Speedboat May 2016

SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE

BIG BAD BLOWOVER!

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Cigarette’s Mind-Blowing Marauder SEE PAGE 24

MAY 2016 MAY 2016

$4.99US/CAN

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SPRING CLEANING Get Your Boat Ready for Summer

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TABLE OF CONTENTS May 2016

COLUMNS 10 CHRIS DAVIDSON 12 RAY LEE 14 ALEXI SAHAGIAN 20 GREG SHOEMAKER 22 INDUSTRY NEWS 52 NEW PRODUCTS

28 ISLAMORADA DREAMIN’ Stu Jones of the Florida Powerboat Club gives us a firsthand account of his latest poker run following the Miami Boat Show.

36 L.A. BOAT SHOW While more go-fast boatbuilders snub the Los Angeles Boat Show, there were still a number of super-cool boats and products on display.

44 BIG TROUBLE

FEATURES 24 SPEEDBOAT OF THE MONTH Performance Boat Center of Lake of the Ozarks has built a 50' Cigarette Marauder as an inventory boat, and it’s one of the prettiest damn things you’ll ever see.

Lucas Oil Racing got dramatic in Phoenix, with a spectacular crash involving Cole Thurston’s TAF.

46 FACTORY TOUR The Speedboat crew tours the Poly Lift factory in Missouri to watch the best-built boat lifts being meticulously hand-crafted.

54 SPRING CLEANING Our tech expert explains how to ensure that your fueldelivery system is properly prepared for the summer season.

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Speedboat.com To find your nearest location to purchase a copy of Speedboat Magazine go to: www.WheresMyMagazine.com

Published by DCO Enterprises, LLC Publishers Ray Lee ray@speedboat.com

Chris Davidson chris@speedboat.com

Editor Brett Bayne brett@speedboat.com

Senior Tech Editors Jim Wilkes jim@speedboat.com

Alexi Sahagian alexi@speedboat.com

Tech Editors Greg Shoemaker Jim Wilkes Valerie Collins National Sales Ray Lee Director ray@speedboat.com Art Director Gail Hada-Insley

BRETT’S COVE 64 EVEN STEVENS The father-and-son team of Ron and Ryan Minegar bring a classic Stevens back to its original glory.

72 KEMO-SABE Michael Temby sold his father’s Biesemeyer years ago. Then came an opportunity to reunite his elderly father with his beloved boat…

76 NJBA SEASON OPENER Bakersfield’s Lake Ming sets the stage for a typically heartpounding jetboat skirmish.

Helicopter Services Fred Young fyoung@live.com

Photographers Todd Taylor, Pete Boden, Randy Nuzzo, Kenny Dunlop, Paul Kemiel, Jeff Girardi, Mark McLaughlin Operations Manager Michele Plummer michele@speedboat.com

Subscriptions Valerie Snedeker valerie@speedboat.com

Webmaster Craig Lathrop craig@speedboat.com

Web Design Wes Nielsen wes@speedboat.com

Editorial Offices 9216 Bally Court Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (888) 577-2628 (BOAT) Editorial: Speedboat Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. All manuscripts, materials, photographs and artwork submitted are at mailer’s risk and must include self-addressed envelope with proper postage if requested to be returned. All letters sent to Speedboat will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes, and are subject to Performance Boats’ right to edit and comment editorially. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is expressly forbidden, except by written permission of the publisher.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Postmaster: Send address changes to Speedboat Magazine, 9216 Bally Court, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.

SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE (ISSN#1941-9473) is published 8 times a year by DCO Enterprises LLC. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Domestic $34.00 for 9 issues, Canada $56.00 for 9 issues, International $60.00 for 9 issues. All prices are for one year and in US funds. For subscription info: call (888) 577-2628.

PRINTED IN USA These rates represent Speedboat’s standard subscription rate and should not be confused with any special rates or premiums otherwise advertised or offered.

Cover photo by Todd Taylor Table of Contents photo by Todd Taylor speedboat.com

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MY VIEW CHRIS DAVIDSON

Progress. It’s Buggy.

Sometimes I wonder if anyone ever really reads this column, or if they just head straight to the beautiful glossy photos. However, during the last couple of events I attended, I got some muchwelcome feedback that reaffirms that some of you still read the magazine from cover to cover. That kind of feedback is rewarding—particularly when the feedback is positive.

Most everyone I spoke with has a favorite columnist (typically Jim Wilkes or Alexi Sahagian). That seems logical, since their columns date back to the days of Hot Boat, and their shops—Wilkes Marine and Boostpower USA Marine— have been active in the industry for numerous years. The columns penned

by Ray and me may not be quite as popular, but we try to make up for it with greater insight to what is happening at events and the industry leaders’ newest products and wares.

Publishing Speedboat magazine has its hurdles these days—not only to publish, but to actually get it to the reader.

Postage rates have skyrocketed over the past several years, both in Canada as well 10

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as most recently for the U.S. market. The USPS dropped the price of a standard envelope by 2 cents for letters, but raised the rates on virtually everything else by $1 to $3, depending on the weight and size of the envelope.

The vertical niche market that we cater to still demands the need for a print magazine. However, over the next decade, I expect print magazines to be almost complete passé—the Internet will completely dominate and warehouse everything in cyberspace. Even so, print still delivers a message that can’t be delivered any other way for now.

I recently had an interesting conversation with Devin Wozencraft of Wozencraft Insurance, during which we both agreed that there is greater value in a person who purchases a magazine for $4.99 off the newsstand or pays for a subscription, as they are vested in the product and industry, versus someone surfing the web with no vested interest.

For the advertiser, we deliver a more qualified buyer who is going to spend his hard-earned money on an advertiser’s products.

With that said, it’s a difficult blend publishing a print magazine and operating a website that offers a lot of information and data for free. Last August, we did a soft launch with our forums at Speedboat.com in conjunction with the LOTO event. Our three-year noncompete contract had just expired with Vertical Scope (who acquired PerformanceBoats.com from us in August of 2012). We patiently waited to launch our forums, but the three years flew by very quickly. In addition, our website went through several redesigns during that same period—some planned, some not.

The most recent facelift occurred

after we were hacked by Russians in October 2015. The hacks occurred through a computer traced back to Russia. The Russians did this so that they could spam our users’ emails with everything from Viagra ads to get-richquick scams. The hackers have become ultra sophisticated, according to our IT department. They left many back doors inside the server so that they could respam the database repeatedly over the coming years. After several attempts to destroy their bugs, we finally had to move our servers and start from scratch, which was extremely disconcerting. My son Blair and I had spent much of the year developing the store and home page along with the videos and digital magazines. But once our IT expert Craig saved what he could, Blair and I began the process over again and have continued to hone and improve the site.

One interesting thing that came about from the redesign was the discovery that Vbulletin—the former forum software leader’s latest version—had become cumbersome and technically difficult to operate. So we changed software and are now operating the latest and greatest forum software through Xenforo.

It’s interesting and frustrating to see how fast technology changes everything from week to week. Barely 10 years ago, we were using cassette tape machines, video tape recorders and remote battery boxes in conjunction with our boat tests. One system actually cost us $5,000! Within two years, GoPro replaced all of that in an HD digital format for under $500.

So we will continue with the technological advances that are thrust upon us, and hope to see you visit our forums at Speedboat.com. speedboat.com

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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE

Against the Wind “Oh, woe is me!” is a phrase I seldom say, or even think to myself. I know that I am fortunate to be doing this job in an industry that I love. I am also blessed to have a wonderful, healthy family, the love and support of my beautiful fiancée Julie Stepnick, and great friends who have always had my back, for as long as I can remember, and still do.

So this isn’t a “poor me” tale. It is simply a series of events on one particular day on the job that could’ve gone better.

A lot better!

Speedboat Magazine editor Brett Bayne and I had scheduled a photo shoot in late March that would feature fifteen awesome boats and seven stunning models. Wade Addington of the Weekend Paradise RV Park in Lake Elsinore, CA, had graciously agreed to host our event. His property has a large, wide open beach for us to do what we needed—including launching the boats, a changing area for the girls and even a large golf cart to help us get from Point A to Point B easier and quicker than walking.

In the pre-dawn hours of the morning of the shoot, I was awakened by the thunderous sounds of strong, heavy winds blowing against the side of my suburban home. My first thought went straight to the day’s shoot, and if we would be able to proceed as planned.

Wind has always been my enemy, and it again reared its ugly head. Slight panic set in, as I looked out the window to see the fronds of the palm trees all horizontally aligned against the dark sky.

I was tempted to phone Brett immediately, because he was staying at a hotel in Lake Elsinore and I wanted to get a weather report. I decided to wait until sunrise to see if the winds would dissipate to make that phone call. I was relieved when Brett told me that there was hardly even a breeze down at the lake, 40 miles south of where I was. Crisis averted. Or so I thought.

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My friend and lighting reflectorextraordinaire Brandon Proctor, Brett and I all arrived at the lake close to 8 a.m. We wanted to be there early, as we had scheduled all other participants to arrive at 8:30. As soon as I opened my truck door, I knew we were in trouble— the wind had followed me down to the lake, and it was howling! The water was white capping and the sand from the beach created a haze across the horizon.

I immediately thought that we might have to cancel the shoot and reschedule for another, less treacherous day.

