Bass Lake

[ssmike]

The long pull to Bass Lake was definitely worth it! We had a great weekend and can't wait to go back!!!


http://www.performanceboats.com/html/youBoat/data/500/medium/Bass_Lake.JPG

Here is my dad and my 4 year old getting back from a speed run...

[RiverRacer]

That is awesome Mike, sounds like it was a good time!...:cool:

[Terrible toy]

I made it to Bass Lake and, besides eyeing some cool boats got to meet my first genuine fellow v-drive. comer, Jon (pwdrman). We were swapping some great war stories and enjoying the event. Unfortunately, had my teenage niece with me and she wasn't quite as interested in hot boats as she thought she would be.:(

Ran into Arlen Kurtis, hadn't talked to him in a very long time. Could have spent a day gabbing with him also. He's building midgets and Kurtis roadsters like his dad built in the 40s. I think I'll accept his invite to go over and look them over. I put Arlen up there with a select group who had a giant impact on our beloved sport.

[pwderman]

I made it to Bass Lake and, besides eyeing some cool boats got to meet my first genuine fellow v-drive. comer, Jon (pwdrman). We were swapping some great war stories and enjoying the event. Unfortunately, had my teenage niece with me and she wasn't quite as interested in hot boats as she thought she would be.:(

Ran into Arlen Kurtis, hadn't talked to him in a very long time. Could have spent a day gabbing with him also. He's building midgets and Kurtis roadsters like his dad built in the 40s. I think I'll accept his invite to go over and look them over. I put Arlen up there with a select group who had a giant impact on our beloved sport.

Bill, It was a great show and meeting you guy's in person was a pleasure I just wish we had more time to BS. My buddy Scott is on the board to (boat anchor) he's more of a lurker here, me I'm a semi lurker.

I just want to say thanks again for bringing the injector,it was a nice early birthday present and I'll put it to good use so it won't be sitting on a shelf very long..:D :D

[Terrible toy]

I just want to say thanks again for bringing the injector,it was a nice early birthday present and I'll put it to good use so it won't be sitting on a shelf very long..:D :D

Jon I definitely didn't get enough BS time and it was my pleasure meeting you also. Only bad thing about this site, you meet people (electronically) that you have a lot in common with but, since we're spread to the 4 corners of the planet seldom, if ever, will get to meet.

In my small and isolated town there is a total of one boat racer (er... ex boat racer) and 3 flat owners I know of. Out of those only one knows a split coupler from a prop nut. So, if I ever bore you guys with my ramblings my excuse is I'm going through terminal fast boat withdrawal pains.:D:D

[Roaddogg 4040]

The long pull to Bass Lake was definitely worth it! We had a great weekend and can't wait to go back!!!


http://www.performanceboats.com/html/youBoat/data/500/medium/Bass_Lake.JPG

Here is my dad and my 4 year old getting back from a speed run...

That right there is a really great looking boatt!!!!!! Way kool...

Steve

[ls6vdrive]

Did anyone get anymore photos from the boat show there?

[ls6vdrive]

I can't believe no-one got anymore photos at bass Lake:(

[RiverRacer]

Guess everyone forgot the camera, LOL..

[Terrible toy]

Guess everyone forgot the camera, LOL..

My bad, Jon and I were talking too much I guess. I had a digital camera with me.:o:o

[ls6vdrive]

go figure...lol was there beer involved:D

[Terrible toy]

go figure...lol was there beer involved:D

Nope, can't even blame it on that. Lot of cool classic and newer boats... wish you all could have seen them.:p

[pwderman]

Nope, can't even blame it on that. Lot of cool classic and newer boats... wish you all could have seen them.:p

Yea to much BS'n lol. I got a few pics, pretty much the same as already posted. The Hondo with the wood deck was killer...:eek: If you go on John Miller's web site you can see the build up.

[RiverRacer]

My bad, Jon and I were talking too much I guess. I had a digital camera with me.:o:o

Don't feel bad I do the same, I go to a race and get involved with a boat and the camera never comes out the whole time, LOL..:D

But I'm staying away from boats in Burley, so I may get some pics!..:D

[ls6vdrive]

should of had our photographer there...wannabe

[TonkaDriver]

My bad, Jon and I were talking too much I guess. I had a digital camera with me.:o:o

I can't help but think this situation is a perfect example of deriliction of duty to all of us who could not be at a particular event.

