Two Fools Met

Posted about the ramp in Washington Mo. and this came back to me. Was 20 some odd years ago they had those little hydro boat races there. The ones that ai'nt much more than some plywood and a sooped up 20 horse motor. Them things would run 70 to 80 mph. After the races some guys were letting the drivers from the race take a boat they were building for a test spin and getting feedback on their boat. Well we was standing there and this guy asked one of my buddies if he wanted to try it out (1st FOOL) my buddy said sure (2nd FOOL). He throws him a helmet and a lifejacket and off he goes. Now my buddy has driven boats before but nothing like this, he goes down the river aways turns around and opens her up. Well he gets it up to 65 or so and trims it up just a smidge to high and up up up and over he goes. They drag him in a safety boat and the little race boat was never seen again. When they get him back to the bank were waiting along with the guy that owned the boat, and he's none to happy about the whole thing. He asks if he's ever driven one of these boats before and my buddies reply was " I WISH YOU WOULD OF ASKED ME THAT BEFORE YOU LET ME DRIVE IT". It took some restraining but we kept him from killing my buddy. Things finally calmed down when they came to an agreement on restitution. That little escapade cost him 5500 bucks. By the way i hope he does'nt read this but his nickname was allways GOOB, sorry KEV...izzy

I have a boat that was built 25 or so years ago. It is a 12ft juniper strip boat, with a flat plywood bottom. They were designed by a couple of guys back home. They got their design from wing designs on planes. It can handle a 40hp. If your brave enough to run it. The design gives them lift but keeps the lower unit in the water. The guys back home use to race them in the rivers as well as fish in them. They are still being made and the biggest I've seen is a 20ft boat. Most are 16ft. I only run a 15hp on mine. It'll run 25mph with two grown men and fishing gear. I love the little boat and won't ever sell it. I have the plans and patterns to make them. The guy that more or less did most of the designing and building tought me how they built them. I plan to build a few when I get my shop done. For people who think that wood and fiberglass don't mix, think again. The oldest boats are made of wood and like I said mine is 25+ years old. They are awesome boats for fishing rivers. They are either stick steer or tiller.
That's a funny story and I do agree with you izzy, they can be dangerous. I have a bunch of stories about the dangers of these boats myself. As long as they are used for fishing and not daredevil stunts they are great and handle better than any boat I've ever driven.