Speedboat April 2016

s p e e d b o a t . c o m

APRIL 2016

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MOVIN ON UPMiami Shows New Digs

sMiami Shows New Digs

DREAMYDECKSNordic, KMG& Domn8er

SPEEDBOATLEGEND

REGGIEFOUNTAIN

SEE PAGE 50

DRAG BOAT SHOWDOWN!

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50 years of serving the custom boat industry.

The 29 Deckboat with twin 400s. Luxury and style at 100+ mph!LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA 800.279.5398 E-MAIL: [email protected]

www.NordicBoatsUSA.com

9Roomy, reliable and 100+ mph on GPS.Welcome to the quintessential deckboat. Your next boat purchase is an investment in both your family and yourself. Make the right choice.

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COLUMNS10 CHRIS DAVIDSON12 RAY LEE14 ALEXI SAHAGIAN

FEATURES18 MIAMI BOAT SHOWWith its first year at a massive new location, the world-famous exhibition enjoyed a much-needed shot in the arm.

30 SPEEDBOAT OF THE MONTHMeet Brett Miller, whose 40' Skater Recovery is actually his very first performance boat.

34 2016 PERFORMANCEEVALUATIONSIn the second part of our 2016 West Coast boat tests, we evaluate a Nordic 29 Deckboat, KMG 22 Phantom SD, DCB M31 and Domn8er 22.

50 SPEEDBOAT LEGENDSIn our third installment of our Hall of Fame series, we salute champion tunnel boat racer, offshore kilo record-holder and sport boat designer/builder Reggie Fountain.

56 MISSION: MARATHONStu Jones leads the charge to the Florida Keys for three days of sun and fun with his Florida Powerboat Club.

Editorial: Speedboat Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. All manuscripts, materials, photographs and artwork submitted are at mailers risk and must include self-addressed envelope with proper postage if requested to be returned. All letters sent to Speedboat will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes, and are subject to Performance Boats right to edit and comment editorially. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is expressly forbidden, except by written permission of the publisher.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Postmaster: Send address changes to Speedboat Magazine, 9216 Bally Court, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.

speedboat.com 6 S P E E D B O A T | April 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTSApril 2016

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BRETTS COVE64 BUILDING A BETTER BAHNERRick Reiling re-creates the dreamboat of his childhood...with a lot of help from his performance pals.

70 DADS SURPRISEBoat builder and rebuild wizard Jay Pilini helps a customer transform an old Sidewinder for his son.

72 HEAD HONCHOBilly B helps his brother-in-law, Jerry Griffin, restore a piece of Biesemeyer mythology.

76 ADBA SHOWDOWNDrag heroes converge at the Bluewater Resort & Casino for an season-kickoff battle royale.

Cover photo by Todd TaylorTable of Contents photo by Todd Taylor

Speedboat.com

To find your nearest location to purchase a copy of Speedboat Magazine go to:

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Published by DCO Enterprises, LLC

Publishers Ray Lee [email protected] Chris Davidson [email protected]

Editor Brett Bayne [email protected] Senior Tech Editors Jim Wilkes [email protected]

Alexi Sahagian [email protected] Tech Editors Greg Shoemaker Jim Wilkes Valerie Collins

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Art Director Gail Hada-Insley

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speedboat.com S P E E D B O A T | April 2016 7



MY VIEWCHRIS DAVIDSON

Fixing Miamis Vices

I rst attended the Miami Boat Show in 1989. Jim Kohls of Larry Flynt Publications had decided that the offshore boat market would be the next growth area for Hot Boat. We were excited to hit the Miami scene and had hopes of going on the set of Miami Vice, which was located at the Alexander Hotel in the heart of Miami Beach on Collins Avenue. The show was in full production, and I had a good contact with Gordon Houser at Wellcraft Marine, who was involved with the hit television show due to the companys stunning 38' Scarab. You may recall Crockett and Tubbs driving that boat throughout the series. Miami was the most exciting and beautiful city that I had ever visited.

Held at the Convention Center, the Miami Boat Show was vast, and on the same level as IMTEC, Chicagos marine trade-only show. Boasting hundreds of exhibitors with thousands of square feet to cover, the fi ve-day event became an annual trek for me and my staff. Inside Halls C and D, high-performance boats were lined up, connected by vast pathways of red carpet. Fountains, Cigarettes, MTIs and other big-name brands were grouped together so that buyers could easily fi nd what they wanted. I always looked forward to chatting with Reggie Fountain, always dressed impeccably in a suit. Reggie, who is this months Speedboat Legend (see Page 50), almost single-handedly sup-ported 15 different boat magazines with his multimillion-dollar advertising budget.

Large fi shing boats were always in the next aisles over, so that the fi shermen could dream of their next purchases as well.

The tents behind the Convention Center, as well as the open-air exhib-its, were sometimes diffi cult to visit due to the elementssweltering heat, heavy rainstorms and Floridas famous stifl ing humidity. Even so, there was a fl ow to the show. It appeared to be by design, and thats part of what kept me coming back to Miami over the past 25 years.

And then, late last year, it was announced that the Miami Convention Center on Washington Avenue would be getting a complete remodel, and that the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) planned to move the show to the old Miami Marine Stadium on Virginia Key, just off the Rickenbacker Causeway.

Admittedly, the Marine Stadium is rich with powerboating history. Built in 1963, it was the fi rst stadium/complex built for the purpose of holding speedboat races. Hollywood took advantage of this, fi lm-ing tons of TV shows and movies there, including the race footage for the 1967 Elvis Presley fi lm Clambake. The movie features Elvis as a boat racer positioned against Bill Bixby (cast against type as the villain). Marine Stadium was operational from 1963 until its closure in 1992, due to both dilapidation and damage caused by Hurricane Andrew.

I have visited Marine Stadium several times over the past 25 years. At the time, I thought it might serve as a functional alter-native for both exhibitors and attendees. Boats could be demoed in the water for potential buyers, exhibitors would all be in one location, and there was a vast amount of empty lots for parking.

Indeed, this is precisely how the vision was peddled through the well-written press releases issued by the NMMA. Unfortunately, the reality proved con-

siderably more diffi cult.

The NMMA spent a great deal of money tenting the majority of the 20 acres of land that borders Biscayne Bay, and con-structed a massive amount of dock space inside the bay for exhibitors to display their wares. (The entire facility of the Stadium totals more 240 acres in land and water acreage.) But the NMMA will need to work on several areas to improve this venue for 2017. In my opinion, there are a variety of areas they need to focus on improving in order to make the revamped Miami Show the genuine success it needs to be.1. Organization. The show needs to do a better job of grouping the boats and accessories together. I understand that exhibitors naturally want to choose their own space at the show, but that doesnt help it to be organized. The NMMA needs to designate areas by categories. This is how its done for the yachts, and some of the center-console manufacturers did at least appear to be grouped together. But this effort should really be streamlined in a way that is sensible and effective for showgoers. I know there are some manufacturers that dont want to spread their staff thin with multiple locations, but the show is about selling product and getting buyers to the correct locations for maximum sales potential. Car dealer-ships discovered this more than a decade ago, and it works wonderfully for both sellers and buyers. 2. Water taxis. The NMMA provided boats that ferried people back and forth to Marine Stadium from various parking areas in and around Miami to avoid the traffi c across the Rickenbacker Causeway and toll booth. This proved chaotic at best. I stood in line on Thursday for more than an hour trying to get back to Miami. The water taxi staff and signage guaran-teed that boats would be running every

The line to the water taxi:Agonizingly long andblocked foot traf c.

[Continues on page 80]

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OBSERVERS SEATRAY LEE

Martin Sanborn, Fred Kiekhaefer, Ray Lee and Mystics John Cosker.


Its easy to stay the same. There is comfort in familiarity. Change can be diffi cult.

So when we heard that the 2016 Miami International Boat Show had a new and different venue than the one wed come to know and love, we were hesitant to say the least.

