SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE
BOAT FLIPS GALORE!
OLD HICKORY
HABIT
FORMING Chad Collier’s 4400 Mystic is
Habitual SEPTEMBER 2017
SEPTEM BER 2017
2 Incredible
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Table of Contents SEPTEMBER 2017
COLUMNS 10 RAY LEE 12 INDUSTRY NEWS 60 NEW PRODUCTS
FEATURES
36 THE BOYNE IDENTITY It may be on the small side, but the city of Boyne City, MI, puts on a poker run that’s as big as all outdoors.
42 KEMIEL’S KRASHES Our ace racing photographer Paul Kemiel shares the scariest moments from his archive.
16 NASHVILLE, TNT
46 MUSCLE MANIA
Hundreds of boaters return to the state’s Cumberland River for a weekend of friends, fast fun and a charity auction.
Racers grieving after a tragedy in St. Clair, MI, pull together for a flawless race in Michigan City, IN.
26 HABITUAL MYSTIC
52 ORANGE CRUSH
Chad Collier’s customized C4400 Mystic was so cool that Mystic tossed the original specs.
Shayne Williams turns to Ultra Custom Boats to help ramp up the beauty of his Eliminator Daytona ICC.
30 TOTALLY STOKED Revisiting a true Hot Boat classic from 15 years ago, lovingly updated and made beautiful once again. 6
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Speedboat.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
National Sales Director Art Director
Greg Shoemaker Jim Wilkes Valerie Collins Ray Lee ray@speedboat.com
Gail Hada-Insley
Helicopter Services Fred Young fyoung@live.com
Photographers CCover Co ove ver pph photo hot oto by by TTodd ooddd Tay TTaylor Ta ayyllor or TTable Ta abl ble of of CContents onte on nte tent nts ph nts pphoto hot oto byy TTodd odd Ta od TTaylor aylor ylor yl or
BRETT’S COVE
Operations Manager Michele Plummer and Subscriptions michele@speedboat.com
64 EAT CROW
5840 W. Craig Rd Suite 120, #386 Las Vegas, NV 89130-2730
This Mach 1 hull may be the only boat you’ll ever see with a scarecrow painted on it.
68 BRINGIN’ BACK THE BEAUTY Sean Harrison’s quest for an Eliminator Daytona came to an end when he discovered this 1995 21' on Craigslist.
76 BLAST FROM THE PAST 2 Nostalgia is the name of the game at Lake Ming’s second annual celebration of hot boats and classic cars.
Todd Taylor, Pete Boden, Kenny Dunlop, Paul Kemiel, Jeff Girardi, Randy Nuzzo, Mark McLaughlin
Webmaster
Craig Lathrop craig@speedboat.com
Web Design
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Editorial Offices
9216 Bally Court Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (702) 313-1400
76 SPRINT BOAT GRAND PRIX SCSC racers put on a picture-perfect show at this first annual event in Lakeport, CA.
SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE (ISSN#1941-9473) is published 8 times plus a bonus issue this year by DCO Enterprises LLC. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Domestic $34.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue, Canada $66.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue, International $77.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue. All prices are for one year and in U.S. funds. For subscription info: call (702) 313-1400.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Speedboat Magazine, 9216 Bally Court, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.
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 Speedboat's right to edit and comment editorially. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is expressly forbidden, except by written permission of the publisher.
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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.
S P E E D B O A T | September 2017
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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE The inevitable and infamous Saturday raft-up.
What’s not to love about Music City, U.S.A.? I mean, it’s the unofficial birthplace of country music, the home to the legendary Grand Ole Opry, there are live bands performing everywhere you look and its nearby waterways hosted the Fifth Annual Old Hickory Charity Fun
How to Party: A Primer Run, Raft-up and Pub Crawl, organized by Chad and Heather Collier and the Tennessee Powerboat Club. Upon arriving at the Nashville Renaissance Hotel with Speedboat photographer, Todd Taylor—we knew that we were at the right place because huge Freightliner, Ford and Chevy tow rigs lined the front rows of the valet parking area. We were within walking distance from all of the action of downtown Broadway so it was easy to get in (and especially out) of the festivities. This was our second straight year of attending this particular event, mainly because we had such a good time the year before. The hospitality and kindness extended by the Colliers and their Old Hickory friends was infectious and we felt that there may have been parts of the run that we missed out on the year before, due to rain issues. Well, the rain fell again on the Friday of the Fun Run over Old Hickory Lake. But only for a short time and it passed through to reveal blue skies and sunshine. Veteran performance boat enthusiast Bubba Chrisco in his Cigarette 39’ GTS Center Console War Party welcomed me aboard to hit the lunch stop at Awedaddy’s in Gallatin while our friends from Poly Lift Boat Lifts took Todd with them on their beautiful, patrioticthemed 34' Nor-Tech, ’Merica. Shortly after the crowd was fed and happy, the
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group proceeded on to the scheduled raft-up–which was smaller than usual that day, due to the unstable weather. But that didn’t stop the group from having a great time. The evening led into a new and novel idea for everyone to enjoy. The downtown Nashville Pub Crawl. Well aware that a large part of this run’s draw is the nightlife, the organizers decided to incorporate this into their list of activities. Keeping with the theme of poker running, the participants received a VIP lanyard with five different establishments on Broadway printed on it. The idea was to visit each of the venues where you would enter through the pre-arranged VIP entrance and they would validate your lanyard, proving that you had been there. If you succeeded in receiving all five validations, then that would earn you one extra poker hand for your team at the end of the event. It also coaxed you into visiting more of the bars on the boulevard, promoting a more comprehensive downtown experience. The next day was the main day of the run and we witnessed a weary, yet determined group of boaters trickle in to the Blue Turtle Bay Marina. The Pub Crawl wasn’t for the faint of heart and it was fairly easy to see who had earned their extra poker hands and subsequent badge of honor. After a brief Driver’s Meeting, the fleet loaded up their boats for a full
day out on the water and headed out to the designated series of stops. Then came the inevitable and infamous Saturday raft-up. Clint and Kelly Goff assumed the role of lead anchor boat in their 58' Hatteras, Mr. Hatt. This was easy to find not only because of the size of the cruiser but also due to a huge red balloon on a banner-riddled line off of the bow of the vessel, that painted Tennessee sky. The group followed soon after into Two-Foot Cove and side-tied to one another with the proficiency of skilled surgeons. I blinked and suddenly there were 250 boats rafted-up, music blasting and everyone co-mingling on each other’s boats—enjoying themselves. If that weren’t enough, a pontoon boat filled with large pepperoni pizzas made its rounds to deliver a pie to each and every registered boat. Whether it’s on land or on the water, Nashville and the folks at the Old Hickory Charity Fun Run know how to party! As well as give. They raised over $10,000 for charity and donated it all to Operation Stand Down, which is a United States non-profit organization providing social services to United States Armed Forces veterans, helping them transition into civilian life. It turns out that it was no fluke that this event rocked when we attended it last year because they backed it up again this year. This is definitely one to check out, but only if you can handle it! Even then, you might want to double check with yourself. speedboat.com
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Keith Holmes Dead After Crash In the final laps of the 23rd Annual St. Clair River Classic, offshore racer Keith Holmes of Cat Can Do/American Ethanol was killed in a collision with Miss Geico. The last race of the day in St. Clair, MI, consisted of 10 boats representing various classes, including Extreme, Super Cat, Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3. Spectators filled the shoreline area along Palmer Park in anticipation of the matchup between the two entries in Extreme class. As the pace boat dropped the start flag, the race was on for a scheduled 12-lap encounter. Deck-todeck action with Cat Can Do/American Ethanol, a 40' Skater cat, consisting of the crew of owner/throttleman Keith Holmes and rookie offshore driver Jamie Sartin. They were making trades for the lead position with Miss Geico, a 44' Victory cat hull, crewed by driver Marc Granet and Scott Begovich on the sticks. On lap 2, running up the front stretch leading to the North turn on the course, and upon exiting the apex of the turn on the Canadian side of the river, a collision occurred. Rescue and Coast
Left: Cat Can Do/American Ethanol owner/throttleman Keith Holmes and driver Jamie Sartin.
