"Cheeseburgers in Paradise" !

Hanging out last week with Jimmy Buffet down in Key West, well not really....he wasn't there, but I was and so were fifty of the fastest boats on the planet ! If the thoughts of doing upwards of 200mph on water dosen't get your heart thump'in then sell your Logans, buy some Bose and move into "The Home" !!

I got to meet Dave Scott, owner of the Bud Light 50' Mystic Powerboat.
Twin big block(572 ci) Chevys, over 3100hp combined. The pic of the back-up motors on their respective stands in the back of the hauler are Dave's newest creations, all alluminum and 200 more hp per motor than the ones currently in the boat. They were to go in for Sundays finale.

Given the 4 and 5 foot seas the best the boat was able to do was 178 mph, but with ideal conditions it is capable of 190-200mph !

Last pic is of our condo and the view I was "stuck with" for the week, actually some of the "views" around the pool were really quite nice !!!

Been to Key West many a time! I got Married there on the Navy base ! Ft Zachary Taylor!

Man Those palm trees look good now heading into winter.

I love the powerboats. I try and go to the Unlimited Hydroplane races here in Detroit. I am trying to go to Seafair in Seattle as its home of the unlimited Hydro's.

Speed and HP are as addicting as Martin Logan's !

wow, I can't imagine 200mph on the water...
That's fast!

Very nice,thanks for sharing

Loves those engines!:bowdown:

Dave,

While not as fast, did you ever see the boats on the Niagra River each year? It was always a good reason to party down by the water front.

During the summer about a week before the event they would start their practicing as I remember being woke up by them - I only lived a block from the river.

DTB300 said:

Dave, While not as fast, did you ever see the boats on the Niagra River each year? .

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Never did Dan, actually I'm not a 'boat' person, last weeks experience in Key West was my first with that much HP on water ! I have to admitt it was a 'rush' !

While on the subject of HP, this pic is of a Turbine engine that was getting ready to go in one of the unlimited class boats that 'flipped' during the race on Wed (a trim tab broke causing the accident).

These engines are actually 25-35 year old military pieces that are completly re-built at the tune of 250k EACH ! I was told by the mechanic working on them that if they were to be sourced completly NEW the cost would be close to Two Million EACH !!!!!!

FWIW, they produce 1800 plus HP.

Its a Lycoming Helicopter engine. They are sweet and smooth but the pounding of the 12 cylinders of a Rolls Gryphon or Merlin is way better !

These are pure sex with pistons. They are 2350 BHP twin stage supercharged engines for the Atlas Van Lines 82 unlimited. Man that was a sweet boat !

Chris, I agree those things look awesome !

Question...... do the Hydroplane boats run a multi-turn (bouy) race like what I saw with the deep V and cat type boats down in Key west ?

FWIW, the course for the race was 6.5 miles long with I believe three bouy (turns)

Yes the run a left handed turn race only. Courses are different and vary in size. They prolly are similar in size as they hit speeds of 200mph in the strait away !

I've always loved the unlimited hydroplanes. I first saw them race in Washington state, back when I was a teenager. I really liked the rooster tails they threw and modified my water skis to do the same, tho' not nearly as great! The last time I saw these boats was in the '90's at Detroit.

C.A.P said:

Been to Key West many a time! I got Married there on the Navy base ! Ft Zachary Taylor!

Man Those palm trees look good now heading into winter.

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Just the other night I walked out to the mailbox wearing only shorts and a T; no shoes. I was thinking, I love this weather, it felt just like the weather from a Florida beach at night. I know how cold it gets up there in Michigan and you're a better man than I to live up there.

slowGEEZR said:

I know how cold it gets up there in Michigan and you're a better man than I to live up there.

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Yeah but Steve, you can't experience this in Fla or Texas !!!