Speedboat May 2016

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SPRING CLEANINGGet Your Boat Ready for Summer

sGet Your Boat Ready for Summer

50CigarettesMind-BlowingMarauderSEE PAGE 24

BIG BAD BLOWOVER!

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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 SAHAGIAN20 GREG SHOEMAKER22 INDUSTRY NEWS52 NEW PRODUCTS

FEATURES24 SPEEDBOAT OF THE MONTHPerformance Boat Center of Lake of the Ozarks has built a 50' Cigarette Marauder as an inventory boat, and its one of the prettiest damn things youll ever see.

28 ISLAMORADA DREAMINStu Jones of the Florida Powerboat Club gives us a first-hand account of his latest poker run following the Miami Boat Show.

36 L.A. BOAT SHOWWhile more go-fast boatbuilders snub the Los Angeles Boat Show, there were still a number of super-cool boats and products on display.

44 BIG TROUBLELucas Oil Racing got dramatic in Phoenix, with a spectacular crash involving Cole Thurstons TAF.

46 FACTORY TOURThe Speedboat crew tours the Poly Lift factory in Missouri to watch the best-built boat lifts being meticulously hand-crafted.

54 SPRING CLEANINGOur tech expert explains how to ensure that your fuel-delivery system is properly prepared for the summer season.

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

TABLE OF CONTENTSMay 2016

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BRETTS COVE64 EVEN STEVENSThe father-and-son team of Ron and Ryan Minegar bring a classic Stevens back to its original glory.

72 KEMO-SABEMichael Temby sold his fathers Biesemeyer years ago. Then came an opportunity to reunite his elderly father with his beloved boat

76 NJBA SEASON OPENERBakersfields Lake Ming sets the stage for a typically heart-pounding jetboat skirmish.

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.

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:

www.WheresMyMagazine.com

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

National Sales Ray Lee Director [email protected]

Art Director Gail Hada-Insley

Helicopter Services Fred Young [email protected] Photographers Todd Taylor, Pete Boden, Randy Nuzzo, Kenny Dunlop, Paul Kemiel, Jeff Girardi, Mark McLaughlin

Operations Manager Michele Plummer [email protected]

Subscriptions Valerie Snedeker [email protected]

Webmaster Craig Lathrop [email protected]

Web Design Wes Nielsen [email protected]

Editorial Offices 9216 Bally Court Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (888) 577-2628 (BOAT)

SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE (ISSN#1941-9473) is published 8 times a year by DCO Enterprises LLC.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Domestic $34.00 for 9 issues, Canada $56.00 for 9 issues, International $60.00 for 9 issues. All prices are for one year and in US funds. For subscription info: call (888) 577-2628.

PRINTED IN USA These rates represent Speedboats standard sub-scription rate and should not be confused with any special rates or premi-ums otherwise advertised or offered.

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


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MY VIEWCHRIS DAVIDSON

Progress. Its Buggy.

Sometimes I wonder if anyone ever really reads this column, or if they just head straight to the beautiful glossy photos. However, during the last couple of events I attended, I got some much-welcome feedback that reaffi rms that some of you still read the magazine from cover to cover. That kind of feed-back is rewardingparticularly when the feedback is positive.

Most everyone I spoke with has a favorite columnist (typically Jim Wilkes or Alexi Sahagian). That seems logical, since their columns date back to the days of Hot Boat, and their shopsWilkes Marine and Boostpower USA Marinehave been active in the industry for numerous years. The columns penned by Ray and me may not be quite as popular, but we try to make up for it with greater insight to what is happening at events and the industry leaders newest products and wares.

Publishing Speedboat magazine has its hurdles these daysnot only to pub-lish, but to actually get it to the reader. Postage rates have skyrocketed over the past several years, both in Canada as well

as most recently for the U.S. market. The USPS dropped the price of a standard envelope by 2 cents for letters, but raised the rates on virtually everything else by $1 to $3, depending on the weight and size of the envelope.

The vertical niche market that we cater to still demands the need for a print magazine. However, over the next decade, I expect print magazines to be almost complete passthe Internet will completely dominate and ware-house everything in cyberspace. Even so, print still delivers a message that cant be delivered any other way for now.

I recently had an interesting con-versation with Devin Wozencraft of Wozencraft Insurance, during which we both agreed that there is greater value in a person who purchases a magazine for $4.99 off the newsstand or pays for a subscription, as they are vested in the product and industry, versus someone surfi ng the web with no vested interest. For the advertiser, we deliver a more qualifi ed buyer who is going to spend his hard-earned money on an adver-tisers products.

With that said, its a diffi cult blend publishing a print magazine and oper-ating a website that offers a lot of infor-mation and data for free. Last August, we did a soft launch with our forums at Speedboat.com in conjunction with the LOTO event. Our three-year non-compete contract had just expired with Vertical Scope (who acquired PerformanceBoats.com from us in August of 2012). We patiently waited to launch our forums, but the three years fl ew by very quickly. In addition, our website went through several rede-signs during that same periodsome planned, some not.

The most recent facelift occurred

after we were hacked by Russians in October 2015. The hacks occurred through a computer traced back to Russia. The Russians did this so that they could spam our users emails with everything from Viagra ads to get-rich-quick scams. The hackers have become ultra sophisticated, according to our IT department. They left many back doors inside the server so that they could re-spam the database repeatedly over the coming years. After several attempts to destroy their bugs, we fi nally had to move our servers and start from scratch, which was extremely disconcerting. My son Blair and I had spent much of the year developing the store and home page along with the videos and digital magazines. But once our IT expert Craig saved what he could, Blair and I began the process over again and have contin-ued to hone and improve the site.

One interesting thing that came about from the redesign was the dis-covery that Vbulletinthe former forum software leaders latest ver-sionhad become cumbersome and technically difficult to operate. So we changed software and are now operat-ing the latest and greatest forum soft-ware through Xenforo.

Its interesting and frustrating to see how fast technology changes every-thing from week to week. Barely 10 years ago, we were using cassette tape machines, video tape recorders and remote battery boxes in conjunction with our boat tests. One system actually cost us $5,000! Within two years, GoPro replaced all of that in an HD digital for-mat for under $500.

So we will continue with the techno-logical advances that are thrust upon us, and hope to see you visit our forums at Speedboat.com.



OBSERVERS SEATRAY LEE

Oh, woe is me! is a phrase I seldom say, or even think to myself. I know that I am fortunate to be doing this job in an industry that I love. I am also blessed to have a wonderful, healthy family, the love and support of my beautiful fi ance Julie Stepnick, and great friends who have always had my back, for as long as I can remember, and still do.

So this isnt a poor me tale. It is sim-ply a series of events on one particular day on the job that couldve gone better.

A lot better!Speedboat Magazine editor Brett Bayne

and I had scheduled a photo shoot in late March that would feature fi fteen awesome boats and seven stunning models. Wade Addington of the Weekend Paradise RV Park in Lake Elsinore, CA, had graciously agreed to host our event. His property has a large, wide open beach for us to do what we neededincluding launching the boats, a changing area for the girls and even a large golf cart to help us get from Point A to Point B easier and quicker than walking.

In the pre-dawn hours of the morn-ing of the shoot, I was awakened by the thunderous sounds of strong, heavy winds blowing against the side of my suburban home. My fi rst thought went straight to the days shoot, and if we would be able to proceed as planned. Wind has always been my enemy, and it again reared its ugly head. Slight panic set in, as I looked out the window to see the fronds of the palm trees all horizon-tally aligned against the dark sky.

I was tempted to phone Brett imme-diately, because he was staying at a hotel in Lake Elsinore and I wanted to get a weather report. I decided to wait until sunrise to see if the winds would dis-sipate to make that phone call. I was relieved when Brett told me that there was hardly even a breeze down at the lake, 40 miles south of where I was. Crisis averted. Or so I thought.