Guard boats were quickly on the scene and both crew members of Cat Can Do/American Ethanol were extracted from the boat and transported to the local hospital. Holmes, 55, of Nunica, MI, succumbed from his injuries, while Sartin was listed in serious condition. He suffered broken bones and was later released from the hospital. Photographer Paul Kemiel, who was on the scene shooting for Speedboat (see pages 50-51), said, “I have been
photographing Offshore powerboat racing for the past 36 years and have been a friend of Keith’s for the last 30 years, when he first entered into the Offshore racing scene. I always valued his friendship. I admired his love for the sport and his commitment, dedication and contributions. Keith Holmes will be sorely missed. My prayers and condolences go out to his family and to the Cat Can Do/American Ethanol crew and team members.”
Speedboat Photographer Paul Kemiel Honored Speedboat Magazine staff photographer Paul Kemiel of Michigan City, IN, has been recognized by the LaPorte County Convention & Visitors Bureau for his editorial and media exposure coverage of powerboat racing events from the Great Lakes Grand Prix offshore race in Michigan City and the Maple City Grand Prix Formula One tunnel boat in LaPorte, IN. Kemiel was awarded with a ROSE (Recognition of Service Excellence) Distinguished Artist plaque. Pictured are Rick Wright, Linda Simmons, Paul Kemiel, and Jack Arnett. The presentation was part of a luncheon at the Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, IN. Rick Wright, Linda Simmons, Paul Kemiel, and Jack Arnett at the Sand Creek Country Club.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Marine Concepts Unveils Showroom, Service Center
Many Speedboat readers are familiar with the innovative boat covers sold by Marine Concepts of Osage Beach, MO, but they may be unaware that the company is not only one of the biggest NorTech dealers, but one of the oldest as well. For years, the company was doing brisk business without even needing a physical location, but last year company president Randy Kent actually bought a facility with a showroom floor. “We went full bore with it—we brought on a pontoon line, too,” Kent says. “Underneath the same roof, we have a big muscle car collection for sale as well. We call the facility Midwest Boating Center/Marine Concepts.”
The Marine Concepts boat covers can be seen on a number of high-profile pleasure and race boats, including the DCB’s Lickity Split catamaran. “We’ve also done two travel covers for the Prince of Dubai for their MTIs,” Kent says. He’s a big fan of the Nor-Tech line, which “sell faster than I can get them,” he says. “They’re fast, good looking, sexy, super luxurious, fuel-efficient, and there’s no maintenance. It checks all the boxes. In addition to showroom, Kent recently unveiled the Marine Concept Service Center, a 30,000-squarefoot service facility for our customers. “It’s for car restoration and marine work,” Kent says. “It’s on four and a half acres. It’s got Mercury certified technicians on staff, one of which was actually one of the head mechanics for Performance Boat Center—he left there to head up Marine Concepts service. That opened just this year, so that’s brand new. Our facility is fully air-conditioned and our bays are 90 feet deep with 16-18 foot ceilings, so we can fit anything in here.”
Race World Offshore
Offshore Racer
Plots 2018 Dominance
Talbot Dies at 48
When the principals of Race World Offshore LLC set out to change the face of professional Offshore Powerboat Racing, it wasn’t just idle talk. With more than 50 years of combined experience through CROPRA (Conch Republic Offshore Powerboat Racing Association), organization President Larry Bleil and his team know what it takes to make a successful series. APBA/UIM international sanctioning, simplified class structures, significant prize purses and national television coverage are but a few of the assets the new organization will be providing to its race teams during the 2018 season. “It’s time that we return offshore powerboat racing to the excitement, pageantry and glory days of the past,” said Bleil, “and to operate the series in the same professional safe manner as the mainstream motorsports of NASCAR, F1 and Indy Car. Our initial plan is to offer seven events at venues located within large population areas, including two races in our home town of Key West.” Race World Offshore’s series opener starts in Key West, pending Navy approval. Additional race venues will include a variety of Florida and Southeast locations, plus a three-month long series within the series called “The Great Lakes Offshore Championship.”
Kyler James Talbot of Bremerton, WA, died on July 27 following a fall at his home that resulted in a head injury. Born in Seattle, WA, he worked as a heavy equipment operator until launching his own company, Talbot Excavating, in 2002. After years of enjoying offshore boat racing as a fan, he got behind the wheel of a boat in 2009. He began collecting trophies immediately, earning three Key West World Championships during his career. Most recently, he drove the Talbot Excavating S-29 32' Doug Wright hull with throttlemen Joey Gratton and Jay Muller. Donations can be made in memory of Kyler to the veterans’ organization Team Red, White and Blue at teamrwb.org.
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Top of Page: Robert Summers in his 26’ Donzi, Debauchery. Above: Benjamin Moore’s 2002 38' Cigarette Top Gun, Moore Ammo.
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TN
Nashville,
story by: Brett
Bayne
photographer: Todd
Taylor
Hundreds of boaters return to the state’s Cumberland River for a weekend of friends, fast fun and a charity auction.
O
rganized by avid boater Chad Collier (see Page 26), was to make it legitimate. I don’t do anything halfway—I knew the Fifth Annual Old Hickory Fun Run was once that if I was going to do this, I was going to make it a run that
again a massive amalgam of pals, parties, and a primo poker run—with an auction that helped raised money for Operation Stand Down Tennessee, which benefits veterans and their families. Speedboat Magazine’s editorial team was on hand, shooting photos from air, land and sea and greeting the many participants and subscribers who traveled to the Volunteer State to run up the wonderfully winding Cumberland River, which stretches 688 miles across Tennessee and Kentucky. Collier took over the Tennessee Powerboat Club five years ago, when the group’s event was only a small local run consisting of about 20-30 boats. “It was kind of floundering,” he recalls. “It wasn’t going anywhere. When I took over, my goal speedboat.com
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would be on par with any other run you’d go to in the nation.” Mission accomplished. More than 125 boats showed up in an official capacity for the 2017 edition. By all accounts, this year’s Fun Run was a huge success. “We had low humidity in July,” Collier boasts. “It was fantastic. The lake was clear. Everybody got to run their boats. We had a great time.” Among the items for auction were a fiddle used by the legendary Charlie Daniels Band, various items donated by the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators football and ice-hockey teams, and a signed guitars from country music superstars Kenny Chesney Gary Allan. “That really gets my juices flowing,” Collier says. “You never know who might show up. It’s Nashville!” S P E E D B O A T | September 2017
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Nashville, TNT
Above: Steve Grier of Liquid Marine in his B&H Performance Water Rod 300 midcabin cuddy edition.
There was no shortage of high-octane eye candy in Nashville. Exhibit A: Angela Goldbaugh and Julie Parent (left) increase the heart rates of their fellow revelers. Exhibit B: Tina Marie (third from right) and her lake squad representing No Excuses (above).
Above: John Hamrick in his 42’ Outerlimits What’s Eaton Ya? Right: R.B. and Fran Hixson’s 42’ Fountain, Frantastic.
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Nashville, TNT
Above: Drop-dead gorgeous Kelly Goff. Clint and Kelly’s 58’ Hatteras Mr. Hatt was one of the poker run’s most popular chip stops, for obvious reasons. Above right: Alan Wise in his Sunsation 34CCX, featured in the January 2017 issue of Speedboat. Right: Mark and Tiffany Maasen of Poly Lift in their Nor-Tech 340 Sport center console ’Merica.
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Nashville, TNT
Above: Bob Zubik of Chicago drives his 42’ Fountain Executioner Purple Aces through some rough water. “It looks like a horrible landing, but it was actually smooth as silk,” he says.
