This is a photo from 1994. It was owned by
Yves "Frenchy" Charbonneau. It sat in this field for 15 years before being
rescued. The hull was painted white and green and had a big frog on the
top front, flexing its muscle.
Construction:
This 3 point hydroplane is constructed using
the bulkhead and stringer method common to boats of this type. The primary
framing is of Sitka Spruce (bulkheads and stringers). The exterior bottom,
top and sides is double thickness of 1/4" marine grade mahogany plywood.
The boat bottom and sides are stained and have 4 coats of varnish applied.
An additional 4-5 coats is required. The deck needs to be stained and varnished.
Quick
Overview:
This boat was under restoration in Huntsville,
Ontario. The entire boat has been disassembled and all mechanical systems
removed. All structural members have been inspected for soundness and repairs
made as required. The cockpit and instrument panel has been restored back
to the original design. Mechanical components have been thoroughly refurbished
and refitted. This boat is currently in excellent condition. The 32' long
trailer has a cradle driven by three hydraulic cylinders to allow transportation
of the boat down the highway on its side as maximum allowable highway width
is 8' 6".
The
boat lying level is 11' at its widest point. All hydraulic cylinders and
the self contained 12v power pack have been completely refurbished. The
old "mobile home axles" circa 1960's (and now illegal for highway use)
have been upgraded to new double axles with electric brakes. The trailer
will be sandblasted, primed and painted. Additionally the trailer carries
140 gallons of fuel on board.
Boat
Status:
Original remaining parts besides all hardware
are two main stringers and all cross framing. Restored by one of five fellows
that were the original team of 5 that took six months to build the boat
in 1964/65. New Brunzeel and Jobert Mahogany marine plywood covering complete
boat. Top and bottom, double thickness in many places, approx 30 sheets
at $90 CAD per sheet, some pieces saved for "before and after' memories.
Restorer
had a big box of original ring nails used when built in 1964 and used these.
Old plywood sheeting removed and used as a template to make up new covering,
expertly down, in areas where sheets mate, straight and curved, you couldn't
get a hair in between where they mate. Marine plywood and all battens,
etc. glued in with special (high cost) two part marine epoxy. New battens
for length of boat cut from 10" x 10" x 26' long solid pieces of Sitka
Spruce, battens then bandsawed and planed to 1-1/8" x 1-1/8" x 26' long.
Aluminum angle all replaced on framing that was screwed on to add strength
to the frame members.
New aluminum plate installed under from
transom forward about 6' cut from 4' x 8" sheet. New transom fabricated,
completely replacing old one, old transom saved for "before and after"
memories. Remaining 2' left from aluminum sheet used to put a skin over
transom. Boat stained from gunnels down and sponsons and complete undersides,
five coats of varnish applied, need about another five.
Sponsons
are wet style. All new styrofoam floatation material replaced in front
of boats and on both sides above the sponsons. New aluminum skid fin fabricated
and installed on left sponson. Length of aluminum plate screwed on to underside
of sponsons so that angle can be easily changed if desired. New dashboard
panel stained and varnished and glued to old panel, not cut out for instruments
and steering column, to be done at your pleasure for instrumentation.
Topside of boat needs final puttying of
nail holes, light sanding, then stain and 10 coats of varnish. There are
some water stains of bare where water blew in under cover, not serious.
Old
seat rotted out, I have a new fiberglass seat insert which needs to be
upholstered and fitted. Fiberglass engine cover and rear fin has been refinished
and painted with a number of coats of still available Benjamin Moore paint
color "American Red" that was original paint and color. Original large
diameter steering wheel and column comes with boat with new aircraft cable
supplied. Prop shaft (1-1/8" dia), one piece length from Casale, magnafluxed
and checked for straightness, strut and cross bearing support installed
loose, engine block was dry mounted and alignment off after restoration
by
under 1/8".
The
boat comes with Casale box with 65% overdrive gears, spare lower set of
gears with boat, drive is z-drive, with input splined and going into an
adapter bolted to the end of the crank, there is a backing plate, Schaefer
flywheel with spline coupling, then aluminum bell housing and round plate
with oil seal onto aluminum bell housing. Casale is direct coupled to rear
of 392 Hemi. Mechanical tach drive and gauge comes with boat. Engine that
came with the boat had a broken crank at #1 journal and all the webbing
of the crankcase broken out on centermain journals saved. This for show
and tell if desired. Only engine pieces are front and rear engine mounts,
all Casale and drive items, and approx 30 USG fuel tank set up for alcohol
with tank brackets already installed back in boat. Original was Keith Black
392 Hemi, fuel injected with 6:71 blower. When the owner of race team went
into bankruptcy in 1969, Keith Black pulled his five engines out and kept
it as they were his engines and program.
It
is our intention to complete the restoration to museum quality while allowing
the boat to be run on the Vintage Race Boat Circuit.
Our plans include restoring the boat to
the original paint scheme when Art Asbury drove the boat. The only
thing we are planning that will be different will be the power plant.
All else will be exactly like the "Old Days."
Trailer: 32'
in length overall. New hydraulic power pack with larger than normal oil
reservoir supplied and mounted inside one of the side toolboxes so it can
be locked in. Hydraulic lever controls on power pack for positive operation
of both up and down on cylinders. Hydraulic cylinders rebuilt and re-chromed.
All hydraulic lines replaced and re-routed, neatened up. New style fenders
fabricated and installed of sufficient thickness and braced well enough
that you can stand on them. Original mobile home axles discarded and replaced
with brand new 5000 lb rated axles with electric brakes (not wired up as
of yet). Six new aluminum mag rims purchased, 4 mounted with new 16" Firestone
tires. Trailer has mounting provisions to mount the spare tires. Trailer
also has setup to mount two 55 USG drums of fuel at the rear. Approx 80
USG aluminum tank mounted above two axles to carry additional fuel. Trailer
weighs 5500 lbs empty. Old pintle hitch torched off and new 2-5/8" ball
hitch neatly welded on to tongue. To finish trailer, it needs to be sandblasted,
primed, painted, lights/wiring completed and carpet bunks put on.
Here are some
pics of the CGP after finishing the bottom and sides.
Oh how I wish I could have flipped it. This
working upside down is not for
humans. She is 11' 6" wide and the gantry
was only 12'.
Oh well, it's done now.
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I hope to have
this beast in the
water next year and hopefully make a show
or two.
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Hardware being fitted.
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