I believe maybe this type of inconsideration by any board member is sufficient to require the formation of a kangaroo court to levy punishment for these types of crimes against all of us that are unable to attend for geographical, work, family or other reasons.

Not trying to make you feel bad Terrible Toy, just pointing something out and laughing my ass of at the same time.

Kurt

[RiverRacer]

I can't help but think this situation is a perfect example of deriliction of duty to all of us who could not be at a particular event.

I believe maybe this type of inconsideration by any board member is sufficient to require the formation of a kangaroo court to levy punishment for these types of crimes against all of us that are unable to attend for geographical, work, family or other reasons.

Not trying to make you feel bad Terrible Toy, just pointing something out and laughing my ass of at the same time.

Kurt

LMAO!..:D:D

[Terrible toy]

I can't help but think this situation is a perfect example of deriliction of duty to all of us who could not be at a particular event.

I believe maybe this type of inconsideration by any board member is sufficient to require the formation of a kangaroo court to levy punishment for these types of crimes against all of us that are unable to attend for geographical, work, family or other reasons.

Not trying to make you feel bad Terrible Toy, just pointing something out and laughing my ass of at the same time.

Kurt

Are there any attorneys on the board? Looks like I'll need one. Wait a minute, pwderman was there too and he took a total of ZERO photos, Why is he getting a free ride?

This reeks of discrimination. I didn't want to believe it at first. The not so subtle remarks, the snide comments, but this makes it painfully obvious... Hydro drivers are second class citizens around here.:D

[RiverRacer]

OMG, we have a crisis here!..:D:D:D

[pwderman]

Are there any attorneys on the board? Looks like I'll need one. Wait a minute, pwderman was there too and he took a total of ZERO photos, Why is he getting a free ride?

This reeks of discrimination. I didn't want to believe it at first. The not so subtle remarks, the snide comments, but this makes it painfully obvious... Hydro drivers are second class citizens around here.:D

FIRST OFF I've been here longer.. lol secondly I did take pics just nothing different than what's been posted already.. How come your pickin on the old guy...:confused: :D

Only if they drove flats first..:rolleyes:

[RiverRacer]

Maybe the training wheels has something to do with it!..:confused::D:D

[Terrible toy]

Maybe the training wheels has something to do with it!.

I rest my case, where's the damn ACLU when you need them.:D And Jon I gotta be twice as old as you, so "picking on the old guy" isn't going to fly.:D:D

Maybe I can salvage a tiny bit of respect around here by admitting that flats are more fun to drive.;)

[RiverRacer]

Maybe I can salvage a tiny bit of respect around here by admitting that flats are more fun to drive.;)

Well, that's a start anyhow!..:D

[pwderman]

I rest my case, where's the damn ACLU when you need them. And Jon I gotta be twice as old as you, so "picking on the old guy" isn't going to fly.

Bill if your twice as old your well preserved...:D and don't start any of that ACLU political crap here this ain't PB..lol

[Terrible toy]

I rest my case, where's the damn ACLU when you need them. And Jon I gotta be twice as old as you, so "picking on the old guy" isn't going to fly.

Bill if your twice as old your well preserved...:D and don't start any of that ACLU political crap here this ain't PB..lol

Well maybe I fibbed a little on the age, we were talking about lawyers weren't we.:D I don't think the ACLU would return any call from me, boat racers would definitely be on their "do not call list".

By the way the link is on the way. Must have had a brain fart when I didn't write down the C to C distance, but found an old tuning sheet that had it at 2.65".

Wonder how many on the board have "training wheel" (see Art's reply above) experience. I could use a little help.:rolleyes:

[AquaCraft]

Wonder how many on the board have "training wheel" (see Art's reply above) experience. I could use a little help.:rolleyes:

In the late 1970's; we were camped at Big Bend at the Colorado River. The one real racer among us; Matt Culbert/BADLANDS/#239/Drag Hydros; was there with one of his "decommissioned" hydros.

Decommissioned for Matt meant the injected hemi was out and a big inch carburated chevy motor was in. The boats still had the 2 speeds and the ability to pop the tail was always mandatory for Matt.