For years, the show had resided at the Miami Convention Center and we, along with everyone else that had fre-quented it, had our regular routines, knew where all of the exhibitors were and had our favorite places to eat, drink and be merry. This year, there was a whole new learning curve and we had to learn it quickly. With the new (and likely permanent) home at the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin near Virginia Key, we suffered the growing pains along with everyone else there on the opening Thursday of the fi ve-day show.

The commute into the show was excruciating. Despite hearing the grum-blings of impending road traffi c woes, we chose to drive in anyway. Big mistake.

Surrounded by other show goers, transport shuttles and police vehicles, the Rickenbacker Causeway became a lost cause in our attempt to get into the show remotely on time. With it being the only artery in or out of the area, there was mass chaos. Even the event staff seemed to be learning as they went, because we were directed into several different directions all of which were not near the entrance of the show.

Speedboat Magazine team member Jay Forbes took one for the team, as he dropped us off near one of the openings and left to go fi nd a place to park, several miles away. It took him another hour and a half to meet back up with us.

But we were fi nally IN!

A True Game ChangerThe entire layout was impressive and

overwhelming. It seemed like an end-less array of everything marine, under the sun. The accessories vendors along with the boats under 36' were displayed under the massive tents on hard land, while the ones over 36' had dock space displays on the water. Hundreds of logoed fl ags helped to identify where the manufacturers were, as well as the printed Show Guide, which could be found almost anywhere. And again, as in years past, the center console boats were everywhere!

Previously, the on-the-water portion of the show was in a separate location from the convention center on Sea Isle. It was nice to have everything in the same location now, especially if we wanted to take another look at something. Also, and more importantly, all of the exhibitors that I spoke to seemed to be pleased with the logistics of the new venue. Especially that they were able to give test rides easily to potential customers.

The next day, we had learned from our previous days errors and utilized the free water taxis that were available to the masses and us. We parked the car at one of the many designated locations and hopped onto a large, diesel-powered catamaran for a nice, slow cruise across the bay. We were dropped off at the waterside doorstep of the show, which was far more convenient than driving and defi nitely less stressful.

From a publishing standpoint, the dock displays proved to be diffi cult to photograph all of the amazing hardware to present to you within these pages. The boats were tightly packed in togeth-er, making it hard to get a shot that fully represented the overall beauty of each vessel. But I realize that the show

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ON THE DYNOALEXI SAHAGIAN

Oil PSI FluctuationsDear Alexi:I have a 502 Mag MPI MerCruiser engine in my stock Advantage boat. I recently had the engine rebuilt by a local person here in Texas. Ever since I did this, the engine oil pressure is all over the place and now it will be the third time it has wiped out my bearings and started to put debris in my bearings. The first time, the shop told me that it was the oil I chose to run, which is a good Valvoline. The second time, he told me it was my driv-ing. This is the third time, and I finally took it to a better-known place, and they are leaning toward the oil pump pickup. Again, my oil PSI is good, but fluctuates from 40-55 under load and has less fluc-tuation at idle. Any good info would help. Thank you!Dan McLainPlano, TX

Sorry to hear you are having no luck with your rebuild on your stock engine. It would be best to look into why the engine bearings are failing. Unfortunately, it could be from several factors. One must assume that your rebuilder is measur-ing bearings properly with a micrometer set, etc. We will also assume that they are replacing your oil cooler each time to assure no debris is transferring from rebuild to repair each time. It seems as though you may be on the right track now that you are at a more reputable shop.

Oil pressure issues are usually caused by a few things other than the bear-ings themselves. Make sure the builder installed the bypass valves in your block

(assuming its a later generation engine like most 502 MPI series were). Ensure that all of the pipe plug in the lifter valves is actually in. Surprisingly, a lot of build-ers forget them, and then the oil pressure usually is all over the place. The most common issue is a broken or loosely installed oil pickup. This is the pickup that press-fits into your oil pump. You must make sure you install it, properly place it and at least tack weld it in place to assure it stays in place. If the seam is loose, the pump can easily suck air, causing air bubbles to enter the oil. Then youll have all types of trouble with pres-sures and oil protection. Put the pickup in the freezer for an hour, and then run a heat gun on the new oil pump minutes prior to installing the pickup. If you do this little trick, they usually slip right in place with minimal effort.

Once its in place, verify the proper loca-tion quickly, let it cool and then use a good welder and tack it in place. Remember, they are dissimilar metals. One is cast iron and the other is mild steel so use a proper welding rod for this process to assure good penetration on the tack.

When youre done and the engine is assembled to at least the rocker arms, run a pre-oiler drill in it and verify the stability as you slightly rotate the engine. It should be fairly stable within a few pounds if all is good. Check that out and remember that the pickup bounces around and pounds around on a boat, so tack welding them is a good idea. Some folks use a metal bonding epoxy, which is fine as well, as long as it is designed for those metals.

Oil Leak After RebuildDear Alexi:My boat is a stock 502-hp 500 and it is in a DCB vee-bottom boat. It has always run well. I had it gone through about six months ago. It seems OK and runs like new again; the only thing is that there seems to be a good-size oil leak at the rear of the engine in the middle. I was told to

have the shop look into the rear main seal. It leaks at idle, midrange and wide open. Its driving me nuts as I am worried about it getting worse as it is! Please give me some tips as I took it to the shop and they seem to think it will seal up.Greg SalersLake Havasu, AZ

OK, lets see. It was stock and likely used for a long time, then you had it rebuilt and a few trips later or less, you notice oil leak-

ing at the rear of the engine. Shop says perhaps its the rear main, but the leak is worsening. My suggestion, of course, is to go back to the shop and have them verify this. One thing I can tell you for sure is that if they recently rebuilt it, the rear seal should be fine and new and it is usu-ally one piece on those 502-hp 500-c.i. engines. They almost never have issues when theyre new. I would look above at the distributor area to see if perhaps the gasket up there is leaking oil down the back. If that is OK, look at the mating surface in the center rear of the intake manifold for a potential leak or breach in the cork or silicon used to seal it. If that checks out, you may need to remove the motor, pull the bell housing off and look into the rear oil galley pipe plugs. I cant begin to tell you how many rebuild-ers put these back in without sealer or TFE paste of some type. If the leak, they simulate a rear main leak and if they are loose, the leak will get bigger until the Allen plug falls out dumping all of your oil into the bilge. There are three at the rear of the camshaft area and at times a couple others below and to the left at



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Story and photos by Brett Bayne & Ray Lee


With its first year at its massive new location, the exhibition enjoyed a much-needed shot in the arm.Wi h i fi i i l

MIAMIMIAMIBoat Show

Aerial view of the new site, the Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin. (Photo by Pete Boden)

Boats could enter theshow via Biscayne Bayor exit for test rides.



Whether you loved the Miami Boat Shows new digs on Virginia Key (as many did) or if you chose to focus on its shortcomings, one thing seems indisputable: actually getting to the 75th annual exhibit was problematic. Moving so many people in and out of the repurposed Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin would naturally pose some challenges. Many showgoers naturally assumed they could simply drive to the show, rather than take advantage of the many Park and Ride routes. That led to innumerable cars routed away from the island, doubling down on Miamis already crippling traffic problems.

But once you finally figured out how to actually get to the show, the rewards were considerable. Of the more than 1,200 boats on land and in the water (with more than 400 slips), the show was alive with high-performance muscle, including boats from the likes of MTI, Sunsation, Hustler, Skater, Outerlimits, Cigarette, Mystic, Midnight Express and Nor-Tech, as well as big-hp engine builders like Mercury, Ilmor, Seven Marine and GM. Encouragingly, NMMA said the show was a resounding suc-cess, and that that attendance was up 4 percent over last year, with more than 100,000 visitors.

Walking most of this show required at least a couple of days, and if you werent wearing comfortable footwear, you were doomed. And if you couldnt make it, dont sweat itSpeedboats team brings you all of the best displays for the per-formance market.

Top: SeaHunter cut its boat in half to prove that its unsinkable. Top right: Miss Geico team members Scotty Begovich and Gary Goodell. Above: The original Miami Vice boata 1986 Wellcraft Scarab 38 KVdelighted showgoers. Below: The Carol Suzanne, a 1962 Y class hydroplane that once raced at Miami Marine Stadium.