My friend and lighting refl ector-extraordinaire Brandon Proctor, Brett and I all arrived at the lake close to 8 a.m. We wanted to be there early, as we had scheduled all other participants to arrive at 8:30. As soon as I opened my truck door, I knew we were in troublethe wind had followed me down to the lake, and it was howling! The water was white capping and the sand from the beach created a haze across the horizon. I immediately thought that we might have to cancel the shoot and reschedule for another, less treacherous day.

But Brett was considerably more optimistic. He assured me that we would be fine and that everything would go smoothly. So I reluctantly agreed. We couldnt proceed with our original plan of launching each of the boats because the wind and currents would carry them to the far side of the lake, even before we removed the first lens cap. So we adapted. We kept the boats on trailer and parked them alongside the shore.

The modelsAkacia, Emily, Tiffany, Olivia, Tatiana, Angela and Rupaall arrived on time with their hair and makeup impeccably done. I could tell that they were as concerned as I was about the conditions of the day, if not more so. As we started to pose them on the boats, it seemed to be a losing battle. The sun was up from the east and the winds were blowing hard from the west. Hair blew every which way, except for the ways that we preferred.

But the girls were absolute troopers and carried on, without a single com-plaint (or at least a single complaint that I was within earshot of). It was cold, sand was fl ying and it didnt look like it was going to let up anytime soon. They took shelter inside the temporary warmth of some blankets, towels and their vehicles nearby.

Against the WindEventually, we started to click along,

but then one of the girls had locked her keys in her car. I fi gured this was no big deal, and that we could take care of it lateruntil she informed me that the rest of her swimsuits were locked in there too. Another crisis! I quickly called AAA for roadside assistance. The tow truck arrived 30 minutes later and popped her lock in 40 seconds fl at. We were back in business.

Finally, it appeared that we were going to catch a break. The sun broke through, providing some warmth. The wind died down and the water became mostly still. I silently celebrated to myself as we started to rush the process, almost as if we were trying to beat the clock. All of the partici-pating boat owners were great and helped to accommodate all of our requests.

We had also invited Caliber 1 to bring down their beautiful new 265 Silver Bullet deck boat for some shots of all of the girls on a single boat. We scheduled them for a midday arrival, but as their time slot came and went, there was no deck boat. I called them to find out that they had somehow lost a seat cushion during transit from Lake Havasu, AZ. To their credit, they were at a local upholstery shop hav-ing a replacement made STAT, in order to make it to the shoot. They arrived about an hour later and we got the shots that we were hoping for, just before the winds returned.

Fifteen boats, seven models, thou-sands of strands of windblown hair, one lockout, one lost cushion, one replaced cushionand all within a seven-hour period. Although it didnt go quite as smoothly as Brett had assured me, we got er done and I am proud of the job that everyone did. We hope you will enjoy the images to come!



ON THE DYNOALEXI SAHAGIAN

Fuse BlowsDear Alexi:I have a fairly new pair of EFI engines in my boat. They run well, however once in a while my engine just shuts off and it seems to do this when I move my trim or soon thereafter. The shop says they keep changing the fuse on the starter and then it runs for like a day or two then does it again. It is driving me bonkers. Can you help?Joe MandermanHollywood, FL

It seems as though you are having some type of current spike, killing the main 50-90 amp fuse on your starter that provides primary DC voltage to the entire dash and other items. Depending on who your installer was, that may help determine what may be stacked on the system. I would first investigate which systems are tied into the main fuse. You mentioned trim. Usually we like to see the trim independently grounded and powered. So we usually run a separate fuse to that system. Your engine shuts off when you overload that main cir-cuit; we do not recommend stacking the

trim fuse with the main engine breaker. Either run a separate fuse or do a direct link as the factory recommends and fuse it at the pump. I am thinking that by accident, your trim power might be run-ning through your main fuse which pow-ers everything 12 volts on your boat. Please check to make sure your alterna-tor charge lead is not running through it as well or one day that may pop that breaker if it is not rated for that type of amperage. They make a common 50 amp and 90 amp fuse that looks the same so be assured you have the correct fuse in there and you should be up and run-ning. If this does not help, please look for the basic bad connections, grounds, shorts, etc. Again, I always encourage a full review before doing anything.

Mystery Engine StumbleDear Alexi:I have a supercharged single engine in my Eliminator Cat. It seems to be doing something funny. Ill be driving along when all of a sudden it loses a tiny bit of power. If I drive try to hold it at that rpm, my engine seems OK, but will often do weird things at around 2,200 rpm. It is an aftermarket custom engine with a MEFI system on it and nobody seems to be able to figure it out. I need your opinion on this as its worrying me.Frank PillarLos Angeles, CA

I hope you enjoy that El iminatorthey are great, fun boats. Lets try to assist with your engine issue. At times when this hap-pens, we usually scan the ECU to review any codes or weirdness within the brains of the power plant. There are times where the MEFI systems just lose their brains, so to speak. So if you scan it and all is good, look into a possible issue with the tune. If you get your tuner to review the columns you may find that the number transitions dont line up around that rpm band. If they dont, the engine has a rough time calculating the next step and may do weird things. The other thing to look at is the knock sensor. Try to unplug it and see if it goes away. At times an aftermarket ECU tuner may have great skill but not in the category of knock sensor frequency tuning. What I mean is the engine may be seeing false harmonics tripping the knock sensor. When this occurs, the engines are usu-ally preprogrammed to pull 5-6 degrees of engine ignition timing away, causing a momentary loss of power. This is usu-ally the cause of what youre explaining. At times the ECU should log the code knock present, but at times they dont. So you can do the test and see, but try to seek a professional, as it could be other things. But try these basic few things first to see where you go with it.

Supercharger Boost CrazeDear 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.Martin GreenScottsdale, AZ

[Continues on page 82]

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SETTING SETTING RECORDSRECORDS

Phone: 765.733.0833 1766 Acoma Blvd W Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403Phone: 310.995.1670 westcoastdrives.com

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Cat Can Do, driver Keith Holmes

Gone Again, driver Kenny Mungle

Predator I, driver Vern Gilbert, West Coast Drive Service

Dial 911, driver Don London

Predator II, driver Gary Smith

388 Skater, driver John Tomlinson

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V-DRIVE TECHJIM WILKES

Mystery HullDear V-Drive Tech:I just took ownership of this hull, a run-ner bottom that has never been finished and put in the water. As far as I know there are no hull numbers. No stamp in the gelcoat, nothing branded in the transom and there is no title because its never been registered. Ive been told that it resembles a DiMarco hull from 1971-76 before they went to the cutaway deck. Other have said it looks like a Kurtis Kraft or a Deaver. It has a pillow-block backup plate with all the holes, which would typically be found on a DiMarco. The absence of any steering pulleys up by the kickboard (towards the passenger side of the hull) suggest that the steer-ing unit in the dash may be a Calgo (no steering pulleys required), which DiMarco was known to use in some of his hulls. I just wondered what you thought about the hull and whether you have any recommendations. Thanks! Mark MaguireMeadow Vista, CA

Your boat does resemble a Kurtis Kraft, but Im really not sure. Perhaps one of our readers can lend a hand. Back in the day, many boats looked extremely similar.

If or when you put this boat together, it is my suggestion that you use a cable and pulley steering system. In my opin-ion, this system is stronger and compara-tively very responsive. Judging from the photos, it seems to be in extraordinary condition! Please send us finished pic-tures when youve completed the project.

