Boats with a Soul
 

New to Powerboats but I'm 66 and at 18 my first Boat was a Checkmate so Blue you could see it in the dark. I guess it was about 19 ft and had the 470 Mercruiser..

That's a 170 horse 4 cylinder with a 429/460 head on it. 27 boats since with 2 vdrive Kurtis Kraft 500s. Unblown gas National Record Holder.

Professional Builder Tuner. It's almost like a spell but I keep going back to the white 47 GTX nobody really wants, but honestly boats break down cause of your Techs, not the boat. The fuel system is way too small and it needs injection not carbs with Fuel Tech systems and on and on

Point is the 47 gtx seem so mysterious to me with the lines and the story of Mike. It reminds me of the 70 Mach 1s I've been around and the 67 Shelby Gt350 with a Cleveland Swap I drove for years. It wasn't just the look, it was 1.5 turns lock to lock and the handling and looks of the roll bar that gave it soul. My Father was a Ford Dealer in 71 and he ordered every odd Muscle Car he could get in.

Tell me I'm nuts for giving boats soul status and really digging the history because boats don't fit that soul except to some a 18 or 22 Donzi that I know of. I've had enough puddle jumpers in my life. I'm just so digging the 47GTX it seems odd.

My skin is thick and I know where I stand in performance and driving and am not seeking anybody's approval at a boat dock. Just my souls, so hit me.

When you say soul status it makes me think of 41 or 47 Apache or some Cigarettes but that’s just me.

Apache

Apache mythology
 

Very fitting. Apaches believe that everything has a spirit or soul

https://www.folklore.earth/culture/apache/

There were definitely evil spirits in the Mercury 2.5 liter ignition systems.

I’m going Skater and Outerlimits!!! Both brands seem to push boundaries to another dimension.

That could be definitely said about the Mystic C5000 hulls...

Few boats other than the Apache 41 and 47 that are 30-40+ years old are automatically are recognized upon sight and still are lauded for their performance and wave crushing capacity to this day

For their time, the Bertam boats had a place. Seeing the Copper Kettle... don't know if that is looking at a boat with soul or remembering the evolution of true offshore

People always talk about the "wave crushing" ability of Apache/Cig.
Compared to all the boats of that era?
My 1985 "wave crusher" wouldn`t stand a chance against any twin step, they fly straight and level so I never understood why they are so revered

I looked at a Hustler 50 ft Monster with 3 575s in it. It looked like a wave crusher. It was nice and cheap. Looked new.

Because they are old and therefore affordable.

Probably because of the same reason the muscle cars are revered in the same way. My friggin Subaru would beat most of them on a road course but that's not the point.

That makes sense, I`m not a fan of old cars either because they are turds so I guess I don`t get it.

Contemporary or classic, a boat with a soul needs to have given its crew a memorable experience, and be ready to deliver again.

Since most of the time goes to designing, rigging, testing etc., the bond between the boat and the crew only gets stronger with time.

This article by dear Marilyn DeMartini tells a couple of stories, but the relationship between boat, racer, and the sea, was arguably

best told by the late John O. Crouse: "...where else can a man meet an adversary who will pummel him to death one minute,

then romance him the next, ocean powerboat racing is an exciting love affair between man and his element."

Article: https://www.boats.com/on-the-water/e...ay-experience/


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...4b9176440.jpeg

Cool article Lars. Thanks for posting.

Not boats but the reason I like old cars are more the look.

Stock original, nope. I like the retro rods, so you can at least drive them. For us that grew up with them we forget what a PITA they really were. Still love custom cars, or boats though.

One reason for me, even though the new OB cats are great boats they all look close to the same and few modified by the owners. It is nice to see some are starting to do mods to the motors.

I do understand the appeal, write a check, hop in a 100 mph boat and go just as easy as a new car.