Old Merc Cowlings...

[Back To Havasu]

Old Rigger...Last addendum...the Fragosos built and Irv Brendel sold some V-Drive Brendellas. The one in the Boat trader looks like a Fragoso boat, but I can't be sure without seeing it. Most were powered by 283 Chevys.

[old rigger]

back to H,
yeah, I'm familiar with the PC history mainly because of it being a local, Belflower, shop. Also, that's where Dick Schuster got his start in fiberglass work, he was instrumental in setting up the glass shop for Ray Leger. Schuster went on to start Tahiti and that's how my dad got in the boat biz in '66, rigging for him.
Jack Oxley still lives in the Long Beach area by me, I've never met him, he races RC boats now and I see his name now and then in the paper and stuff like that. I also have several old boat mags that have stories on him.
That's Chuck Mersereau driving the all white PC above, I think that's what I read on the Powercat site.
My dads friend was the main wrench for Bob Massey when he drove the Switzer wing. A guy on the the Powercat message board just bought one of Masseys old wings and our friend, Roger Hoover's name is still on the side of the boat. I put the new owner in touch with Roger cause he wanted to find out as much history on the boat as he could. Roger was at Elisnore when Massey crashed his Mollinari and was killed too.
I'd love to see some of your pics and I'd like you to see the ones of my dads old boat. I wish he was still alive, the name of Alex Fragoso might of rung a bell with him. Could be the same guy, Lawndales close to the South Bay. Do you remember if Alex was a Fireman, or someone in his family? My dads boat was
glass over wood. All Mahogany skined plywood, sides and deck. Beautiful boat. Maybe we could hook up some time, I love hearing old stories about the boat builders back then. You're in Corona, I know the area a little, I worked for Warlock when they were off Surfas club drive. Made the drive everyday from Long Beach, it sucked big time.
Do you know Pat Murphy? He use to race outboards back then, although I'm not sure he started as early as you.

[Back To Havasu]

Old Rigger...love to hook up with you. Let me know where and when. I am a recent transplant to Corona, as my work is now in Yorba Linda. I grew up in Torrance, and am familiar with the Long Beach area. It looked like Chuck in the pics, but I couldn't tell for sure, so I didn't comment. Chuck died of a heart attack at 36. What a loss. None of the Fragosos were firefighters, but as I indicated in my former posts, splashing was as popular then as now. Many flatbottom and cat outboards brands to choose from. Pat Murphy's name doesn't ring a bell, and although I didn't know hime personally, Bob Massey was an extremely well-respected racer. Incidentally, Chuck set the outboard drag record in 1963 of 91.09 at Long Beach Marine Stadium, driving a Powercat hydro with twin Merc 1000s. Bob Kies was a McCullough factory driver, usually in a 13' Powercat powered by twin Scott 60s.

[likwidsukr]

Originally posted by old rigger
back to havasu,
opps. I went back and looked at those old merc on that powercat and they are white and black.
Do you have any pics of your old brendella? I've seen several pictures of them from that time, 61-2, the wood ones, and they look almost exactly like my dads first flatbottm. His was called a 'catalina conquest' and built in the south bay. The guy that built them was a fireman and only built a dozen or so boats. My dads was an outboard too. There's a all wood Brendella in Huntington beach for sale, a v-drive, and that one looks the same as well. I was just wondering if there was a connection betwen the builders back then. Unfortuntly, my dad long forgot the builders name of his boat, only remembering the stories of them racing the boats in the catilina ski race's back then, hence the name. My dad ran a 75 Evinrude starflight or starfire, I can't remember which. Still my favorite boat. It went to my two uncles after my dad sold it and then I lost track of it. I wish I'd been smart enough to have kept it, if for nothing else, to use a patterns to build a new one. Of course I was only 15 or so when he sold it. I'm sure it was long ago used as a bonfire. Every now and then my brother in law, a cop, will run the numbers for me to see if it's popped up any where.
I'm trying to attach a pic of the powercat I was talking about above. Did you race against them back in the day?
http://www.powercatboat.com/7.jpg
This is the first time I been to the outboard section! I have to say that this boat is badass!!! How fast is this boat?
Sorry to highjack

[Back To Havasu]

Danny Ledger over at the screamandfly.com site would know how fast the Powercat in the pic was. The 13s with twin 45hp Mercs and speedmasters would routinely run in the mid sixties (that's with only 90 horsepower total). The 15 in the pic has twin 80s which with speedmasters would probably be in the high 70s, or even low 80s, but that's just a guess. Jack Oxley, Danny Snead, and Bob Kies briefly ran twin Scott 75s on a 13, and those rigs were fast also.

[old rigger]

likwidsukr,
back to H is right, that 15 C above ran in the low 80's in I believe 1960 or 1961.
Also, when the Switzer brothers built their first wing (sorry I don't have a picture to post. I need a scanner, because they were beautiful boats) they rigged it with twin 80 mercs as well. It too ran a tad over 80 but they thought there was more to be had. Some changes were made to the bottom and they shoved the speed to 120! These were stock merc 80 powerheads with speedmaster legs on the engines. That is mind numbing to think that they ran 120+ with 160 horse's. It also spelled the end of PowerCats dominance in outboard marathon racing.
Pat Murphy was an OMC guy. His brother is Mike Murphy of water ski fame, his other brother has a 18 PC for sale on the powercat site and his mom is featured at least once a year in the local Long Beach paper for water skiing to Catilina every summer. She's well into her 80's now. Pat worked at Javalin boats when he started out building boats. I met him when I was very young at the Tahiti shop. He also helped a dumb kid (me) rebuild his first outboard engine after the dumb kid wouldn't listen to his dad and install a water pressure gauge on his first boat, an old Weiman. Lost the water pump and destroyed the poor V4. First time in the water, and I didn't even have sense enough to go UP stream to make sure everything was happy with the boat.
Back to havasu, have you checked out Danny Legers Powercat site? the address is above in this thread. Lots of cool pics.
Billy B, sorry to hijack your thread so bad.

[BILLY.B]

Originally posted by likwidsukr
This is the first time I been to the outboard section! I have to say that this boat is badass!!! How fast is this boat?
Sorry to highjack Wait till you see this Super Cat finished. It should look BITCHIN when it's all done. I'm going to make a center console kinda like a 61-63 T-BIRD, put the controls for both engines in there along with cup holders, side tanks that will be custom fit to the sides and hidden. I plan on painting it white & black with a silver & gold old time graphic, pinstripped in red. Engines will be completely redone with new stickers, and the new medallion's on the center cover plate. Trailer is lowered with street rod looking rims(stainless beauty ring, red rim and small moon), and a light smoked cut down windshield, replacing the old tall plasctic clear one. Can't wait to cruise around in this unit. Do any of you know what kind of speed I can get out of this boat with the 2 650's???.

[likwidsukr]

Billy.B:
Can't wait to see the finished product sure to be sweet!!!
old rigger: Thanks

[Boatmaster]

Can't help you on the cowls, but I can't wait to see your finished rig. I knew it would'nt take you long to go full blown clamp-on.

[BILLY.B]

Originally posted by Boatmaster
Can't help you on the cowls, but I can't wait to see your finished rig. I knew it would'nt take you long to go full blown clamp-on. That will make it 2 outboards, 1 alcohol flat. I guess the O.B's win. I didn't just type that out loud did I????