FOUNTAIN FEVER! Top right: Jeff Hoefling in his 42’ Fountain Too Lively Crew rides with custom painter Stephen Miles of Stephen Miles Design. Middle right: Cory Glore in his 29’ Fountain Live Wire. Bottom right: Shannon Lynes in his 42’ Fountain. Far right: Terry and Melanie Martin in their 42’ Fountain, All In.
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The MYSTIC difference
Models M3800
| M4200 Center Consoles | C4400 Catamaran
Scott Sjogren
Greg Weber
[312] 833-1704 scott@mysticboats.com
[847] 376-0716 greg@mysticboats.com
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Nashville, TNT
Above: Justin Black in his 26' Eliminator, Channel Cat.
John Colletta in his Hustler 388 Slingshot.
Bryant Tow in his 28’ Nordic, Snapshot. Kenny Ray Schomp and Matt Garland’s Skater (featured on Speedboat’s cover last September).
Ron Tieken in his 29’ Powerquest.
Right: James Hicks in his 2003 37' Active Thunder, Radio Active. Below: Buzz Goss in his beautiful 26’ Kazulin Kazzual. Below right: Julie Parent and Kelly Daugherty.
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The Return of the Long Beach to Catalina
2017 SCOPE POKER RUN September 22 – 24 Maya Hotel, Long Beach, CA Predator II driver Vern Gilbert winner of Texas Outlaw Challenge
158 mph
For further information, email Bill Steiner:
junkyardbillsteiner@gmail.com For Rainbow Harbor dock slip reservations, contact Karen at
Ed Herbst
[562] 570-8636 Special Maya Hotel group block rate available until August 23 or until sold out.
IMCO, 39' Nordic, Fred Inman
Maya Hotel [562] 435-7676 Reference rate/group code "SCO"
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Habitual
MYSTIC story by: Brett
Bayne
photographer: Todd
Taylor
Chad Collier’s customized C4400 Mystic was so cool that Mystic tossed the original specs.
I
n the preceding feature story, you met Chad Collier, 118 mph. It was fun, and I had a great time in it.”
who took over the Tennessee Power Boat Club five years ago—and its annual Old Hickory Fun Run event. One of the participating boats was Collier’s own 44-foot Mystic, called Habitual. It’s not his first Mystic, or even his biggest. But it may be the most satisfying ride he’s ever owned, and much of that comes from how he was able to customize the boat to conform to his particular vision. “Collier, an engineer who owns the consulting design construction firm Collier Engineering (Brentwood, TN), originally got into powerboating back in 1996 through his longtime friend, Cincinnati-based Ed Fingerhut, who actually attended this year’s Old Hickory Fun Run. “I went to Lake Cumberland one Fourth of July weekend,” Collier recalls. “He had a 24 Baja Caliber from the 1980s, powered by a single 454. We hung out that weekend and I thought, I got to have me one of these. This is a ball!” Over the passing years, Collier, along with wife Heather, have owned a variety of deep-vees, including a Formula, Scarab and a 42 Fountain with big c.i. engines. “They were probably a little over 1,000-hp apiece with the #6 drives,” he says. “The boat ran
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It was around this period that the Colliers had experienced their first poker run, and had enjoyed the experience massively. But their days as deep-vee enthusiasts were numbered. Several years ago, he got a ride on an associate’s 40 MTI, powered by twin 1075 engines. “Heather and I were both on the boat. I looked at her, and she looked at me, and said, ‘I gotta have one of these.’ And sure enough, that’s what happened. His first cat was a 2006 40' MTI from David Woods, around the time Scott Sjogren purchased Pier 57. “That was my first cat,” he recalls. Collier says he was 100% hands-on with the build, every day. “I probably have 600 emails going back and forth, took about ten trips to the MTI factory and made five or six trips to the paint shop. I was in it every day. Scott’s great about keeping us in the loop and sending me pictures.” Mark Godsey, who was building the Project Mayhem machine at the same time, found himself bonding with Collier over their boats. “We all went to the boat show together that year, that’s how I met Scott Sjogren. So as the boats were being
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Above: Habitual’s name is nicely integrated into the underside of the Mystic’s engine hatch. Right: The original artist’s rendering (above) is juxtaposed with a drone’s eye view of the actual hull (below). speedboat.com
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Habitual Mystic
Views of the Mystic’s deck, cockpit and dash reveal a boat that’s as sleek and impressively sculpted as anything the builder has created till now. “Originally it was going to be red, black and white,” Collier says. He and custom painter Stephen Miles worked back and forth on at least 10 iterations of a design, but couldn’t agree on anything definitive. “Then one morning, I got an email from him with a design. I woke up my wife Heather at 6 o’clock in the morning and stuck the phone in her face as she was still waking up. She saw it and said, “That’s it!”
Here are some shots of the Mystic’s creation at the factory. Collier only agreed to build the boat under a few conditions. “The biggest condition was I wanted to cut it down,” he says. “I wanted the boat to look more in proportion to what the 50’ did. The 50’ Mystic has the most sleek and sexy lines of any boat on Earth. There’s nothing like that. I wanted the 44 to look like a 50. I thought it was a little too boxy.” This was achieved by taking 5 inches out of the sides of the boat so it ended up 5 inches thinner than other 4400s.
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Totally
d e k o t S story by Brett
Bayne photos by Ray Lee
story by: Brett
Bayne
O
ccasionally, we encounter a boat from our past—sometimes it’s the distant past.
Boat hulls may change owners, and often the look of a boat may transform over the passage of time. In the best of scenarios, the most passionate of the go-fast crowd will update, augment and transform their personal rockets—and that’s exactly the case with Bill Kean’s Stoker.
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Kean, who lives in Mission Viejo, CA, has been an devoted visitor of the Parker Strip since the 1960s. During that time, he’s owned a variety of Stokers and Spectras. “I had a little SST 45 as a play boat when we were kids,” he recalls. His grandfather grew up driving an old Stevens, and his uncle, Bill Macias, was a successful offshore racer who drove the 32' Hustler Speed By Design in the 1990s. Our first encounter with his 2002 Stoker speedboat.com
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Above and right: New wood in the Spectra is replaced and resined, although the stringers were still in decent shape and did not require replacement. The original propshaft seen above was also salvaged.
Revisiting a true Hot Boat classic from 15 years ago, lovingly updated and made beautiful once again.
was back in the days of Hot Boat, when it was tested and showcased on that magazine’s cover the same year (see opposite page). “Our family has always owned Stokers,” Kean says. “Our first one was in 1986, and we’ve had multiple 22-footers.” A friend of Kean’s originally owned the Stoker. When it came up for sale, Bill’s mother, Marilyn, got to test-drive it on the Colorado River in Parker, AZ. During that ride, she got pulled over and was issued a speedboat.com
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noise ticket. “He thought that was going to ruin everything, but it actually sealed the deal. My mom wrote him a check right there on the spot!” Kean is a huge fan of the Stoker’s modVP bottom. “They’re a different breed,” he explains. “They’re efficient and stable because they ride up on top of the water. The original intent was circle racing. So they can turn hard enough to pitch you out of the seat. They turn very aggressively. As
you can see by the pictures of Speedboat test-team driver Tony Scarlata driving it, it has no problem taking on big water, too.” Kean has had Has to Haz It to 108 mph, and is still dialing it in for more top-end speed. The boat is pushed by a 650-hp fuelinjected motor built by B&D Marine; all of the gelcoat work and interior was done by West Coast Marine Interiors. Brian Fetherolf at B&D worked on the engine and did all of the rigging and setup work. S P E E D B O A T | September 2017
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Totally Stoked
Brian Fetherolf at B&D Marine (El Monte, CA) assembled the 650-hp fuel-injected motor and did all of the rigging and setup work.