But Brett was considerably more optimistic. He assured me that we would be fine and that everything would go smoothly. So I reluctantly agreed. We couldn’t proceed with our original plan of launching each of the boats because the wind and currents would carry them to the far side of the lake, even before we removed the first lens cap. So we adapted. We kept the boats on trailer and parked them alongside the shore.

The models—Akacia, Emily, Tiffany, Olivia, Tatiana, Angela and Rupa—all arrived on time with their hair and makeup impeccably done. I could tell that they were as concerned as I was about the conditions of the day, if not more so. As we started to pose them on the boats, it seemed to be a losing battle.

The sun was up from the east and the winds were blowing hard from the west.

Hair blew every which way, except for the ways that we preferred.

But the girls were absolute troopers and carried on, without a single complaint (or at least a single complaint that I was within earshot of ). It was cold, sand was flying and it didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon.

They took shelter inside the temporary warmth of some blankets, towels and their vehicles nearby.

Eventually, we started to “click” along, but then one of the girls had locked her keys in her car. I figured this was no big deal, and that we could take care of it later…until she informed me that the rest of her swimsuits were locked in there too. Another crisis! I quickly called AAA for roadside assistance. The tow truck arrived 30 minutes later and popped her lock in 40 seconds flat. We were back in business.

Finally, it appeared that we were going to catch a break. The sun broke through, providing some warmth. The wind died down and the water became mostly still. I silently celebrated to myself as we started to rush the process, almost as if we were trying to beat the clock. All of the participating boat owners were great and helped to accommodate all of our requests.

We had also invited Caliber 1 to bring down their beautiful new 265 Silver Bullet deck boat for some shots of all of the girls on a single boat. We scheduled them for a midday arrival, but as their time slot came and went, there was no deck boat. I called them to find out that they had somehow lost a seat cushion during transit from Lake Havasu, AZ. To their credit, they were at a local upholstery shop having a replacement made STAT, in order to make it to the shoot. They arrived about an hour later and we got the shots that we were hoping for, just before the winds returned.

Fifteen boats, seven models, thousands of strands of windblown hair, one lockout, one lost cushion, one replaced cushion—and all within a seven-hour period. Although it didn’t go quite as “smoothly” as Brett had assured me, we got ’er done and I am proud of the job that everyone did. We hope you will enjoy the images to come! speedboat.com

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ON THE DYNO ALEXI SAHAGIAN trim fuse with the main engine breaker.

Either run a separate fuse or do a direct link as the factory recommends and fuse it at the pump. I am thinking that by accident, your trim power might be running through your main fuse which powers everything 12 volts on your boat.

Please check to make sure your alternator charge lead is not running through it as well or one day that may pop that breaker if it is not rated for that type of amperage. They make a common 50 amp and 90 amp fuse that looks the same so be assured you have the correct fuse in there and you should be up and running. If this does not help, please look for the basic bad connections, grounds, shorts, etc. Again, I always encourage a full review before doing anything.

Fuse Blows Dear Alexi: I have a fairly new pair of EFI engines in my boat. They run well, however once in a while my engine just shuts off and it seems to do this when I move my trim or soon thereafter. The shop says they keep changing the fuse on the starter and then it runs for like a day or two then does it again. It is driving me bonkers.

Can you help?

Joe Manderman Hollywood, FL It seems as though you are having some type of current spike, killing the main 50-90 amp fuse on your starter that provides primary DC voltage to the entire dash and other items. Depending on who your installer was, that may help determine what may be stacked on the system. I would first investigate which systems are tied into the main fuse. You mentioned trim. Usually we like to see the trim independently grounded and powered. So we usually run a separate fuse to that system. Your engine shuts off when you overload that main circuit; we do not recommend stacking the 14

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Mystery Engine Stumble Dear Alexi: I have a supercharged single engine in my Eliminator Cat. It seems to be doing something funny. I’ll be driving along when all of a sudden it loses a tiny bit of power. If I drive try to hold it at that rpm, my engine seems OK, but will often do weird things at around 2,200 rpm. It is an aftermarket custom engine with a MEFI system on it and nobody seems to be able to figure it out. I need your opinion on this as it’s worrying me.

Frank Pillar Los Angeles, CA

I hope you enjoy that Eliminator… they are great, fun boats. Let’s try to assist with your engine issue. At times when this happens, we usually scan the ECU to review any codes or weirdness within the brains of the power plant. There are times where the MEFI systems just lose their brains, so to speak. So if you scan it and all is good, look into a possible issue with the tune. If you get your tuner to review the columns you may find that the number transitions don’t line up around that rpm band. If they don’t, the engine has a rough time calculating the next step and may do weird things. The other thing to look at is the knock sensor.

Try to unplug it and see if it goes away.

At times an aftermarket ECU tuner may have great skill but not in the category of knock sensor frequency tuning. What I mean is the engine may be seeing false harmonics tripping the knock sensor.

When this occurs, the engines are usually preprogrammed to pull 5-6 degrees of engine ignition timing away, causing a momentary loss of power. This is usually the cause of what you’re explaining.

At times the ECU should log the code “knock present,” but at times they don’t.

So you can do the test and see, but try to seek a professional, as it could be other things. But try these basic few things first to see where you go with it.

Supercharger Boost Craze Dear Alexi: I have a V-drive box in my dragboat. I was working on it the other day and noticed that a few of the nuts were cracked on the bolts that hold the case together. I replaced them and one cracked again. Is it the nut or am I over torquing the nut? It runs well and does not leak oil.

Martin Green Scottsdale, AZ [Continues on page 82] speedboat.com

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SETTING RECORDS Cat Can Do, driver Keith Holmes

Predator II, driver Gary Smith

388 Skater, driver John Tomlinson

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Phone: 765.733.0833 Dial 911, driver Don London

Predator I, driver Vern Gilbert, West Coast Drive Service

Gone Again, driver Kenny Mungle

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V-DRIVE TECH JIM WILKES Sounds to me like you don’t have a lock-out style handle and quadrant.

These two parts are a must when you use a Whirl-Away. Unfortunately, I’m not going to be much help without photos of your unit. I have no idea how your WhirlAway was set up. If you would like to bring your unit down to Santa Ana, CA, I would be happy to do a teardown and see what’s wrong.

Slack Situation

Mystery Hull Dear V-Drive Tech: I just took ownership of this hull, a runner bottom that has never been finished and put in the water. As far as I know there are no hull numbers. No stamp in the gelcoat, nothing branded in the transom and there is no title because it’s never been registered. I’ve been told that it resembles a DiMarco hull from 197176 before they went to the cutaway deck.

Other have said it looks like a Kurtis Kraft or a Deaver. It has a pillow-block backup plate with all the holes, which would typically be found on a DiMarco.

The absence of any steering pulleys up by the kickboard (towards the passenger side of the hull) suggest that the steering unit in the dash may be a Calgo (no steering pulleys required), which DiMarco was known to use in some of his hulls. I just wondered what you thought about the hull and whether you have any recommendations. Thanks!

Mark Maguire Meadow Vista, CA

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Your boat does resemble a Kurtis Kraft, but I’m really not sure. Perhaps one of our readers can lend a hand. Back in the day, many boats looked extremely similar.

If or when you put this boat together, it is my suggestion that you use a cable and pulley steering system. In my opinion, this system is stronger and comparatively very responsive. Judging from the photos, it seems to be in extraordinary condition! Please send us finished pictures when you’ve completed the project.

Help on a Whirl-Away Dear V-Drive Tech: I installed a Whirl-Away that came with my boat. The original owner told me it came out of this boat. The problem is that it won’t stay out of gear unless I hold the in/out stick all the way forward. If it is in the detente, it engages, which is a slight distance from max forward. What did I do wrong? For some reason, the spring is pushing the forward dog into the rear dog.

Harold Beckley San Dimas, CA

Dear V-Drive Tech: My top input shaft and gear seems to be slack. Is this normal? With the box in gear, I have about half of a turn of slack.

It’s an in-and-out box, so I would expect some slack, but not half a turn. What should I do?

Tim Grossman Ventura, CA This extreme amount of movement is not normal. I want to make sure you’re talking about the upper shaft only. If you have the shifter engaged and have movement, it would be normal with an in-out having a two-dog shifter unit. Hold the upper flange, engage the shiftier like you’re putting it into gear.

Now, while firmly holding the upper flange, rotate the lower shaft back and forth and feel how mush movement you have. What you want to learn is if the upper gear and shaft have an excessive amount of movement.

You should be able to feel extra movement in the upper gear and shaft. The splines on the upper shaft and upper gear spline should only have about .030 movement.

Top loader V-drives are not the easiest units to properly set up. If you’re not sure how to do it, take it to a shop that has experience in building top loader-style V-drives.

speedboat.com

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JET TECH GREG SHOEMAKER Hot on the Hose Dear Jet Tech: I recently acquired a pretty sweet little ride—a 1973 Eliminator with the BBF Hardin Marine 460 c.i. motor. It starts up and runs awesome, but I am having an issue with the logs and snails getting real hot while running on the hose. (I can keep my finger on them for roughly a second before it burns.) I have the setup with the

it runs smoothly out of the back of the Berkeley jet drive, but the logs and snails seem to get extremely hot in roughly 3-4 minutes of idling. Have not water tested yet as this worries me already of getting stranded and I would rather fix prior to water testing if an issue seemed to arise.

I don’t feel there is any restrictions in the hoses but will double check all of those tonight by running water through them.

I will also take out the manifold drain plugs tonight to see if maybe there is some sand in the block. Other than that, what else should I be looking for? Thanks for any and all help.

