The Vintage Hydroplanes

50 years of Boat Racing History

Worth a read & reflection – page 17 in the Nov issue of Propeller magazine:
– 50 Years of Boat Racing History – by W. Melvin Crook.
The article was written in 1953(?) for the 50th Anniversary of the American Power Boat Association (born 1903).

November 4, 2013 November 4, 2013

Buccaneer — Simulator

Greg and I bought the Buccaneer from Tom Bock in 1995 and was our first UL. We sold that to Paul Becker about 2002 and he ran as UL. He sold to Greg Walden from Atomic Screen Printing. He ran as a UL around 2006-2007? I actually drove it a heat at the Tri-Cities race that year. Greg sold to Jon Bosserman and Greg and I bought it back from John when we came up with the simulator idea. So yes the old Buccaneer is now the simulator. The low trailer was a big part of that decision because the boat is only a couple feet off the ground off tilt. Tom put the canopy on it and when we picked the boat up it didn’t have the tail on it, but it was in his garage with the skull and cross bones still on it and I said “I want that, it’s going back on the boat”. So we put it back on for the first UL race.

When we built the boat as the simulator we were well aware of the boats historic value. We “surgically” removed the portion of the cockpit from the firewall to the windshield as one piece with the thought in mind that some day it might be a vintage boat. We have all the hardware, prop shaft, strut, rudder etc. The boat itself is in pretty rough shape. Not rot so much as several broken ribs, stringers and sponson problems. Nothing that a lot of tender love and care couldn’t fix. Will make a photo album of the simulator project.

Right now this boats roll as a simulator is a real boost for the sport. We have run hundreds of kids through this thing and they all come out of it with huge smiles on their faces. The kids are the future of boat racing, from a “ride” in this positive experience to the next step….a J-Stock hydro or runabout. The simulator has two seats side by side with video screens, steering wheels, gas pedal, and a seat with speakers in it. It has a lid that closes, notice resemblance to the first turbine Pay n Pack. On the out side we have a monitor for each of the inside monitors and the parents can see and hear exactly what the kids see inside. Using the hydro-mod game that Scott Przybylski built. We have taken it to events such as the Taste of Edmonds, Tri-Cities race and the Coeur d’Alene race. Will be doing some boat shows and single day events/parties etc for a nominal fee of course. Think we have plans for the Spokane Boat Show in January.
Jerry Hopp

November 2, 2013 November 2, 2013

Miami Marine Stadium

Friends of Miami Marine Stadium

Newsletter #67 October 9, 2013

In This Issue

Marine Stadium Exhibit

News

If Seats Could Talk

Dade Heritage Trust

Dade Heritage Trust (DHT) is the foremost organization in Miami Dade County devoted to historic preservation Formerly, DHT was the parent organization to Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, providing important advocacy and support and an administrative umbrella. Since 2011, Friends of Miami Marine Stadium became an independent 501(c)(3) not- for-profit organization.For more information on Dade Heritage Trust, click here.

Email List

# of people on Friends of Marine Stadium email list..2706

We respect your time and only send emails on average once a month. We do not give or sell our email list to anyone.

If Seats Could Talk: Miami Marine Stadium and a Real Marine

Since May of 2009, we have been collecting memories of the Marine Stadium for our book “IF SEATS COULD TALK.”
We feature a memory in the main section of our newsletter this week. Please respond to this email if you would like to contribute your memory! # of memories for IF SEATS COULD TALK
………..186

Marine Stadium Presentations

The Miami Marine Stadium continues to attract not just local-but national attention. As we move into fundraising mode, it is important for us to get the word out.

If you know of a group that is interested in a presentation about the Marine Stadium, please reply to this email.
# of Marine Stadium presentations made to date……………..76

To: Miami Marines

Brace yourselves…for an incredilbly busy fall!

Marine Stadium Exhibit at the Coral Gables Museum Opens October 17

Official Exhibition Trailer Concrete Paradise: Miami Marine Stadium

Our exhibit celebrating the Miami Marine Stadium, “Concrete Paradise”, opens Thursday, October 17 at 7:00 PM at the Coral Gables Museum. Tickets for the opening, which will benefit the exhibit and our effort to save and restore the Marine Stadium, cost $25. To purchase your tickets, click here.

The opening event will be spectacular, featuring parkour athletes, a performance by VJ Psyberpixie, Bacardi cocktails,

and even racing hydroplanes parked out front! In preparation for over a year, this first-ever exhibition is devoted to the

Miami Marine Stadium’s flashy past, its edgy present, and its

spectacular proposed comeback as a world-class sports and performance venue.

Curated by renowned author and architectural conservator, Rosa Lowinger, this interactive exhibit will bring the glory days of Miami’s most daringly modern structure back to life through stunning video footage, rare photos and keepsakes, original art installations, photo murals of the stadium’s infamous graffiti, and an antique hydroplane. It will conclude with a special section dedicated to the stadium’s next chapter featuring never before seen site renderings and opportunities for museum visitors to share their vision for the structure’s future.