The Stoker’s gelcoat and interior was updated by Danny Gutierrez at West Coast Marine Interiors. The trailer was rebuilt by Extreme Trailers. Al & Ed’s Auto Sound (Ontario, CA) put the stereo in the boat. 32
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1-year $34.00 – 9 issues Canadian rate: $66.00, International rate $77.00 (U.S. Funds)
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7/18/17 1:14 AM
THE
BOYNE identity
It may be on the small side, but the city of Boyne City, MI, puts on a poker run that’s as big as all outdoors. The 14th year of the Boyne Thunder Poker Run experienced a is known for its ski-lodge accommodations in the winter temporary scare when a nasty storm threatened to cut short months, but when summer rolls around, it becomes a playthe festivities in Boyne City, MI. The storm passed—but not before organizer Bob Mathers relocated the event’s big party from the traditional outdoor location to the protected atmosphere of the main resort. “It worked out wonderfully,” Mathers says. “It turned out to be awesome—we just didn’t want everybody on our hill with the rainstorm coming and going. But it worked out great.” The storm dissipated and the rest of the event went off without a hitch. Located about 60 miles north of Traverse City and 60 miles south of the famous Mackinaw Bridge, Boyne City
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ground for powerboats. This year’s run was well attended, with industry luminaries like MTI President Randy Scism and Sterling Performance head honcho Mike D’Anniballe joining in on the fun. Also in attendance: Jason Moe, whose Outerlimits SV50 Hurry Up was profiled in Speedboat’s July 2017 issue. Moe, who lives in Washington State, drove 38 hours straight through with wife Laurie and their children for the third time to attend the event. “It was a blast. My kids loved it too,” Moe says. “I’ve done a lot of poker runs in my day, and this one is the best by far. The whole town comes out—it’s just phenomenal.” speedboat.com
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Steve Gordon’s Sterling-powered Skater, which previously won Best of Show at LOTO.
story by Brett photography by Pete
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Bayne
Boden / Speedonthewater.com
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The Boyne Identity
Top: Brook Brickham’s Nor-Tech 330 Sport. Middle left: Bob Burger and friends in his Nor-Tech 39’ Super Vee, Stryke. Middle right: Mike and Lisa Mervenne pilot the event’s pace boat. Right: Artie Clark of Ohio in his Triple A Fountain.
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Left: Bruce Chapman in his 45' Sonic. Below: Nick Wolgast catches some air while driving his 30’ Sunsation.
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The Boyne Identity
Above: Matt Soper drives his Cigarette Top Gun Old School II. Top right: Mike And Connie D’Anniballe of Sterling Performance in their Skater 388 cat, powered by twin 1,100-hp Sterling engines. Second from top: Bob Bull in his 48’ MTI CMS with MTI President Randy Scism on throttles. Third from top: Joe Gilstorf in his Cigarette 42X, Rated X. Bottom right: Dave Burgess in his new Outerlimits SL41, which was displayed in the Boyne Thunder street show.
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Kemiel’s
Krashes
Our ace racing photographer shares the scariest moments from his archive. PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Paul Kemiel
M
ichigan City, IN-based photographer Paul Kemiel has been shooting for our staff going back to the 1990s, when we published Hot Boat Magazine. His uncanny skills are by no means limited to the marine world, but his award-winning photos from the world of performance boat racing are arguably his best known. He has been on the scene for virtually every form of boat racing, most notably offshore, Unlimited Hydroplanes and Formula One battles dating back to the 1980s. During that time, there have been a few accidents, and Paul is an expert at capturing the highest drama in a fraction of a second. We asked him to scour his archives and share variety of photographs of these “flying projectiles” heading into the path of danger. How are these images produced? “That’s a hard question to answer,” he says. “It helps to be at the right place at the right time—and add in the element of luck.” However he does it, we’re delighted to have Paul on our staff, and look forward to bringing more of his work to you in the future. See pages 46-51 for more of his incredible camera work.
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Grand Haven, MI, 1987: Competing in Sportsman B class for the APBA, Ambusher, a 30' Velocity deep-vee hull, sinks into Lake Michigan while crew members hang on. speedboat.com
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Miss Pontiac, the Unlimited hydroplane driven by Greg Hopp, blows over at over 200 mph on the backstretch of Mission Bay in 1999 at San Diego, CA.
The airborne Overton’ssponsored Formula One tunnel boat, driven by Rusty Campbell, collided with Bud Light and driver Bill Seebold on Mission Bay in 1997 at San Diego, CA. This image is considered to be the most famous photo taken in U.S. Formula One history. speedboat.com
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Kemiel’s Krashes
Tyler Welch, piloting his Formula One tunnel boat hull, blows over on the Saginaw River in 2013 at Bay City, MI.
J. Michael Kelly of Bonney Lake, WA, driver of the U5 Graham Truckingsponsored Unlimited hydroplane team, stuffed his 28’ craft at 150 mph into the rooster tail spray of the U9 Delta Realtrac boat with driver Andrew Tate. This occured during the UAW-GM Spirit of Detroit Hydrofest APBA Gold Cup race, the fourth venue on the H1 Unlimited 2016 schedule.
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In 2016, Brandon Kennedy of Newark, DE, was driving the GP-25 H8 Cancer Racing when he collided with the GP-77 Coppertone boat,
driven by Martin Rochon of Quebec. They were competing in the Hydrofest Silver Cup race at the time; both drivers were free of serious injuries.
Below and right: Unlimited Hydroplane Miss Budweiser, driven by Tom D’Eath, blows over on the Ohio River in 1988 at Evansville, IN.
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Below: Competing against each other during the 67th PNC Roar on the River in Trenton, MI, were the fatherson duo of Terry Rinker, in his Aero Slot Lee hull, and Robert Rinker, driving his Caniff tunnel hull. Terry was in the lead and Robert was in close pursuit when his boat lifted high into the air—and there was no coming back. Terry was declared the winner; fortunately, Robert was not seriously injured.
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Muscle
Mania
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Paul Kemiel
Following a tragedy at an OPA race in St. Clair, MI, racers pull together for a flawless performance at SBI’s Michigan City, IN, event.
T
he news out of St. Clair, MI, was lowing the accident, the lion’s share of City, IN, in Superboat Stock class. Another repeat winner was Brit Lilly, absolutely devastating. As Miss racing was completed (see pages 56-57
Geico and Cat Can Do/American Ethanol were negotiating a turn during OPA’s fourth race of the season on July 30, the boats collided and were destroyed. Cat Can Do throttleman Keith Holmes— the 55-year-old owner of CK Motorsports and beloved in the industry—was killed, while driver Jamie Sartin lay in a hospital in critical condition. Miss Geico driver Marc Granet and throttleman Scott Begovich were not injured. Although the race was called fol-
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for photographic highlights). In class 7, Goofin’ Around, a Kryptonite vee hull with 16-year-old Joe Lauer driving in his first race, took the checkered flag with Nicholas Ahmeyer on throttles and Joe Crocker navigating. In Super Stock class, owner/throttleman Gary Ballough and driver Stephen Rak of FJ Propeller, took the victory; then, with driver Daren Kittredge and Ballough on the sticks, the FJ team took first place during the Superboat race in Michigan
the son of legendary offshore racer Art Lilly. In OPA’s Super Vee Lite class, Tug It, a Phantom vee hull, took the victory with Lilly driving and Kevin Smith throttling. Then Lilly was in first place again driving LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness during the SBI race with Ron Umlandt throttling. Other highlights of SBI’s race in Michigan City, IN, included a stunning achievement by the Wake Effects team of driver Rusty Rahm and throttleman speedboat.com
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Below: FJ Propeller, a 32’ Doug Wright Skater, cruised to victory in the Superboat Stock class with driver Daren Kittredge and owner/ throttleman Gary Ballough, right.
Opposite page: The Wake Effects 48’ MTI (with throttleman Jeff Harris and driver Rusty Rahm, inset) begins to enter into the Lighthouse turn #1 en route to victory in the Superboat Unlimited class in Michigan City, IN. Below: LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness, a 30’ Extreme vee hull, catches some air and was the winner in the Superboat Vee class. Right: The team and crew of Brit Lilly and Ron Umlandt pose with their trophy and flag at the awards ceremony.