Bud Weston San Diego, CA

I’m not sure why installing breathers on the valve covers would prevent the intake gaskets from failing. Are you sure it was the intake gaskets or was it the valve cover gaskets? Sounds like you had a lot of crankcase pressure. If this is the case, a good set of upright breathers mounted to the front of the valve covers will solve your problem.

Sutphen Situation The problem you have I feel is quite simple. When using a gate valve with a run on the trailer setup, you have to restrict the water going to the pump. Water will flow to the hole with the least resistance.

The main flow of water will go to the pump, and the engine has the most resistance, so it will get very little water. Turn the gate valve way down until the engine gets a full supply of water. Make sure when you complete the run out that you turn the gate valve back to wide open or under operating conditions, the engine will overheat.

Dear Jet Tech: I just picked up a 20’ Sutphen jetboat with no power. The boat is rigged for a 454 and came with everything to install the motor. Front and rear mounts, exhaust logs and driveshaft. I have a friend who has a fresh drop in MerCruiser 454 Magnum. Will I have any issues making this motor work in the boat? Will all the parts fit on this engine? There was a Gen IV big block in the boat originally, and the motor I’m looking to buy is also a Gen IV. Thanks!

Herb Smalley Riverside, CA

Gasket Trouble

valve that will open and close to restrict water from the pump and attached to that is a garden-hose type connections to turn open in order to flush the system.

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Dear Jet Tech: I recently bought a 396 small-block Chevy stroker from a buddy. He had it built put it in a drag car made a few passes with it and lost interest. I’m in the process of freshening it up, changing the cam and a few other things so I can put it in my aluminum jetboat. He said it always wanted to blow out intake gaskets so he put breathers in the valve covers with lines running to the exhaust to remove the pressure. I don’t want to do this on a boat. What are my options? No PCV...will a catch can work?

Or do I need to get a vacuum pump?

Nicholas Melford Sacramento, CA

There are a couple of things that you have to be made aware of. First, the oil pan that comes on a MerCrusier is too deep and will not fit in a jetboat, so a new oil pan and pickup will be needed.

Second, you will need a power takeoff and U-joint driveline. The water pump on the front of the engine will be eliminated. You will replace that with water plates on the front of the engine, and a free-flowing thermostat housing on the intake manifold. Wiring should be fairly easy if you have a color-coded wire loom in the boat. If you need any help, our shop (GS Marine) is located in nearby Norco, CA. speedboat.com

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4/5/16 9:13 PM

Industry News BRETT BAYNE

Daryl Ehrlich Returns As Problem Child Driver After taking a year off from racing, Top Fuel Hydro champion Daryl Ehrlich is back behind the steering wheel of Eddie Knox’s World Champion Problem Child competitor.

Ehrlich and Knox had parted ways for the 2015 season, during which veteran racer Todd Plate—who had raced for Knox years earlier—rejoined the team. After a lackluster year on the course, Knox told Speedboat that he would stick with Plate for 2016. However, before the kickoff race of the Lucas Oil series in Phoenix, Plate was out and Ehrlich was back in.

“The reason Daryl was gone to begin with is because we just ran out of money,” Knox says. “But we always left the door open for him to rejoin the team. Todd got a new job, and that was going to eat up a

lot of his time. We’re cool—everything’s fine. But ‘Mad Maxx’ is back.”

Although Problem Child was not victorious in Phoenix, Ehrlich seemed very enthusiastic and glad to be back in competition, having spent last year doing “bucket list stuff and making memories like crazy,” he says. “But this racing disease has no cure—the time has come to jump back into the Problem Child saddle and see how the old girl wants to dance. I couldn’t be more excited to see the team and go for some big noise—I’m in with bells on!”

For his part, Knox seemed delighted by the reunion. “We may have lost in Phoenix,” he says, “but we ran one engine all weekend and didn’t kick any rods out—and no fires, even. Crazy!”

Ehrlich (left) with Eddie Knox.

Kenny Mungle Buys Stihl Skater

Following the devastating news that world and national champion offshore powerboat racer Robert “J.R.” Noble died after suffering a heart attack, his 2010 Stihl 388 Skater has been purchased

by Gone Again owner Kenny Mungle.

“We are extremely excited about the 388,” Mungle said. “The type of events we will be able to participate in will not be limited to shootouts as we were in the 32.”

Along with teammate Lee Lockwood, Mungle had been waiting on the completion of the 368 Skater, being purchased from Ron Szolak, earlier in the 22

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year. However, after unfavorable sea trial results, the decision was made to not move forward with that boat. The team then focused their efforts on finding an alternate boat.

“We were driving through the Florida panhandle, heading back home to Texas, when I mentioned the Stihl boat…jokingly,” said Lee Lockwood, “The next thing I know, we’ve made a U-turn on Interstate 10 and are heading back east to go check it out.”

Soon thereafter, discussions between Noble and Mungle began and a sea trial date was scheduled. Members of Team Gone Again met with throttleman Grant Bruggerman and ran the boat on East Lake (Tohopekaliga) near Orlando, FL. “Wow, just wow,” proclaimed Mungle.

“The boat performs amazing.”

The 388 is currently powered by a pair of 750-hp Scorpion Racing engines (Super

Cat Spec) giving it a top speed in the 140s.

Mungle acknowledges that the current power won’t push the boat to the shootout speeds they hope to achieve. “All in due time, we may participate in some actual offshore races for a few seasons, then put some big power in her and lay down some big numbers,” Mungle said.

“No matter what, we are still going to be running the 32' at all shootout events,” adds Lockwood, “and the 388 will be there with us as well for fans to see.”

“Just like the 32' Gone Again boat, the Stihl 388 has such a great history and a huge following. With the recent passing of J.R., owning this boat brings on an even greater level of honor. We will carry on the legacy that J.R., Grant, and his team started with this boat,” said Mungle. “I’m a very lucky man, with a very understanding wife. We have a top notch group of people that make up Team Gone Again, this is just the beginning of what we hope is a lot more to come.” speedboat.com

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Cigarette Rendevous Set for June 17-19 event turned out great—Skip and Bud were super excited about it, because there were a lot of old Top Guns they hadn’t seen since they were built. And

they’re excited about seeing all of the performance boats this year, because very often they attend events with a lot of center console models.”

This year’s Cigarette Owners Rendezvous will be held June 17-19, once again hosted by Performance Boat Center and Red Head Yacht Club at Lake of the Ozarks.

Mark Waddington of PBC told Speedboat that last year’s event—which attracted more than 55 boats—was praised by Cigarette owner Skip Braver, who plans to attend this year as well. Waddington said he expected as many as 70 boats to attend this year’s event.

The Cigarette Owners Rendezvous will kick off on Friday with a meet and greet, followed by a fun run on Saturday with a party that night. For participants who wish to stay through Sunday, a tie-up on the lake is planned.

Performance Boat Center, a Cigarette dealer, sold five Cigarettes this year. “So we’ll have new customers who will want to meet Skip and his service expert, Bud Lorow,” Waddington said. “Last year’s speedboat.com

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C

igarette has been building its 50' Marauder poker-run model for about 10

of the month

years, and this issue’s Speedboat of the Month is a particularly impressive example. The boat was ordered by Brett Manire of Cigarette dealer Performance Boat Center of Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks; at press time, it was about to be delivered to the shop with only two hours on the engine, and is expected to spend virtually no time at all in the showroom before someone snatches it up.

Over the past decade, the Marauder has undergone various changes, including step placement and interior design, but it remains a massive 51'7" boat that’s massively luxurious—the perfect purchase for a wealthy poker-run aficionado. Not surprisingly, a great deal of the Marauders are shipped overseas.

“That’s why we built one—to see if we could keep one here in the states running the poker run circuit and really drawing some attention,” Manire says.

Earlier versions of the Marauder have had various triple-

Story by Brett

24

engine configurations, triple 700s and 1075s. But the release of Mercury Racing’s new 1350 package renders the need for triples practically obsolete, as the new powerplants offer so much torque and horsepower. And with Mercury offering a new dual-fuel 1350/1550 package, Manire was eager to power a Marauder this way.

“There’s a key fob that lets you switch out a learner key underneath the dash and change from 93 octane to 112,” Manire explains. “Separate settings in the dash’s computer will boost it to 1550, giving you that extra 200 hp per engine.” The computers are mapped with dual-fuel calibration for both the 1350 and 1550 versions.

This 50' Marauder is fully loaded with all manner of creature comforts and attractive options. The boat boasts two large coolers on the starboard side; down below, there’s a full galley with electrical and stereo components, and two large couches with storage behind them. Then there’s a very large vee berth.

(The tip of the boat, which lies behind a zippered barrier, hasn’t been finished in order to make the center of gravity on the

Bayne

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boat optimal—it’s an ideal place to store extra fenders, ropes, anchors or floating devices).

Entryway from the cockpit to the cuddy cabin is through a cool motorized door (see photo, above right) with an integrated staircase that aids in access to the deck. “It’s really trick,” Manire says of the door. “When you’re out boating at the helm, you can flick a switch to open the door so your passengers to go down there and get something. They also can slide it back closed when they’re done with it.”

