WISH LIST:
By Hal Le Duc: A winter month of a Clayton type Vintage event held at Disney World or Mt.Dora.

NOTES:
 Joe Taggart, a former Gold Cup Winner, celebrated his 90th birthday on May 25, 1997.
 On a sad note, Hugh Long from Danville, KY has passed away. Hugh was a long time active APBA member who competed in the 150 cubic inch hydroplane class (currently known as the 2.5 Litre Modified). He successfully campaigned his boats under the name of Big Chief. He will be missed by all of us. Mark tells us that his Dad’s Lauterbach Big Chief is now for sale.
 Dave Williams of the Hydroplane and Race Boat Museum of Seattle has been given the Charlie Lloyd designed and built 7 Litre Heavy Hauler. This boat started its life as the Sayonara owned by Sam and Ester Urso of Elgin, IL. In 1968, Dean Chenoweth drove the boat to a National Championship. The 7 Litre was sold to Lennie Ryden of Chicago, IL who campaigned the boat as the Heavy Hauler. 
 Gene Whipp, Chair of the APBA Offshore Division, won two back-to-back National Championships with the Heavy Hauler. By the way, Gene Whipp is the only undefeated Unlimited Driver, by virtue of winning the Presidents Cup Regatta in his first Unlimited Race, then immediately retiring. Don Ryan of Bellingham, WA purchased this Lloyd hydro and renamed the craft Don Ryan’s Heavy Hauler. 
 Austin Webster, of Preston MD, wrote us that he became a member of APBA last year. He met Skip Gilliam, Tom Donley and Dick Sooy last year at the antique boat show in St. Michaels, MD. Ever since, he is a big fan!

VINTAGE TRIVIA:
Jack Fisher informs us that the Winding River Boating Assoc. will celebrate their 50th Anniversary in April 1999. This club has hosted the Millville, NJ race for decades. They are getting an early start on this celebration! Sounds like a party time to me..

CHALLENGES:
Responding to our March challenge, Fred Miller of Round Lake IL, sent us Bob Switzer's address. 2525 W. Knob Hill Rd. Johnsburg, IL 60050. Phone # 815-385-2830.  Not only that, he also sent us an article published in the Northwest Herald of McHenry County, IL. on March 26, 1997.  Small World... Thank you Fred! 
 Well, last months Propeller came out after my May column had already been written and submitted. God works in strange ways. Calvert Cleveland “Skeeter” Johnson passed away in April. After his funeral, the April Propeller came out in the Cambridge, MD area, with our tribute to Skeeter. This article was written back in February, when Skeeter was in good health. It seems that our timing was appropriate. We had an overwhelming response to our Vintage Trivia question on Skeeter Johnson. Many, many members and friends contacted us. Such as: Louise Scartine, Sidney Johnson, John Fitzgerald, Bill Stienfield, Larry Lauterbach, Austin Webster, Bud Wiget, Dave Bromwell, Jack Fisher and many more. The tremendous output from all shows what great regard the membership held for the late Skeeter. One of the nicest compliments I have ever received was from Gary Shippard of Wheeling, WV.  Gary had never met Skeeter but had seen him race over 35 years ago. My comments about Skeeter captured his thoughts perfectly of that day and he had to call and tell me so. Bill McKnight of Pompano Beach, FL wrote, “When I saw the photo of the Wa-Wa Too in the current issue of Propeller, it sent a memorable chill up my spine! When I started racing in the 44 hydro class in the mid 1960’s, Calvert “Skeeter” Johnson was a living legend and one hell of a nice person”.
 Bill writes “In 1980, I hung up my helmet and retired my 850cc hydro and moved from Red Bank to Pompano Beach. My APBA membership has been maintained for over 30 years and will always be a big part of my life. I look forward to your vintage articles each month.”
  We are still in need of APBA Rule books from the 30’s to the present day. If you have any rule books that you do not want to keep, please send them to us. We will provide them with a good home.
  Butch Wood from Guntersville, AL in conjunction with the Guntersville Chamber of Commerce is looking for pictures of the 1955, 1957 and 1959 National Champions of the 135 and 225 cubic inch hydroplane classes.