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Muscle Mania [SBI]
Outerlimits cruised on the Lake Michigan race course to win in Superboat Extreme class. Right: Owner/driver Joe Sgro and Englishman Steve Curtis on the throttles.
Above and left: WHM Motorsports, a 40’ Skater cat with owner/driver Billy Mauff and throttleman Jay Muller, led from the race start and never looked back in capturing first place in Superboat class. Below: 2nd Amendment USA, a 36' Spectre cat, takes first place in the Manufacturer Production P3 class. Inset: Driver Karl Steger, owner Joe Vaughn, and throttleman Neil Wobbe.
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Below: Team Allen Lawn Care & Landscaping, a 30’ Phantom, claimed victory in the Manufacturer Production P4 class. Right: Owner/throttleman Bill Allen and driver Andrei Allen are surrounded by team and family at the awards ceremony.
Linda Simmons and Dale Cooper of the LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau pose with Speedboat Magazine Editor Brett Bayne.
Jeff Harris, piloting their glorious 48' MTI to victory in Superboat Unlimited Class. Meanwhile, owner/driver Billy Mauff and throttleman Jay Muller in WHM Motorsports, a 40' Skater, blew away the competition in Superboat Class. In Production 3 class, it was 2nd Amendment, with driver Karl Steger and throttleman Neil Wobbe piloting for owner Joe Vaughn, who took the checkered flag in their 36' Spectre cat. Another spectacular performance was by Team Allen Lawn Care & Landscaping, a 30' Phantom, in the Production 4 class. Owner/throttleman Bill Allen and driver Andrei Allen were the picture of confidence on Saturday’s test-and-tune day, and their teamwork on Sunday was flawless. Congratulations to all the winners! speedboat.com
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Above: Chrysler’s Steve Serafino, Chrysler’s Scott Clausing, Miss Great Lakes Grand Prix Demie Johnson, LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive director Jack Arnett, Race director Rick Wright, and Mayor Ron Meer of Michigan City, helped present the trophies at the awards ceremony. Each one of these individuals helped to make the Michigan City SBI race an unqualified success. Speedboat Magazine thanks them for their hospitality and generosity!
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Muscle Mania [OPA]
Above and left: Nick Smith (driver) and Matt DiGiacomo (throttles) of Wazzup II were the winners in OPA’s Class 6 in St. Clair. Wazzup Racing Engines of Brick, NJ, is family owned and operated since 1987. They race three offshore boats that currently hold 12 world and 30 national championships. Right: Specialized Racing, with driver-throttleman Mark Gallagher and navigator Laura Appehofft, took first in Class 5. Below: Goofin’ Around, a Krytonite vee hull with 16-yearold Joe Lauer driving in his first race, took first in Class 7 with Nicholas Ahmeyer on throttles and Joe Crocker as navigator.
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Above and left: Johnny Saris (son, driver), Jason Saris (father, owner and throttles) and Verne French (crew chief and navigator) took first place in Class 4 driving Saris Racing Engines.
Above and right: FJ Propeller’s driver Stephen Rak and throttleman Gary Ballough took first place in OPA’s Super Stock Class. The team went on to win their class during SBI’s race in Michigan City, IN.
Left: In the Super Vee Lite class, Tug It, a Phantom vee hull, and the team of driver Brit Lilly and throttleman Kevin Smith, was declared the winner and presented with the first-place trophy. Lily is having a great year: After the St. Clair OPA race, he drove LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness at Superboat’s race in Michigan City, IN, and took first place in Superboat Vee.
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Orange
Crush STORY BY
Brett Bayne
ACTION PHOTOS BY
Todd Taylor
O
ne of the hardest boats to miss at this year’s Eliminator Regatta was a 2003
Daytona ICC whose paint job totally earns the name Orange Crush. Owned by Shayne Williams of Peoria, AZ, Orange Crush is only the latest in a long line of Eliminators that have occupied his garage for 29 years...as a matter of fact, he has owned 29 boats in that time—seven of which have been Eliminators. They include a 21’ Daytona, 27' Fun Deck, 28' Daytona, a 30', a 33', and also an Eagle XP. The ICC is his seventh Eliminator. (Other rides he’s had include a Nordic, Powerquest and Baja, the latter of which was a “performance cruiser that was the most luxurious model I’ve ever owned—an amazing boat. I did a groundup restoration with it just like my current Eliminator.”) Williams, who runs the Desert Hot Tubs dealership in Phoenix, located Orange Crush in the online classified ads. When he first inspected it, he immediately fancied the hull and how it was accessorized—but the colors left something to be desired. “I liked everything about it other than the actual physical appearance, including the colors,” he says. “From a distance, the exterior of the boat was in excellent condition, but it was just not me. I knew from the first day that I would buy the boat and completely revamp it.” The boat is powered by twin supercharged 540-c.i. 900-hp engines originally assembled by Sterling Performance for a total of 1,800 ponies; they’re coupled to IMCO’s SC Extreme drives. The boat also features hydraulic steering, full to the helm. Two sea strainers are used exclusively for the
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Shayne Williams turns to Ultra Custom Boats to help ramp up the beauty of his Eliminator Daytona ICC. speedboat.com
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Left and below left: Here’s how the Eliminator looked the day Williams purchased it. “When you look at the orange in the back, it was really kind of a muddy orange—not attractive up close.” The boat is pulled by his 2014 Dodge RAM 2500. Below: The boat actually has four sea strainers. The two with the purple rings here are strainers exclusively for the intercoolers; two others are up front for the cooling system.
The Eliminator features full hydraulic steering with a Monster tab in the center.
The driver’s side dash (left) and passenger-side dash (above). The steering wheel hub and gauge bezels are powdercoated purple. The stereo was removed.
The throttles are also powdercoated purple. Drive trims are built into the throttles. speedboat.com
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Here’s a view of the engine well. The motors are supercharged 540-c.i. 900s by Sterling Performance for a total 1,800 horses. S P E E D B O A T | September 2017
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Orange Crush
Above left and above: The disassembly process has begun. Halfway through the stripping process in Williams’ garage, drives and engines have been removed. Left: Same day as above. The engines and other interior items sit in Williams’ garage. Below: The boat has now been completely stripped.
Above left, above and left: The Eliminator has now been transferred to Ultra Custom Boats of Lake Havasu City, AZ. Ultra has begun to sand and blend prior to the application of a new gelcoat. “Other people wanted to do paint, but I used to own a paint shop and didn’t want paint,” Williams says. “I wanted a more resilient product, something tougher. Rusty [Romberg] at Ultra did everything he said he would do and did a great job.”
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intercoolers, while two additional strainers serve the cooling system. The setup employs remote oil filters with a remote cooler bypass. Shortly after purchasing the Eliminator, Williams began a complete teardown prior to sending the hull for a new gelcoat. That meant totally disassembling every nut, bolt, wire, gauge, etc. The interior, engines and drives came out, leaving the owner with a bare hull. The boat was then transported to Ultra Custom Boats of Lake Havasu City, AZ, where Rusty Romberg applied a new gelcoat using a design that Shayne’s wife, Karen, discovered on another Eliminator. “Karen found a 27' Speedster on Eliminator’s Facebook page,” Williams says. “To my knowledge, only this one boat had the exact design and color scheme. So I called Eliminator and asked for the exact colors they had used, along with their permission to copy it.” Gary Schueller at Eliminator put Williams in touch with the company’s paint department, which confirmed that Eliminator owned the design. The builder then gave the Williams their blessing to use the scheme. “They’re a fantastic group,” Williams confides. “The Leach family and the Teague family are incredibly people. I’ve have many years of history buying boats and replacement parts, and I’ve refurbished plenty of boats. I like my boats to be top-notch. That goes for every boat I’ve ever owned. If there’s something wrong, I fix it. I won’t just get by with it.” Among Williams’ cosmetic changes: removing and relocating the stereo system. “One of the previous owners had cut a hole through the fiberglass and put this stereo there,” he says. “I had that patched when I redid it, then put the new stereo in the factory location.” During their transformation of the Eliminator—which involved re-gelling, sanding, blending and buffing the hull— Williams frequently visited the shop to oversee the process. “I was there every weekend!” Williams laughs. “Rusty was one of the few who was doing 100% gelcoat jobs. Other people wanted to do paint, but I used to own a paint shop, and I didn’t want paint. I wanted a more resilient product—a little more tough. Also, I really liked speedboat.com
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Orange Crush Below: The Eliminator is out of the booth after all the gelcoat has been sprayed, but before it’s been sanded and buffed.
