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Conference vicki::boats

Title:Powerboats
Notice:Introductions 2 /Classifieds 3 / '97 Ski Season 1267
Moderator:KWLITY::SUTER
Created:Thu May 12 1988
Last Modified:Wed Jun 04 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1275
Total number of notes:18109

1232.0. "PT boats" by KAHALA::SUTER (Never too Hot!) Fri Jul 21 1995 16:56

	I got to see two PT boats a couple of weeks ago
in Fall River, Mass's Battleship cove. These are impressive
boats! I never realized that they had double-planked mahogany
hulls. I always thought they were steel hulled.

	They two that they had were each powered by THREE V-12
Packard engines making 1500 HP, each. Yup, a 4500 HP, triple
screw boat, 77 feet long that would do 50 MPH! As Bud Bundy
would say.... "Oh Man!".

	Anyone ever get the opportunity to drive one?

Rick
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1232.1Can't wait to see the new onesMCS873::KALINOWSKIMon Jul 24 1995 13:5821
    Rick
    
       You shoulda been around last year in Salem Ma when the Navy showed
    up with 3 experimental PT boats. They were coming up the East Coast in
    sea trials from Norfolk Va.
    
       They made it from R.I. to Salem in 3.5 hours going around the Cape
    and there was a full blown gale raging. Only needed 200 gallons of 
    desiel each.
    
    
        Paint job was a sea camo grey/black. You could hear them 2 miles
    inland as they headed for shore (Sounded like someone was racing
    locomotives on nitro in the fog). At idle, they burbled so nicely, and when
    given just a bit of gas they reved like a quick Chevy 454 gas mill.
    
       The two rigs were brand new Ford pickup fronts on electrical linemen
    4x4 frames with integrated cabovers. Custom trailers too. No emblems,
    but painted Air Force blue. 
    
        Quite the toys, err.... I mean your tax money at work  ;>) 
1232.2Made by Higgins!NCMAIL::FRASCHMon Jul 31 1995 11:239
    Rick,
    
    They were made by the Higgins Boat Co. back in the forties. I had a
    Higgins 18' inboard in the mid fifties (my dad's boat) that was all 
    mahogany and plywood that ran like a bandit but would break your 
    kidneys in any chop. The hull was basically flat at the stern, and 
    with a 115 Hp Grey, it would do over forty!
    
    Don