RACE SITES:
 July 4 thru 6  Valleyfield, Quebec  ATTENTION!!! All Vintage members who plan to bring equipment to this event MUST contact Penny LaTour at (514) 371-6144. A.S.A.P. The Valleyfield Contact for Motels or problems are Marcel Gobeil or Michele Schryer at 514-377-9432
 July 20  Sylvan Lake, MI Oakland County Boat Club 80th Annual Regatta. Contact: Bill Hickson (810) 682-6730.
 August 15 thru 17  Stuebenville, OH   Tentative
 September 6th  Clear Lake, Iowa   Tentative. Contact: Jim Cummings Home Number(612) 391-6280.

VIDEO: 
Available thru the Vintage Division of APBA is a 30 minute video of Antique Race Boat Regatta ‘96 Clayton New York. This is by far the best of the three race boat regatta videos. Interesting underwater prop shots, dramatic helicopter footage, interviews of racing friends, bow mounted cameras, professionally produced by Matt Heinman. The price is $30 plus sales tax (Florida only). Send your check, payable to APBA, and your mailing address to Tom D’Eath 2011 74th ST. NW.  Bradenton, FL 34209. This video is a must have! I have previewed the video and it is excellent!!

FRED MILLER’S SPECIAL REPORT:           FAMILY ROCKED THE BOAT BY Kimberly Palmiero
 Entrepreneurs long have capitalized on local’s love affair with the river, founding business’ that made the county famous for boat building. Bob Switzer, whose father founded a successful boat company, does not want that era to pass into history commemorated only in dusty albums and through old stories. So Switzer donated one of the company’s most popular speedboats, a 1950 Baby Bullet, to the McHenry County Historical Society. “My Dad said we could advertise speed with safety,” the son said. “That was the theme behind it.” The family company produced about 800 Bullet speedboats from 1948-54. It is not a showy craft like those of today. Instead, the bullet’s wooden form follows function. The flared sides make it harder to tip than other boats. The Bullet is a major acquisition for the museum. The museum will feature an exhibit around the Baby Bullet, tracing the company’s construction of wood boats from 1946 to 1964. Boat rehabilitator Ken Bruce of McHenry is donating time to restore the craft.  The Fox River of old was far more than a source of entertainment; particularly before mass transportation. Postman delivered mail along the Fox. Kids even bought ice cream from a vendor drifting down the river. The river was a source of everything from recreation to livelihood to tourism and boats were a key part of it.
 The Switzer family started in the business quite by chance, when 14 year old Dave Switzer of Chicago built a basic boat from the 25-cent plans he purchased from Popular Mechanics. Brother Bob worked on it a little, and when he returned from the war he improved it some more. The result was a sailboat, later transformed into a speedboat. Fate brought this budding business to McHenry in 1947.
 The family was threatened with eviction from their Chicago home for operating a business in their house. So Russell and Roma Switzer decided it was time to move, relocating their budding business into the basement of a Green Street department store, the present-day site of Green Street Cafe. The family sold the company in 1982.
 Two years back, a man offered to sell Switzer the boat, which was rotting and had contact paper stuck to the front. The father had promised Steve, the old Baby Bullet when the historical society volunteer Bill Dysart asked if the elder Switzer would consider donating it. Steve gladly gave the boat back and his father agreed it was the right thing to do. “I was glad to donate it” Switzer said. The society is seeking the donation of a small-engine motor that would have been used on the boat. For information, call (815) 923-2267.

VINTAGE HOT BOAT OF THE MONTH: 
T-199 A Vintage Switzer Marathon Hull, powered with two big 6 cylinder Mercurys. This picture was taken in the late 60’s or early 70’s. We challenge the membership to fill us in more with details of this boat’s name, driver, owners, and racing history.

©1997 Tom D'Eath