he then took it to the next level many times over. His passion for everything offshore powerboating was evident and the continued success of the site today is due in large part to his many contributions.


The one thing I find most amusing about the website today is the logo. Neither Steve nor the company who purchased OSO every bothered to "update" the logo. That same logo with the flames is now vintage! Many of you with older boats will remember a time when flames were the "IN" thing in our community (and perhaps some of you still believe so ... ha ha!). Anyway, I've been in and out of the boating world over the last few decades and most recently (three years ago) dipped my foot back into the world of big boats. I had always been a Cigarette guy having owned everything from a Cafe Racer to multiple Top Guns (including a F2 race boat), a Gladiator and a Tiger. I loved the brand and still admire everything they are producing today. When I sold my last Cigarette I knew that the only thing that might draw me back into the boating world was something really different and extreme.


When Hellfire - the turbine powered 46 Skater came up for sale - I couldn't resist the allure. Although it's been challenging at times I've enjoyed owning the boat and plan to own it for many years to come. As difficult as it may be to own/operate such a beast - you just can't beat the uniqueness of the setup. I plan to have it on a trailer in the Eye of the Storm in April at Lake Havasu. Come by and say hello if you're there! Anyway, sorry for the lengthy lead up to my question but it's been years since I've made a post so I figured I might as well reminisce a little while doing so!


Since a majority of my experience has been operating deep vees I have a question about my Skater and am looking for some opinions from those of you with alot more "cat" experience. Even though I've run the boat for the past few years I feel like the set up is not exactly right. From my little experience in cats I know they get "darty" when there's too much sponson in the water. I'm assuming this is due to the boat actually not being fully on plane yet. My boat actually stays "darty" above 100mph and I'm wondering if it's due to the fact that the combined turbine weight is about 500-600lbs less than two large piston powerplants. If the boat was originally set up with large blower motors and then converted to turbines would this adversely affect the boat's CG with so much less weight in the stern? Is the boat basically too bow heavy now? My original thought was that the "dartiness" was due to the fact that I wasn't going fast enough. Now I'm wondering if it's just ballast related? Maybe the boat just needs more rear ballast?


I look forward to some input, old friends saying hello, or just plain comments about OSO. I'm glad to have played my little part in creating a great resource that's endured the test of time. I probably won't post again for another few years so I wish everyone a happy and safe 2020 boating season!


Jeffrey

Welcome back!!!!!
Funny thing, Steve actually just posted a week or two ago for the first time in several years too.

I think you are going to have to reach out to some of experts with your rare setup. Maybe Jim Lee since he's on his second 46, Johnny T, or Peter at Skater.
I had a friend that went from a 44MTI to a 48MTI and he said they were a totally different feel driving them and the 48 had to be driven very differently.

Your old F2 boat ( Speed Racer ) is being well taken care of

Would you like to buy the board back please? :drink:

I wish I could offer some suggestions on your Skater's handling issues but I don't know enough about them to speculate, But I would like to say that we launched right next to you/your boat at Windsor Beech last year early in the week of Desret Storm, and it is a Very Impressive boat. hope you can get it dialed in to your liking.

I have enjoyed this site for many years even thou I am not a frequent poster. Who can ever forget Puder, Nick and Clay for some great posts.

PS my Orginal T-shirt is not just a rag in the garage

Wow, member number one comes home. Cool. I like the original logo with the flames and your story explains why I don't see Hellfire on Lake Erie anymore! Not a whole lot of turbine boats out there but hopefully you will get your answer.:cool: Oh, here is a pic of me admiring your boat at PIB. Can't find the video I took of it spooling up and pulling away.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...96088888de.jpg

One would think Tyson would have some great input with all his skater experience

What is the rake on the props? And does it feel like there is a lot of transom lift (counteracting BB weight setup vs. Turbine with same props)
Do you have any running shots of yourself at the controls when the boat is twitchy?

The boat should run on rails with a full pack in the tunnel but trimming it up too much, the "pack" can be unstable.(you can see this on shootout runs when the cats are trying to take a set)....it was either Marc or Scotty (Miss Geico) made a comment in a thread or an interview that running top speeds and stable, their boat was very flat and not trimmed up excessively like the competitors

Guest appearance! See you at DS Jeffrey. By the way, the boat looks awesome.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c49b0f10ec.png
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9b7b35871d.png
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e91131ed8c.png
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...ea6b427c4d.png
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9c91db3641.png

Welcome back and awesome rig!

This past season I swapped my prop rotation from inward to outward on my 40ss and noticed the boat was bow steering more than I was comfortable with. Later found out I needed a 16.5 diameter prop and not 17". The larger wheel was causing too much transom lift with the outward rotation. What rotation are you spinning and do you know your prop diameter and rake?

What Big Farmer said. And if you have shaft drive they like even less prop rake in most cases.