OFFSHORE BLINGAbove and above right: Cigarettes 50' Marauder SS, outfitted with twin turbocharged 1550s. Left: an MTI 48' powered by twin Mercury Racing 1350 engines.Below: Displaying its C4400 equipped with twin 1,100-hp motors, Mystic Powerboats reported that this years Miami Show was its best ever.


Miami Boat Show



DO THE HUSTLEHustler Powerboats 25' Talon (above), 41' Razor (right) and 29' Rockit (below right and bottom). Below: the 26' Convincor, from Hustlers newly acquired Checkmate line.



Miami Boat Show

Two versions of Douglas Marines 2016 318 Skater: a twin-outboard (middle) and an I/O with Whipplecharged I/Os (above and left).

Outerlimits all-carbon SL50,with staggered twin 1,550 engines.Right: Company head honchos Tommy Turso, Joe Sgro and Paul Fiore.



POWER GALOREA cross-section of Mercury Marine gearcases (above) and the companys 400 big-muscle outboard (right).

Outboard builder Seven Marine (above and right) snared the 2016 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show Innovation Award for developing its 627 SpectraBlade outboard motor.

GMs 6.2L LT4 Gen 5V8 puts out 650 hp at

6,400 rpm.

Ilmor Marine debuted the One Drive package, which combines its MV8 engine series with a twin-propeller sterndrive.



Miami Boat Show

CENTER CONSOLESSunsation Powerboats showed off its 32 CCX (top of page) and 34 CCX (bottom of page). Bothof the Michigan builders craft offer tons of room and scads of amenities, along with spa-cious cabins. The 32 is powered by twin 350 outboards, while the 34 sports triple 400s.



With its 11'6" beam, the MTI-V 42 sported quadruple 350 outboards. This model was MTIs first vee bottom.

Above and right: Midnight Express partnered with watch maker Ulysse Nardin on this concept boat, powered by quad 557-hp Seven Marine outboards. As part of the collaboration, Ulyssee Nardin created 100 specialty watches with the Midnight Express and Seven Marine logos.

Nor-Techs 390CC was equipped with four Mercury Racing 400s.

Among Cigarettes center consoles: the 42 Huntress Lip-Ship Edition, left, and 41 SD GT3-inspired concept boat, above.



Miami Boat Show

Caldwell Racing Technology showed off a system (left and above) that allows an outboard user to change the port timing for different HP applica-tions and hp levels. With this innovative design, you can change the height and size of the port and the inserts that flow the air and fuel in a loop charge around the piston and sleeve behind the liner.

Livorsi Marine displayed its 1050 hydraulic trim tabs (below), available with a powdercoat finish and custom logos. Right: Speedboat editor Brett Bayne with Mike Livorsi.

HOT ACCESSORIESFrom Hardin Marine: the Seaward Series Big-Block Chevy Exhaust System (left) features a 356T heat-treated tubular style cast internal core that has been optimized to flow with the technol-ogy design of a tubular header. This system produces maximum power in a compact design. Above: the Mayfair four-slot LED trim indicator panel, for use with Mecury or Mayfair trim tabs and Mercury drives; theyre available with carbon-fiber faces in black, silver, blue, red and purple.


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Miami Boat Show

STUS CREWThe Florida Powerboat Clubs Stu Jones (left) presided over the groups infamous bikini contest at Montys Sunset Raw Bar in Miami.

Above: FPCs deejay kept the grooves going. Below: Ally Woodruff (left) with poker-run hero Kenny Armstrong and his date.


Story by Brett Bayne Photography by Todd Taylor


Most owners of big offshore boats start with smaller musclecraft and work their way up the performance ladder. Not Brett Miller.The first boat he ever ownedan aluminum Glastronwas

shared with his brother when he was 12 years old. We bought it used, restored it with Walmarts indoor/outdoor carpet and ran it on the Missouri River, he recalls. His most recent non-performance hull was a 27-foot Crownline Sport Cruiser (sort of a Bayliner on steroids).

Then, in 2011, someone gave him a ride in a 40-foot Skater, and it opened his eyes to a whole new world of supersonic speed.

Barely a year later, Miller was writing a check for one of offshore racer Stuart Hayims Recovery Skaters, a 40 Flat Deck that had been through a series of repowerings, repossessions and re-rig-gings. The boat now has two 1,200 Sterling engines with Mercury dry-sump SSM #6 outdrives and 37" five-blade Hering props.

I never had a performance boat before Recovery, says Miller, an orthopedist specializing in sports medicine. Of course, I had to take

Tres Martins course. I put a lot of seat time with him and then a lot of seat time time with Myrick Coil of Performance Boat Center, as well as with a bunch of guys around the lake. Bob Bull and Randy Scism also provided a lot of great guidance.

Miller now co-owns the boat with his cousin, Tyler Miller, who works for an underground utilities construction company. I owned the boat myself the first year, Brett says. Then I took Tyler for a 100-mph ride, and he wanted to get one. Were like brotherswe live about 100 yards from each other, and were always together in the boat, so I just made him a partner in it. And it has worked out great for us.

Both of the Miller families frequently boat togetherBrett, his wife and his two kids, and Tyler, his wife and their four kids. Each family has a vacation home near St. Joseph, MO, and both have boat lifts for Recoveryyoure bound to find it on one lift or another when its not in use.

of the month


Top speed of the boat was 161 mph with big props and the engine set up for maximum speedbefore Miller took deliv-ery. The way its set up right now, were getting about 141 mph, Brett says. Theyre the same enginesyou just need the race gas and big pulleys. We run it de-tuned on 93 octane. According to the owner, the boat has been set up perfectly by the crew at Performance Boat Center. Tres Martin even com-mented on how well the boat behaves, how safe it is and how nicely its set up, he adds. Its very predictable and it turns


Recovery is powered by two 1,200-hp Sterling engines with Mercury SSM #6 drives. The dash features the full range of Livorsi gauges that have been color-matched to the boat, as well as a Garmin 740 GPSMAP.



Speedboat of the Monthwell. It doesnt really have much of any porpoise and its a well-minding boat. Its a gentlemans offshore boat.

For the time being, the Millers are not planning on any modifications. Weve always done the maintenance with an open checkbook, Brett says. Weve had drives rebuilt, motors rebuilt. Performance Boat Center does every ounce of mainte-nance. Sometimes were overcautiouswe take care of prob-lems before they happen, because we dont want to miss a week of boating. We only have three months to do it so we dont want to miss a day of it.

You can find Recovery at virtually every LOTO event, and various other poker runs as well, including Stu Joness Key West run with the Florida Powerboat Club.

The Millers pay tribute to Myrick Coil and the crew at Nauti Marine (later acquired by Performance Boat Center) for all their help with the Skater.



NordicNordic29 Deckboat

Introduced at last years Miami Boat Show, Mercury Racings new Verado 400R performance outboard became the most powerful consum-er outboard engine ever produced by Mercury, providing the highest power-to-weight of all the other four-stroke engines in its class. This powerhouse motor was designed to complement the latest generation of high-performance hulls, and Nordic Powerboats of Lake Havasu City, AZ, was eager to see where this package could take one of its hulls. Ditto our Speedboat test team.

Our 26' and 29' deckboats are our biggest sellers, and it just so happened that the 29' is only the second one that weve done with the outboards, says Nordics Thane Tiemer. Mercury had

just come out with the new 400s, so it just made sense to pair the two.

To take advantage of the outboard configuration, Nordic customized the back of the 29' by moving the rear bench back 20 inches, giving the boat more seating area and a large trunk while sac-rificing the rear stairway. The end result: A comfortable and quintessentially roomy deckboat that delivers triple-digit speeds and superior performance. With a pair of 400s, or with a 825 EFI pack-age, the boat has been tested at over 100 mph, so basically, 800 horsepower will move right to the 100 mph mark, Tiemer says. Its a little more agile with the twin outboardsit actually carries the nose a little better because youre setting the motors back, so it actually runs a little

cleaner it seems, in calm water. Plus it gives you more interior. It runs flaw-lessly, and its one of our favorite boats to drive.