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On the dash are two Garmin 8212 units hooked up to a Fusion stereo. These units can run the stereo and navigation alike. “I’ve got the engine link system through it so you have gauges through those Garmins,” Manire says. “Then you also have a Mercury SmartCraft 4 up between the tachometers to run all your pressures and temperatures and whatnot for a quick heads-up.” Also on the dash are Livorsi gauges bearing the Cigarette logos. As a matter of fact, the Cigarette logo has been incorporated into virtually every facet of the

S P E E D B O A T | May 2016

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Speedboat of the Month

The Marauder features a huge padded sunlounge on top of the engine hatch. Below: The boat’s roomy cuddy cabin and vee berth.

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Marauder; it’s hard to be anywhere on the boat and not see it. “They’re probably in that boat about a hundred times—and I’m not joking,” Manire grins. “The logos are everywhere: on all the gauges, the carpet, the flooring, the step pads. Cigarette really does a great job with their branding and marketing.”

The Cigarette sports 380 K-Planes, along with Livorsi’s LED digital indicators, which make it a breeze at speed to see at a glance where your tabs and indicators are. “For a driver going 120 mph, it’s great to know exactly where all your hardware is and how the boat is set up,” Manire points out. “It makes it very, very, easy to run.”

When it came to ordering options for the Cigarette, Manire opted for an interior with Alcantara fabric, as well as a big JL Audio stereo system. “We also put the billet package in there, so it’s got all the billet foot rests, step plates and the billet sun platform,” he says. “We added underwater lights to the boat. We wanted to bring a lot of flair—this isn’t yesterday’s Cigarette.

It’s today’s Cigarette. The brand has been around since the ’60s, so we’re trying to stay ahead of the cutting edge.”

According to Manire, one of the Marauder’s coolest selling points to set it apart from other boats is that it’s dealership owned, in stock and ready to go. “It’s not a preowned boat. It’s not a customer’s boat. This boat is in stock right now and ready for immediate delivery,” he says.

“Nobody has actually ever stocked the 50’ Marauder before. This is the first, and it’s ready for immediate delivery.”

Top speed of the Marauder is expected to be 125-130 in 1350 mode, and 135+ when it switches over to 1550 mode. speedboat.com

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Story by Stu Jones Photos by Jerry Wyszatycki

Islamorada DREAMIN’

Stu S tu JJones ones off th the he F Florida lorid da Powerboat Club gives us a first-hand account of his latest poker run.

Top: Grove Harbor Marina in downtown Miami. Above: Curtis Watkins in Disruptor, his 40' Skater.

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Bobby and Tanya Murray in Marine Xtreme, a 36' Nor-Tech.

Fly Boy, Paul Iser’s turbine-powered 50' Mystic.

O

ur annual trek to Islamorada kicked off following the Miami boat Show. This was the 21st year

for the event—that’s a lot of history behind us—and I was delighted to observe how far we’ve come. The event has become something of a well-oiled machine— things rarely get any easier over the passage of time, but I have to admit that most everything just fell in the place quite nicely this year.

The weather was fantastic compared to last year’s run. In 2015, we actually had several cold, windy days—a lot of the attendees from up north didn’t seem to mind, because it was still warmer than where they were from—but it was still a drag to have those record lows and record winds. Fortunately, the weather this year was a vast improvement, with typically warm Florida temperatures and a terrific venue.

[Story continues on page 62] speedboat.com

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Islamorada Dreamin’

Rick and Ellen Raab in their 38' Fountain, So Well Worth It.

Above: An aerial view of Postcard Inn, FPC’s destination resort in Islamorada.

The slightly smaller number of boats registered for this event worked to the group’s advantage, owing to limited dock space. Although the Tiki Bar was closed, the facility made sure that there were plenty of alternative bars serving refreshments to thirsty boaters.

Buddy Thomas of Massachusetts in his 46' Outerlimits, All Set.

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K6Autos.com, a 2003 36' Cigarette, is owned by Kevin Catron.

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Islamorada Dreamin’

Two views of Michael Ciasulli’s 388 Skater, powered by twin Mercury Racing 1350s.

Greg Harris in Fast at Last, his 37' Active Thunder.

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Boats tie up for a lunch stop at Gilbert’s in Key Largo.

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Islamorada Dreamin’

Above: Temporary Insanity, Skip and Maggie Barrett’s 32' Skater.

Below: Shooting Star, Danielle Bloom’s 40’ MTI.

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speedboat.com

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4/5/16 10:09 PM

L.A.

Boat Show

While more go-fast boatbuilders snub the Los Angeles Boat Show, changes are afoot for next year’s exhibition.

Photos by Kenny

Dunlop and Mark McLaughlin

T

he 2016 edition of the Los Angeles Boat Show continued its descent into mediocrity as all but the most stalwart of high-performance companies

decided to give the show a miss this year—gone were longtime exhibitors Nordic, Eliminator, Advantage, Howard, Essex, Pfaff Engines, Cobra, Ultra and others. What was left can be seen in the pages ahead.

Yet this year’s show may signal a turning point—for better or for worse—as producer NMMA subsequently transfered ownership to Duncan Macintosh.

(Likewise, NMMA will not produce the San Francisco Boat Show in 2017.)

Despite the shrinking ranks of muscleboat builders, the L.A. Show reported an 11-percent increase in attendance.

The Speedboat team—incuding publisher Ray Lee, photographer Mark McLaughlin and photographer Kenny Dunlop—were on hand selling subscriptions and signing autographs.

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CALIBER 1

Above: The 2450 Phantom open-bow walk through model. Left: The 265 Silver Bullet deck boat. It features a fully capped hull—normally a $15,000 upgrade—at no extra charge.

DCB The company’s luxurious M35 open-bow version can be seen above right and inset, while the closed-deck version of the M35 is on the tilt trailer (background). Above left: An M29 powered by twin Mercury Racing 565s.

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LA Boat Show

HALLETT Above: The 285 Party Cruiser 2.0, powered by a Mercury Racing 520 DTS. Left: A 290-T 2.0 midcabin open bow with twin Verado 300 outboards.

INTERCEPTOR The Corona, CA-based builder brought two different versions of its 28' Koolkat; the model with the purple was tested by Speedboat.

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LA Boat Show

SHOCKWAVE Left to right: the company displayed its 21' Skier, 25' Tremor walkthrough, and 28' Deckboat. Right: Shockwave’s midcabin 26' Cat. The company has upgraded its upholstery to Alcantara, with matte-finished gauges and bezels.

TEAGUE Sales associate Eric McCarthy greets visitors to the engine and accessory giant’s booth.

BOAT BLING Zack Bale and Patrick Jones show off their line of detailing products, including Hot Sauce, Vinyl Sauce, Condition Sauce and Quickie Sauce. The comapny is celebrating its 10th year in business.

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AQUA LILY PAD The Ohio-based maker of durable and comfortable foam floating pads displayed its full line of products—all of which had sold out by the end of the weekend.

AO COOLERS Brian Hatch and his team really hustled to sell a ton of their high-quality softsided coolers, which are guaranteed to never leak or sweat.

The coolers will hold ice for 24 hours in 120-degree heat.

WOZENCRAFT Based in Tustin, CA, Wozencraft Insurance offers protection to owners of all watercraft, recreational vehicles, home, auto and businesses. The firm specializes in high-quality customer service, as proven by Tanah Kinsey, seen here manning the booth and offering attractive quotes to showgoers.

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LA Boat Show

CP PERFORMANCE A full range of marine hardware and accessories could be found at the CP booth, including Mayfair LED trim indicators, Berkeley Jet Drive rebuild kits and Hardin Marine’s new Seaward Exhaust Manifold.

LIVORSI MARINE Below: Livorsi displayed its custom gauges, bezels, steering wheels and trim tab systems, among numerous other products.

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Photography by Chris

Kaufman

BIG Trouble Lucas Oil Racing got dramatic in Phoenix with a spectacular crash involving Cole Thurston’s TAF.

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T

he first official race of the 2016 Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series

took competitors to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix, AZ, where the race course action didn’t exactly go off without a hitch. The weekend featured two crashes: the Top Fuel Hydro Speed Sports Special, owned by Lou and Marianne Osman of St. Louis, blew over shortly after leaving the starting line, resulting in bumps and bruises to driver Jarrett Silvey.

Photographer Chris Kaufman captured the amazing shot featured on these pages of Cole Thurston’s multiple corkscrew and barrel-roll accident in his Top Alcohol Flat, owned by Dave Ferguson. Drivers Tony Constantino and Tony Scarlata reportedly ran into problems driving this Mako hull at Camp Far West several years ago, after which it was taken out of competition. This year, Ferguson gave the keys to Thurston to see what kind of luck he had with the boat, which lived up to its name—Big Trouble. Fortunately, Thurston escaped serious injuries.

Look for full coverage of Lucas Oil drag-boat racing in next month’s issue of Speedboat.

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FACTORY TOUR Story by Brett

Bayne Photography by Todd Taylor

Left: A view outside the plant. Above: Mike Maasen is interviewed by Speedboat publisher Chris Davidson.

Heavy Lifters The S Th Speedboat db crew tours the h Poly P l Lift Lif factory f in i Missouri.

Mi

D

uring our most recent trip to the Lake of the Speedboat Ozarks, team members Chris Davidson and Ray Lee

paid a visit to local manufacturer Poly Lift. The company’s internationally famous boat lift turns your dock into a safe-haven, protecting boats from the elements and preventing them from moving around in the slip. A Poly Lift eliminates the need for bottom painting, helping boaters defray maintenance costs and spending more time on the water. Think of it an in-water dry-storage system.