When it was in Ohio it looks like it had 6's with an outward rotation
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a27723bcc6.jpg

what a beast! i was talking about the boat of course! Welcome back on OSO and thanks for starting it up !

knot right has a turbine 46 skater. At least im
pretty sure that’s his creen name. He had a rebuild the turbines thread here on oso about it. He had a hustler before the skater. Good luck

Just throwing this out there. My father had a huckins 70ft sportfish after installing a crane and 16 egret flats boat on the bow. He had to pull the rudders together a bit to add bow lift to get the bow up to the right angle...

You could always try this! ⬆️

spinning props out on a cat provides speed at the sacrifice of handling...

Jeffrey- I have a set of 16.5x38x18R you are welcome to try.I think the 16.5 diameter is the way to go ,tuning out and a 18 degree rake will raise the bow which sounds what you need.
On my 40 classic that Vern now owns,it doesn’t “break free” till over 100 mph.Let me or Vern know when you want to “Test”.
Gary Smith

OK, I'm confused. Are there two turbine Skaters called "Hellfire?"

Wasn’t me Griff I have read a little but this is my first post in years.

Jeffrey, first thank you for the kind words. One day when I have time I will post the story of the 28 Powerplay that sunk that made us find each other and bring East and West Coast as well as Worldwide boaters together. the original owner of your boat is in my Contacts we can find out the answer to these questions as I know he tried several different set ups.

How Ironic that I also was always a V bottom guy and ran several Cigs but ended up also with a Skater. The noise got to me over the years so I was determined to get an offshore that ran 100 plus that wasnt loud. My favorite boat, the original Performance Group’s 45 Maximus came on the market but I just couldnt pull the trigger because I knew the noise would get to me so I was left no choice but to do an outboard Cat.

I love being on the water at 100 plus and being able to talk to my passengers and hear the music so when an all white (you all know I only like all white) 368 Outboard Skater came on the market I had to grab it.

My other favorite boat was always a triple engine cat. In the conditions I normally run in a cat smaller than 35 would beat me to death so now that larger cats have the option to do 4 outboards which keeps the additional motors behind the sponsons so I opted for that.

The 368 is the smallest of the big cats that can accommodate a 4th motor but everyone is advising me not to run 4 motors. I think 4x450 Outboards would be the perfect set up and still narrow enough to trailer somewhat easily. I am re-rigging the 368 currently with 400’s with 450’s and am seriously considering the additional two motors.

It was good to stop in and visit and now that I am back on the water in a go-fast I might be stopping by more often. Its going to take me a while to accumulate a post count that doesnt make me look like a rookie but maybe I can talk an admin in to putting some tokens in the meter as I know you can do that on this site.

Everyone have a great new decade and new year and be safe. Hope everyone is well!!

For the Love of the Sport

Steve

Dang. Both the board gods coming out same day, same thread. WTF is happening?

now we need Nort to chime in. Maybe Cig1, KWB, BCC, Audiofn, etc. :D

see you at desert storm this year Steve ;) ;)

Nope, it was redone including paint and the bustle. The previous owner was Dennis, screen name “TheMenace” on here. It’s been years since I have seen him or him on here.
Jr.

no, what made you think that?

Hi Jeff, nice to see you here again. I haven't been around here much lately either. Anyway, I think that boat you now have (Hellfire) once belonged to a guy named "Dennis"....and Dennis had that boat at Dave Wesseldyk's shop (WESCO Racing Engines) in Jenison, Michigan a few times for some issues many years ago. Besides being a World Class Throttleman, Dave is an extremely talented and intelligent country boy.


At this time he has a 50' Nortech Cat at his shop with jet engines that he's doing some work on. He knows boat very well and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to boats and the power. Give him a call, I am sure he could help you or get you headed in the right direction.


Anyway, it was nice to see you here again....thank you for starting OSO


Wesco Racing Engines

6742 18th Ave.

Jenison, MI 49426

(616) 308-5119

I'll see that and raise you a Waterfoul, Travis, & Nickslick!

Allen4 is a Putz...... LOL

First time i have been back here in a long time as well

where dafuq are Stecz and tantrum? Shouldn’t they be chiming in on this thread? Rm

I luv BIG Scotty.

Dont know about Tantrum but I believe Stecz is running around in taxies these days....He may have Masher tied up in the trunk....

no way stecz is driving a taxi? Wow

The two biggest BG's on the same day in the same thread. Incredible. And BOTH in fast cats now. LOL

Thank you both for the blessing and curse that is OSO.

Congrats. Who is doing the re-rig?

I think he owns them.....

Welllllll, does this look like the same boat ;)? Pretty cool to see the old timers back!
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...944fdf57b2.png
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c3d346d2ae.png

I would like to and the first thing I would do is make the emails dispatch earlier. My registration email should have been immediate as when someone decides to register nornally they want to participate. When it takes that long they might leave and think if this is the way the place is run forget it or lost interest in what they were dying to post.

Second is classifieds, you still have to minimize pics? Omg its 2020 bandwidth is almost free and phones and computers are sophisticated enough to re-size images when they are displayed.

and the user name Steve is not available, need to fix that.

oh wait, I should shut up :)

Are you my people......lol

Do you guys remember the “Claymates”?