All day long we would watch the flotsam and jetsom roar by; look at Matt and say: "how about that one"?

Matt never drank when boating; he would sit in an aluminum chair, evaluate the boat going by, wrinkle his nose and say "nah"; meanwhile the hydro would stay on the trailer in the camp ground.

Just before sunset there was a tremendous racket as an injected flatbottom came around the bend in the river from the north, straightened out in front of the camp ground and let loose with an impressive run past our reviewing group including Matt.

This guy was serious, the helmet, the racing vest, the whole deal and he was fast.

Matt was quite for a moment; stood up in his swim trunks, sat down his Coke and said to Danny: "C'mon". Off to the boat ramp they went with the hydro in tow.

Danny was one of our group; a Vietnam Vet saved from a "dead pile" by Army docs during the war; cool as James Dean and sporting a brand new pair of Ray Ban wire rim aviator glasses...

The flatbottom headed north past the campground around the bend to where Matt and Danny had put the hydro in the water.

The flat and Matt were doing "burn outs" around the corner and the sounds brought everyone to the beach to see what was going on.

Around the corner came the flat with Matt and Danny next to him in the hydro.

They were up against a huge cliff wall across from the campground when they punched-off.

The air was electric as they wound up tight past the campground beach with the roar echoing off the rock cliff.

Just when we all were beginning to be the least concerned that Matt had met his match; we saw him leaning down, heard a distictive shift, saw the tail pop and the hydro leaped leaving the injected flat in his rooster tail.

It didn't stop there though; the flat backed out of the throttle when the race was over but the hydro kept going.

All we could see was the rooster tail disappearing into the tule weeds down river until Matt let up well down river.

When Matt idled back to the beach, we caught the boat, Matt took his ball cap off his arm, put it on his head and with a smile said: "...it took us a while to pop the tail but we finally got 'er rollin".

Meanwhile Danny, the King of Cool, had turned jelly in the passenger seat. He was slumped, his Ray Ban's were cock-eyed and the glass was gone out of BOTH sides of the now empty frames.

From the guy who rarely spoke, Danny said he thought the flat was going to have them until Matt shifted. That was when his first lens flew out. He said when the tail popped and he knew they were REALLY moving is when the second lens blew out.

Danny confessed that for the first time in his life, he begged for mercy and had to ask Matt to let-up. He didn't have a clue when Matt was going to stop, but he knew he had had enough.

So, Terrible Toy, that's my "training wheel boat" experience, I just always assumed they were the faster boat? :D:D:D:

[dry]

I really enjoyed that story, got any pics of that Hydro around to post?

[poncho]

In the late 1970's; we were camped at Big Bend at the Colorado River. The one real racer among us; Matt Culbert/BADLANDS/#239/Drag Hydros; was there with one of his "decommissioned" hydros.

Decommissioned for Matt meant the injected hemi was out and a big inch carburated chevy motor was in. The boats still had the 2 speeds and the ability to pop the tail was always mandatory for Matt.

All day long we would watch the flotsam and jetsom roar by; look at Matt and say: "how about that one"?

Matt never drank when boating; he would sit in an aluminum chair, evaluate the boat going by, wrinkle his nose and say "nah"; meanwhile the hydro would stay on the trailer in the camp ground.

Just before sunset there was a tremendous racket as an injected flatbottom came around the bend in the river from the north, straightened out in front of the camp ground and let loose with an impressive run past our reviewing group including Matt.

This guy was serious, the helmet, the racing vest, the whole deal and he was fast.

Matt was quite for a moment; stood up in his swim trunks, sat down his Coke and said to Danny: "C'mon". Off to the boat ramp they went with the hydro in tow.

Danny was one of our group; a Vietnam Vet saved from a "dead pile" by Army docs during the war; cool as James Dean and sporting a brand new pair of Ray Ban wire rim aviator glasses...

The flatbottom headed north past the campground around the bend to where Matt and Danny had put the hydro in the water.

The flat and Matt were doing "burn outs" around the corner and the sounds brought everyone to the beach to see what was going on.

Around the corner came the flat with Matt and Danny next to him in the hydro.

They were up against a huge cliff wall across from the campground when they punched-off.