Help on a Whirl-Away Dear V-Drive Tech:I installed a Whirl-Away that came with my boat. The original owner told me it came out of this boat. The problem is that it wont stay out of gear unless I hold the in/out stick all the way forward. If it is in the detente, it engages, which is a slight distance from max forward. What did I do wrong? For some reason, the spring is pushing the forward dog into the rear dog. Harold BeckleySan Dimas, CA

Sounds to me like you dont have a lock-out style handle and quadrant. These two parts are a must when you use a Whirl-Away. Unfortunately, Im not going to be much help without photos of your unit. I have no idea how your Whirl-Away was set up. If you would like to bring your unit down to Santa Ana, CA, I would be happy to do a teardown and see whats wrong.

Slack Situation Dear V-Drive Tech:My top input shaft and gear seems to be slack. Is this normal? With the box in gear, I have about half of a turn of slack. Its an in-and-out box, so I would expect some slack, but not half a turn. What should I do? Tim GrossmanVentura, CA

This extreme amount of movement is not normal. I want to make sure youre talking about the upper shaft only. If you have the shifter engaged and have movement, it would be normal with an in-out having a two-dog shifter unit. Hold the upper flange, engage the shiftier like youre putting it into gear. Now, while firmly holding the upper flange, rotate the lower shaft back and forth and feel how mush movement you have. What you want to learn is if the upper gear and shaft have an excessive amount of movement.

You should be able to feel extra move-ment in the upper gear and shaft. The splines on the upper shaft and upper gear spline should only have about .030 movement.

Top loader V-drives are not the easiest units to properly set up. If youre not sure how to do it, take it to a shop that has experience in building top loader-style V-drives.


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JET TECHGREG SHOEMAKER

Hot on the HoseDear Jet Tech:I recently acquired a pretty sweet little ridea 1973 Eliminator with the BBF Hardin Marine 460 c.i. motor. It starts up and runs awesome, but I am having an issue with the logs and snails getting real hot while running on the hose. (I can keep my finger on them for roughly a second before it burns.) I have the setup with the

valve that will open and close to restrict water from the pump and attached to that is a garden-hose type connections to turn open in order to flush the system. It has no leaks and when I turn the gar-den hose on (after the engine is started),

it runs smoothly out of the back of the Berkeley jet drive, but the logs and snails seem to get extremely hot in roughly 3-4 minutes of idling. Have not water tested yet as this worries me already of getting stranded and I would rather fix prior to water testing if an issue seemed to arise. I dont feel there is any restrictions in the hoses but will double check all of those tonight by running water through them. I will also take out the manifold drain plugs tonight to see if maybe there is some sand in the block. Other than that, what else should I be looking for? Thanks for any and all help.Bud WestonSan Diego, CA

The problem you have I feel is quite simple. When using a gate valve with a run on the trailer setup, you have to restrict the water going to the pump. Water will flow to the hole with the least resistance. The main flow of water will go to the pump, and the engine has the most resis-tance, so it will get very little water. Turn the gate valve way down until the engine gets a full supply of water. Make sure when you complete the run out that you turn the gate valve back to wide open or under operating conditions, the engine will overheat.

Gasket TroubleDear Jet Tech:I recently bought a 396 small-block Chevy stroker from a buddy. He had it built put it in a drag car made a few passes with it and lost interest. Im in the process of freshening it up, changing the cam and a few other things so I can put it in my aluminum jetboat. He said it always wanted to blow out intake gaskets so he put breathers in the valve covers with lines running to the exhaust to remove the pressure. I dont want to do this on a boat. What are my options? No PCV...will a catch can work? Or do I need to get a vacuum pump?Nicholas MelfordSacramento, CA

Im not sure why installing breath-ers on the valve covers would prevent the intake gaskets from failing. Are you sure it was the intake gaskets or was it the valve cover gaskets? Sounds like you had a lot of crankcase pressure. If this is the case, a good set of upright breathers mounted to the front of the valve covers will solve your problem.

Sutphen SituationDear Jet Tech:

I just picked up a 20 Sutphen jetboat with no power. The boat is rigged for a 454 and came with everything to install the motor. Front and rear mounts, exhaust logs and driveshaft. I have a friend who has a fresh drop in MerCruiser 454 Magnum. Will I have any issues making this motor work in the boat? Will all the parts fit on this engine? There was a Gen IV big block in the boat originally, and the motor Im looking to buy is also a Gen IV. Thanks!Herb SmalleyRiverside, CA

There are a couple of things that you have to be made aware of. First, the oil pan that comes on a MerCrusier is too deep and will not fit in a jetboat, so a new oil pan and pickup will be needed. Second, you will need a power takeoff and U-joint driveline. The water pump on the front of the engine will be elimi-nated. You will replace that with water plates on the front of the engine, and a free-flowing thermostat housing on the intake manifold. Wiring should be fairly easy if you have a color-coded wire loom in the boat. If you need any help, our shop (GS Marine) is located in nearby Norco, CA.



Industry NewsBRETT BAYNE

Daryl Ehrlich Returns As Problem Child Driver

Kenny Mungle Buys Stihl Skater

After taking a year off from racing, Top Fuel Hydro champion Daryl Ehrlich is back behind the steering wheel of Eddie Knoxs World Champion Problem Child competitor.

Ehrlich and Knox had parted ways for the 2015 season, during which veteran racer Todd Platewho had raced for Knox years earlierrejoined the team. After a lackluster year on the course, Knox told Speedboat that he would stick with Plate for 2016. However, before the kickoff race of the Lucas Oil series in Phoenix, Plate was out and Ehrlich was back in.

The reason Daryl was gone to begin with is because we just ran out of money, Knox says. But we always left the door open for him to rejoin the team. Todd got a new job, and that was going to eat up a

lot of his time. Were cooleverythings fine. But Mad Maxx is back.

Although Problem Child was not vic-torious in Phoenix, Ehrlich seemed very enthusiastic and glad to be back in com-petition, having spent last year doing bucket list stuff and making memories like crazy, he says. But this racing dis-ease has no curethe time has come to jump back into the Problem Child saddle and see how the old girl wants to dance. I couldnt be more excited to see the team and go for some big noiseIm in with bells on!

For his part, Knox seemed delight-ed by the reunion. We may have lost in Phoenix, he says, but we ran one engine all weekend and didnt kick any rods outand no fires, even. Crazy!

Following the devastating news that world and national champion offshore powerboat racer Robert J.R. Noble died after suffering a heart attack, his 2010 Stihl 388 Skater has been purchased by Gone Again owner Kenny Mungle.

We are extremely excited about the 388, Mungle said. The type of events we will be able to participate in will not be limited to shootouts as we were in the 32.

Along with teammate Lee Lockwood, Mungle had been waiting on the com-pletion of the 368 Skater, being pur-chased from Ron Szolak, earlier in the

year. However, after unfa-vorable sea trial results, the decision was made to not move forward with that boat. The team then focused their efforts on finding an alternate boat.

We were driving through the Florida panhandle, head-

ing back home to Texas, when I men-tioned the Stihl boatjokingly, said Lee Lockwood, The next thing I know, weve made a U-turn on Interstate 10 and are heading back east to go check it out.

Soon thereafter, discussions between Noble and Mungle began and a sea trial date was scheduled. Members of Team Gone Again met with throttleman Grant Bruggerman and ran the boat on East Lake (Tohopekaliga) near Orlando, FL. Wow, just wow, proclaimed Mungle. The boat performs amazing.

The 388 is currently powered by a pair of 750-hp Scorpion Racing engines (Super

Cat Spec) giving it a top speed in the 140s. Mungle acknowledges that the current power wont push the boat to the shoot-out speeds they hope to achieve. All in due time, we may participate in some actual offshore races for a few seasons, then put some big power in her and lay down some big numbers, Mungle said.

No matter what, we are still going to be running the 32' at all shootout events, adds Lockwood, and the 388 will be there with us as well for fans to see.

Just like the 32' Gone Again boat, the Stihl 388 has such a great history and a huge following. With the recent passing of J.R., owning this boat brings on an even greater level of honor. We will carry on the legacy that J.R., Grant, and his team started with this boat, said Mungle. Im a very lucky man, with a very understand-ing wife. We have a top notch group of people that make up Team Gone Again, this is just the beginning of what we hope is a lot more to come.

