The Vintage Hydroplanes

Dear Phil (Kunz),

I am trying to locate (or at least learn the history and fate of) a 225ci hydroplane N-79, “Jezebel” built and raced by my father, Douglass C. Harvey, in the early 1950’s out of Rochester N.Y. I’ve attached 2 pictures of him in the boat, taken around 1958. As I recall, most of his racing was in Irondequoit Bay, Lake Ontario, just East of Rochester. I believe this was his third home-built 225 hydro; I don’t know much about the first two, except that the second one was named Dan’l and (from an old picture of it being built) it looked like a rectangular box with sponsons just attached to the side (probably raced in the 1947-49 timeframe).

I always wanted to drive Jezebel, but as I was only 12 or 13 at the time, Dad wisely put me off. He told me that if I built and learned to drive a smaller hydro, he would reconsider after I turned 16. I built a class B hydro and spent several years running it around a small lake in the Adirondacks. Just before I reached 16, however, he sold Jezebel to someone in Ohio (around 1958). By the time I was interested in trying to locate it, Dad wasn’t able to recall the buyer’s name. All he could tell me was that he received a note from the new owner saying that he had won a race the first year he had the boat.

As I live just North of Detroit, I’ve been to the APBA headquarters and have started looking at the old records. I haven’t been able to determine the purchaser’s name yet. I am hoping that you might recall the boat or have some suggestions on how I can attempt to trace it after Dad sold it.

Thanks for any help you can provide, Bob Harvey, Bingham Farms, MI

Editor’s Note: Mr. Kunz didn’t recall knowing this particular boat from that time period, but he scanned a couple of entry lists from race programs of 1951 & 1952 programs from New Martinsville, WV that showed some boats entered under that boat name to send to Mr. Harvey. I thought the scans were pretty neat to see so I included them as well.
Mr. Kunz is that type of gentleman who will take the time to look for some history for this Mr. Harvey’s father’s hydro.
If you know anything about this boat, please contact Mr. Harvey (by sending him an email).
Neat old school hydro lines on her and also a pretty neat set of cowlings!

Miss Merion Bluegrass
Kirk Rogers had the famous hull replicated  by Don Kelson. The original hull was designed and constructed by Ken Kimbrough and Dr. Ed Johnston. The original owner was the late Fred Rogers.The photo has both the current crew and most of the original crew, driver and builder.
Left-to-right:
Stacey Anderson, Paul Miller, Mick Malcolm, Jim Burrill, Kevin Rogers, Kirk Rogers – current owner, driver, *Earl Wham – driver, *Robert Schultz – Uncle & crew, Frank Woods, *Pat Campbell – crew, *Ken Kimbrough – original builder.
* original group from the 1960 & 1970s.

Check out the Miss Merion Bluegrass website.