Below: Back in the bay, the hull is being sanded and buffed. “Gelcoat comes out really rough and dull,” Williams says. “So they have to color sand it and buff it out.”
The gel has been buffed, and the canopies have been replaced. The drives are also in the process of being re-installed, and re-rigging is being perormed. Left: James Campbell of Campbell Water Concepts (Phoenix, AZ), a friend of Williams, donated four days to help put the boat back together. “He also helped me disassemble the boat,” Willams says. “I got the boat back from Havasu and put it together in three weeks. Three weeks from bare hull and took it to Havasu’s Desert Storm with zero issues and to this day, zero issues.”
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Above and right: The engines and engine hatch are installed. “Luckily, I have a fork lift at home,” Williams says. The engines, originally by Sterling, feature Blower Shop blowers, Demon carbs and CMI exhaust.
Left: The boat is finally finished the day before Desert Storm. Seating and upholstery has all be completed and installed. The boat’s existing interior works well with the updated gelcoat. The cockpit features plenty of grabhandles, cupholders and speakers.
Right: Same day, opposite view as above. The boat’s cuddy cabin, Williams says, is quite roomy. “It’s got two couches on both the port and starboard side,” he says. “Past that it’s got a massive bed. Shockingly enough, I can sit on those couches straight up. There was a snap-in wall that I took down and had a hard wall put in with a couple of JL Audio subwoofers.” speedboat.com
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Orange Crush
Below: The IMCO SC Extreme drives are completely installed. The boat’s name, Orange Crush, is now visible on the boat’s transom. Shayne’s wife Karen named the boat.
Left: Orange Crush in Havasu. At right is Shayne Williams’ wife Karen, pictured with their friend Courtney. Below: The boat takes some air at this year’s Eliminator Regatta. These updated graphics were discovered by Karen on an existing 27 Speedster appearing on Eliminator Boats’ Facebook page. “I called Eliminator to get the exact colors that were used and asked their permission to copy it,” Shayne says. “Since it was their design, they allowed me to do it.”
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capped boats will confirm, you pay the price for that kind of look. “The appearance I love, but I hate the fact that I have no buffer,” Williams says. “I can’t touch the dock. It’s a big boat to bring in to a dock and I have no buffer. So it’s a good thing that I happen to be a good driver— I take my time. This is not the easiest boat to dock, given the blowers on these big motors.” Along with Bob Leach and Bob Teague,
Williams extends special thanks to some close friends who gave him a hand getting the boat ready in time for Desert Storm. James Campbell of Campbell Water Concepts of Phoenix donated his time disassembling and reassembling the boat; pin striper Ron Hernandez worked his magic; his uncle Scott and friends Vince Gagliardi and Jerry French also helped on the project; and neighbor Ron Basset was always there to lend a hand as well.
Above: Shayne and Karen have one son, Devin, shown here driving the boat. The 6-year-old does everything from go-carting to motocross. “If it burns gas or goes fast, he’s into it,” Shayne says. Rusty as an individual. I felt comfortable dropping it off there. He did everything he said he would do, and he did a great job.” The boat’s trailer was completely redone by Ultra as well. After the new gelcoat was applied, the hull required additional sanding and buffing. “Gelcoat comes out of the gun like cottage cheese,” Williams says. “It’s not like how car paint comes out all shiny and new. It comes out really rough and dull. So they have to color sand it and buff it.” The new gelcoat was completed around January 2016. The boat’s previous owner, Mike Morales, has seen and admired the boat since its transformation. Interestingly, Morales himself used to work for Eliminator Boats. He had originally sold the boat to its first owner in the Florida Keys, and then bought it back from him personally. Then Williams purchased it from Morales. The Eliminator is fully capped, which gives it a cool look—but, as owners as speedboat.com
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NEW PRODUCTS
Adjustable-Vent Prop Founded in 1985, Taiwan-based Solas promoted its Pro Series propellers at the recent Miami International Boat Show. The props, which are available in three- and four-blade configurations, feature a vent system similar to the Performance Vent System (PVS) on Mercury props. But the Solas props have an adjustable ventilation system (SAV) that can be deployed while still on the engine, using a torque spit. “You can shut the vent all the way, open it all the way, or anywhere in between, for adjustable ventilation during accelleration,” says John Hangartner of Solas. The prop is comparable to a Mercury Bravo lab-finished prop. It’s a very high precision prop with a more aggressive camber design and cupping, and a longer barrel.” Solas is a world leader in recreational propellers, offering a wide range of both stainless and aluminum props with a strong focus on performance and quality. The company has its U.S. offices in Tampa, FL. For more information, or to locate a dealer, please visit solaspropellers.com.
Billet Sterndrive Engine Mount From Hardin Marine: Billet stern-drive engine mounts offer an affordable option when looking to upgrade from your original rubber OEM mount in mild performance applications. These strong billet aluminum mount bases are matched with 316 SS mounting posts. These mounts are designed as a direct replacement for most MerCruiser OEM engine mounts. Base measures 5¼" in length, 2½" in width and 1¼" tall. Mounting holes are 4" center to center. Overall height from base to top of stud is 4½". You can order these directly from cpperformance.com.
Inducer Pre-Impeller Jetboaters will want to check out CP Performance’s inducer pre-impeller, a stainless steel non-shrouded small axial flow impeller that mounts in front of a standard jet drive impeller. These pre-impellers load the standard jet drive mixed flow impeller for greater low end and mid range power without sacrificing top speed. The inducer pre-impeller is available individually with easy-to-follow instructions, or in kit form, which includes a pre-cut impeller pump shaft along with the inducer. The inducer is a great add-on for any power range or engine size application and fits all Berkeley, American Turbine, and Dominator jet drives. Please visit cpperformance.com to order.
Multi Stepped 1150 Trim Tab From Livorsi Marine: Here’s an aerated, multi-stepped 1150 trim tab. Step-bottom hulls have been around for decades and have proven that the stepped hull design increases speed, reduces drag and increases overall efficiency. That’s exactly what you get when you install Livorsi 1150 trim tabs. Standard, non-stepped tab designs stick to water, reducing speed, performance, and efficiency. Livorsi’s stepped tabs introduce air via a number of different grooves, channels and steps, reducing that stickiness and making the tab faster and more efficient. These tabs perform flawlessly in all sea conditions and can make your boat more fuel efficient compared to a non-stepped tab. For performance based applications, the stepped design allows the tab to release from the water stream faster, reducing drag and providing an overall faster boat. Take advantage of increased performance and efficiency. Visit livorsi.com for more information.
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INDUSTRY NEWS [continued from page 14]
Monster Storm
Set for Oct. 12-14
A new storm is rolling into Lake Havasu, AZ. The weekend of Oct. 12-14, 2017, heralds the christening of Monster Storm at the Nautical Beachfront Resort. Known previously as Monster Bash, this is one of the annual events in the Storm family. You’ll notice small but detailed changes that the Storm team is implementing to upgrade the event. Storm Poker Runs is also teaming up with River Dave’s Place (RDP), which is hosting its 10th Anniversary RDP Regatta during the same weekend. The entities will collaborate and combine resources to offer participants an opportunity to play in both events for an all-around epic weekend. More details will be announced on both Storm Poker Runs website and River Dave’s Place. To register for Monster Storm, go to StormPokerRun.com and click the Monster Storm tab to download the registration forms. The Nichols family has been in the pokerrun business for nearly two decades. Jimmy and Christina Nichols noticed a change needed to be made without reinventing the wheel. They say they have some amazing plans for both Monster Storm and Desert Storm. “Our father, Jim, created an epic event that people from around the nation recognize and want to be a part of,” Jimmy explains. “Our plan is to carry on his legacy, update the atmosphere, and bring back the participant/sponsor centered vibe. We want to support our sponsors, the marine industry and our boating family.”