Ehrlich (left) with EddieKnox.



Cigarette Rendevous Set for June 17-19

This years Cigarette Owners Rendezvous will be held June 17-19, once again host-ed by Performance Boat Center and Red Head Yacht Club at Lake of the Ozarks.Mark Waddington of PBC told Speedboat that last years eventwhich attracted more than 55 boatswas praised by Cigarette owner Skip Braver, who plans to attend this year as well. Waddington said he expected as many as 70 boats to attend this years event.

The Cigarette Owners Rendezvous will kick off on Friday with a meet and greet, followed by a fun run on Saturday with a party that night. For participants who wish to stay through Sunday, a tie-up on the lake is planned.

Performance Boat Center, a Cigarette dealer, sold five Cigarettes this year. So well have new customers who will want to meet Skip and his service expert, Bud Lorow, Waddington said. Last years

event turned out greatSkip and Bud were super excited about it, because there were a lot of old Top Guns they hadnt seen since they were built. And

theyre excited about seeing all of the performance boats this year, because very often they attend events with a lot of center console models.


Story by Brett Bayne


Cigarette has been building its 50' Marauder poker-run model for about 10 years, and this issues Speedboat of the Month is a particularly impressive example. The boat was ordered by Brett Manire of Cigarette dealer Performance Boat Center of Missouris Lake of the Ozarks; at press time, it was about to be delivered to the shop with only two hours on the engine, and is expected to spend virtually no time at all in the showroom before someone snatches it up.

Over the past decade, the Marauder has undergone various changes, including step placement and interior design, but it remains a massive 51'7" boat thats massively luxuriousthe perfect purchase for a wealthy poker-run aficionado. Not sur-prisingly, a great deal of the Marauders are shipped overseas. Thats why we built oneto see if we could keep one here in the states running the poker run circuit and really drawing some attention, Manire says.

Earlier versions of the Marauder have had various triple-

engine configurations, triple 700s and 1075s. But the release of Mercury Racings new 1350 package renders the need for triples practically obso-

lete, as the new powerplants offer so much torque and horse-power. And with Mercury offering a new dual-fuel 1350/1550 package, Manire was eager to power a Marauder this way.

Theres a key fob that lets you switch out a learner key underneath the dash and change from 93 octane to 112, Manire explains. Separate settings in the dashs computer will boost it to 1550, giving you that extra 200 hp per engine. The computers are mapped with dual-fuel calibration for both the 1350 and 1550 versions.

This 50' Marauder is fully loaded with all manner of crea-ture comforts and attractive options. The boat boasts two large coolers on the starboard side; down below, theres a full galley with electrical and stereo components, and two large couches with storage behind them. Then theres a very large vee berth. (The tip of the boat, which lies behind a zippered barrier, hasnt been finished in order to make the center of gravity on the

of the month


boat optimalits an ideal place to store extra fenders, ropes, anchors or floating devices).

Entryway from the cockpit to the cuddy cabin is through a cool motorized door (see photo, above right) with an inte-grated staircase that aids in access to the deck. Its really trick, Manire says of the door. When youre out boating at the helm, you can flick a switch to open the door so your pas-sengers to go down there and get something. They also can slide it back closed when theyre done with it.

On the dash are two Garmin 8212 units hooked up to a Fusion stereo. These units can run the stereo and navigation alike. Ive got the engine link system through it so you have gauges through those Garmins, Manire says. Then you also have a Mercury SmartCraft 4 up between the tachometers to run all your pressures and temperatures and whatnot for a quick heads-up. Also on the dash are Livorsi gauges bearing the Cigarette logos. As a matter of fact, the Cigarette logo has been incorporated into virtually every facet of the




Speedboat of the Month

The Marauder features a huge pad-ded sunlounge on top of the engine hatch. Below: The boats roomy cuddy cabin and vee berth.



Marauder; its hard to be anywhere on the boat and not see it. Theyre probably in that boat about a hundred timesand Im not joking, Manire grins. The logos are everywhere: on all the gauges, the carpet, the flooring, the step pads. Cigarette really does a great job with their branding and marketing.

The Cigarette sports 380 K-Planes, along with Livorsis LED digital indicators, which make it a breeze at speed to see at a glance where your tabs and indicators are. For a driver going 120 mph, its great to know exactly where all your hardware is and how the boat is set up, Manire points out. It makes it very, very, easy to run.

When it came to ordering options for the Cigarette, Manire opted for an interior with Alcantara fabric, as well as a big JL Audio stereo system. We also put the bil-let package in there, so its got all the billet foot rests, step plates and the billet sun platform, he says. We added underwater lights to the boat. We wanted to bring a lot of flairthis isnt yesterdays Cigarette. Its todays Cigarette. The brand has been around since the 60s, so were trying to stay ahead of the cutting edge.

According to Manire, one of the Marauders coolest selling points to set it apart from other boats is that its dealer-ship owned, in stock and ready to go. Its not a preowned boat. Its not a customers boat. This boat is in stock right now and ready for immediate delivery, he says. Nobody has actually ever stocked the 50 Marauder before. This is the first, and its ready for immediate delivery.

Top speed of the Marauder is expected to be 125-130 in 1350 mode, and 135+ when it switches over to 1550 mode.


Story by Stu JonesPhotos by Jerry Wyszatycki


Stu Jones of the Florida Powerboat Club gives us a first-hand account of his latest poker run.

SStu JJones off thhe FFlloriddaIslamoradaIslamoradaDREAMIN

Top: Grove Harbor Marina indowntown Miami. Above:Curtis Watkins in Disruptor,his 40' Skater.

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Fly Boy, Paul Isersturbine-powered

50' Mystic.

Bobby and Tanya Murray in Marine Xtreme, a 36' Nor-Tech.

Our annual trek to Islamorada kicked off following the Miami boat Show. This was the 21st year for the eventthats a lot of his-tory behind usand I was delighted to observe how far weve come. The event has become something of a well-oiled machinethings rarely get any easier over the passage of time, but I have to admit that most everything just fell in the place quite nicely this year.

The weather was fantastic compared to last years run. In 2015, we actually had several cold, windy daysa lot of the attendees from up north didnt seem to mind, because it was still warmer than where they were frombut it was still a drag to have those record lows and record winds. Fortunately, the weather this year was a vast improvement, with typically warm Florida temperatures and a terrific venue.

[Story continues on page 62]


Above: An aerial view of Postcard Inn,FPCs destination resort in Islamorada.The slightly smaller number of boatsregistered for this event worked to the groups advantage, owing to limited dock space. Although the Tiki Bar was closed, the facility made sure that there were plenty of alternative bars serving refreshments to thirsty boaters.


Islamorada Dreamin

Rick and Ellen Raab in their 38' Fountain, So Well Worth It.

Buddy Thomas of Massachusettsin his 46' Outerlimits,

All Set.

K6Autos.com, a 2003 36' Cigarette,is owned by Kevin Catron.



Islamorada Dreamin

Greg Harris in Fast at Last, his 37' Active Thunder.

Two views of Michael Ciasullis 388 Skater, powered by twin Mercury Racing 1350s.



Boats tie up for a lunch stop at Gilberts in Key Largo.


Above: Temporary Insanity, Skip and Maggie Barretts 32' Skater.

Below: Shooting Star, Danielle Blooms 40 MTI.


Islamorada Dreamin


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Photos by Kenny Dunlop and Mark McLaughlin


The 2016 edition of the Los Angeles Boat Show continued its descent into mediocrity as all but the most stalwart of high-performance companies decided to give the show a miss this yeargone were longtime exhibitors Nordic, Eliminator, Advantage, Howard, Essex, Pfaff Engines, Cobra, Ultra and others. What was left can be seen in the pages ahead.