The air was electric as they wound up tight past the campground beach with the roar echoing off the rock cliff.

Just when we all were beginning to be the least concerned that Matt had met his match; we saw him leaning down, heard a distictive shift, saw the tail pop and the hydro leaped leaving the injected flat in his rooster tail.

It didn't stop there though; the flat backed out of the throttle when the race was over but the hydro kept going.

All we could see was the rooster tail disappearing into the tule weeds down river until Matt let up well down river.

When Matt idled back to the beach, we caught the boat, Matt took his ball cap off his arm, put it on his head and with a smile said: "...it took us a while to pop the tail but we finally got 'er rollin".

Meanwhile Danny, the King of Cool, had turned jelly in the passenger seat. He was slumped, his Ray Ban's were cock-eyed and the glass was gone out of BOTH sides of the now empty frames.

From the guy who rarely spoke, Danny said he thought the flat was going to have them until Matt shifted. That was when his first lens flew out. He said when the tail popped and he knew they were REALLY moving is when the second lens blew out.

Danny confessed that for the first time in his life, he begged for mercy and had to ask Matt to let-up. He didn't have a clue when Matt was going to stop, but he knew he had had enough.

So, Terrible Toy, that's my "training wheel boat" experience, I just always assumed they were the faster boat? :D:D:D:

That is one of the coolest/craziest/awesome stories i have ever read had a similar experience in a hydro and saw and spoke with GOD at a buck ten he shifted and it dawned on me there was a whole lot more to come and here i am trying to figure out how to let go long enough to sock him in the arm and not fly out of the boat that was insane

[67 Wickens]

In the late 1970's; we were camped at Big Bend at the Colorado River. The one real racer among us; Matt Culbert/BADLANDS/#239/Drag Hydros; was there with one of his "decommissioned" hydros.

Decommissioned for Matt meant the injected hemi was out and a big inch carburated chevy motor was in. The boats still had the 2 speeds and the ability to pop the tail was always mandatory for Matt.

All day long we would watch the flotsam and jetsom roar by; look at Matt and say: "how about that one"?

Matt never drank when boating; he would sit in an aluminum chair, evaluate the boat going by, wrinkle his nose and say "nah"; meanwhile the hydro would stay on the trailer in the camp ground.

Just before sunset there was a tremendous racket as an injected flatbottom came around the bend in the river from the north, straightened out in front of the camp ground and let loose with an impressive run past our reviewing group including Matt.

This guy was serious, the helmet, the racing vest, the whole deal and he was fast.

Matt was quite for a moment; stood up in his swim trunks, sat down his Coke and said to Danny: "C'mon". Off to the boat ramp they went with the hydro in tow.

Danny was one of our group; a Vietnam Vet saved from a "dead pile" by Army docs during the war; cool as James Dean and sporting a brand new pair of Ray Ban wire rim aviator glasses...

The flatbottom headed north past the campground around the bend to where Matt and Danny had put the hydro in the water.

The flat and Matt were doing "burn outs" around the corner and the sounds brought everyone to the beach to see what was going on.

Around the corner came the flat with Matt and Danny next to him in the hydro.

They were up against a huge cliff wall across from the campground when they punched-off.

The air was electric as they wound up tight past the campground beach with the roar echoing off the rock cliff.

Just when we all were beginning to be the least concerned that Matt had met his match; we saw him leaning down, heard a distictive shift, saw the tail pop and the hydro leaped leaving the injected flat in his rooster tail.

It didn't stop there though; the flat backed out of the throttle when the race was over but the hydro kept going.

All we could see was the rooster tail disappearing into the tule weeds down river until Matt let up well down river.

When Matt idled back to the beach, we caught the boat, Matt took his ball cap off his arm, put it on his head and with a smile said: "...it took us a while to pop the tail but we finally got 'er rollin".

Meanwhile Danny, the King of Cool, had turned jelly in the passenger seat. He was slumped, his Ray Ban's were cock-eyed and the glass was gone out of BOTH sides of the now empty frames.

From the guy who rarely spoke, Danny said he thought the flat was going to have them until Matt shifted. That was when his first lens flew out. He said when the tail popped and he knew they were REALLY moving is when the second lens blew out.