Now in its 41st year of business, Poly Lift is owned and run by brothers Mark and Mike Maasen, having been launched by their dad, Dennis, in 1975. “He was an engineer and a country boy who moved to the lake and was running a gas dock and marina 46

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here,” Mark explains. “A guy up the road needed some help doing some boat lift stuff, and that’s how he got started.”

Eventually, Dennis became a master in boat lifts.

Eventually, Dennis became a master in boat lifts, and began building a product that gained excellent word-ofmouth, based on its reputation for high quality and stellar workmanship.

“We don’t take any shortcuts or cut any corners to save a couple of bucks,” Mark says. And the proof is in the pudding: Poly Lift is the #1 boat lift at Lake of the Ozarks. There may be companies that sell more—and sell cheaper—but you won’t find one that offers the superior quality of the Poly Lift.

Though popular in the U.S., the company has shipped its lifts all around the world, including such far-flung places as Norway, New Guinea, Africa, Mexico and Canada. “We just got a lead the other day

from someone who owns two Fountains in Beirut, Lebanon, and who is interested in some lifts,” Mark says.

Touring the Poly Lift factory, we were able to observe numerous lifts in various phases of construction. Brothers Mark and Mike work extremely well together: If the company has a face, it’s Mark, who deals with service, assembly, installation, sales staff and the end customer. Meanwhile, Mike handles the back end of the business, taking care of matters related to the office and paperwork. Each brother owns a performance boat—Mark has a 2007 38’ Cigarette, while Mike operates a 2004 42’ Cigarette.

For years, their target market was the performance boat industry, but when that market segment took an economic hit, Poly Lift began to focus more on pontoons, cruisers and other craft. But as the performance boat market continues to rebound, Poly Lift’s fast-boat speedboat.com

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Poly Lift’s control units can be housed in these optional, more attractive covers.

Poly Lift repairs and services competitor’s units. Here, employees prepare to refurbish such a unit.

Above left: This lift will actually hold two PWC when completed.

Below: Galvanized steel is used in the Poly Lift tanks. The machines at the rear are used to load the lifts.

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Poly Lift Factory Tour

Top left: This fusion machine helps assemble the Poly Lift tanks.

Top right: The Poly Lift control unit with the standard housing cover.

Left: Plant manager Ron Milward is seen rolling tank brackets to make them conform to the curvature of the tank cylnder.

Bottom left: Poly Lift employee Shaun Noble welds tank brackets.

Bottom right: Poly Lift has cut these pieces of steel to be turned into brackets.

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Poly Lift Factory Tour business has been substantially brisker.

The company’s retail-direct business accounts for about 60 percent of sales, while Poly Lift also works with various dealers and distributors as well.

So what distinguishes Poly Lift from other lifts? For one thing, there’s the reliability aspect. “When you put your boat on a Poly Lift, you’re done. It’s not a disposable boat lift,” Mark says. “There

Poly Lifts in action. Above and below: Offshore race competitors get a lift to protect the hulls from the elements.

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are a lot of things out there that are less expensive and not built as heavy. And in some areas where it’s nice and calm, they may decide not to get something as durable. But over time, because of thinner, weaker materials, other lifts can start to lean or deteriorate. They have stability issues and can begin to fall apart. That’s one of the reasons people choose Poly Lift over other lifts—we are

a one-time purchase, vesus having to install something over and over again.”

This has become the company’s niche—by now, most people are aware that Poly Lifts are not the cheapest—but that they’re the best. “When we say were going to do something, by God, we do our damnedest to make sure it happens.”

Poly Lift offers lifts for boats ranging from personal watercraft up to large cruisers and performance craft. During our visit to the factory, we learned that Poly Lift was preparing to fabricate a lift for a local customer who owns a 510 Sea Ray. “It will be the very first 56,000pound swing arm lift,” Mark says. “The only one ever made. It’s at monster.”

As for the future, Mark says his goal is to break through to the Lake Havasu market. “I’ve talked to the McCullochs, who own that big marina there,” he says. “I’m working really hard trying to get in there. I’m going to see what I can get done there. We’d really like to get more of our lifts set up in the warmer Southern states, simply because we have more than we can do during the summer months. I’d like to extend our season where a lot of people go south with their boats and do things in the October, November, December months.

It would keep our guys busier.”

One of the most logical areas for Poly Lift’s success are homes on the coasts, where salt water is always a threat to a boat’s hull. “With a Poly Lift, you don’t have to clean the boats so often and scrape the algae off them,” Mark says. “That makes the performance better. Fiberglass is still a porous substance, so they still absorb water over time, which slows them down.

With a Poly Lift, you don’t have to worry about the staining, because a lot of these in certain waters will stain over time and you can’t get the yellowish/greenish color to come out of them.”

Poly Lifts also play a great role when it comes to winterizing your boat. “If you’re in an area that freezes in the winter—like here in Missouri—your drives are out of the water. The boat is perfectly winterized just sitting there on the lift.” speedboat.com

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4/5/16 9:13 PM

New Products BRETT BAYNE Chevy Marine EFI Distributor Performance Distributors of Memphis, TN, is now building a new—not rebuilt—small diameter EFI compatible distributor.

The distributor comes with oil impregnated bushings to ensure longevity and shaft rotation accuracy. The housing is polished and drilled with flame arrestor holes. Each unit is hand-checked with a feeler gauge in order to set the correct amount of end-play between the distributor gear and the housing. This procedure prevents the distributor from binding up and it also leads to a more precise magnetic pick-up signal.

A brass terminal cap and rotor are utilized for maximum conductivity. The brass terminals will

also resist corrosion longer than stock aluminum terminals. Caps are available in bright blue or black. The cap and rotor has excellent dielectric strength and resists carbon tracking.

The high output Dyna-Module is located inside the distributor. The Dyna-Mod has more electronic dwell calibrated into it, allowing your ignition coil to saturate longer, which in turns provides a more intense spark. It installs in minutes and plugs into your stock wiring harness, and requires a remote mounted coil.

For more information, call Performance Distributors by calling (901) 396-5782 or visit PerformanceDistributors.com.

Whipple Offers Big Block Port Injection Manifold As it continues to strive for excellence and technological advancements, Whipple Superchargers of Fresno, CA, has developed a new port-injected integrated intercooler universal GM based big block intake manifold that is offered intercooled and non-intercooled. Whether you’re running one of Whipple’s superchargers, a roots based supercharger or you’re building a unique supercharged application, this manifold will work.

Cast from A356-T6, these unique manifolds are offered in both standard deck (9.8") and tall deck (10.2") versions.

Featuring a unique three-piece design, the Whipple port-injection manifold features a low profile bottom that can incorporate 1 injector per cylinder or 2 injectors per cylinder giving you the ability to make whatever power your engine can produce. The upper adapter is made with a wide opening, 671 based bolt pattern meaning it can fit nearly any application.

For 671-1471 applications, a simple 1/2" plate necks down the opening to the standard 671 opening of 4" wide.

Whipple designed this modular based package with multiple intercooler

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options. The Stage 1 coated aluminum core that measures 3.25" thick and over 7.85" wide for maximum cooling with its superior surface area works with auto and marine applications. The intercooler features dual 12AN fittings for simple in/ out plumbing. The manifold is equipped with extra sensor ports at the front water passage as well as extra boost and temperature ports for easy setup.

For even more power, Whipple offers the new Stage 2 Cupronickel intercooler core that is 5" thick and 7.85" wide for maximum cooling at all boost levels.

With the added volume, the core features a total of four water passages. Dual inlets and dual outlets help pass enough water to maintain near ambient temps.

Whipple brought the nearly indestructible Cupronickel cores to the marine in 2000 and continue to utilize its incredible cooling properties while never corroding in even the harshest water conditions.

Each manifold is available in nearly any color possible.

For more information, call Whipple at (559) 442-1261 or visit whipplesuper chargers.com.

speedboat.com

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The Ultimate Boat Detailer tant, ideal for vinyl, leather and carpet— and it’s biodegradable. Condition Sauce is a professional-grade UV protectant that prevents fading and cracking of vinyl and leather surfaces (also great for tires), and Quickie Sauce is a quick-

spray wax for light duty waxing that lasts up to eight weeks. The “sauces” are available in quart and gallon sizes; T-shirts are also available. For prices and specials, call (800) 846-4899 or visit boatbling.net.

Do you hate water spots on your boat’s surface? Ready to eradicate them and restore your rig’s original luster? Thanks to Boat Bling, the Phoenix-based manufacturer established in 2004 by true boat fanatics, it’s never been easier. These guys are eager to help you keep your interior clean and looking great. You may have seen their cool detailing products on display at one of the recent boat shows. Their premium products include Hot Sauce, billed as the ultimate hard waterspot remover, a softwater based product with polymer waxes that will not strip your wax coat. Then there’s Vinyl Sauce, an interior cleaner that 95 percent cleaner and 5 percent protec-

Boat Bling’s popular Hot Sauce is now celebrating its 10th year of production.

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4/5/16 8:49 PM

by Ben

Strader

SPRING

CLEANING Here’s how to ensure that your fuel-delivery system is properly prepared for the summer season.