Yet this years show may signal a turn-ing pointfor better or for worseas producer NMMA subsequently trans-fered ownership to Duncan Macintosh. (Likewise, NMMA will not produce the San Francisco Boat Show in 2017.)

Despite the shrinking ranks of mus-cleboat builders, the L.A. Show reported an 11-percent increase in attendance. The Speedboat teamincuding pub-lisher Ray Lee, photographer Mark McLaughlin and photographer Kenny Dunlopwere on hand selling subscrip-tions and signing autographs.

While more go-fast boatbuilders snub the Los Angeles Boat Show, changes are afoot for next years exhibition.

L.A.Boat Show

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CALIBER 1 Above: The 2450 Phantom open-bow walk through model. Left: The 265 Silver Bullet deck boat. It features a fully capped hullnormally a $15,000 upgradeat no extra charge.

DCB The companys luxurious M35 open-bow version can be seen above right and inset, while the closed-deck version of the M35 is on the tilt trailer (background). Above left: An M29 powered by twin Mercury Racing 565s.


HALLETT Above: The 285 Party Cruiser 2.0, powered by a Mercury Racing 520 DTS.Left: A 290-T 2.0 midcabin open bow with twin Verado 300 outboards.

INTERCEPTOR The Corona, CA-based builder brought two different ver-sions of its 28' Koolkat; the model with the purple was tested by Speedboat.


LA Boat Show



LA Boat Show

SHOCKWAVE Left to right: the company displayed its 21' Skier, 25' Tremor walk-through, and 28' Deckboat. Right: Shockwaves midcabin 26' Cat. The company has upgraded its upholstery to Alcantara, with matte-finished gauges and bezels.

TEAGUE Sales associate Eric McCarthy greets visi-tors to the engine and accessory giants booth.

BOAT BLING Zack Bale and Patrick Jones show off their line of detailing products, including Hot Sauce, Vinyl Sauce, Condition Sauce and Quickie Sauce. The comapny is celebrating its 10th year in business.



AQUA LILY PAD The Ohio-based maker of durable and comfortable foam floating pads displayed its full line of productsall of which had sold out by the end of the weekend.

WOZENCRAFT Based in Tustin, CA, Wozencraft Insurance offers protection to owners of all watercraft, recre-ational vehicles, home, auto and businesses. The firm specializes in high-quality customer ser-vice, as proven by Tanah Kinsey, seen here manning the booth and offering attractive quotes to showgoers.

AO COOLERSBrian Hatch and his team really hustled to sell a ton of their high-quality soft-sided coolers, which are guaranteed to never leak or sweat. The coolers will hold ice for 24 hours in 120-degree heat.



LA Boat Show CP PERFORMANCE A full range of marine hardware and accesso-ries could be found at the CP booth, including Mayfair LED trim indica-tors, Berkeley Jet Drive rebuild kits and Hardin Marines new Seaward Exhaust Manifold.

LIVORSI MARINE Below: Livorsi displayed its custom gauges, bezels, steering wheels and trim tab systems, among numerous other products.


Photography by Chris Kaufman


Lucas Oil Racing got dramatic in Phoenix with a spectacular crash involving Cole Thurstons TAF.

BIG TroubleBIG Trouble



The first official race of the 2016 Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series took competitors to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix, AZ, where the race course action didnt exactly go off without a hitch. The weekend featured two crashes: the Top Fuel Hydro Speed Sports Special, owned by Lou and Marianne Osman of St. Louis, blew over shortly after leaving the starting line, resulting in bumps and bruises to driver Jarrett Silvey.

Photographer Chris Kaufman captured the amazing shot featured on these pages of Cole Thurstons multiple corkscrew and barrel-roll accident in his Top Alcohol Flat, owned by Dave Ferguson. Drivers Tony Constantino and Tony Scarlata reportedly ran into problems driving this Mako hull at Camp Far West several years ago, after which it was taken out of competition. This year, Ferguson gave the keys to Thurston to see what kind of luck he had with the boat, which lived up to its nameBig Trouble. Fortunately, Thurston escaped serious injuries.

Look for full coverage of Lucas Oil drag-boat racing in next months issue of Speedboat.


Story by Brett BaynePhotography by Todd Taylor

FACTORY TOUR


The Speedboat crew tours the Poly Lift factory in Missouri.Th S db h P l Lif f i Mi

Heavy LiftersHeavy Lifters

Left: A view outside the plant. Above: Mike Maasen is interviewed by Speedboat publisher Chris Davidson.

During our most recent trip to the Lake of the Ozarks, Speedboat team members Chris Davidson and Ray Leepaid a visit to local manufacturer Poly Lift. The companys internationally famous boat lift turns your dock into a safe-haven, protecting boats from the elements and preventing them from moving around in the slip. A Poly Lift eliminates the need for bottom paint-ing, helping boaters defray mainte-nance costs and spending more time on the water. Think of it an in-water dry-storage system.

Now in its 41st year of business, Poly Lift is owned and run by broth-ers Mark and Mike Maasen, having been launched by their dad, Dennis, in 1975. He was an engineer and a country boy who moved to the lake and was running a gas dock and marina

here, Mark explains. A guy up the road needed some help doing some boat lift stuff, and thats how he got started. Eventually, Dennis became a master in boat lifts.

Eventually, Dennis became a mas-ter in boat lifts, and began building a product that gained excellent word-of-mouth, based on its reputation for high quality and stellar workmanship.

We dont take any shortcuts or cut any corners to save a couple of bucks, Mark says. And the proof is in the pud-ding: Poly Lift is the #1 boat lift at Lake of the Ozarks. There may be companies that sell moreand sell cheaperbut you wont find one that offers the supe-rior quality of the Poly Lift.

Though popular in the U.S., the com-pany has shipped its lifts all around the world, including such far-flung places as Norway, New Guinea, Africa, Mexico and Canada. We just got a lead the other day

from someone who owns two Fountains in Beirut, Lebanon, and who is inter-ested in some lifts, Mark says.

Touring the Poly Lift factory, we were able to observe numerous lifts in vari-ous phases of construction. Brothers Mark and Mike work extremely well together: If the company has a face, its Mark, who deals with service, assem-bly, installation, sales staff and the end customer. Meanwhile, Mike handles the back end of the business, taking care of matters related to the office and paper-work. Each brother owns a performance boatMark has a 2007 38 Cigarette, while Mike operates a 2004 42 Cigarette. For years, their target market was the performance boat industry, but when that market segment took an economic hit, Poly Lift began to focus more on pontoons, cruisers and other craft. But as the performance boat market con-tinues to rebound, Poly Lifts fast-boat

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Poly Lifts control units can be housed in these optional, more attractive covers.

Poly Lift repairs and services competitors units. Here, employees

prepare to refurbish such a unit.

Above left: This lift will actually hold two PWC when completed.Below: Galvanized steel is used in the Poly Lift tanks. The

machines at the rear are used to load the lifts.



Poly Lift Factory Tour

Top left: This fusion machine helps assemble the Poly Lift tanks.

Top right: The Poly Lift control unit with the standard housing cover.

Left: Plant manager Ron Milward is seen rolling tank brackets to make them conform to the cur-vature of the tank cylnder.

Bottom left: Poly Lift employee Shaun Noble welds tank brackets.

Bottom right: Poly Lift has cut these pieces of steel to be turned into brackets.



Poly Lift Factory Tour

Poly Lifts in action. Above and below: Offshore race com-petitors get a lift to protect the hulls from the elements.

business has been substantially brisker. The companys retail-direct business accounts for about 60 percent of sales, while Poly Lift also works with various dealers and distributors as well.