Introduced in 2009, Nordics 29' Deckboat has proved a hit with cus-tomers with its attractive water profile, numerous amenities and top-of-the-line performance. Our teams first encounter with the model was with an I/O version during 2015s Performance Evaluations; the Mercury Racing 565 package deliver-ing a respectable 82.5 mph.

The Package: As with last years tester, our outboard-powered 29' is wide and roomy, and looks great on the water. Up front is a spacious lounge-seating ensemble designed to provide excep-tional comfort for passengers. Interior

Fast, fun and luxury with a double-dose of outboard thrust.



Nordic 29' Deckboat

Length: 29'

Beam: 102"

Engine on test boat: twin Mercury 400R Verados

Base price: $114,900

Price as tested: $209,900

Options on test boat: upgraded

stereo system, extended ski pole, etc.

Top speed: 102 mph @ 7,000 rpm

Nordic Boats770 North Lake Havasu Ave. Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403(928) 855-7420

nordicboatsusa.com

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It goes across all of the wakes and bumps with no problem. We were going over the boat wakes and not even paying attention to them. Bob Teague

The 29s dash is fairly basic, with just two Livorsi tachs and MercurySmartCraft Vessel View system. Standard features include custom gelcoat graphics (no upcharge), triple-axle trailer, full fiberglass liner with snap-in carpet, stainless bimini top and through-transom exhaust.

36 S P E E D B O A T | April 2016

Nordic 29 Deckboat

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features include a built-in privacy enclo-sure, ergonomic console with wrap-around split windscreens and a signa-ture molded swim platform. Built with 100 percent composite construction, the boat is loaded with attractive cus-tom installations and solid, comfortable upholstery work, all done in house. The 29' virtually defines family deckboat fun, with a truly incredible array of special features; it offers more interior room than other boats, including Nordics own 29' I/O-powered version. The list of stan-dard equipment is lengthy: custom gel-coat graphics (no upcharge), triple-axle trailer, full fiberglass liner with snap-in carpet, stainless bimini top, Livorsi gauges and controls, through-transom exhaust and wash-down system, just for starters. In addition, our test boat came equipped with an upgraded stereo sys-tem ($6,800) and an extended-height ski pole ($600).

Sitting in the drivers seat, we were impressed by the dash layout of the Nordic, its SmartCraft gauges arranged intelligently on the dash. The only slight

reservation we had were the placement of the key switches, which were a bit too close to our knees. But the seats are plush, solid and very comfortable.

Our dry-land inspectors gave the 29' exemplary grades on the boats workmanship and interior9s and 10s down the linewith the highest marks awarded for engine and car-pet installation, seating arrangement, cabin layout, fit and finish, and gauge and throttle configuration and instal-lation. Simply put, our takeaway is that on looks alone, this is one of the finest deckboats out there.

Performance: With the 400Rs, the 29' gets on plane handily with the 400Rs. Its an amazingly quiet boat with this setup, especially for the speeds its capable of. Just hold it straight, feed it a little bit of trim and the boat just drives like a big offshore boat with twin engines, says test driver Alexi Sahagian. The 400Rs respond well, and the full power tilt trim capabilities are great.

The 29 is a great turning boat; it leans into the turns fairly well and

would make an excellent boat to ski behindin fact, our tester actually fea-tured a large ski pole. The boat was clearly propped for top speed, given Bob Teagues WOT of 102 mph. Theres a sacrifice thoughit takes about 12 seconds to get on plane, he says. Thats with two people in the boatit would probably be a little faster if people were sitting in the nose, and probably a little bit slower if people were sitting in the back. The boat also negotiated the rough Havasu water perfectly: It goes across all of the wakes and bumps with no problem, Teague adds. We were going over the boat wakes and not even paying attention to them.

We liked the way the Nordic han-dles. In the slower turns, the boat tends to lean a bit on the outside; however, Teague observed that going 90 through the canyon, it handles those same turns very nicely. The general consensus of our team was that the heavy outboards on the back are a well-suited package for the 29'. Its rock solid, says driver Alexi Sahagian.



Heres a super-fast deckboat ideal for Lake Havasu or the river.

KMGKMG22 Phantom SD

This is not our first encoun-ter with the racy 22-foot Phantom SD. Weve gotten seat time in KMGs tunnel boats on more than a few occasions, and we always walk away impressed by his knack for not only creating a marvel of perfectly sculpted rocketry, but one thats packed with performance and comfort.

Kevin Mickaelian launched KMG after expanding his thriving custom painting, repair, and fabrication sta-tion, having honed those skills at DCBs rigging and finishing university. It was there that he helped to build

more than 30 of DCBs stylish Mach 22s before Dave and his crew turned their attention to the upper end of the size stratosphere. Mickaelians revival of the one of the purest-handling rec-reational hulls ever designed for high-impact boating has been nothing short of an inspiration to fans of this boats screaming fast bottom.

One of those fans is Tim Brecht, a racecar driver who also happens to own a BMW dealership in Southern California. Brecht, who has a home in the lower river near Yuma, AZ, met Mickaelian while boating in the area.

I told him I wanted to get back into a performance boat, Brecht says, and Kevin started work on what became our test boat. Well hear more from the owner in a bit.

The Package: Like the Domn8er reviewed on Page 46 of this issue, this is a deckboat that makes the most of every inch of its 22 feet. The wide entryway up front leads into a bow with twin sofas, each with forward-facing backrests; from there, you head back to the cockpit, where the driver and passenger seats are positioned in front of a rear bench with three distinct and contoured seats with



KMG 22 Phantom SD

Length: 22'

Beam: 90.5"

Engine on test boat: Mercury 300XS outboard

Drive on test boat: Sportmaster

Base price: $79,000


Options on test boat: Bimini top, custom aluminum dual mounted ski pole, stereo upgrade, front & rear cap, custom painted cowling, etc.

Top speed: 91.4 mph @ 6,400 rpm

KMG Custom Boats 11641 Riverside Dr., Suite 107 Lakeside, CA 92040 (619) 733-0593

kmgboats.com

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What I really liked about thisboat is that when you get to 70 mph, you barely have to do anything. Alexi Sahagian

Standard equipment on the KMG includes hydraulic jackplate and steering, dual batteries, electric hatch actuator and Extreme tandem-axle trailer. Our upgraded interior sported custom Alcantara fabric.


KMG 22 Phantom SD

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headrests. The Phantom differs from its deckboat competitor in a few distinct ways: first, while the Domn8er has two steps down from the bow, the Phantom is set on a level platform, resulting seats that rest near to the floorthats the tradeoff for the Phantoms sleek, low-profile appearance.

The other big difference is that our Phantom gets its power from a single 300XS outboard, sitting atop a 12" hydraulic jackplate from Bobs Machine Shop. That left plenty of bonus space in an engine compartment that would traditionally contain an I/O, but that was just perfect for owner Tim Brecht, who savors the extra storage. Ive got two kids who love to go tubing and a wife who loves to go wakeboarding, so Kevin installed a billet aluminum ski pole for me, he explains. I can use the engine compartment for all of those toys, and when theyre done playing, I store the pole underneath the engine hatch, suit up with the lifejackets and go 90 miles an hour. The compartment is also home for

twin batteries, oil tank, etc.At the port-side helm, the driver uses

electric hydraulic steering with controls for trim and tilt (Basically it looks like a turn signal behind the steering wheel, notes test driver Alexi Sahagian. Its kind of neat). Racecar driver Brecht also requested a foot throttle, along with carbon-fiber gauges. BMW has a lot of carbon fiber in their street cars and race cars, he says. I wanted the boat to look and feel like a racecar. Indeed, the boats colors match his own racecar teams col-ors: blue, black, silver and white.

Our dry-land inspectors were impressed by the boats interior, which features seats made with Alcantara suede that features a snazzy double-stitching diamond pattern courtesy of West Coast Marine Interiors. (Mickaelian says he plans to bring that job in house at some point, along with every other part of the boat.) Other bling aboard the Phantom: Eddie Marine black anodized swim steps, electric hatch actuator and electric fuel valve, all of which have been flow-coated.

