August 2011 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 23. Maritime History SEVENTIES MEMORIES PART 4 By Lee S. Wilbur
As I mentioned last month, speed, a phenomenon inherent in mankind since he first walked the earth, was soon an issue with the emerging realization stronger fiberglass hulls could carry larger engines than their wood predecessors, Not only could the hulls handle higher horsepower engines, moulds could be changed in response to this increased energy, thereby producing more efficient water flow to the all important propeller. To some fisherman and pleasure boat owners the same as owners of horses, planes or cars, their boats had to be fast if not the fastest, and on the water, there is often an opportunity for an impromptu race. Competition developed not only between hull builders for the fastest hulls but between engine manufacturers and their engineering departments to pull as much power as possible from existing engines. Later would come entire new generations of engines. Later as well would come lobster boat races. There are various ways to “soup up” an internal combustion engine. Two of the most important are increased fuel and air and that is where most manufacturers started. Turbocharged air delivery, bigger carburetors, larger injectors soon became the norm. If the manufacturer was not going to make changes at the factory, someone else would. General Motors Corporation, parent company of Detroit Diesel seemingly blind to the diesel race for higher horsepower was one of those companies, spawning two of their distributors, Stewart and Stephenson in Texas and Johnson Towers in New Jersey as engine rebuilders. The first “Detroits” of serious consequence after the noisy, short lived, and disastrous “53” series were the “71’s”. The six cylinder 6-71 in production before the Second World War at approximately 165 hp was a prime example.
Strong, though heavy, this engine could be rebuilt to the newly emerging speed demands. Power would be pushed as high as 425 hp.
Marinized from existing truck engines and higher horsepower car engines, the choices of engines soon grew to include Ford, Volvo, Detroit, Cummins, Caterpillar, Perkins, Mercury and General motors. Most commercial buyers from experience usually had their minds made up well before selecting a builder, but walking a prospective pleasure boat customer through the pros and cons of each engine was not only time consuming but confusing. Builders had their favorites and would try to steer the buyer in that direction. More than several times I had been ready to order an engine when a call would come and we’d have to go through the entire process once again. A “friend” had recommended another engine or the buyer had been to a boat show only to be overwhelmed by a well meaning salesman. Some of the more frustrating occurrences were when the buyer simply could not understand a unit would not fit, or would not produce the horsepower requirement, or produce the range desired, or the noise level, or the weight parameters, and I would have to go through the explanations all over again. Luckily, I do not remember ever having to call a distributor and cancel an order for an engine in favor of another. What I do recall, however, is the learning curve which seemed to be ongoing as we installed these engines with higher horsepower. Exhaust capacity had to be increased as well as air to the engine rooms. I can remember one of the early 6-71 Detroits we installed in a more elegant boat to that date, blowing out a “too small” muffler by the time the owner got to Long Island, New York, filling the engine room with oily black soot.
CASEY YACHT ENTERPRISES
Then another incident with our first installation of twin engines and not allowing for enough engine room air. The lady of the vessel could not understand why her new curtains and cushions had to be washed in Virginia while interrupting the new boats journey to Palm Beach, Florida for larger holes to be cut in the hull. Rudders would have to be modified, deadwood ground to stop cavitation at higher speed, “Shingles” or wedges attached at the trailing end of the
hull to allow for more lift might need to be added. The list went on and on and just when we’d get the bugs worked out, along would come another engine or a different hull and we’d have to figure out the problems all over again. I must had said hundreds of times over the years there was hardly a day that went by while building boats I didn’t learn something new. Certainly kept a person on their toes.
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M C N A D V E R T I S E R S Jonesport Shipyard
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Boothbay Region BY Bowden Marine Brooks Trap Mill C & C Machine
C. Stickney, Boatbuilder Casco Bay Yacht Sales Casey Yacht Enterprises Chase, Leavitt Co. Coastal Forces
Custom Float Services Dark Harbor Boat Yard
Eric Dow Boatshop Farrin’s Boat Shop
Finest Kind Boat Yard French & Webb
Great Harbor Boatworks Great Island BY H&H Marine Hallett Sails
Hamilton Marine Hamlin's Marina Handy Boat
Hansen Marine
Harding's Book Shop Heritage Panelgraphics Hodgdon Yachts Holland Boat Shop IMP Group Infab
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23/29 3 3 7
Bob Turcotte Yacht Design 6 Boothbay Boat
27 19 15 15 7 2
31 23 9
28 31 11
DownEast Lobsterman's Assoc.13 Epifanes
15 12 16
2/25 17 21 5
17 14 32 2
17 6
28 13 28 17 11 28 8
17 Journey’s End Marina
5/27 3/17
Kennedy Marine Engineering 6 Kittery Point Boatbuilders 17 Kittery Point Yacht Yard Kustom Steel Landing School Lash Boat Yard Lowell Brothers
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25/29 16 3
Maine Coast Lumber
Maine Maritime Academy 9/25 Maine Sailing Partners Maine Yacht Center Marine Parts Express Moose Island Marine Morris Yachts Nautilus Marine
New England Fiberglass New Meadows Marina Ocean Pursuits
Ocean Point Marina Otis Enterprises
Paul Luke, Inc.
Pen Bay Rendezvous Portland Yacht Services Robinhood Marine
Rockland Harbor Marine Rockport Marine Rollins Boat Shop
Royal River Boat Yard Rumery's Boatyard Russell's Marine Sail Maine
Seal Cove Boat Yard Smithwick & Mariners South Shore Boats Spartan Marine Strouts Point
Terrance H. Geaghan Yacht Sales Network Yarmouth Boat Yard
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19 13 7
28 16 3
8/26 16 30 8
Owl's Head Transp. Museum 11 Padebco
17 21 19
2/25 18 6
14 28 3
16 13 19 9 3 7
28 12 28 31
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