So what distinguishes Poly Lift from other lifts? For one thing, theres the reliability aspect. When you put your boat on a Poly Lift, youre done. Its not a disposable boat lift, Mark says. There

are a lot of things out there that are less expensive and not built as heavy. And in some areas where its nice and calm, they may decide not to get something as durable. But over time, because of thin-ner, weaker materials, other lifts can start to lean or deteriorate. They have stability issues and can begin to fall apart. Thats one of the reasons people choose Poly Lift over other liftswe are

a one-time purchase, vesus having to install something over and over again.

This has become the companys nicheby now, most people are aware that Poly Lifts are not the cheapestbut that theyre the best. When we say were going to do something, by God, we do our damnedest to make sure it happens.

Poly Lift offers lifts for boats ranging from personal watercraft up to large cruisers and performance craft. During our visit to the factory, we learned that Poly Lift was preparing to fabricate a lift for a local customer who owns a 510 Sea Ray. It will be the very first 56,000-pound swing arm lift, Mark says. The only one ever made. Its at monster.

As for the future, Mark says his goal is to break through to the Lake Havasu market. Ive talked to the McCullochs, who own that big marina there, he says. Im working really hard trying to get in there. Im going to see what I can get done there. Wed really like to get more of our lifts set up in the warm-er Southern states, simply because we have more than we can do during the summer months. Id like to extend our season where a lot of people go south with their boats and do things in the October, November, December months. It would keep our guys busier.

One of the most logical areas for Poly Lifts success are homes on the coasts, where salt water is always a threat to a boats hull. With a Poly Lift, you dont have to clean the boats so often and scrape the algae off them, Mark says. That makes the performance better. Fiberglass is still a porous substance, so they still absorb water over time, which slows them down. With a Poly Lift, you dont have to worry about the staining, because a lot of these in certain waters will stain over time and you cant get the yellowish/greenish color to come out of them.

Poly Lifts also play a great role when it comes to winterizing your boat. If youre in an area that freezes in the winterlike here in Missouriyour drives are out of the water. The boat is perfectly winter-ized just sitting there on the lift.



New ProductsBRETT BAYNE

New ProductsBRETT BAYNE

Chevy Marine EFI DistributorPerformance Distributors of Memphis, TN, is

now building a newnot rebuiltsmall diameter EFI compatible distributor.

The distributor comes with oil impregnated bushings to ensure longevity and shaft rotation accuracy. The housing is polished and drilled with flame arrestor holes. Each unit is hand-checked with a feeler gauge in order to set the correct amount of end-play between the distributor gear and the housing. This procedure prevents the distributor from binding up and it also leads to a more precise magnetic pick-up signal.

A brass terminal cap and rotor are utilized for maximum conductivity. The brass terminals will

also resist corrosion longer than stock aluminum terminals. Caps are available in bright blue or black. The cap and rotor has excellent dielectric strength and resists carbon tracking.

The high output Dyna-Module is located inside the distributor. The Dyna-Mod has more electron-ic dwell calibrated into it, allowing your ignition coil to saturate longer, which in turns provides a more intense spark. It installs in minutes and plugs into your stock wiring harness, and requires a remote mounted coil.

For more information, call Performance Distributors by calling (901) 396-5782 or visit PerformanceDistributors.com.

As it continues to strive for excellence and technological advancements, Whipple Superchargers of Fresno, CA, has devel-oped a new port-injected integrated intercooler universal GM based big block intake manifold that is offered intercooled and non-intercooled. Whether youre run-ning one of Whipples superchargers, a roots based supercharger or youre build-ing a unique supercharged application, this manifold will work.

Cast from A356-T6, these unique manifolds are offered in both standard deck (9.8") and tall deck (10.2") versions. Featuring a unique three-piece design, the Whipple port-injection manifold fea-tures a low profile bottom that can incor-porate 1 injector per cylinder or 2 injec-tors per cylinder giving you the ability to make whatever power your engine can produce. The upper adapter is made with a wide opening, 671 based bolt pattern meaning it can fit nearly any application. For 671-1471 applications, a simple 1/2" plate necks down the opening to the stan-dard 671 opening of 4" wide.

Whipple designed this modular based package with multiple intercooler

options. The Stage 1 coated aluminum core that measures 3.25" thick and over 7.85" wide for maximum cooling with its superior surface area works with auto and marine applications. The intercooler features dual 12AN fittings for simple in/out plumbing. The manifold is equipped with extra sensor ports at the front water passage as well as extra boost and tem-perature ports for easy setup.

For even more power, Whipple offers the new Stage 2 Cupronickel intercool-er core that is 5" thick and 7.85" wide for maximum cooling at all boost levels. With the added volume, the core fea-tures a total of four water passages. Dual inlets and dual outlets help pass enough water to maintain near ambient temps. Whipple brought the nearly indestruc-tible Cupronickel cores to the marine in 2000 and continue to utilize its incredible cooling properties while never corroding in even the harshest water conditions.

Each manifold is available in nearly any color possible.

For more information, call Whipple at (559) 442-1261 or visit whipplesuper chargers.com.

Whipple Offers Big Block Port Injection Manifold


The Ultimate Boat Detailer

Do you hate water spots on your boats sur-face? Ready to eradicate them and restore your rigs original luster? Thanks to Boat Bling, the Phoenix-based manufacturer established in 2004 by true boat fanatics, its never been easier. These guys are eager to help you keep your interior clean and looking great. You may have seen their cool detailing products on display at one of the recent boat shows. Their premium products include Hot Sauce, billed as the ultimate hard waterspot remover, a soft-water based product with polymer waxes that will not strip your wax coat. Then theres Vinyl Sauce, an interior cleaner that 95 percent cleaner and 5 percent protec-

tant, ideal for vinyl, leather and carpetand its biodegradable. Condition Sauce is a professional-grade UV protectant that prevents fading and cracking of vinyl and leather surfaces (also great for tires), and Quickie Sauce is a quick-

spray wax for light duty waxing that lasts up to eight weeks. The sauces are available in quart and gallon sizes; T-shirts are also available. For prices and specials, call (800) 846-4899 or visit boatbling.net.

Boat Blings popular Hot Sauce is now celebrating its 10th year of production.


by Ben Strader


Heres how to ensure that your fuel-delivery system is properly prepared for the summer season.

CLEANING

Ah . . . springtime in Lake Havasu! Those of us who are lucky enough to live here know that the fabu-lous weather will soon give way to the sweltering heat of summerand of speedboat season. As you labor over the calendar planning out your trips for the all-too-short weekends this sum-mer, youre probably thinking about your strategy for when to get in line at the var-ious detail and service shops in town and ensure your floating paradise is sparkling clean and in tip-top shape to run all

summer. While you do this, one area of particular concern should be your fuel delivery system.

Since your boat has likely been lan-guishing away all winter in the stor-age enclosure, there is a good chance things have deteriorated a bit and you may not like the outcome if you just throw caution to the wind and care-lessly hit the water.

A number of things can go wrongright off the bat.

First, the fuel in the tank and lines has likely lost a lot of its potency as the

lighter hydrocarbons have evaporated out, leaving a poorly combustible mix-ture that isnt too far off from the kind of varnish used in days of old by furniture makers. This tends to clog up fuel filters, pumps and regulators and also can coat the inside of your fuel injectors and carburetors. Its a good idea to go ahead and drain those tanks and replace that nasty junk with a fresh batch of your local liquid dinosaur juice. That alone will often solve 50% of boaters prob-lems at the beginning of the season.