A

h . . . springtime in Lake summer. While you do this, one area of lighter hydrocarbons have evaporated Havasu! Those of us who particular concern should be your fuel out, leaving a poorly combustible mix-

are lucky enough to live here know that the fabulous weather will soon give way to the sweltering heat of summer— and of speedboat season. As you labor over the calendar planning out your trips for the all-too-short weekends this summer, you’re probably thinking about your strategy for when to get in line at the various detail and service shops in town and ensure your floating paradise is sparkling clean and in tip-top shape to run all 54

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delivery system.

Since your boat has likely been languishing away all winter in the storage enclosure, there is a good chance things have deteriorated a bit and you may not like the outcome if you just throw caution to the wind and carelessly hit the water.

A number of things can go wrong right off the bat.

First, the fuel in the tank and lines has likely lost a lot of its potency as the

ture that isn’t too far off from the kind of varnish used in days of old by furniture makers. This tends to clog up fuel filters, pumps and regulators and also can coat the inside of your fuel injectors and carburetors. It’s a good idea to go ahead and drain those tanks and replace that nasty junk with a fresh batch of your local liquid dinosaur juice. That alone will often solve 50% of boaters’ problems at the beginning of the season.

Second, (and this is especially true of speedboat.com

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those running pump gas): the ethanol in the fuel has likely absorbed a fair amount of moisture. This is due to the fact that nearly all commercially available pump gasoline now carries a disclaimer that it “may” contain up to 10% Ethanol. Well, if you had to guess…how much of the maximum allowable ethanol would the gasoline you buy at the pumps actually contain? I’ll tell you… we spend a lot of time on the engine dyno testing all kinds of various concepts, parts, and ideas and one of the hundreds of parameters we keep a close eye on is the actual percentage of ethanol a given fuel contains. We measure each fuel as it is being consumed by the engine for pressure, flow rate, temperature, and Ethanol content and (at least here in Havasu) we most often find the stuff at the pumps is between 7-9% ethanol, just under the legal limit. That makes sense, if you consider that it’s much cheaper to manufacture ethanol than gasoline, so if the government is going to allow me to dilute the more expensive mixture with a less expensive one…well, you know.

Why does this matter to you? Because Ethanol, by nature is what we call Hygroscopic. That means it loves to absorb water! This is an obvious detriment to performance, but a more sinister side-effect is that when this moisture sits in your fuel system all winter long, it tends to corrode and rust the internal components of your pumps, regulators and fuel injectors! If this happens even a little bit, it will severely affect the performance of your boat, often leading to catastrophic engine damage!

That isn’t to suggest that Ethanol itself is a bad thing—in fact, a lot of savvy horsepower enthusiasts have switched over to E85 or similar Ethanol-based fuels for its ability to make more power and prevent knock. In fact, we often run Ignite E85 in our turbocharged

Pump gas typically contains between 7-9% ethanol but may be as high as 10%.

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Spring Cleaning test engines here at EFI University, and always find it to be worth some extra power over gasoline. The important part to understand, though, is that the mere presence of Ethanol in the fuel requires a change to the engine calibration to optimize the fuel and spark delivery in order to extract all its potential and keep the engine safe. The issue is twofold here, though. Number one, we don’t always know just how much has been added to the gas we get at the pump, and number two, if you have a typical powerboat engine supplied by the manufacturers, you likely don’t have the ability to make the required changes anyway.

So the important take-away here is to ensure you don’t allow water to accumulate in your fuel (whatever type it may be), so that you can prevent engine dam-

An electronic fuel injector is a magnetic solenoid operated valve.

Inspecting an injector hole under a microscope. age from occurring by accidentally supplying an incorrect amount of fuel.

Let’s take a look at why that is. A typical electronic fuel injector is a solenoid operated valve. That means that when electrical current is applied to the solenoid the valve is lifted off its seat, allowing fuel to pass by the opening and into the engine.

These valves are very precisely manufactured and must be controlled just as precisely. As the engine’s demand for fuel changes, the computer changes the signal to the injector by sometimes as little as 1/100,000th of a second and can then accurately meter the correct fuel charge to suit the conditions at hand. (At least that’s how it supposed to happen!)

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A 100-micron filter before the pump and 10 micron after are recommended.

One issue with this though, is that the tiny holes under the injector valve that allow fuel to pass through are mindnumbingly small. We recently used a Scanning Electron Microscope to measure the diameter of the holes in a particular injector and it was about 146 microns, or just under .004”! That means it wouldn’t take very much sludge or debris to really alter the flow characteristics a lot!

So, we need to pay very close attention

to the cleanliness of our filters, pumps, and injectors before we slam those throttles forward for the first run down river.

In fact, it’s not a bad idea to go ahead and change them out now, just for some cheap insurance.

While we are on the subject of filters, we spoke to Tony Palo, of Injector Dynamics, a leading aftermarket injector supplier, and he recommended using a minimum of a 100 micron filter before your fuel pump, and a 10 micron filter speedboat.com

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Spring Cleaning Injectors have a small filter that should be replaced regularly.

Ultrasonic cleaners can dramatically improve an injector’s performance.

When an injector doesn’t flow what it should, bad things can happen! after the pump. This is in addition to the filters at the inlet of the injector being checked, cleaned or replaced. Tony says that it only typically takes a piece of debris about .030” in diameter to clog an injector so needless to say, there really isn’t any room for error here.

Which brings us back to that pesky water logged ethanol that’s been sitting in our boat all winter! The minute

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particles of rust and corrosion that are quietly forming inside your fuel system can dislodge and find themselves smack dab in the middle of your fuel system at just the wrong time, and the next thing you know the engine has one or more cylinders running too lean and KaBoom! Time for a trip to the local marine engine shop for some repairs or maybe even an entire engine overhaul!

Not good.

So, what can be done to combat this silent killer? Quite a lot, actually…and for not much money.

After you’ve replaced that smelly old fuel and cleaned or replaced the filters a terrific way to get some peace of mind is to have your injectors removed from the supply rail and run on a test bench, much the same way an engine is tested

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An injector test bench is like a dyno for fuel injectors. on a dyno. Many shops have these test benches, but be sure and a few questions before handing over your dollars for a test. Mainly, will the injectors be tested statically or dynamically?

The main difference is that because of the way the solenoid valve operates, the flow behavior of an injector can be dramatically different when it is held wide open than it will be when being pulsed on and off at high frequency.

The distance the valve needs to travel off the seat to reach maximum opening takes time. This time value is what we call the injector “offset” and will vary based on the design of the injector, the battery voltage available, and your fuel pressure.

As you might imagine, the more battery voltage your system has, the faster we can open the injector, but since the fuel pressure is acting directly on the back of the valve the offset period actually grows larger as pressure is increased. This partially explains why we don’t always get as much extra fuel as we expect when we raise the fuel pressure on our system. Even though the potential for more flow is greater with higher pressures, the increase in injector offset may be enough to com-

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Spring Cleaning pletely negate the difference.

During this time of transition for the injector the actual flow rate will be much lower than it is once the valve is wide open. And since the engine RPM varies quite a lot during operation from idle to WOT the time required to open the injector on each cycle will also vary. If the offset period for an injector is a known

Ultrasonic cleaners can dramatically improve an injector’s performance. value (and it typically is) then once the computer calculates the required time to pulse the injector, it simply adds in the time to compensate for the offset and the engine receives the correct amount of fuel. When the injector has debris inside of it, or it has been coated with a varnish like shellac over the winter, there is no way for the engine computer

Before flow testing restored a 4% flow error in a dirty injector.

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After flow testing restored a 4% flow error in a dirty injector.

to know this and it will assume all is the same since the last time it was run, and that’s where all of our trouble begins.

By testing the injector dynamically, we can compare them to each other and determine if they are all behaving the same way and isolate any problems with a low flowing injector. Once an injector has been suspected we have two basic choices: repair or replace.

Many shops who have the ability to test injectors also have the ability to clean and repair them too. Typically a service would include flow testing, removing the pre-filter inside the injector, ultrasonically cleaning the valves to remove debris and sludge, replacing the pre-filter and re-testing the flow rate when done. Then the customer receives a complete progress report on all the injectors’ performance relative to each other and they can be re-installed in the engine for a much higher chance of trouble free operation all summer. That way you can worry about avoiding sunburns and hangovers, instead of where to find the cash for a new set of pistons for the boat engine!

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Islamorada Dreamin’ [Continued from page 36] We had a slightly smaller registration this year, but that actually worked to our advantage, because our destination venue—the Postcard Inn at Islamorada—can manage only about 50 boats comfortably. We’ve been stuffing upwards of 80 boats into that venue over the last several years, so the hassle factor was dramatically reduced. We got additional relief from Snake Creek Marina about a mile down the road, which offered space to a few of our people as well. We always have to get a little creative with our docking at Postcard Inn, but we were able to accommodate close to 60 boats at the marina—that’s still pretty strong, even if it’s a bit lighter than we’ve had in the past. Performance Boat Center from the Lake of the Ozarks had a beautiful 46' Skater on a tilt trailer at the Postcard Inn, while an amazing fleet of center consoles from Deep Impact and Black Water dealer BoatsDirectUSA made a gorgeous addition to the land-based displays that really dressed up the venue.

Among the participants this year were the brand-new Cigarette AMG 39 GTS, as well as a 42' Cigarette with 1350s, both of which were on display at the Miami Boat Show. Another spectac-

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ular craft that joined in on the fun was the Mystic turbine-powered Fly Boy—I haven’t seen that boat for about three years; it seemed to come out of nowhere to join us. That was pretty cool.