Theres also a quality stereo system with LED mood lighting that features a pair of 10-inch subwoofers, JL 6 inch speakers and a 6 channel JL amp. Top it all off with a color-matching bimini top. We found the construction of the boat typically stur-dy and impressive.

Performance: The Phantom is com-pact and easy to handle, and though it sports a big engine, it doesnt seem over-sized for the boat. We rolled right up on plane in a flash, and achieved the best acceleration numbers out of every boat we tested this time around. The KMG turns, tracks and leans into the turns exceptionally well. What I really liked about this boat is that when you get to 70 mph, you barely have to do anything, says test driver Alexi Sahagian. You can set the trim, adjust the jackplate and have a blast. Its a very user friendly boat. Its owner echoes our opinion: Its phenomenal across the chop and bumpy water, Brecht says. The ride is excep-tional. Our top speed was 90.4 mph at wide-open throttle.



Armed with a twin 700 SCi package, Davesamazing cat is the perfect combination ofcomfort, styling and all-out performance.

DCBDCBM31

Masterful installation, insane comfort and a ride thats guar-anteed to please. Thats our take-away after testing the M31 Widebody from Daves Custom Boats.

For the second year in a row, DCB of El Cajon, CA, has brought this model to our evaluations. In 2015, our review was of an M31 with the base power: a pair of Mercury Racing 565sa some-what milder package than the dual 700 SCis it tends to get coupled with (if you can call a top speed of 102.9 mild). For 2016, Dave and his crew delivered us an M31 with twin 700 SCis. Its not

our favorite package for this boatthat would be a couple of 1,100sbut we do like going 130 mph, and the 700s are definitely up to the challenge.

When DCB released its M31 seven years ago, it took its place alongside its M35 sister ship in the newly christened Widebody series. Both boats sported a beam of nearly 10 feet and four indi-vidual bucket-style seats in place of a traditional rear bench, as well as a stylish, full-wrap 3/4" thick windshield with perfect optics. In addition, both featured front extended wings, wider sponsons and wider tunnels.

Our test team has encountered DCBs Widebody models numerous times over the years, unfailingly delivering on their promise of reliable handling and state-of-the-art machinery. Like the M35 reviewed in our March issue, our M31 was tricked out with bling galore and rigged to perfection. On workmanship alone, the boat received better grades than virtually any other boat weve ever tested, with the num-ber 10 circled almost every time on every single facet, from gelcoat and mold work to throttle installation, fit and finish, and attention to detail.



DCB M31

Length: 31'6"

Beam: 9'8"

Engine on test boat: twin Mercury Racing 700 SCis

Drive on test boat: NXT1s

Base price: $378,000


Options on test boat: Engine and propeller upgrades, Mercury custom-painted blocks, gelcoat upgrade, pas-senger gauges, stereo upgrade, et al.


Daves Custom Boats 1468 N. Magnolia Ave. El Cajon, CA 92020 (619) 442-0300

dcbperformanceboats.com

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The quality of the dash is just so nice-looking compared to other boats. The fit and finish on the M31 is a complete 10.

Alexi Sahagian

The M31 has bucket style seating not only for the driver and passen-ger, but for the four rear passengers as well. The premium interior vinyl sports French stitching and stain-less-steel fasteners. Our test boat featured a Stage III gelcoat upgrade.


DCB M31

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The Package: The M31s con-struction includes a vacuum-infused resin deck and hull, with a custom half-cap and stainless-steel rubrail. The boats premium interior, plush and almost obscenely comfortable, features French stitching and stainless-steel fas-teners with matching padded eyebrow dashes, DCB logo embroidery package, molded interliner, plush snap-in carpet and fully carpeted cuddy. The poker-run bucket-style seating is arranged with two at the helm and four individu-al buckets in place of a continuous rear bench, each seat with its own grabhan-dles. The arrangement and execution is nothing less than gorgeous.

On the drivers side dash, DCB has installed a pair of tachs for each engine and a speedo, along with Mercurys SmartCraft Vessel View system, result-ing in a clean, uncluttered appearance. The driver uses a Livorsi throttle/shift-er combo; in front of the passenger is the same tach/speedo arrangement. I would say is that the quality of the dashincluding the anti-glare mate-

rial they useis just so nice-looking compared to other boats, raved evalu-ator Alexi Sahagian. The fit and finish on the M31 is a complete 10.

Standard features on the M31 include tilt helm, dual sea strainers, slip-in Gatlin mufflers, interior lighting, three bilge pumps and XM/Sirius sound sys-tem with four premium speakers.

Below the deck, theres a cuddy area that has been fully carpeted with 40-ounce marine-grade carpet. Theres not an abundance of room down there, but it would be suitable for lying down and getting out of the sun, or for stor-ing gear.

Performance: Our two 700 SCi motors, coupled with NXT drives, make the M31 nimble and quick. As our team put it through its punishing series of tests, the boat responded like a cham-pion. It gets up on plane efficiently, and at speed, its as smooth and rock-solid as any boat DCB has ever built. Like its M35 sister ship, the 31 is an electrifying driving experience. At all speeds, the boat remains hooked up, slicing through boat wakes like theyre

not even there. Simply put, this is the culmination of everything Dave and his crew have accomplished in 25 years of precision performance craftsman-ship. Its a great boat for a guy whos looking for an upper-end boat with the intermediate power, says test driver Bob Teague. Its civil enough for some-one who wants to get a sport catthis could be his first boat. The workman-ship, the overall finish, the way it han-dles, the way its presentedits a 10.

Teague gave stellar marks to all of the M31s handling and turning char-acteristics down the entire speed range. Goes across the bumps really well, he says. There were some boat wakes we had to deal with while making the speed runs, and they presented abso-lutely no problem for us.

DCB is devoted to making sure that every boat out of the mold is a true work of art. From the rugged construc-tion and intuitive drivability to the pristine fit and finish, the M31 is a superb all-around package from a team thats committed to excellence. Prepare yourself for perfection.


22' Deckboat


Ideal for a family on a budget, the builders small but agiledecker feels more roomy than youd expect.

DOMN8ERDOMN8ERWhile were always delighted when our boat reviews help a potential customer make an informed decision when shop-ping for a new boat, its equally grati-fying when we can help a manufac-turer improve his product. When Domn8er Powerboats of Lake Havasu City brought us their 22' Deckboat to be reviewed in last years evalua-tion serieswell, lets just say it didnt end up being our teams favorite ride. Propped for maximum porpoise, the boat rode rather unpredictably, and our test crew didnt hold back airing

its misgivings about the setup. But give company President Dory Sarafin credit for making the necessary tweaks and bringing us another 22' to drive during our 2016 test eventone that was more stable and much easier to handle.

The 22' is a family deckboat built with an aggressive bottom, deep spon-sons and as much room as possible while keeping the price point as afford-able as possible. We did what we could to make a 22-footer as sexy and as roomy as we could, Sarafin says. The boat is really wide, with an 8-foot beam, which is a lot wider than some of

our competitors models. I believe what we have is a little different, and people are talking about it.

Most of Domn8ers 22' deckboats are equipped with 502 big-blockstypical-ly the HO, as the majority of customers are looking for performance as much as comfort and room. Our test boat con-tained the MerCruiser small-block 377 Mag (320 hp), more of a family-friendly, 60-mph package that wont break the bank (base price is a reasonable $60K; options on our tester upped the ticket to $70K). Sarafin says Domn8er built this particular boat for a customer who



DOMN8ER 22

Length: 22'

Beam: 102"

Engine on test boat: MerCruiser 377 Mag

Drive on test boat: Bravo One

Base price: $59,995


Options on test boat: Pearl paint, painted floors and under hatch, upgraded stereo, Aqua Step, bimini top, dual batteries, etc.


Domn8er Powerboats 1790 Industrial Blvd. Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403 (928) 505-4078

domn8er.com

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DOMN8ER 22 Deckboat


This is an entry-level model, but it still has the look of an expen-sive boat. A huge improvement over previous Domn8ers weve tested. Alexi Sahagian

Livorsi gauges and Zero Effort con-trols are part of the Domn8ers helm; our tester featured upgrades like pearl paint, bimini top, stereo system, Aqua Step and a specially painted floor. Theres plenty of storage on this deckboat.