Danny confessed that for the first time in his life, he begged for mercy and had to ask Matt to let-up. He didn't have a clue when Matt was going to stop, but he knew he had had enough.

So, Terrible Toy, that's my "training wheel boat" experience, I just always assumed they were the faster boat? :D:D:D:

Great story... This totally brought up memories of growing up at the river!! We always stayed down at Riverland and we had this guy John that was a friend of my parents. He had a blown hydro named "Vulture" and he was just like your friend Matt. Sit around all day judging the boats going by all day long until sundown then all the BS started... Rattle everyone on the beach firing up the boat and heading out after the next victim. Those were good days!

[Terrible toy]

So, Terrible Toy, that's my "training wheel boat" experience, I just always assumed they were the faster boat?

Funny, funny story Mike, wonder if that guy with the broken glasses ever took another ride? FYI I know exactly how much faster hydros are. I took a 468 inch comp flat engine out of a Hondo and dropped it into a new Kurtis 500 hydro. Didn't change anything, jetting, timing, lash, nothing. Flat went 130, hydro went 149.

I can't compete with your story, but do have one about the dumbest thing I ever did in a boat.

My partner and I were using my 540 inch UGH engine in our new MPH hydro to "show the product". We had only been to a couple of races when the powers that be changed our class from UGH to Pro Gas Hydro with a decrease in cubic inches. At that time we were building two boats we had sold and did not have the time, energy, or money to build a new engine. Well, a friend, Ron Grose, who builds engines in Dinuba Calif., called and offered to let us use one of his 500 inch Olds motors. He said bring all your safety gear and come up. After we get the motor in we'll go test it with my radar gun.

Cool, left early enough to get there that morning, had the engine in and running by dinner time. Ron also owned a steak house restaurant complete with dancing, great bar and fine young things serving that good food and refreshment. We were up the next day, after an evening of debauchery and power drinking, and on the road with the hydro at 9. Don't remember much about driving out to Ron's "test spot". It was like looking through red fog all the way.

When we arrived it was not at all what I was expecting. His test spot was a small stretch of a very narrow channel on the Sacramento Delta. There was a small stone bridge over the water and a restaurant on the left of the bridge. We had a small crowd with us including a couple of flat drivers I knew. The flat guys and Ron are explaining the procedure to me. Something about launching next to the restaurant, driving down to a big log, and coming back toward the bridge and lifting on the other side of it. My brain at that moment was trying to break through the beer induced fog to tell me that this doesn't sound like a very good idea.

Further instructions were, go through the far right arch because the others are way too shallow and we've never run a hydro here so you may not be able to stop before the fork down steam. So take the left fork because it's not as sharp a turn. My brain was shouting to break through now... THIS IS AN F N BAD IDEA GETTING WORSE BY THE MINUTE. They must have seen the doubts starting to etch themselves on my face because the tried to comfort me by saying they had a row boat with a 10 horse outboard to come get me with.:(

But, what was I going to do, chicken out in front of all these boat guys. So there I find myself sitting in the boat looking a quarter mile down river at this bridge. The arch looks like it's maybe 2 feet wide and Ron with the gun and the others, standing on the bridge above the arch, looked like ants. Only one way to do this, short fast approach, nail it, get into high gear and aim for the arch. Things were going smooth, felt good and then suddenly the tail moved left. For those who have never been in a hydro sometimes, for a variety of reasons, the prop can hop so that more then half of it is out of the water. Two bad things then happen the rudder has less bite and the prop starts side loading to the left. There I was, the bridge rapidly approaching and I was not pointed at my arch anymore. Cranked in a hint of left rudder and went through the arch and past the restaurant at 158 miles an hour.

Glad Ron told me about the left fork. The little out board dutifully arrived to save me from floating into the LA aqueduct. On the way back I was wondering what all the people in the restaurant thought when I went by 50 feet from their windows. And I was also wondering how wet Ron and the others got when they were center punched with that 100 foot high rooster tail. When I got back the entire restaurant was outside. Don't know if they were more impressed with the run or the 8 soaking wet guys bitching about hydro rooster tails.:D Couldn't turn down a request from the restaurant patrons to make another pass. But then the sheriffs showed up. Said it wasn't hard to find me, saw the rooster tail from 3 miles away. He wondered what idiot was going that fast on the delta. Just a dumb boat racer officer.:rolleyes:

[TonkaDriver]

Bill,

First of all in a kangaroo court, Liars (I mean lawyers) are not allowed. You jumped to the conclusion that you were being discriminated against because you drive Hydros. Some here may have a prejudice against you for taking the easy way out by driving a hydro. Personally I don't. My prejudice is for people that stand around the pits or a show or a race with a digital camera hanging on their shoulder all day and think so little of us on the boards that they cant press the shutter button even once to share the event with the rest of us.