Second, (and this is especially true of

SPRING

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Pump gas typically contains between 7-9% ethanol but may be as high as 10%.


those running pump gas): the ethanol in the fuel has likely absorbed a fair amount of moisture. This is due to the fact that nearly all commercially available pump gasoline now carries a disclaimer that it may contain up to 10% Ethanol. Well, if you had to guesshow much of the maximum allowable ethanol would the gasoline you buy at the pumps actu-ally contain? Ill tell you we spend a lot of time on the engine dyno test-ing all kinds of various concepts, parts, and ideas and one of the hundreds of parameters we keep a close eye on is the actual percentage of ethanol a given fuel contains. We measure each fuel as it is being consumed by the engine for pres-sure, flow rate, temperature, and Ethanol content and (at least here in Havasu) we most often find the stuff at the pumps is between 7-9% ethanol, just under the legal limit. That makes sense, if you con-sider that its much cheaper to manu-facture ethanol than gasoline, so if the government is going to allow me to dilute the more expensive mixture with a less expensive onewell, you know.

Why does this matter to you? Because Ethanol, by nature is what we call Hygroscopic. That means it loves to absorb water! This is an obvious detri-ment to performance, but a more sinister side-effect is that when this moisture sits in your fuel system all winter long, it tends to corrode and rust the internal components of your pumps, regulators and fuel injectors! If this happens even a little bit, it will severely affect the per-formance of your boat, often leading to catastrophic engine damage!

That isnt to suggest that Ethanol itself is a bad thingin fact, a lot of savvy horsepower enthusiasts have switched over to E85 or similar Ethanol-based fuels for its ability to make more power and prevent knock. In fact, we often run Ignite E85 in our turbocharged


A 100-micron filter before the pump and 10 micron after are recommended.

An electronic fuel injector is a magnetic solenoid operated valve.

Inspecting an injector hole under a microscope.


Spring Cleaning

test engines here at EFI University, and always find it to be worth some extra power over gasoline. The important part to understand, though, is that the mere presence of Ethanol in the fuel requires a change to the engine calibration to optimize the fuel and spark delivery in order to extract all its potential and keep the engine safe. The issue is twofold here, though. Number one, we dont always know just how much has been added to the gas we get at the pump, and number two, if you have a typical powerboat engine supplied by the manufacturers, you likely dont have the ability to make the required changes anyway.

So the important take-away here is to ensure you dont allow water to accumu-late in your fuel (whatever type it may be), so that you can prevent engine dam-

age from occurring by accidentally sup-plying an incorrect amount of fuel.

Lets take a look at why that is. A typi-cal electronic fuel injector is a solenoid operated valve. That means that when electrical current is applied to the sole-noid the valve is lifted off its seat, allow-ing fuel to pass by the opening and into the engine.

These valves are very precisely manu-factured and must be controlled just as precisely. As the engines demand for fuel changes, the computer changes the sig-nal to the injector by sometimes as little as 1/100,000th of a second and can then accurately meter the correct fuel charge to suit the conditions at hand. (At least thats how it supposed to happen!)

to the cleanliness of our filters, pumps, and injectors before we slam those throt-tles forward for the first run down river. In fact, its not a bad idea to go ahead and change them out now, just for some cheap insurance.

While we are on the subject of fil-ters, we spoke to Tony Palo, of Injector Dynamics, a leading aftermarket injector supplier, and he recommended using a minimum of a 100 micron filter before your fuel pump, and a 10 micron filter

One issue with this though, is that the tiny holes under the injector valve that allow fuel to pass through are mind-numbingly small. We recently used a Scanning Electron Microscope to mea-sure the diameter of the holes in a par-ticular injector and it was about 146 microns, or just under .004! That means it wouldnt take very much sludge or debris to really alter the flow character-istics a lot!

So, we need to pay very close attention


Injectors have a small filter that should be replaced regularly.

after the pump. This is in addition to the filters at the inlet of the injector being checked, cleaned or replaced. Tony says that it only typically takes a piece of debris about .030 in diameter to clog an injector so needless to say, there really isnt any room for error here.

Which brings us back to that pesky water logged ethanol thats been sit-ting in our boat all winter! The minute

particles of rust and corrosion that are quietly forming inside your fuel system can dislodge and find themselves smack dab in the middle of your fuel system at just the wrong time, and the next thing you know the engine has one or more cylinders running too lean and KaBoom! Time for a trip to the local marine engine shop for some repairs or maybe even an entire engine overhaul!

When an injector doesnt flow what it should, bad things can happen!

Not good.So, what can be done to combat this

silent killer? Quite a lot, actuallyand for not much money.

After youve replaced that smelly old fuel and cleaned or replaced the filters a terrific way to get some peace of mind is to have your injectors removed from the supply rail and run on a test bench, much the same way an engine is tested

Ultrasonic cleaners can dramatically improve an injectors performance.


Spring Cleaning


An injector test bench is like a dyno for fuel injectors.

on a dyno. Many shops have these test benches, but be sure and a few ques-tions before handing over your dollars for a test. Mainly, will the injectors be tested statically or dynamically?

The main difference is that because of the way the solenoid valve operates, the flow behavior of an injector can be dra-matically different when it is held wide open than it will be when being pulsed on and off at high frequency.

The distance the valve needs to travel off the seat to reach maximum opening takes time. This time value is what we call the injector offset and will vary based on the design of the injector, the battery voltage available, and your fuel pressure.

As you might imagine, the more bat-tery voltage your system has, the faster we can open the injector, but since the fuel pressure is acting directly on the back of the valve the offset peri-od actually grows larger as pressure is increased. This partially explains why we dont always get as much extra fuel as we expect when we raise the fuel pressure on our system. Even though the potential for more flow is greater with higher pressures, the increase in injector offset may be enough to com-


Spring Cleaning

pletely negate the difference.During this time of transition for the

injector the actual flow rate will be much lower than it is once the valve is wide open. And since the engine RPM varies quite a lot during operation from idle to WOT the time required to open the injector on each cycle will also vary. If the offset period for an injector is a known

value (and it typically is) then once the computer calculates the required time to pulse the injector, it simply adds in the time to compensate for the offset and the engine receives the correct amount of fuel. When the injector has debris inside of it, or it has been coated with a varnish like shellac over the winter, there is no way for the engine computer

Ultrasonic cleaners can dramatically improve an injectors performance.

Before flow testing restored a 4% flow error in a dirty injector.


to know this and it will assume all is the same since the last time it was run, and thats where all of our trouble begins.

By testing the injector dynamically, we can compare them to each other and determine if they are all behaving the same way and isolate any problems with a low flowing injector. Once an injector has been suspected we have two basic choices: repair or replace.

Many shops who have the ability to test injectors also have the ability to clean and repair them too. Typically a service would include flow testing, removing the pre-filter inside the injec-tor, ultrasonically cleaning the valves to remove debris and sludge, replacing the pre-filter and re-testing the flow rate when done. Then the customer receives a complete progress report on all the injectors performance relative to each other and they can be re-installed in the engine for a much higher chance of trou-ble free operation all summer. That way you can worry about avoiding sunburns and hangovers, instead of where to find the cash for a new set of pistons for the boat engine!

After flow testing restored a 4% flow error in a dirty injector.


We had a slightly smaller registra-tion this year, but that actually worked to our advantage, because our desti-nation venuethe Postcard Inn at Islamoradacan manage only about 50 boats comfortably. Weve been stuff-ing upwards of 80 boats into that venue over the last several years, so the hassle factor was dramatically reduced. We got additional relief from Snake Creek Marina about a mile down the road, which offered space to a few of our peo-ple as well. We always have to get a little creative with our docking at Postcard Inn, but we were able to accommodate close to 60 boats at the marinathats still pretty strong, even if its a bit lighter than weve had in the past. Performance Boat Center from the Lake of the Ozarks had a beautiful 46' Skater on a tilt trailer at the Postcard Inn, while an amazing fleet of center consoles from Deep Impact and Black Water dealer BoatsDirectUSA made a gorgeous addi-tion to the land-based displays that really dressed up the venue.

Among the participants this year were the brand-new Cigarette AMG 39 GTS, as well as a 42' Cigarette with 1350s, both of which were on display at the Miami Boat Show. Another spectac-

ular craft that joined in on the fun was the Mystic turbine-powered Fly BoyI havent seen that boat for about three years; it seemed to come out of nowhere to join us. That was pretty cool.