We also had a good turnout from Nor-Tech and Outerlimits, as well as a healthy fleet of Fountains. Reggie built so many boats in the company’s heyday—you’ll always find Fountains at every poker run, no matter where you go. And they’re great boats, easy to manage, and you get a lot of speed out of them for the power. They’re easy to trailer because none of them have wide beams, and they’re great poker run boats, with an excellent power-toweight ratio. It’s as simple as that.

On Friday night, we had our dinner party on the beach, and we all enjoyed the beautiful views of the ocean and the nice cozy little marina. We had a raw bar and several really good local live bands provided a great atmosphere during both nights. You could go boating by day and enjoy the land-based entertainment by night. It really was the perfect package!

I rode on a couple of different boats, including the new 39' Midnight Express on Friday (sponsored by com-

pany president Eric Glaser) and David Pease’s 39' Deep Impact center-console BoatsDirectUSA on Saturday. What an amazing turnout we had from the center console boats! These performance/luxury models continue to improve. I rode on the Deep Impact all the way to Marathon and back on Saturday, and was incredibly impressed by way the boat performed, as well as the luxury and styling of the boat.

There’s nowhere you cannot go in these boats, and if you want to bring 15 people with you, it’s no problem. The center-console manufacturers never cease to amaze me; every new model seems better than the one before, with improvements made on every new boat they build.

Although the weather was a bit cooler on Saturday, we did manage to have a “fun run,” and I was relieved that it didn’t rain.

We took the boats down to marathon for lunch stop at a little place called the Island Fish Co. It’s a great stopover and a great change of scenery, so everybody thoroughly enjoyed it.

The only slight debit this year was that the Postcard Inn’s Tiki bar was under renovation and therefore closed for the duration of our stay. In fact, the entire bar had been completely torn down! We never imagined that we’d doing the event without the Tiki bar present—it’s a world famous landmark. Fortunately, though, it didn’t seem to faze anybody, because the venue had set up bars all around the property.

For whatever reason, MTI decided to do their own event on the same weekend as our poker run. I was disappointed about the conflict, as were several of the MTI owners. Nonetheless, we still had nine registered MTIs at our event—I guess they figured out that the Florida Powerboat Club knows how to have fun! Derek Wachob had his 52 MTI Black Diamond, and Troy Paul had his 52 MTI Pressure Makes Diamonds.

But the MTI that grabbed our Best Poker Run Boat award belonged to Brett and Sheila Baur, who put on an incredible dock show in their 44’ MTI Panty Dropper. They cranked up the stereo and the underwater lights, and danced on that boat until 11 p.m. on Friday night. It’s a poker run boat by day, but at night it transforms into a perfect party platform.

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Brett’s STUNNING STEVENS REBUILD

ALSO: • Kemo-Sabe Biesemeyer • NJBA Season Opener 60491_Speedboat_May_063.indd 63

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RESTORATION Even

STEVENS Th ffather-and-son The th d tteam off Ron and Ryan Minegar bring a classic Stevens back to its original glory.

Ryan Minegar with the completed Stevens.

Story by Brett

Bayne

Here’s how the Stevens looked before the Minegars purchased it.

A

s boat restorations go, the which worked on innumerable boats over the years.

Stevens depicted in this In the 1960s, Don bought hulls from the likes of Mac article is one of the luckier Stevens, Harold Kinsvater, Skip Volk of Aqua-Craft and ones—thanks to the tender loving care of several generations of the Minegar

family.

At the center of this story is Ron Minegar, whose grandfather built wooden boats in the 1940s. Ron’s father Don Minegar, owned a well-known marine installation boat shop in the California Bay Area, 64

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Rudy Ramos of Rayson Craft.

Three of Don’s sons—Ron, Pat and Mike—eagerly snatched the horsepower baton from their elders.

Pat’s beautifully restored Nordskog has been seen in the pages of Speedboat, while Ron still owns a fully restored Rayson Craft that Don built back in 1976.

When a family friend put his 1964 Stevens SK Skier speedboat.com

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The Stevens’ engine when the Minegars bought the boat.

Ryan vacuums fiberglass dust around the stringers and plugs holes.

Ron and Ryan begin to patch some of the holes and repair some of the flaws in the Stevens hull.

Holes and stress cracks in the cap are revealed after the Minegars start to sand the hull.

A very early stage of the engine’s rigging shows the bell housing.

The boat has come back from the paint shop with two coats of primer—three on the deck. speedboat.com

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Even Stevens

The fully primer-coated boat is ready to be rigged and painted.

The Hall-Craft V-drive with the front half of the case off as the V-drive is aligned to the prop shaft.

As Ron and Ryan start to build the seats, we see the base and the driveline tunnel roughed in with no uprights.

The seats continue to come together. The Minegars fabricated the whole structure from scratch.

The Stevens’ finished seats. A local shop was conscripted to do the upholstery.

More wood is added to the seating foundation.

The Minegars start to add resin to the wood.

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17 up for sale, Pat had the idea of purchasing it for his brother Ron’s son, Ryan, effectively indoctrinating a fourth generation of Minegar into the clan of devoted boaters. The boat had run in the Minegars’ circle for about a year before going into drydock and then being purchased by the Minegars. “Although the boat was in running condition, it did need a lot of work to make it serviceable,” Ron says. “But I planned to help Ryan a lot with it.”

When purchased, the hull had a small block 350 Chevy with a three-speed transmission. The original plan was to replace the transmission and make a few other changes.

In case you haven’t guessed…14 months later, the result was a complete restoration.

The transformation began in February 2015. The original rig-

Here’s a “before” shot of how some of the original parts looked before being spruced up. speedboat.com

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Above: The boat is back from the spray booth with its gorgeous new paint job, courtesy of uncle Mike Minegar’s Auto Body of Boise, ID.

A view of many of the boat’s parts, including foot pedal and driveline guard, after being prepped and hand-painted in house.

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Even Stevens The boat’s rigging continues: the painted V-drive and other parts are in place.

Above: The wires underneath the battery box frame connect to the bilge pump. Left: The completed engine is placed in the boat.

ging of the Stevens employed a unique rail system involving vulcanized rubber motor mounts for everything from the V-drive to the engine—a very non-marine style installation, to say the least.

Integrated with that was the three-speed transmission, which took up a significant part of the cockpit. “Frankly, it was just not needed,” Ron says. “So while we were taking that out, we decided to re-rig it because of all the awkward and clumsy railing. Well, 68

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once we started plugging all the stringer holes, we started plugging everything. We decided to re-rig everything.”

When all of the fiberglass inside was reconditioned and all of the holes plugged, the Stevens was headed for a flow coat. “Then upon closer examination of the hull, we noticed that there was some cracking along the cap. We had to grind out all the old capping and began the process of glassing it back.” speedboat.com

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Left: Uncle Pat Minegar stepped up to repower the boat with this 604 crate motor (375 hp) with hydraulic cam.

Below: This recast of the original Stevens emblem was provided by Stevens aficionado Spike Morelli.

The Minegars in the finished Stevens at the Gorge on the Colorado River. speedboat.com

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Even Stevens

Father and son toast the culmination of their yearlong restoration project.

Ryan’s wife Leanna poses with the boat, photographed at Lucky Peak Reservoir in Idaho.

BRIAN RULE

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fiberglassing, working around various career and family commitments. All told, beyond the initial investment of around $3,000, the total investment into the Stevens ended up approaching ten times that amount.

“It may appear that money was no object, but that could not be farther from the truth,” Ron says. “This was a budget build from the start because my wife Shari and I were determined that this remain a gift to Ryan from his Uncle Pat and us, so as not come with any strings attached.”

He adds: “This is generations of water recreation with the family,” he says. “My father used to always say, ‘The family that plays together, stays together.’ We played all the time in the 1960s-style boats. So passing this heritage to our son is part of a long line. It was fun to build this boat with him and I look forward to being out on the water with him.”

BRIAN RULE

As the project grew from transmission and interior re-rigging to a complete exterior repaint, uncle Pat volunteered to pay for the upholstery after Ron and Ryan fabricated all-new seat frames for the Stevens.

“Once Pat saw the level of commitment that we had made to the project and the result was going to be gorgeous, he became concerned about the engine that came with it,” Ron says. “So he commissioned to have the engine leaked down and tested. And it failed.”

Since it did not make financial sense to rebuild that engine, Uncle Pat made the decision to pick up the tab for a new powerplant, saying, “You can’t come this far to have the engine fail in the middle of the first summer you use it,” Ron says. The new 604 GMC crate motor with a hydraulic cam dynoed at 375 hp.

Together, Ron and Ryan performed endless hours sanding and

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Story by Brett

Bayne

KEMO-SABE Michael Temby sold his father’s Biesemeyer years ago. Then came an opportunity to reunite dad with his old boat...

T

he very first boat in Michael Temby’s dad always dreamed about getting a newer flatbottom,” Michael life was his father Pete’s Glen-L, a remembers. “There was a boat shop in San Jose called Fourth kit boat assembled in a buddy’s garage back in Street Speed & Marine, which had a Biesemeyer called Kemo-Sabe

the 1960s when he was growing up in San Jose. After work, friends and family members would go water skiing on Lexington Reservoir near the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Michael and his siblings learned to water ski behind the boat while staying at the local Orwood Resort.

Eventually, the Glen-L (powered by the old 401 Buick Nailhead engine) developed separating stringers and other problems. “My 72

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displayed in the showroom. My dad and I went down there one weekend and we were looking at that boat, which was a bare hull.