[Industry News continues on page 62]
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INDUSTRY NEWS [continued from page 61]
Coulombe Family Eyes HTM Revival
Left: Lia Coulombe with daughters Chelsie and Sharice.
Former HTM President Lia Coulombe, who sold the company molds years ago to new owners, has re-purchased all of the original molds with plans to start building boats again. Lia told Speedboat that she will join forces with her now-adult daughters, Sharice and Chelsie, to start producing a few “limited edition” models, after which they’ll determine whether the time is right to start a full-blown manufacturing facility. “We’re in the process right now of getting the molds all back down to California,” Lia says. “We’re going back to our roots. We’re needing to clean them up, because
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unfortunately, nobody ever clam-shelled them. They all need to be refurbished.” Lia said HTM will start by refurbishing the 24 SS model and hopefully have a boat completed and rigged by January 2018. Sharice, Lia’s oldest daughter, plans to tackle marketing and designing, while daughter Chelsie will run the shop and oversee the builds. “I’ll be doing all of the graphic design for the boats and coming up with all of the schemes,” Sharice says. “I’ll also be redesigning all of the interiors, and doing all the social media, marketing and branding.” She adds that 2018 should also see a revival of the HTM Regatta.
The second owners of HTM—known as HTM2—were doing a good job with the boats, but took the reins of the company just as the economy started to collapse. “They just stepped into it at the wrong time,” Sharice says. “We’re really happy we’re getting the company back up and going. We’ve been getting outstanding feedback from everyone, and they’ve been very supportive. They’re really rooting for us.” Chelsie echoes her sister’s feelings about HTM’s new life. “I’m really stoked about the positive response from people. It’s great to know how much support and how many people are there for us and want to help with the company. A lot of people were talking about selling their old boats and buying new boats. It’s just really exciting stuff.” Chelsie says she’ll be involved with shop management, quality control, driving and testing the boats and participating in poker runs. “I grew up on the boats, so boating is definitely in my bloodline,” she says. “It’s just nice to have the company starting back up and starting to get back into that whole lifestyle again. It’s going to be a big adventure.” According to Lia, each new HTM will be a one-off specialty build, culminating in three or four boats a year. If the operation is a success, that could mean raising the stakes. “We all have other jobs and other lives now, but we want to keep this alive. We don’t know where this will take us, but it’s possible that in the future, if we’re still having fun doing it, we might consider expanding. We just want to do it slow and do it right. We want the boats custom and nice.” speedboat.com
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Brett’s
Eat Crow Mach 1
Featuring
Eliminator Restoration Blast from the Past 2
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Eat
CROW This Mach 1 hull may be the only boat you’ll ever see with a scarecrow painted on it.
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photos by Ray
W
Lee •
story by Brett
Bayne
hen Phil Kuderer originally was over there getting some seats made spotted this Mach 1 hull, up and I saw this Mach 1. The deck had
it was a “pile of crap” that had been sitting for years in a fiberglass shop. His friend Jim Brock of Cyclone Speed and Marine (Pacoima, CA) snatched up the boat and breathed some life into it. “It came from the graveyard, gutted and smashed,” says Kuderer. “Jim brought it back to life. It started looking interesting.” Brock recalls his side of the story: “It was at Joe’s Tooling (Sun Valley, CA),” he says. “He used to lay up Cole boats. I
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been caved in. A guy had brought it in to have the gelcoat fractures all cleaned up, but didn’t have the money to finish it, so he just left it there. Then I bought in in a lien sale.” After taking possession of the boat, Brock had all new deck braces made, and had the floor flowcoated like a flatbottom. “It wasn’t painted or anything, and had spots all over it,” Brock says. “Another customer wanted it, so I sold it to him. I hooked him up with custom painter Mike
Lewis of Galpin Auto Sports (Van Nuys, CA).” Lewis’s paint job incorporated a scarecrow and cornfield motif to match the customer’s Harley motorcycle; the boat’s name became Eat Crow. The boat has changed hands a few times, but now Kuderer—who has owned a 1978 Challenger and various other jetboats—finally picked it up and completed the boat. It’s powered by a 547-c.i. Ford with 1095 Demon carbs, high-end dry sump oil system and a Berkeley jet drive. Kuderer has owned the boat for about five years. S P E E D B O A T | September 2017
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Eat CROW
Speedboat photographed Eat Crow in Lake Elsinore, CA, but its owner mainly uses the boat on the Colorado river, from Needles to Parker.
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The Mach 1 is powered by a 547-c.i. Ford with 1095 Demon carbs, high-end dry-sump oil system and a Berkeley jet drive.
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story by Brett
Bayne
S
ean Harrison’s quest for an Eliminator Daytona came to an end when he discovered this
1995 21-footer on Craigslist. It may have been the end of his search, but it was just the beginning of a year-long restoration to “eliminate” any trace of the boat’s 1990s facade and bring it up to modern specs. “The boat was in very poor condition when I bought it,” Harrison says. “The seats were falling apart. It looked like nothing had been done to the boat in 15 years. I don’t think it ever saw a coat of wax. There had been little to no maintenance done to it.” The original asking price was a laughable $21,000, but Harrison eventually took it home for $13,500. “I bought the boat on Friday. We went out and drove it on Saturday. On Monday, I started tearing it down. And by the following Friday, it was at the gelcoater.” In addition to the gelcoat, Harrison made a laundry list of other upgrades, which included powdercoating the hardware, upgrading the outboard, putting on new gauges, moving the rear bench forward and building an all-new engine hatch to make more storage space in the rear of the boat— along with a few other touches and TLC. Harrison, who repairs dental equipment for a living, is proud of how the Daytona came out. “It was a lot of work, a lot of time and a lot of sweat, but it really paid off, and we’re happy with it.” Check out his impressive handiwork in Before and After: Here’s Sean Harrison’s 1995 21' Eliminator Daytona the day he purchased it the pages that follow. (top) and a recent photo of the completed hull (above). Beauty officially restored!
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Above left: The Daytona was not in tip-top shape, as indicated by the proliferation of stress cracks and miscellaneous flaws. The cracks in this image were located right in front of the windshield on the bow of the boat. Above middle: Here’s how the dash looked at the beginning of the project, with all of the original gauges. Above right: The back of the tach. “I took a picture of that so I could remember how it was wired,” Harrison says. “But it didn’t really matter because we ended up rewiring the whole dash.” Right: Some of the dry rot in the wooden seats. Below left and right: The stripping process begins. Out come the gauges, the seats, the hardware and the carpeting. The boat was purchased on a Friday and at the gelcoater promptly in one week.
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Bringin’ Back the Beauty Off to get a new gelcoat! Martinez Marine Interiors (formerly of Corona, now located in Perris, CA) sanded down the hull and prepared to give the Daytona an all-new look. The outboard engine remained clamped to the hull; at the time, Harrison wasn’t sure if the boat would be repowered or not.
Brand-new instrumentation: Harrison called Mike Schultz at Gaffrig Performance (Huntley, IL) to ask about some new gauges. “I showed them what I needed and they were in the mail the next day,” he says. “He’s a super nice guy. He gave me 15% off the whole order and they were shipped out immediately.” Here are the gauges the day they arrived in the mail. 70
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True colors: Martinez mostly followed the existing design. “I did remove all the blue off the bow, the dash and everywhere else, and just left the blue stripe down the side,” Harrison says. “I wanted to wipe the ’90s off the boat and make it look more like a 2017 model.”
Above and left: Here’s the Eliminator following the application of the gelcoat. Now the hull will go through the process of buffing and polishing. Below: The hull is gleaming and shiny following the buffing and polishing process.
