On Any Other Forum This Would Be Unusual

[Peter_Crowl]

Excellent write up Peter. I felt like I was back in the fifties. Have fun in your "Spare Time".

The only thing I missed in there was ..... I wonder about the builder. Ok - so you're going through all the plans available...scores of boats that you can build. You're good enough to build any of them.

Why did he choose this one - why did he choose to modify the build for the the V8 - at a time when sterndrive was unproven and had to be expensive?

I bet he'd say - well why not? :~)

[Tim McCrain]

Peter,
I would love to see it restored and cruising! There is something very appealing about it's "function over form" aesthetic. Obviously it was built by someone who went his own way, using what he knew to build something that served his purpose. Even the cabin height, which appears to be higher and even less attractive than that shown in the plan, says to me "Heck with that, I'm not bending over!"

I think I would have gotten along with the guy who built it.

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Spare Time

Enjoyed the write up. Spare Time is a good name and a good symbol for Father's Day. I too have seen that boat in Popular Mechanics or Popular Science.

I believe the drive is an early Eaton sterndrive. It swivels around the main (input) shaft to raise the drive. That puts the propeller at the top (above the input shaft).

Very cool boat! Hope you or someone else brings it back....radiator cooled
V-8, Eaton sterndive and all.....just the way it was built.

It's a relic of the creative mind and the back yard builder.....a lost breed!

Thanks for posting and Happy Father's Day to all you dad's out there......those of you that can remember the 50's. Those were wonderful days!

I'm off to spend some time with my pop....he's 97!

[Peter_Crowl]

Enjoyed the write up. Spare Time is a good name and a good symbol for Father's Day. I too have seen that boat in Popular Mechanics or Popular Science.

I believe the drive is an early Eaton sterndrive. It swivels around the main (input) shaft to raise the drive. That puts the propeller at the top (above the input shaft).

Very cool boat! Hope you or someone else brings it back....radiator cooled
V-8, Eaton sterndive and all.....just the way it was built.

It's a relic of the creative mind and the back yard builder.....a lost breed!

Thanks for posting and Happy Father's Day to all you dad's out there......those of you that can remember the 50's. Those were wonderful days!

I'm off to spend some time with my pop....he's 97!

My dad is 97 as well! He's in Iowa so I won't see him today, but it's because of him that I can do things. There wasn't any baseball - there was building the house at the lake. But then we had a house at the lake - and I knew how to build things.

It's not an Eaton...I've heard it's a Muncie but I don't have any confirmation of that. Eaton drive photo attached.

I dunno - I just might try to keep this one. As somebody said on another forum - it'd make a great lead boat for a Paddle Duck race :~)

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad's here. Your's is the most important job there is.

Peter
in Denver

[John Berg]

Happy Fathers Day

Peter, Thanks for jogging some of the memories Loose of my father. He too built our house. The banker came out to the house he was living in to talk to him about a loan. When the Banker found out he built the row boat in the driveway he said " if you can build that, you can build a house" and gave him the loan. He built an airboat. When it was finished his buddies built one, in the recroom. When it was finished they had to remove the slider to get it out. Have a great day. John

[Lootas1]

Well, since it's Fathers Day and we are on the subject of bankers and homebuilders, back in 1939 the local banker (and my father's fishing buddy) built a boat together and then the banker built our house!

[Peter_Crowl]

Well, since it's Fathers Day and we are on the subject of bankers and homebuilders, back in 1939 the local banker (and my father's fishing buddy) built a boat together and then the banker built our house!

And that mans name was George Bailey :~)

[Lootas1]

Nope. Nels Lundorff.

[Captain Jack]

I'm off to spend some time with my pop....he's 97!

Hate to say it, Tim, but if your pop is that old it's probably lost its fizz by now...



The Cap'n

[Peter_Crowl]

Yep - it would appear to be a Muncie. The one shown would seem to be either an eariler or smaller unit - or both - as it's rating is far below the hp of the motor in this boat. The cavitation plate is also much smaller and of different design...but the head is certainly the same.


Credit for finding it goes to Dave Moerke

[Helmar]

Thats pretty cool.
I am still running one of the first Volvo Penta drives. QA-100.
Story goes, they came out with newer ones but these were next to bullet proof. I have another spare just in case

That Muncie looks pretty stout for sure....Bet it still works fine.

[Peter_Crowl]

Thats pretty cool.
I am still running one of the first Volvo Penta drives. QA-100.
Story goes, they came out with newer ones but these were next to bullet proof. I have another spare just in case

That Muncie looks pretty stout for sure....Bet it still works fine.

I do too and I also bet that bearings and seals are off the shelf items.

[travelmatt]

Noah would not be proud.

[Peter_Crowl]

Something Ark related was the alternate name plan :~)

I found a full plan set in the 1957 edition of Boat Builders Handbook. Marty found it in 1960. There's also a variation using the same hull called the Sun Fish - also by William Jackson. These old BBH's are a real hoot and there are a lot of interesting projects in them. I could see a builders challenge for doing something small like one of the Aqua Scooter type things.

Anyway - I parked a PDF of the entire plan set at the OMCboats forum
http://omcboats.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=401
Lest anybody want to see the method to the madness.