Dad ended up surprising me by buying the boat and we end up with this 1974 Biesemeyer ski deck. It became our family ski boat.”

By the late ’80s, Michael found himself in the glass business, and kept the Biesemeyer in his shop after his father moved away from the area. The little boy who had learned to ski behind his speedboat.com

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Left: The fully restored Kemo-Sabe. The boat’s ower, Michael Temby, performs barefoot ski exhibitions and does trick skiing, and met the owner of the Patriots fighter jet team at a skiing event.

Temby now travels with them as the team’s narrator.

E Left: Michael Temby (third from left) with dad Pete Temby (far right) with Kemo-Sabe, circa 1976.

Above: Temby today, holding one of the many trophies Kemo-Sabe has won at various show-andshine events.

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Kemo-Sabe

Left: Pete Temby is surprised on Father’s Day at Camp Far West by the restored Biesemeyer. Here he poses with Michael’s brother Billy. Above: A view inside the boat’s cockpit.

dad’s Glen-L was now a team skier for Sanger Boats. Married with kids, Michael had to reluctantly accept that Kemo-Sabe wasn’t the ideal boat to bring his newborn children in.

“The boat kind of got put on the back burner because I was having a brand-new boat built by Sanger every year,” Michael says. “The boat needed a restoration and I couldn’t afford to do it—we had four children and trying to make a living. Dad was never going to put the money in restoring the boat, and I couldn’t afford to restore it either. I wound up selling it to a guy in Bakersfield by the name of Joe Martin.”

It was an agonizing decision to sell Kemo-Sabe, so Michael asked Joe for a special favor. “This boat has so many memories with my dad and my brother and my sister—all of us skiing together,” he told Joe. “If you ever decide to sell the boat, please call and let me know it’s for sale. I’d like the opportunity to buy it back someday.”

The years passed. Joe kept in periodic touch with Michael, sending him photos of the hull as it went through an elaborate restoration process. By all accounts, the work he did was astonishing.

Fast-forward to 2015. About three months before Father’s Day, Michael—now a realtor living in Discovery Bay, CA—got the call.

Joe’s number was still stored in Michael’s phone. When he took the call, Michael answered, “Biesemeyer Joe! What’s going on?”

Joe laughed. “I can’t believe you knew it was me!”

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Sure enough, the Biesemeyer was officially for sale. Joe had recently restored a Sanger circle runner, and with various other boats around, no longer had space for Kemo-Sabe in his shop.

“Remember, I told you if I was ever to sell the boat that I would call you,” Joe said. “I’d like to sell you the boat back.”

Michael asked to see some recent photos of the boat. It was immaculate, clean and sano. There was just one problem: Could he possibly afford to buy the boat back? And even if he could, how was he going to talk his wife into letting him re-buy it? “There was no way my wife was going to let this happen,” Michael chuckles.

As Michael and Joe started to discuss possible deals, Joe offered no fewer than three different motor options, including a 454 single carb motor, a blower motor, and Kemo-Sabe’s original 4-bolt main 427 block with a tunnel ram and 2 ports that had been rebuilt (total 500 hp). They were all fresh and ready to go—and Joe would install whichever engine Michael wanted. “I’ll make a deal for you that you won’t be able to refuse,” he said.

“Then he proceeds to tell me how he entered the boat in five different V-Drive Regatta shows—and won Best in Show how in all of the deals he entered the boat in!” Michael recalls.

He pondered the offer for a while before taking the idea to his wife, Kellie. “When I sat with her, I realized that this was more about my dad,” Michael says. “He is now in his 80s. He’s getting a little frail, but we still go up to Camp Far West for Father’s Day weekend. It’s a guy’s trip. Our wives can’t wait until we get out of speedboat.com

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Above: a view of the bilge area and steering quadrant highlights some of the amazing detail work.

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town. We’re gone for a week, and every year I sit there and I watch all the guys and their flatbottoms and hydros, and reminisce about when we owned Kemo-Sabe.”

As Michael and his wife looked at the photos of the restored Biesemeyer together, they started to daydream about inviting Michael’s father up to Camp Far West—and putting him back into his old boat.

To let him experience his Biesemeyer again.

“My wife looked at me at our kitchen table—that’s where all the serious talks happen with our kids or between us—and said, ‘Michael, you can’t not buy the boat back.’ ” And that is how, several weeks later, Michael and his brother Billy brought their dad, Pete Temby, to Camp Far West on Father’s Day weekend…and reunited him with Kemo-Sabe.

“He was elated,” Michael says. “There were tears in his eyes. He couldn’t believe it—he was absolutely amazed.”

The boat is a bit more peppy than it was when the Tembys owned it, “but it still turns like it’s on rails,” Michael says. “And it’s a Biesemeyer—a turnkey, reliable, incredible boat.”

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Quick Eliminator For only the second time out with the new Bobsnipper 6-second rocket, Joe LaKamp (near lane) qualified #2.

He eliminated the field for his first win in the class, shown here with trophy queen, Michelle Childers.

Photography by Mark

McLaughlin

Season Opener NJBA Bakersfield’s Lake Ming sets the stage for a typically heart-pounding jetboat skirmish.

N

ational Jet Boat dunk in the lake.

The event was not without controverAlso getting wet after the race was Mike sy. In Unblown Fuel Jet, the final round Association competition got off to a bang Edmondson, who traveled from Clarksville, paired Zach Rauscher in his Saturday

at Lake Ming in Bakersfield, CA. The first race of the 2016 season crackled with suspense and unbridled competition as race teams around the country came to duke it out.

Stepping up to the Pro Eliminator class for 2016, Craig Lucas drove his appropriately named Little Blue flat, not only to the #1 qualifying spot, but took home the hardware also. For his first win in the 8-second class, Lucas took the traditional 76

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TN, for the race. Edmondson took out all the competitors in the 10-second class for his first win at Lake Ming—and became another victim of the dunk in the lake.

For only the second time out with his new Bobsnipper 6-second jet rocket, Joe LaKamp qualified #2. Meanwhile, Michael Torgerson, qualifying in the #6 position with his Big Red One, went down to defeat as Joe eliminated the field for his first win in the class.

Night Special against Kjell Adams in Fluid Motion. But because of infractions, the win went to the Rauscher team.

In Super Eliminator, David Poffenbarger drove his #519 bright yellow flatty and won the class, and took runner-up in Pro Eliminator as well. Meanwhile, in Top Eliminator, Russ Hanson drove his newly acquired Old School jet , previously owned

by Mike DeClark. Hanson took his first victory of the season in the class. speedboat.com

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Unblown Fuel Jet The class’s final round paired Zach Rauscher in the Saturday Night Special (near lane) against Kjell Adams in Fluid Motion. A controversial finish, because infractions gave the win to Rauscher.

Super Eliminator Super Eliminator winner David Poffenbarger drives his #519 flatty past Bryan Gilday in the beautifully painted blue hydro.

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NJBA Season Opener

Pro Unlimited Flat #1 qualifier Michael Torgerson takes out Gary Riggins’ High Strung white flatty.

Michael gets a hug from Michelle at the trophy presentation (above).

Pro Eliminator Stepping up to the PE class for 2016, Craig Lucas drives his Little Blue flat not only to the #1 qualifying spot, but took home the hardware also. For his first win in the 8-second class, Craig got the traditional dunk in the lake (left).

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9-Second Eric Beyer (near lane) schooled Top Eliminator first-timer Russ Hanson en route to Beyer’s first victory of the season in the 9-second class.

All the way from Rio Vista, TX, the team Short Fuse (owned and driven

by Travis Tutle) doing a little testing with the brand new Top Alcohol Hydro. Tutle tested very well, with only a blower pulley coming off here at half track.

10-Second Another long-distance traveler, Mike Edmondson (near lane) came from Clarksville, TN. His trek was well worth the West Coast swing. Edmondson took out all the competitors in the 10-second class for his first win at Lake Ming, and as such was another victim of the dunk in the lake. Rick Alvarado (far lane) went down in round one to the eventual winner.

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NJBA Season Opener

Pro Gas Hydro Josh Hayden in Chump Change (near lane) had the right color boat after St. Patrick’s Day, taking the win over Danny Day’s Black Boat.

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ON THE DYNO ALEXI SAHAGIAN [Continued from page 14]

I remember this project! Glad to hear it’s running well, at least. Now let’s look into this slippage or boost issue you are describing. It seems as though under heavy load you are have one motor with inconsistent boost or both. On a standard serpentine belt system like you have—assuming the motor internals are all in order—look into where the supercharger idler pulley and resting tensioner angle (position) is. If it is angled too close to the blower pulley the range of its actuation will be minimal and the belt will slip, likely causing belt dust and/or failure. I’m thinking on your setup this is what it is. If you move the lower idler to the left to tighten the belt position, you will see the tensioner line up just left of center and you will gain the range. I know it’s a bit weird that as you throttle and load the engines, the belt tensioner moves closer to the blower pulley, but that is their job. They are designed to keep tension of the belt system and need the proper travel in order to work. You can usually see a tensioner range hash mark on the idler Whipple uses to further guarantee you are correct. Once you look at it close, you will see it’s a simple fix. Also, make sure you align the belt on the proper grooves. At times, the kit’s lower pulleys have a couple of options on where to track the belt.

If it is deflected, it will also cause belt shredding and slippage issues. Try this out and let me know.

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