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Bringin’ Back the Beauty Right: Here’s all the original metal hardware that came on the boat. “All I did was have it have it powdercoated,” Harrison says. “All of it was done by A Powder Coating (El Cajon, CA).” Below: The freshly powdercoated swim step is installed. Below right: Every piece of metal that was on that boat was sandblasted and powdercoated in gloss black.
The outboard has now been removed; here’s the setback bracket and some other pieces that have also been removed.
Left: New switch panels, steering wheel and billet hub were courtesy of Eddie Marine (Rancho Cucamonga, CA). Above: ”We moved the batteries from the inside of the boat to the very outside to free up more room for storage,” Harrison says. “We remounted the trim pumps, using stainless steel braided lines. And we had all the hardware on the transom powdercoated black.”
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Above: The dash has been reassembled, and the hydraulic steering is ready to be installed. Below: The boat’s new ProMax outboard was purchased from Kevin at R&R Prop Shop (Henderson, NV).
Brand-new seat frames were built by Harrison and his father-inlaw in his driveway.
Above and below: A new engine hatch was built. “I moved the back seat forward two and a half feet to give us more storage behind the back seat,” Harrison says. “The hatches from the factory were only like 14” long—just wide enough to get a battery in there.”
New carpet is installed. speedboat.com
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Bringin’ Back the Beauty
All in the family: Sean and his wife Nichole are the parents of 1-year-old Conor, who is a confirmed outboard fanatic.
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BEFORE AFTER
“It was a lot of work, a lot of time and a lot of sweat, but it totally paid off,” Harrison says. “It really turned out nice and we’re happy with it.” So far, 94 mph is the top speed of the Daytona.
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BLAST from the PAST 2 photographer: Mark
McLaughlin
Nostalgia is the name of the game at Lake Ming’s second annual celebration of hot boats and classic cars.
U
sually, when you see hot boats on Lake Ming in Bakersfield, CA, that means there’s a boat race going on. But for the last
two Julys running, Fire on the Mountain Productions has put together a special nostalgia boat, car and hot-rod show for the whole family—no races, just a show-and-shine and boat exhibition that combines awesome rides from the past with music, food and trophies. Billed as Blast from the Past, the show’s organizer, Scott Blevens, put on a marvelous show in the 100-degree summer heat that included a “Crackle Fest” contest to find out which of the extremely loud dragsters had the loudest engines on the boats and cars. A superb family event that only cost $5 (kids under 12 admitted free), participants got to see hot-rods built by the likes of Sanger, Biesemeyer, Stevens, Hondo, KurtisKraft, Cole and many more. It was a feast for the eyes, and the event even captured some local news coverage, with Blevens showing off a blown carbureted Hondo flatbottom with a 540 c.i. Chevy capable of speeds in the 130-mph range. The on-site deejay kept the nostalgia vibe going with a steady progression of ’70s tunes. Blevens said the event supported veterans and first-responders, including personnel from police and fire departments. Here’s hoping 2018 brings Blast from the Past 3 to Bakersfield’s legendary Lake Ming!
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Below: This 1972 Sanger Shovelnose Hydro is owned and operated by Patrick Kelley out of Lake Elsinore, CA. The Spare Change hydro is pushed by a by a 540-c.i. Dart.
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Tom Lagomarsino drives down to the starting line for an exhibition pass in his 1980 Hondo with a 565 BBC. The injected flatty, named Fresh Start, made some impressive laps in front of the crowd.
Above: Dave Peppmuller shoes his own 1960s-era Lebel flat. Originally raced in the Blown Gas Flat class back in the day, this machine is now powered by a 426 Chrysler. Dave’s rider is Christian Hanks.
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Blast from the Past 2 Below: This 1968 Sanger Shovelnose Hydro, American Soldier, was featured in our previous issue. It’s owned by Jeff Epling and George Vose and runs on 40 percent nitro. Mike Lawson is at the wheel; Gator Wraps ran the red/white/blue color scheme as a tribute to the fallen military.
Above and left: Chris Kurtis brought out his 1985 Kurtis Runner Bottom to show the crowd the last one built. This 468-powered big-block Chevy is surrounded by a hull that is all gelcoat—no paint. Incredible workmanship!
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Above: Teacher’s Pet is a real gem. Bill Wishart , owner of the 1967 Stevens wood deck, takes pride in his Pet with the zebra wood deck by Harlan Orrin. A 392 Chrysler Hemi drives this beautiful machine. Above right: Painted by Kal Koncepts, this 1974 Sanger flatty with BBC by Darrin Hopkins is truly a great-looking flatbottom boat for owner Wayne Cox.
Above: Rick Lavelle takes a lap in his 1974 Howard flat. Left: Lance Nicholls’ 1990s-era D’Cucci honeycomb hull. Powered by a 350 small-block Chevy, this mean machine is running in the Circle Boat Association under the Sportsman Entry class. Nicholls made a few laps around Lake Ming with the 16' circle boat.
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Blast from the Past 2 Below: Patrick Kelley’s Spare Change looks so good, both on the trailer and on the water, that he got a trophy for Best Hydro! Right: Painted by Bill Potts, Cole Cash is pushed by a 505 Chevy. Cal Frost owns this beautiful TR-2. Below right: What a wild paint scheme! This daycruiser came in late, and nobody seemed to know who it belonged to. But it’s a cool ride!
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Habitual Mystic [continued from page 26] built, and hanging around them at the poker runs, we all became really good friends. That’s what led to my owning the Mystic cats.” After owning the 40 MTI, the Colliers traded up to a 50' Mystic with 1350s. “It was one of the only pleasure 50s that they had built at the time,” he says. “I loved the boat, but it was hard to navigate around in. I decided I really didn’t like such a big boat. I owned it for about four months, and then got an offer out of the blue from a guy in Dubai to buy the boat. It wasn’t even for sale. I told him, ‘It’s not for sale.’ He said, ‘Everything’s for sale.’ I said, ‘OK, my bad. It is for sale.’” After selling the 50', Collier started talking to Scott Sjogren about which boat to build next. “I actually looked at buying a new boat from several different manufacturers,” he says. “I looked at buying a lightly used boat. My big thing was, I wanted some of the new Mercury turbo motors. About a year and a half ago, [Mystic President] John Cosker and Scott took me to dinner after the boat show in Palm Beach and made me an offer to build a new C4400.” Collier agreed to build the boat—but under a few conditions. “The biggest condition was I wanted to cut it down,” he says. “I wanted the boat to look more in proportion to what the 50' did. The 50' Mystic has the most sleek and sexy lines of any boat on Earth. There’s nothing like that. I wanted the 44 to look like a 50. I thought it was a little too boxy.” This was achieved by taking 5 inches out of the sides of the boat so it ended up 5 inches thinner than other 4400s. “They agreed to do that, so they made me an offer and I took it. They wanted me to help represent the brand. I was happy to do that, because I love them both to death. I have so much respect for them. I have a business and I respect what they do and try to do.” The resulting Mystic was considered such an improvement that the previous 4400 design was rendered obsolete—Collier’s modified version is the only way you can order a 4400 today.
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Another highlight of the fully carbon-fiber Mystic is its mind-blowing paint job by Stephen Miles Design (SMD) of Owensboro, KY—the most detailed and elaborate that the shop has ever done, representing a combined 4,000+ man hours. Collier signed the papers in March 2016, keeping the purchase a secret for about a year. “I’m a bonafide big cat guy now,” he says. “Building a cat has always been something I’ve wanted to do. I’ve
talked to every manufacturer out there about it.” The Mystic has been GPS’d at 165 mph, and there may be a few more mph in the setup under different water conditions. “The boat has so much power,” Collier says. “It accelerates so hard. It could stand some lower gears and some bigger propellers. It’ll lose some of the acceleration and gain some of the top end. But honestly, I don’t have any reason to do that. I love that rush of acceleration.”
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