PRST STD
THE STATE OF MAINE'S BOATING NEWSPAPER
U.S. Postage Paid, #256
Bangor, Maine 04401
Maine Coastal News
Volume 22 Issue 7 July 2009 FREE
What the Hell is That?
Steve Johnson's SUNBIRD, yes a Pontiac Sunbird on a cutdown boat hull, outpacing WHISTLIN' DIXIE and MOTIVATION.
BOOTHBAY/ROCKLAND – All spring the davit. So we put him in Work Boat Class D,
big question around the lobster boat racing which was for inboards, outboards and
circuit has been what will the turn out be? outdrives, 91 hp and over.
With the overall economy in the hopper and The previous year Boothbay had 41
the price of lobster dropping it was a legiti- entrants and as sign up went on we were
mate question. As the first weekend of racing going to be close this year, falling just two
approached there was another problem, the short.
weather, which was forecasting a miserable The skies were threatening as we began
weekend of rain. It was not looking good. the day’s races. The first three races are for
When I arrived in Boothbay the day Boothbay boats, but no one was in the first
before the race, I headed over to the restau- class, Gasoline Power. Six boats went to the
rant where we sign up to see what was going line for the second race for Diesel boats up to
on. Joel Hallinan and I were talking about the 499 hp, which was won by Marshall Farnam’s
racing when I saw this car on a boat go by. I MISS ATTITUDE (Holland 32, 265-hp John
just figured it was someone moving a car from Deere), who bested Fred Farnham’s
one of the islands to shore. Then it went by SHELLENE TOO (Young Brothers 38, 490-hp
again and Hallinan wondered what it was. Lugger), and Nick Page’s ALL OUT (Beal-
I went over to Brown’s Wharf to see who Crowley 33, 300 hp John Deere). For the four
was tied up there and that is when I discov- boats with diesels over 500 hp, the winner
ered it was Steve Johnson’s newest creation. was Dave Taylor’s MISTY (Beal-Crowley 33,
The boat who came the furthest to race was MS. ROSE from New Hampshire.
Johnson has been known over the years to 650-hp Scania); followed by Rusty Brewer’s dock discussions and now he was going to Sumner McFarland, 300 ci Ford). In Class B it
bring a creative race boat, but this time he had LOOKOUT (Young Brothers 38, 700-hp De- show us just what he had with SUNBIRD. He was Craig Barter’s WHISKEY GIRL (BHM 25,
come up with his best creation ever. troit) and Andrew Page’s SEA STAR had some good competition, with William 350 Chevrolet), but nearly lost the race when
Johnson had taken a 26-foot Silverton (Wayne Beal 36, 660-hp Caterpillar). DeBery’s SUPA GUPP. As they came up the the slowed up before crossing the finish line.
cabin cruiser and cut her off at the boot top. One change the race committee made to course it was obvious SUNBIRD was out in Second went to Chris Smith’s LINDA
He then decked her over, chained down a car, the Work Boat Classes was eliminating Class front running perfectly flat with her emer- CAROL (Repco 30, 350 Chevrolet). There
and hooked up the twin 200-hp Yamaha out- C (61 to 91 hp) and combining it with the Class gency flashers going. Unfortunately one were no entrants in Class C and just one in
boards. His first trials did not go well, but he B, making it 31 to 90 hp. There were no boat was disqualified for not having a second Class D, which was Galen Alley’s FOOLISH
continued to make changes to the hull, He entrants in Class A, which is for those under person in the boat. PLEASURE (Riley Beal designed 30, 632 ci
also changed the car to a Pontiac Sunbird 18 years old and just two came out for Class Only five boats were entered in the Gaso- Chevrolet with blower).
convertible. He said, “I’ve found away to B, which was won by Joel Hallinan’s POLEY line Classes. There were two in Class A for The Wooden Boat Race winner was
save GM!” Now he had something, but what ONE with second going to Richard Gilmore’s four and six cylinders with CRY BABY, D&L SUMNAH.
class do you put him in? He had a pot hauler, BETTY JEANNE. Boatworks (Custom 25, 292 ci Chevrolet)
albeit attached to the left front wheel and a Johnson had been the centre of all the besting SUMNAH, Bruce Farrin, Jr. (1960
Continued on Page 9.
C o n t e n t s
Publisher's Note 4
Nelson Wins Award 7 Mystic Seaport New VP 9 Boat Yard News 14
Calendar of Events 4
Boatbuilding Festival 7 Lobster Boat Race Results 10 Compass Project Young Women 15
Powder Coating 5
Clam Festival 8 Commercial Fishing News The Green Submarine 19
Waterfront News
Coast Guard Foundation Campaign 8 Misc. Commercial Fishing News 11 Maritime History-Wreck ENIGMA 20
Bluejacket's New Model 6
VIRGINIA News 8 DMR Grant 12 Maritime History-1902 23
Restoring MORGAN Exhibition 7
Lighthouse Award 8 Canadian Fishing News 13 Classified Ads 24-31
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