DOMN8ER 22

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was more interested in tubing with his family than breaking the sound barrier. We focused on a better pulling ability for the boat rather than trying to get top speed out of it, Sarafin says.

The Package: Domn8er has made its 22' as roomy as possible, with plenty of storage compartments and maxi-mum seating areas throughout the boat front. Directly behind the drivers seat, youll find a double-door compartment ideal for stowing away bumpers, dock lines or whatever the customer wants to put in there. Thats where Domn8er has put its battery switch, and its very easy to accessno seat cushions need to be removed. The boat offers cup-holders galore, a built-in cooler and lots of amenities, including Zero Effort controls, bimini top and an upgraded stereo system.

After entering the boat from the wide bow area, theres a step down into lounge containing twin couches (with forward-facing cushions for those who wish to stretch out). Moving back to the cockpit, theres a second step down with two bolsters for starboard-side

captains helm and a port-side pas-senger; to the right of the rear bench is a staircase exit via the transom. Our tester featured a bimini top.

One thing that makes the Domn8er unique is the nonskid fiberglass floor, which has been given a grey motif with white pinline accents. We try to pay attention to detail, and add a little contrast, Sarafin explains. We wanted it to look different, because a white floor is rather boring. The result is the appearance of carpeting without a carpet. If someone spills something or the family dog didnt wipe its feet, theres no stressjust get your front shower out, hose it off, Sarafin says.

Our dry-land inspection team awarded above-average marks to the boats overall workmanship and inte-rior, with the highest praise going to seat construction, gauge and throttle installation, and comfort. Our team also admired the ease of boarding and debarking. Test driver Alexi Sahagian echoed the fine job Domn8er has done with the 22': Looks like its constructed very nicelyits very basic, more of an

entry level model, but it still has the look of an expensive boat. Its a huge improvement over their prior models.

Performance: We cant curb our enthusiasm about the improved driv-ability of this deckboat. They have hit upon the right package, says test driver Alexi Sahagian, who praised the companys decision to add a rideplate to the Bravo outdrive to help it get on plane quickly and efficiently. As for the overall ride and performance, What a huge improvement compared to the previous Domn8ers we drove, he raved. Again, this particular model is was powered not for top-end speed but for family fun, and it delivers. Taking the boat through our usual series of acceleration runs, speed ranges, turns, etc., we found that while we experi-enced a bit of bowrise on takeoff, the Domn8er takes a decent set and deliv-ers a fine, stable 60-mph ride. Driving it is easy: feed some trim to the throttle and youre home free. The 22' is a great choice for the entry-level boater with a family on a budgetits reasonable on fuel, lightweight and easy to tow.


legends

REGGIE REGGIE FOUNTAINFOUNTAIN


Even in his youth (he began racing at 14), Reggie Fountain would not be denied once he set his goals. Its a trait that would solidify in the pursuit of a business law degree at the University of North Carolina, and as a successful salesman, promoter and developer. At a seasoned 31, Fountainone year into pro tunnel-boat racing and a factory driver for Glastronwon the Houston Gulf Coast Marathon Associations championship and was named Outstanding New Driver at the prestigious Lake Havasu World Championships.

In our third installment of our newly launched Hall of Fame series, we salute champion tunnel boat racer, offshore kilo record-holder and sport boat designer/builder Reggie Fountain. His amazing contributions to the performance powerboating industry have carved a path through three dis-tinct areas of excellenceeach of which has lent momentum to his ascent to status in our Speedboat Legends series.

The 47 Fountain of Kjell Rokke, driver, and Reggie Fountain, throttles, en route to first place with a 72.84 mph average in Super Class at the 1991 APBA Michigan City, Indiana, Offshore Classic.

Photography by Paul Kemiel

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Above: The 42' Fountain Ohio Steel, with owner/driver John Rebhan and Reggie Fountain on the throttles, made a clean sweep with a pair of first place finishes in the Open Vee class to being crowned World Champions at the 1992 Key West Offshore races.

Below: Ohio Steel, a 42 Fountain deep vee, with owner/driver John Rebhan and throttleman Reggie Fountain, finished in fourth place with an 69.32 mph aver-age in Open Class at the 1992 APBA Offshore race in Cocoa Beach, FL. Below right: OhioSteels 1.000-hp Mercury inboards.



Speedboat Legends

Above: Fountain, a 39' Fountain with driver (and son) Wyatt Fountain and throttleman Reggie Fountain, captured first place in the B class with an 82.94 mph average at the 1998 Ft. Myers, FL, Offshore race.Left: Reggie and Wyatt celebrate on the podium in Ft.Myers.

Below: Znetix, a 39' Fountain hull with the crew of driver Wyatt Fountain and Jeff Harris on the throttles power their way to victory with a 88.64 mph average in the Super Vee class at the 2001 Cleveland, Ohio race. Right: Reggie poses with son Wyatt after his win.


Rio Roses, a 42 Fountain with the team of driver Mike Seebold and throttleman Ben Robertson, won three races to claim 1st place and

become World Champions in the Superboat Vee Unlimited class at the 2004 SBI Offshore championships in Key West, FL.


Speedboat Legends

Above: Mike Seebold, David Woods, Reggie Fountain and David Knight attend the 2007 Chicago Poker Run in East Chicago, IN.

Right: Merrittorious, a 2009 42' Fountain Lightning hull with driver Wyatt Fountain, Keith Merritt and Michael Merritt aboard at the 2008 Chicago Poker Run in East Chicago, IN.


Fountain had one of the greatest weekends in recorded boat racing his-tory when the following year, as an independent, he set two world records and earned three national closed-course championships at Miami Marine Stadium. He quickly drew the nod from Mercury Marines vaunted factory team, where he joined Bill Seebold and Earl Bentz to form one of the most fabled teams in outboard racing history.

Fountain won an incredible 20 of 31 tunnel races entered in 1973, ten of 19 in 1973 and took 15 of 23 first-place trophies in 1976. In 1978, at the height of his success, Fountain retired from competition, intent on harnessing his determination and drive in a differ-ent directionthe development of a research and development program for Mercury Marine.

Fountains extensive on-water test-ing was addictive, and he soon began to apply lessons learned on the race course to create speed gains in exist-ing, recreational vee-bottom technol-ogy. His instincts told him that there was a market for fast, efficient, custom-ized performance boatsand Reggies instincts would rarely prove wrong. His ability to intepret the results of experi-mentation and direct the resulting tech-nology into production applications is nothing short of legendary.

The classic Fountain design emerged as an icon in the offshore sport-boating ranks, as well as a symbol of a certain attained status. They are, in more ways than one, a slice of Reggiewho still spends extensive time on the water.

Fountain helped launch an entire performance-boating movement with the integration of the step-bottom into his hulls, which improved efficiency and created more speed from the same available horsepower. Virtually every performance builder in creation now builds a step-bottom.

In 1990, Fountain resurfaced in the racing ranks, this time in the ocean; his comeback was capped with an Offshore Pro Tour championship in 1992. After astounding success, he attacked the kilo record books, where Fountain con-

tinues to up the mark (first at 114.58, in 1991 , most lately at 131.94 in a twin, breaking a record held by a triple).

By 1999, Reggie Fountain maintained a 55 percent ownership of Fountain Powerboats, and continued to be the driving force behind its success. Sales reportedly exceeded $50 million in 1998 and showed no signs of slowing down. But in 2008, as a new recession took hold, sales dwindled, dealerships began

to fail, and in 2010, family-owned Liberty Associates became the new owner of Fountain Powerboats. Reggie went on to explore new ventures, and became the subject of the documentary film King of Offshore: The Reggie Fountain Story, written and produced by John Potts of American Performance Media.

Speedboat salutes Reggie on one more, well-deserved shrine, as one of the Speedboat Legends.




