This is a photo from 1994. It was owned by Yves "Frenchy" Charbonneau. It sat in this field for 15 years before being rescued. The hull was painted white and green and had a big frog on the top front, flexing its muscle.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Construction:
This 3 point hydroplane is constructed using the bulkhead and stringer method common to boats of this type. The primary framing is of Sitka Spruce (bulkheads and stringers). The exterior bottom, top and sides is double thickness of 1/4" marine grade mahogany plywood. The boat bottom and sides are stained and have 4 coats of varnish applied. An additional 4-5 coats is required. The deck needs to be stained and varnished.
 
 
 
 
 

Quick Overview:
This boat was under restoration in Huntsville, Ontario. The entire boat has been disassembled and all mechanical systems removed. All structural members have been inspected for soundness and repairs made as required. The cockpit and instrument panel has been restored back to the original design. Mechanical components have been thoroughly refurbished and refitted. This boat is currently in excellent condition. The 32' long trailer has a cradle driven by three hydraulic cylinders to allow transportation of the boat down the highway on its side as maximum allowable highway width is 8' 6". 
 
 
 
 

The boat lying level is 11' at its widest point. All hydraulic cylinders and the self contained 12v power pack have been completely refurbished. The old "mobile home axles" circa 1960's (and now illegal for highway use) have been upgraded to new double axles with electric brakes. The trailer will be sandblasted, primed and painted. Additionally the trailer carries 140 gallons of fuel on board. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Boat Status:
Original remaining parts besides all hardware are two main stringers and all cross framing. Restored by one of five fellows that were the original team of 5 that took six months to build the boat in 1964/65. New Brunzeel and Jobert Mahogany marine plywood covering complete boat. Top and bottom, double thickness in many places, approx 30 sheets at $90 CAD per sheet, some pieces saved for "before and after' memories. 
 
 
 
 
 

Restorer had a big box of original ring nails used when built in 1964 and used these. Old plywood sheeting removed and used as a template to make up new covering, expertly down, in areas where sheets mate, straight and curved, you couldn't get a hair in between where they mate. Marine plywood and all battens, etc. glued in with special (high cost) two part marine epoxy. New battens for length of boat cut from 10" x 10" x 26' long solid pieces of Sitka Spruce, battens then bandsawed and planed to 1-1/8" x 1-1/8" x 26' long. Aluminum angle all replaced on framing that was screwed on to add strength to the frame members.
 
 
 

New aluminum plate installed under from transom forward about 6' cut from 4' x 8" sheet. New transom fabricated, completely replacing old one, old transom saved for "before and after" memories. Remaining 2' left from aluminum sheet used to put a skin over transom. Boat stained from gunnels down and sponsons and complete undersides, five coats of varnish applied, need about another five.
 
 
 
 
 

Sponsons are wet style. All new styrofoam floatation material replaced in front of boats and on both sides above the sponsons. New aluminum skid fin fabricated and installed on left sponson. Length of aluminum plate screwed on to underside of sponsons so that angle can be easily changed if desired. New dashboard panel stained and varnished and glued to old panel, not cut out for instruments and steering column, to be done at your pleasure for instrumentation. 
Topside of boat needs final puttying of nail holes, light sanding, then stain and 10 coats of varnish. There are some water stains of bare where water blew in under cover, not serious. 
 
 
 
 

Old seat rotted out, I have a new fiberglass seat insert which needs to be upholstered and fitted. Fiberglass engine cover and rear fin has been refinished and painted with a number of coats of still available Benjamin Moore paint color "American Red" that was original paint and color. Original large diameter steering wheel and column comes with boat with new aircraft cable supplied. Prop shaft (1-1/8" dia), one piece length from Casale, magnafluxed and checked for straightness, strut and cross bearing support installed loose, engine block was dry mounted and alignment off after restoration by under 1/8".
 
 
 
 
 

The boat comes with Casale box with 65% overdrive gears, spare lower set of gears with boat, drive is z-drive, with input splined and going into an adapter bolted to the end of the crank, there is a backing plate, Schaefer flywheel with spline coupling, then aluminum bell housing and round plate with oil seal onto aluminum bell housing. Casale is direct coupled to rear of 392 Hemi. Mechanical tach drive and gauge comes with boat. Engine that came with the boat had a broken crank at #1 journal and all the webbing of the crankcase broken out on centermain journals saved. This for show and tell if desired. Only engine pieces are front and rear engine mounts, all Casale and drive items, and approx 30 USG fuel tank set up for alcohol with tank brackets already installed back in boat. Original was Keith Black 392 Hemi, fuel injected with 6:71 blower. When the owner of race team went into bankruptcy in 1969, Keith Black pulled his five engines out and kept it as they were his engines and program. 
 
 
 
 

It is our intention to complete the restoration to museum quality while allowing the boat to be run on the Vintage Race Boat Circuit. 
Our plans include restoring the boat to the original paint scheme when Art Asbury drove the boat.  The only thing we are planning that will be different will be the power plant.  All else will be exactly like the "Old Days."
 
 
 
 
 

Trailer: 32' in length overall. New hydraulic power pack with larger than normal oil reservoir supplied and mounted inside one of the side toolboxes so it can be locked in. Hydraulic lever controls on power pack for positive operation of both up and down on cylinders. Hydraulic cylinders rebuilt and re-chromed. All hydraulic lines replaced and re-routed, neatened up. New style fenders fabricated and installed of sufficient thickness and braced well enough that you can stand on them. Original mobile home axles discarded and replaced with brand new 5000 lb rated axles with electric brakes (not wired up as of yet). Six new aluminum mag rims purchased, 4 mounted with new 16" Firestone tires. Trailer has mounting provisions to mount the spare tires. Trailer also has setup to mount two 55 USG drums of fuel at the rear. Approx 80 USG aluminum tank mounted above two axles to carry additional fuel. Trailer weighs 5500 lbs empty. Old pintle hitch torched off and new 2-5/8" ball hitch neatly welded on to tongue. To finish trailer, it needs to be sandblasted, primed, painted, lights/wiring completed and carpet bunks put on.
 
 
 

Here are some pics of the CGP after finishing the bottom and sides. Oh how I wish I could have flipped it. This working upside down is not for humans. She is 11' 6" wide and the gantry was only 12'. Oh well, it's done now.

I hope to have this beast in the water next year and hopefully make a show or two.

Hardware being fitted. 

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