We also had a good turnout from Nor-Tech and Outerlimits, as well as a healthy fleet of Fountains. Reggie built so many boats in the companys heydayyoull always find Fountains at every poker run, no matter where you go. And theyre great boats, easy to manage, and you get a lot of speed out of them for the power. Theyre easy to trailer because none of them have wide beams, and theyre great poker run boats, with an excellent power-to-weight ratio. Its as simple as that.

On Friday night, we had our dinner party on the beach, and we all enjoyed the beautiful views of the ocean and the nice cozy little marina. We had a raw bar and several really good local live bands provided a great atmosphere during both nights. You could go boat-ing by day and enjoy the land-based entertainment by night. It really was the perfect package!

I rode on a couple of different boats, including the new 39' Midnight Express on Friday (sponsored by com-

[Continued from page 36]

pany president Eric Glaser) and David Peases 39' Deep Impact center-console BoatsDirectUSA on Saturday. What an amazing turnout we had from the center console boats! These performance/luxury models continue to improve. I rode on the Deep Impact all the way to Marathon and back on Saturday, and was incredibly impressed by way the boat performed, as well as the luxury and styling of the boat. Theres nowhere you cannot go in these boats, and if you want to bring 15 people with you, its no problem. The center-con-sole manufacturers never cease to amaze me; every new model seems better than the one before, with improvements made on every new boat they build.

Although the weather was a bit cooler on Saturday, we did manage to have a fun run, and I was relieved that it didnt rain. We took the boats down to marathon for lunch stop at a little place called the Island Fish Co. Its a great stopover and a great change of scenery, so everybody thorough-ly enjoyed it.

The only slight debit this year was that the Postcard Inns Tiki bar was under reno-vation and therefore closed for the duration of our stay. In fact, the entire bar had been completely torn down! We never imagined that wed doing the event without the Tiki bar presentits a world famous land-mark. Fortunately, though, it didnt seem to faze anybody, because the venue had set up bars all around the property.

For whatever reason, MTI decided to do their own event on the same weekend as our poker run. I was disappointed about the conflict, as were several of the MTI owners. Nonetheless, we still had nine reg-istered MTIs at our eventI guess they fig-ured out that the Florida Powerboat Club knows how to have fun! Derek Wachob had his 52 MTI Black Diamond, and Troy Paul had his 52 MTI Pressure Makes Diamonds. But the MTI that grabbed our Best Poker Run Boat award belonged to Brett and Sheila Baur, who put on an incredible dock show in their 44 MTI Panty Dropper. They cranked up the stereo and the underwater lights, and danced on that boat until 11 p.m. on Friday night. Its a poker run boat by day, but at night it transforms into a perfect party platform.

Islamorada Dreamin


Bretts

Kemo-Sabe Biesemeyer NJBA Season Opener

ALSO:

STUNNINGSTEVENSREBUILD



The father-and-son team of Ron and Ryan Minegar bring a classic Stevens back to its original glory.

Th f th d t f

STEVENS

Story by Brett Bayne

RESTORATION

Ryan Minegar with the completed Stevens.

Heres how the Stevens looked before the Minegars purchased it.

Even

As boat restorations go, the Stevens depicted in this article is one of the luckier onesthanks to the tender loving care of several generations of the Minegar family.

At the center of this story is Ron Minegar, whose grandfather built wooden boats in the 1940s. Rons father Don Minegar, owned a well-known marine installation boat shop in the California Bay Area,

which worked on innumerable boats over the years. In the 1960s, Don bought hulls from the likes of Mac Stevens, Harold Kinsvater, Skip Volk of Aqua-Craft and Rudy Ramos of Rayson Craft.

Three of Dons sonsRon, Pat and Mikeeagerly snatched the horsepower baton from their elders. Pats beautifully restored Nordskog has been seen in the pages of Speedboat, while Ron still owns a fully restored Rayson Craft that Don built back in 1976.

When a family friend put his 1964 Stevens SK Skier



Ryan vacuums fiber-glass dust around the stringers and plugs holes.

Ron and Ryan begin to patch some of

the holes and repair some of the flaws in

the Stevens hull.

Holes and stress cracks in the cap are revealed after the Minegars start to sand the hull.

The Stevens engine when the Minegars bought the boat.

A very early stage of the engines rigging shows the bell housing.

The boat has come back from the paint shop with two coats of primerthree on the deck.


The Hall-Craft V-drive with the front half of the case off as the V-drive is aligned to the prop shaft.

As Ron and Ryan start to build the seats, we see the base and the driveline tunnel roughed in with no uprights.

More wood is added to the seating foundation.

The Minegars start to add resin to the wood.

The seats continue to come together. The Minegars fabricated the whole structure from scratch.

The Stevens finished seats. A local shop was conscripted to do the upholstery.


Even Stevens

The fully primer-coated boat is ready to be rigged and painted.


Heres a before shot of how some of the original parts looked before being spruced up.

A view of many of the boats parts, including foot pedal and driveline guard, after being prepped and hand-painted in house.


Above: The boat is back from the spray booth with its gorgeous new paint job, courtesy of uncle Mike Minegars Auto Body of Boise, ID.

17 up for sale, Pat had the idea of purchasing it for his brother Rons son, Ryan, effectively indoctrinating a fourth generation of Minegar into the clan of devoted boaters. The boat had run in the Minegars circle for about a year before going into drydock and then being purchased by the Minegars. Although the boat was in running condition, it did need a lot of work to make it service-able, Ron says. But I planned to help Ryan a lot with it.

When purchased, the hull had a small block 350 Chevy with a three-speed transmission. The original plan was to replace the transmission and make a few other changes.

In case you havent guessed14 months later, the result was a complete restoration.

The transformation began in February 2015. The original rig-


The boats rigging continues: the painted V-drive and other parts are in place.

Above: The wires underneath the battery box frame connect to the bilge pump. Left: The completed engine is placed in the boat.


Even Stevens

ging of the Stevens employed a unique rail system involving vul-canized rubber motor mounts for everything from the V-drive to the enginea very non-marine style installation, to say the least. Integrated with that was the three-speed transmission, which took up a significant part of the cockpit. Frankly, it was just not needed, Ron says. So while we were taking that out, we decided to re-rig it because of all the awkward and clumsy railing. Well,

once we started plugging all the stringer holes, we started plug-ging everything. We decided to re-rig everything.

When all of the fiberglass inside was reconditioned and all of the holes plugged, the Stevens was headed for a flow coat. Then upon closer examination of the hull, we noticed that there was some cracking along the cap. We had to grind out all the old cap-ping and began the process of glassing it back.


The Minegars in the finished Stevens at the Gorge on the Colorado River.

Left: Uncle Pat Minegar stepped up to repower the boat with this 604 crate motor (375 hp) with hydraulic cam.

Below: This recast of the original Stevens emblem was provided by Stevens aficio-nado Spike Morelli.



Father and son toast the culmination of their year-long restoration project.

Ryans wife Leanna poses with the boat, photo-graphed at Lucky Peak Reservoir in Idaho.


Even StevensB

RIA

N R

ULE



As the project grew from transmission and interior re-rigging to a complete exterior repaint, uncle Pat volunteered to pay for the upholstery after Ron and Ryan fabricated all-new seat frames for the Stevens.

Once Pat saw the level of commitment that we had made to the project and the result was going to be gorgeous, he became concerned about the engine that came with it, Ron says. So he commissioned to have the engine leaked down and tested. And it failed.

Since it did not make financial sense to rebuild that engine, Uncle Pat made the decision to pick up the tab for a new power-plant, saying, You cant come this far to have the engine fail in the middle of the first

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Speedboat May 2016