Above: Michael Ciasulli of Green Brook, NJ in Maxon Auto Group, a 38' Skater with 1,350-hp Mercury Racing engines.

Left: Mike Fuqua of Hendersonville, TN, in his 32' Sunsation, powered by an 800-hp Mercury engine.

Stu Jones leads the charge to the Florida Keys for three days of sun & fun.

MARATHON

Florida Powerboat Club members from more than ten states kicked off the 2016 poker run season with a mid-winter escape to Marathon, in the heart of the Florida Keys.

A Thursday night soiree at the Grove Bay Grill got several of the FPC mem-bers re-acquainted, while many others were meeting for the very first time. Whether they owned a Concept center console, a 39' Cigarette Top Gun, or a

160-mph Skater, it was apparent that the powerboating passion was shared across the board and everyone was just happy to be there. Considering that 80 percent of the participants were from nearly ten colder, snow-ridden states (including Michigan, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts), it was a welcome escape from the January blues. For those climatized Floridians, it certainly was a cool start at Grove Harbour Marina on Friday morning, where seasonal temperatures had

dropped to the low 60s, but the clear skies and west winds made for calm seas as the group departed on Biscayne Bay. Warm jackets were certainly in order, as club members loaded the boats for the 11 a.m. start. After a touch-and-go for a poker card on the docks of Grove Harbour Marina, they were off and running on Biscayne Bay for the short 50-mile romp to Gilberts in Key Largo. As always, the fast cats of the high-performance class were the first to break away.

MISSION:

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Ron Szolack of Michigan in his 42' Mysticcenter-console, powered by triple outboards.

Ken Armstrongs 48' MTI Phantom.Right: Luis Sotero and friend pose withhis experimental Searey aircraft.

On Your Mark is Mark Munros 39'Cigarette Top Gun.

Photos by Jerry Wyszatycki

Left: Boats dock at the Island Fish Co. tiki bar for lunch.Below: Yaniv Eliyahus 42 Cigarette, Supercars of Miami.



Boats Direct, David Peases 39' Deep Impact.

Don House of Clinton, KY, in House Party, a 36' Cigarette powered by a 1,200-hp Mercury.

Ray Gremaux of Islip Terrace, NY, in his twin-outboard 33' Renegade.


Mission Marathon

The group continued on its cool-but-dry day trip through the scenic Keys to Marathon, which featured the occa-sional low-level buzz by Luis Sotero in his amphibious seaplane. Then the pack settled in to a full marina at the Faro Blanco Yacht Club & Resort. The marina was jammed tight with cruisers, trawlers and yachts of many descrip-tions, illustrating that Faro Blanco had quickly made its way onto the must-visit cruising agenda of many yachts-men passing through the Keys.

The crew checked into their Hyatt Place Resort rooms, and while many stayed on property to enjoy the food and ambiance of the Lighthouse Grill, others ventured off to nearby eateries to experience the Marathon nightlife. One highlight was joining Florida Keys radio celeb Bill Hoebee from Wail 99.5/Sun 103.1 for a live-remote broadcast that transmitted to thousands of lis-teners from Miami to Key West. The message was simply, Come to the Faro Blanco if you want to check out the coolest powerboats in the country and meet the most spirited folks ever! It workedlots of visitors stopped by


Saturday morning to check things out. Saturdays fun run took the FPC

through the Seven-Mile Bridge and offshore in the calm coastal waters, thanks to the light west winds, for a short tour around Boot Key, Marathon Key and along Key Colony Beach, where they transited ocean-to-bay via the Vaca Cut, arriving at the Island Fish Co. There was plenty of open dockage and great seafood on the menu, as more than 60 participants dined in the open-air restaurant and picked up another poker card before heading back out on the calm bay water. With the day still young and the sun still shining, the relatively small fleet throttled up for another high-speed sprint. I was reminded just how spectacular Mark and Eileen Fischers 52' Nor-Tech was, as Mark pushed the beast to nearly 110 mph, said FPC President Stu Jones.

After two great days on the water, attendees assembled at a private ball-room at the Hyatt Place to enjoy the company of new friends, and play out their poker cards. Peoples Choice awards were presented in a total of eight categories, and lady luck helped two teams take home prizes for the

best poker hands.Congratulations to Phil and Kim

Mendelson for winning first place in the Air Class, while Mike and Christie Fuqua from Tennessee took top hon-ors in Sea Class, running their 32' Sunsation for the weekend. Sunday morning, the group trickled out in waves, and the three boats that went

home on trailers, supported the nor-mal attrition average of 15%reveal-ing that 3 out of 20 was right on par.

Overall, fun was had by all, and in spite of the cooler temperatures, with over half our attendees coming from snow and ice for this mid-winter fling, most would agree it was every bit worth the effort.

Mission Marathon


OBSERVERS SEATRAY LEE[Continued from page 12]

was not arranged to cater to us, so we accommodated accordingly.

There were a lot of amazing displays this year. MTI had a great spot out on the end of the docks complete with an indoor showroom and a center con-sole demo boat ready to go. Midnight Express also impressed with their large center console boats with 12' beamsincluding one built for elite Swiss time-piece maker Ulysse Nardin, complete with quadruple 557-hp Seven Marine outboard engines.

Mercury Marine had a huge booth inside the Engines tent, showcasing all of their latest and greatest outboards, sterndrives, propellers and electron-ics that the Fond du Lac, WI-based Company has built their name and rep-utation on. They also had a spot front-and-center, on the water with boats boasting Merc power, offering test rides out on the Atlantic.

But my favorite display of the show had to be the Cigarette Racing booth. They had a large area on the docks with a total of six boats in water (two per-formance vee-bottoms and four center consoles) and an indoor showroom that housed a stunning 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT3 racecar. On the outer dock was its matching 41' SD GT3 center console boat with twin Merc 1100s with M8 outdrives.

YES! Sterndrives! On a center con-sole! It was beautiful.

I guess I wasnt alone in my opinion though. Congratulations to Skip Braver and the crew at Cigarette Racing for winning the 2016 Best Boat DisplayIn Water award!

So overall, I would have to conclude that the new venue at the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin was a success and is a good change for the show and the industry. I feel that the challenges that came with trying to improve the Miami International Boat Show will be addressed and corrected for next year and the years to follow.

I look forward to rolling with their changes.


ON THE DYNOALEXI SAHAGIAN

the rear of the block. Take a look there. If thats not it, you already have it out and apart and will be able to simply change the rear main seal as the motor is already out. The only other check is the rear cam plug. It looks like a freeze plug. Make sure its not dribbling. If in doubt, put a surface sealer on it for peace of mind while you are in there.

Good luck, and hopefully the shop that rebuilt it will work with you.

Torque SpecsDear Alexi:I have a V-drive box in my dragboat. I was working on it the other day and noticed that a few of the nuts were cracked on the bolts that hold the case together. I replaced them and one cracked again. Is it the nut or am I over torquing the nut? It runs well and does not leak oil.Dan BatesStockton, CA

Lets talk torque specs! The V-drive case has a lot of pressure on it as a gearcase. However, the bolts should be OK and surely the nuts should not break. I would say make sure that you have a quality heat treated nut or one rated for the stresses of a gearbox. At times, the good-looking nuts only look good and are not strong. The most likely cause of the nuts break-ing is the fact that your boat has a lot of harmonics and the vibration does a number. The other thing is that if its a smaller powerful boat, the V-drive box sees a lot of sudden shock, which cause a minimal amount of flex that can stress fasteners. Find out the manufacturer of your fasteners and see what they recom-mend for torque. Usually they will give it to you. You may also want to look into the use of a stretch gauge. This you can do by mocking up the fasteners and seeing what the bolt itself is doing. If you use the manufacturers specs, you should be fine. If it keeps happening, you must look into different bolts or an improper built case adding heavier loads and clearances caus-ing extra stresses.

[Continued from page 14]


Bretts

Sidewinder Resto ADBA Racing Honcho Biesemeyer

ALSO:

BUILDINGA BETTER

BAHNER

59515_Speedboat_April_63.indd 6359515_Speedboat_April_63.indd 63 3/4/16 11:38 AM3/4/16 11:38 AM


Rick Reiling re-creates the dream boat of his childhood...with a lot of help from his performance pals.

