Hey Folks – I r’cd the following below from Chris who just acquired this beautiful hydro. It is always great to read about another hydro that survived just enough to be restored. Interesting that it appears to have water-cooled headers running on-board. Perhaps a cool lake racer in it’s last version, but what was it before that?
If anybody can help Chris out with history, please post here or click on Chris’s name below and send him an email.
Hello, Vintage Hydroplanes
My name is Chris Sztuke and I have recently purchased the hydroplane called Black Magic. My plans are to restore the boat, however I know very little about the boat. The lady I purchased the boat from new very little about it as her husband passed away and the paper work and any information on the boat was lost in a fire. I would be very interested in any information I could get to help in the restoration and to understand the history of the boat.
I am located in Southern Ontario near Belleville. I know the boat has been in this area for the last 25 years.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Chris Sztuke
Editor notation: History found – Ross McCracken and Bob Abbott both responded that this is the former Miss Maple Leaf II.
Bill Ireland was former owner / driver.
Hi Chris: My name is Brent Nixon from Summerstown on and an old hydroplane racer. I noticed your post looking for imfo on your vintage black magic hydroplane and I am currently researching it as we speak. I am almost positive this is the maple leaf built by a friend of mine and his father and are now both deceased. If so this boat would have been built approx 1946 – 47 . The boat was sold around the late 40s to Ed Pine a gas station owner and was renamed RED CAP . When I find out more imfo I will be back to you. If this turns out to be the same boat you will be very surprised to find out it’s very famous history. Sincerely Brent Nixon
Would love to correspond with you about this boat, we have all Ed Pines trophys at the museum. All my infor show he called his Boat Maple Leaf
We are looking for information as we are featuring Ed Pine in our 2018 display
Hi Brent – there have been a number of hulls names BLACK MAGIC in both Canada and the US. This hull would date from the late 1960s. Cheers – Ross
Talked to the builder of the maple leaf ed pines boat and he says this is not the same boat. George Haineault and his father built eds boat. George lives in Cornwall and his father raced the boat before he sold it to ed. He says the pipes were too low when they first put it into the water and it sank. They modified it and the father crashed into the dock at a Montreal race and broke his leg. then sold it to ed pine eds first boat was Red Cap, and another Kincade. Still looking for more info there is a picture on the Phil Kunz scrapebook 1940’s site
Hi chris can you give me your phone number re black magic imfo. Thanks Brent Nixon
Curator of the Mariners Museum, your best place for information in restoration would be Clayton Boat Museum, Marv Hart is my contact there
I am the curator of the Mariners Park Museum, just outside Milford, Ontario and we have in our collection the trophy of Ed Pines and some of this stories. And about his mysterious death. Is this the boat that was in the fire at Waupoos marina a few years ago, she was at the museum a few years ago when we did a Gold cup weekend and the Miss Supertest Weekend in 2011.
I had the wood black magic F909 in Miami. Early 70’s. There was a fiberglass black magic on the vintage circuit.
Chris, what is the status of the restoration of the hydroplane race boat.John
What is the status of the refurbish of the hydroplane raceboat.John