The exhibition is being presented by American Express. We wish to thank our partners, the Coral Gables Museum and the National Trust for Historic Preservation for the tremendous job they have done. Finally, we’d also like to acknowledge our Cliff Mezey, a member of our Board who came up with the idea for the exhibit almost two years ago.
In addition to the exhibit itself, we have a full lineup of programs we will be highlighting in future notices to you. Coming up soon: October 24-The Future of the Miami Marine Stadium-a panel discussion and on November 6-Boat Racing in Miami-Past and Future-a panel discussion.

Marine Stadium News

Gloria Estefan and Hilario Candela at the Never Quit Challenge at Miami Marine Stadium photo (c) Carlos Betancourt, Inc.

The Marine Stadium continues to be in the news. The Stadium was the first stop at the Never Quit Challenge, an event benefiting charities working with Veterans and their families. The participants were greeted by a crowd that included Gloria Estefan and Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado. At the event, Gloria was able to discuss her vision for Miami Marine Stadium.
The Clyde Fitch Report, a blog that deals with the intersection of Art and Politics, featured a very thoughtful article about the importance of the Marine Stadium entitled Miami’s Quest for Global Standing.
CNN ran a story entitled Six Imperiled Sports Sites; the first site in the article was the Miami Marine Stadium. This national story generated the most web traffic we have had on any one day in the last three years.
Finally, there is a recent article in The Miami Herald which featured an interview about the Coral Gables Museum exhibit with curator Rosa Lowinger. We are expecting a lot of press coverage about the exhibition.

IF Seats Could Talk The First Boat Race at Miami Marine Stadium

Photo By Phil Kunz
We are rapidly approaching the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Miami Marine Stadium – in December, 1963. We recorded a great story from Phil Kunz, who drove down from Ohio to attend the first boat race at the Marine Stadium. Phil and his friend didn’t have a place to stay, so they actually snuck in and slept at the Stadium!
We’ve already collected 186 stories about the Stadium as work continues on our book, IF SEATS COULD TALK. If you would like to contribute a story for our book (we’ll be happy to interview you or follow up on a recommendation), just respond to this email.

Conclusion

During one of Phil Kunz’ visits to Miami in the 1960s, he picked up this flag at the Marine Stadium. Phil has graciously loaned it to us and it will be on display at our exhibit at the Coral Gables Museum. The exhibit will not only feature memorabilia and history about the Stadium’s years of operation, but it will also display how it has inspired current artists-and most important, it will help us imagine potential possibilities for its stellar future.
As we begin our “quiet” fundraising campaign, the important contributions you can make are to: Support us by attending opening night on October 17, come to our related programs and events, and help us create a buzz about the exhibit by liking us on Facebook. We KNOW that after you have seen the exhibit, you will be even more inspired to help us restore the Miami Marine Stadium.
Yours truly,
Friends of Miami Marine Stadium www.marinestadium.org

October 9, 2013 October 9, 2013

Frankie’s Boy

Phil Kunz has this photo in his Scrapbook section of his website of the boat, dated 1952.
The boat was built by Don & Bruce Smith in the mid or late 1940s and Bruce campaigned it for a few years from the late 40s through the early 50s.

The above photo was taken by Phil Spruit at the 1998 Clayton Antique Race Boat Regatta. Someone from Florida drove it up and it was for sale there.
Framing was made out of oak, probably the only reason it lasted so long.The boat ran in the 225 class/Division 1. The hydro was powered by a Flathead 6 cyl motor, GMC? Interesting part of this boat is the hand hammered aluminum cowlings, ala sprint car and midget construction of the day. Very high quality work on the cowlings.

The boat must have been retired by the mid 1950s and may have been “put out to pasture” into the field around the rural Cincinnati area.
Past owners were the Wermes brothers and Bill MacTague of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The photos below – show how how it looks today after Don Kelson beautifully restored it.
Not bad looking for a sixty-something year old race boat!

October 8, 2013 October 13, 2013

Oh Boy!

October 4, 2013 October 4, 2013

S-25 – Looking for history, builder

Hello, I have recently purchased a “1950’s” lay down hydro (you drive ’em laying down on your belly laying over the gas tank?) with identification number S 25. The story I got was at one time it raced around Springfield lake in Ohio. It was bought at a yard sale by the gentleman I got it from. Any assistance in this endeavor is greatly appreciated as I want to refinish it in the “original” colors. The pattern is still visible.
You can reach me @ boatcraft58@aol.com
Hope to hear from anyone and thank you.

Joe Hodges

October 4, 2013 October 4, 2013

F-90 Miss Peg

After weighing the Miss Peg F-90 on race car scales they found that it was light on transom weight and O/D/B Jack Hines moved the battery back approx two feet. This made it easier to get up on plane and as you can see from the photos, the reports from New Martinsville were – she performed very well.

October 1, 2013 October 1, 2013

September 28, 2013 September 28, 2013