Ri k R ili h d

BAHNER

Story by Brett Bayne

RESTORATIONBuilding a BetterBuilding a Better

For Rick Reiling of Mesa, AZ, finding and restoring a 1983 Bahner Sprint jetboat has been all about recapturing a golden moment from his youth. Nostalgiaas many of our readers are all too familiaris one power-ful mistress.

It all started with Ricks dad, Greg, a friend of Rod Bahners many decades back. My dad had the fifth boat Rod ever made, Rick says. Rod personally deliv-ered it out here to Wild Horse Pass, which used to be called Firebird Dragway so my dad could test-drive it

before taking possession of it. I always liked the style of them.

Dad and son spent many an hour on that Bahner, which Greg eventually sold to a buyer in California. As an adult, Rick attempted to relocate it, but his search was unsuccessful. Instead, he threw the net in a different directiontrying to find an exact replica of his childhood ride.

Theyre kind of hard to find, Rick says. I didnt really see that many for sale. I looked for around for a year before I finally found one up in Sacramento. Then I had to go pick it up.



Far left: the Bahner only two days after Reiling purchased the boat. Left and below left: the upholstery was shot and in desperate need of replacement. Below: Shortly after he bought the boat, the exhaust valve on the 454 head disinte-grated, taking out the piston and the rod.

The new 468 Chevyengine is installed.

Far left: the oil pan,after the engine blew up.

Left: the stock 454 isremoved, for good.


The new engines dyno sheet. The motor. It puts out 624 hp. Below: the new engine, installed.

Above: New gauges and steering wheel were provided by Reilings friend Phil Bergeron of Bergeron Marine. Below: Remnants of the old seats, and some new wood pieces to form all-new seating.


Building a Better Bahner

Above: the Bahner interior, before and after the seats were removed. The upholstery, foam and wood were all rotting.


Left: the boats new seats are being resined. The new seats, by Phoenix Finest, are completed. Marine-grade memory foam was used under the vinyl.


Bahners have fiberglassed-in floors and stringers, so only new carpeting was required.

The replacement boat was virtually identical to Gregs old boat, from paint scheme on down. Rick plunked down $3,800 for the hull, which was in desperate need of some TLC (to say nothing of a new engine, gauges, carpeting, etc. It needed everything, Reiling says. When I bought it, I knew I would eventually have the trailer restored, engine restored, and so on. I had to start from scratch.

Before doing anything, Reiling took the boat out for a test drive on the local Saguaro Lake in Arizona. With the stock 454 Chevy, the boat ran 64 mph. Reilings goal was to surpass 80 mph without sacrificing reliability. It wasnt long before he found himself forced toward that goal sooner rather than later when the engine blew up and he needed to be towed in by a sheriffs boat. The head and the exhaust valve just disintegrated and took out the piston and the rod, he recalls. The engine just grenaded.

Thats when the restoration of the Bahner truly began. Its a process that took well over a year, his original financial invest-ment leaping to $15,000.

The 454 was swapped out for a 468 Chevy with worked-over GM heads, extensive head work, mild cam, roller motor (.60 over), Keith Black pistons, forged crank, TCM valve covers and pistons, billet MSD distributor and wires, Holley 850 marine carb, RPM Performer intake, JC pump by Bergeron Engineering (480-834-1531), Holley fuel pump and Place Diverter. Livorsi gauges, Lecarra steering wheel and top-mount mini high-torque starter were courtesy of Bergeron Marine, while Tom Manier at Jet Boat Performance (805-466-4719) provided the Place Diverter and most of the new jet parts.

The original foot pedal was sent out to be rebuilt and polished to keep the boat as original as possible, and the intake shoe was


Reilings friend, rigger Shane Sanders,performed the bolting and adjusting on the Banhers interior.


Building a Better Bahner

also refurbished. Other new items included Rewarder dry ceramic headers (with no injection ports), while the trailer was completely restored, with paint, bunks, tires, full LED lighting and tow bar pad. The boats gelcoat is all original, with no cracks. Meanwhile, Rick had the hook taken out of the bottom of the boat. The result, he says, is a very light hull.

After replacing the engine, it was time to work on the rest of the boat. Reiling stripped out the seats: I had to have all of the wood rebuilt, the seats, the foamall from scratch. Everything was original, but it was rotting and no good anymore. He hired Phoenix Finest Upholstery (623-518-5408) to create all-new

custom seats, keeping them period-correct. Beneath the vinyl upholstery, marine-grade memory foam was used.

Fortunately, Bahners were built with fiberglassed-in floors and stringers, so none of that had to be replaced; only new car-peting was needed. After new carpet was laid down, Reilings buddy, rigger Shane Sanders, carefully installed, bolted and adjusted the new seats to Ricks specifications.

The Bahners gelcoat, though somewhat faded through the passage of time, continues to be all original. I took it to Hooks Marine Detailing in Havasu (928-680-1461). He is phenomenal, Rick says. He brought it back from its faded look. There was no


Above: Before the seats were redone, but after the new engine was installed, Reiling broke it in on the water to see what it could do. To date, the top speed has been 89.2 mph. Above left: Hooks Marine of Havasu restored the lus-ter of the faded gelcoat by wet sanding, buffing and waxing. It looks mint now, Reiling says.


gel neededall they did was wet sanding, buffing and waxing. It looks mint now.

The day the new motor was assembled, Rick took it back on the water to break it inand to see what the new top speed would be. So far, 89.2 mph is the tallest number so far. I wanted to be in the 80s, and we definitely accomplished thatand without a blower, he says.

Reactions from spectators has been positive. Driving the boat on the lake, Rick occasionally drives by a cruiser called the Steamboat Dolly that takes about 200 passengers at a time on tours in the evenings. I passed it recently, and a guy on the boat

from New Zealand was taking video of me in the boat and lov-ing the rooster tail, he says. With the Place Diverter, droop and wedge, the roost shoots about 100 feet tall, which was higher than the two-story boat was!

Rick, whos previously owned boats by Kona, Eliminator, Ultra and Cheetah, has found his ultimate ride in the Bahner. Father Greg, a retired Phoenix police officer, also continues to be a boat fanatic; his current ride is a 29 Magic Wizard, powered by a Mercury 502 engine.

Rick enjoys using his boat with wife Tessa and their three chil-dren, who tube off the back of the Bahner.


Story by Brett Bayne


Heres a restoration story that began when Brian Storman of St. Petersburg, FL, took his family scalloping.There, in a storage lot near the water,

sat an old Sidewinder boat. I just walked over to check it out and ended up buying it for a few hundred bucks to see if it was worth putting back together.

Stormans friend of 25 years, boatbuild-er Jay Pilini, recalls the old Sidewinder model very well. We all grew up with the Sidewinder dealer here locally, says the Florida native. Brian is roughly the same age as me, and all of us wanted one of those boats when we were kids.

Pilinithe founder of Spectre Powerboats and the current owner of Pilini Marine Technologies (727-329-

8778)was the natural choice to bring the old hull to for an appraisal. The idea was to restore it for Stormans son Brice as his main 2015 Christmas present. We struck up a friendship right here in St Pete, Pilini recalls. He just opened a waterfront caf and restaurant, so we started frequenting there and got reac-quainted because I hadnt seen him in several years.

Storman pitched the idea of fixing up the Sidewinder. At first I condemned it, because it was going to be too much work. I just didnt think it would be worth it. But eventually I just decided it was too cool of a boat to just throw away.

It was wiped out when we found it, adds Storman. There were no seats in it and the floor was gone. But it had good structureit was mostly all there.

Storman is no stranger to the boat-ing lifestyle. Hes the owner/operator of I.C. Sharks in Tampa Bay, a combination seafood market, tiki bar, live bait/tackle shop and boat rental center. Im a bit of a speedboat fanatic, he admits. I just havent been able to really mess with it until this point, but now Im just starting to get Brice into it. My dad had a 1969 Sidewinder, so the 1974 Sidewi

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Speedboat April 2016