You should be ashamed of yourself for whining about feeling inferior because you choose to drive a training wheel boat instead of a flat. You were simply an easy example because you admitted that you had the ability and the opportunity to take and post pics for all of us to enjoy. I simply pointed out that this kind of behavior should be addressed in a meaningful way.

I have never used my camera as a fashion accessory as you and powderman did. I knew that after I posted my pics as poor as they were that the pros like Louis and the Wannabe's would post their pics but I posted anyway.

I have really enjoyed the stories by the way even though they were just a weak attempt to divert attention from the seriousness of the original issue I brought up. Am I starting to sound like George yet????

Thanks for the fun Bill.

Kurt

[pwderman]

Bill,

First of all in a kangaroo court, Liars (I mean lawyers) are not allowed. You jumped to the conclusion that you were being discriminated against because you drive Hydros. Some here may have a prejudice against you for taking the easy way out by driving a hydro. Personally I don't. My prejudice is for people that stand around the pits or a show or a race with a digital camera hanging on their shoulder all day and think so little of us on the boards that they cant press the shutter button even once to share the event with the rest of us.

You should be ashamed of yourself for whining about feeling inferior because you choose to drive a training wheel boat instead of a flat. You were simply an easy example because you admitted that you had the ability and the opportunity to take and post pics for all of us to enjoy. I simply pointed out that this kind of behavior should be addressed in a meaningful way.


I have never used my camera as a fashion accessory as you and powderman did. I knew that after I posted my pics as poor as they were that the pros like Louis and the Wannabe's would post their pics but I posted anyway.

I have really enjoyed the stories by the way even though they were just a weak attempt to divert attention from the seriousness of the original issue I brought up. Am I starting to sound like George yet????

Thanks for the fun Bill.

Kurt

:D Thanks Kurt I needed that..:rolleyes: Jon

[gfinishline]

HEY! What the #^(% does THAT mean? PS: no lawyers will ever be at "the lake" they all live down by the beach!

[Terrible toy]

I just get back from two days of fun in the sun, watersking and boating. and I am met with this. This, this, thinly veiled attempt to discredit, demean and discriminate against a downtrodden minority. I clearly see now that cameras and photos, or lack there of, have nothing to do with this.

This is not about Jon and I taking photo so the rest of the board could see and wonder at the fine, beautiful boats we got to see. It's not about denying you the pleasure of marveliing at the history we saw, represented by famous boats from 4 different decades. And, it's surely not about the great weather and awesome flats cruising beautiful Bass lake that you could have experienced through our photos, if we had takent any. No, this is about discrimination. You can try and white wash, or gel coat it in this case, the real issue by whining (I had to borrow that Kurt) about photos., but it's painfully clear that this is about bias against a small minority... hydros

Like all discrimination this is accompanied by disparging comments. "training wheels" and "easy way out" are typical. This bias is strong and, I'm afraid, runs deep in this community. So deep that the fact that I owned and drove flats for years is conveniently forgotten and ,in fact, seems to have added "traitor" to the list of my faults.

My fellow fast boaters, let us come together in the spirit of friendship and fellowship, put aside our differences and remember...hydros may look a little different, they may act a little different but under the skin they are still v-drives.

Now about those FN ditch pumps, clamp ons, and morphidite ODs.


By the way Kurt I almost missed the line "playing the race card", Thank you for the chuckles.

[gfinishline]

"HYDRO BIAS" Is that a "sociopolitical term", a "plumbiing term", or an "electronics term"? I just want to know "which side of my brain to use", when it gets like this around here. Left brain? Right brain? No brain? HA HA! PS, Kurt start worrying when "you look like George"!

