All boat engines GM?

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Ben99GT
Those boats are gorgeous.


Driving the '31 was an experience I will never forget. It had dual 3" straight exhaust, BUILT 312 Interceptor, and sounded like some high performance exotic when it reached full song north of 6,000RPM. The entire hull resonated with the sound, it was truly glorious.

Smooth and effortless power, it would push that boat clear out of the water. Wooden boats are usable pieces of art. Each has their own unique personality. They all require something different to get them to start up "just right".

My grandfather's best friend owns this beauty:

It is powered by a 4-cylinder Van Blerk tank engine. Gravity oiled, open crankcase. The pistons are as big around as dinner plates, and made of cast iron. The rods are something like 24" long. Top speed is just over 1,000RPM IIRC. It has a propeller that looks like it belongs on a tug boat, and the engine sounds like it is going to come apart. And feels like it is going to shake the boat apart at lower RPM's

I've actually DRIVEN this boat. Whilst my grandfather and the owner of this craft were drinking Crown Royal and enjoying a cruise on the lakes.

This boat is in many Antique and Classic boat books, as it has an incredible history behind it. It originally belonged to the Eaton family and has a special clock in the dash as a gift from Lady Eaton so he would be home on time.

We owned a boat of similar heritage, though lesser recognition. It was a Gold Cup race boat, originally called the "Lady Eaton". It had a propensity to roll (like a barrel) so when my grandfather dragged it home, it was not long before he was forced into selling it by my grandmother.

 

[ledslinger]

OVERK1LL- Those are great pictures! Mr Stripp's boat is amazing. I grew up playing on the water in Canada, and share missing it with you. Luckily I live about 30 feet from the water now.

Your family was bitten severely by the boating bug. I have it pretty bad too, and so do most of my friends. I own about 10 boats, and race a C scow. A friend down the street has boats that total almost 2000 horsepower, his twin Volvo turbo diesel 41 ft Formula PC Cruiser accounting for about 940 of that.

I will find some pictures of my Grandfathers cabin and his Chris-Craft to post.

Can you tell me more about Mr Stripp's boat? I love the photos of the laid up boats above the frozen lake.

One of my Dad's first boats was a 14' Chris-Craft with a flathead 4. Idling sounded like: cha-puck-et, so a slow night cruise was Chapucketing.

My Dad also used to go "mothing" by boat, where he would go to any house with a light on and crash the party.

 

[OVERKILL]

The boat that Mr. Stripp is in is not his; it was one he had restored, I could probably find out who owns it if you are interested. Norm had a few of his own, one was a Shephard Sedan, 21', I6..etc.

Did the engine in your dad's look like the one in our 18' ?