[pwderman]

And all this from a guy who has a cramp on and a toon ;) :D

[67 Wickens]

Funny, funny story Mike, wonder if that guy with the broken glasses ever took another ride? FYI I know exactly how much faster hydros are. I took a 468 inch comp flat engine out of a Hondo and dropped it into a new Kurtis 500 hydro. Didn't change anything, jetting, timing, lash, nothing. Flat went 130, hydro went 149.

I can't compete with your story, but do have one about the dumbest thing I ever did in a boat.

My partner and I were using my 540 inch UGH engine in our new MPH hydro to "show the product". We had only been to a couple of races when the powers that be changed our class from UGH to Pro Gas Hydro with a decrease in cubic inches. At that time we were building two boats we had sold and did not have the time, energy, or money to build a new engine. Well, a friend, Ron Grose, who builds engines in Dinuba Calif., called and offered to let us use one of his 500 inch Olds motors. He said bring all your safety gear and come up. After we get the motor in we'll go test it with my radar gun.

Cool, left early enough to get there that morning, had the engine in and running by dinner time. Ron also owned a steak house restaurant complete with dancing, great bar and fine young things serving that good food and refreshment. We were up the next day, after an evening of debauchery and power drinking, and on the road with the hydro at 9. Don't remember much about driving out to Ron's "test spot". It was like looking through red fog all the way.

When we arrived it was not at all what I was expecting. His test spot was a small stretch of a very narrow channel on the Sacramento Delta. There was a small stone bridge over the water and a restaurant on the left of the bridge. We had a small crowd with us including a couple of flat drivers I knew. The flat guys and Ron are explaining the procedure to me. Something about launching next to the restaurant, driving down to a big log, and coming back toward the bridge and lifting on the other side of it. My brain at that moment was trying to break through the beer induced fog to tell me that this doesn't sound like a very good idea.

Further instructions were, go through the far right arch because the others are way too shallow and we've never run a hydro here so you may not be able to stop before the fork down steam. So take the left fork because it's not as sharp a turn. My brain was shouting to break through now... THIS IS AN F N BAD IDEA GETTING WORSE BY THE MINUTE. They must have seen the doubts starting to etch themselves on my face because the tried to comfort me by saying they had a row boat with a 10 horse outboard to come get me with.:(

But, what was I going to do, chicken out in front of all these boat guys. So there I find myself sitting in the boat looking a quarter mile down river at this bridge. The arch looks like it's maybe 2 feet wide and Ron with the gun and the others, standing on the bridge above the arch, looked like ants. Only one way to do this, short fast approach, nail it, get into high gear and aim for the arch. Things were going smooth, felt good and then suddenly the tail moved left. For those who have never been in a hydro sometimes, for a variety of reasons, the prop can hop so that more then half of it is out of the water. Two bad things then happen the rudder has less bite and the prop starts side loading to the left. There I was, the bridge rapidly approaching and I was not pointed at my arch anymore. Cranked in a hint of left rudder and went through the arch and past the restaurant at 158 miles an hour.

Glad Ron told me about the left fork. The little out board dutifully arrived to save me from floating into the LA aqueduct. On the way back I was wondering what all the people in the restaurant thought when I went by 50 feet from their windows. And I was also wondering how wet Ron and the others got when they were center punched with that 100 foot high rooster tail. When I got back the entire restaurant was outside. Don't know if they were more impressed with the run or the 8 soaking wet guys bitching about hydro rooster tails.:D Couldn't turn down a request from the restaurant patrons to make another pass. But then the sheriffs showed up. Said it wasn't hard to find me, saw the rooster tail from 3 miles away. He wondered what idiot was going that fast on the delta. Just a dumb boat racer officer.:rolleyes:


That's a GREAT story!! Any photo's or video?

[Terrible toy]

That's a GREAT story!! Any photo's or video?

Wait a minute Mike, is this a setup? Half way through this thread I got beaten to purple protoplasm for admitting that I hadn't taken pictures at Bass Lake.:D:D

Maybe it's a genetic thing but cameras are the last thing some guys, me especially, think about using on stuff like the delta runs. What's even worse is I use 35 mm and digital cameras all the time in my business. A video of that hydro going under that bridge would be priceless though.:rolleyes: