New Pictures and What is to Come

Discussion in 'Announcements' started by 2MERCS, Apr 6, 2007.

  1. 2MERCS

    2MERCS Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2004
    Messages:
    794
    Location:
    Eastvale, Ca
    Boat Model and Year:
    1973 Hydrodyne 18 w/Twin 1150 Mercs
    Ab and I have been emailing back and fourth and he has started sending me some pictures and information about the past. Here is a small tid-bit of what will be in the new History area of the site and some of the great pictures that I am getting.

    Daniel
     

    Attached Files:

  2. jim

    jim Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2006
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    2,321
    Location:
    FL
    Boat Model and Year:
    77 Dyne 18 I/O converted to Outboard
    I am happy that you two got together. I am sure the results will be entertaining and informative.

    I would like to request a detailed history of the 18 skier. I'm sure we would all enjoy that.

    I know only pieces and parts of it.

    jim
     
  3. 2MERCS

    2MERCS Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2004
    Messages:
    794
    Location:
    Eastvale, Ca
    Boat Model and Year:
    1973 Hydrodyne 18 w/Twin 1150 Mercs
    I will hopefully be getting all that information + he should be stopping by the site every once in awhile to answer questions.

    Here is a new header that I made and is up and running in the auto header system. It is the header for today.

    Daniel
     

    Attached Files:

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  4. skischooler

    skischooler Hydrodyner

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2006
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    69
    Location:
    Neshkoro,WI
    Boat Model and Year:
    Hydrodyne 18, 1978. Evinrude 200XP, 1992
    Very cool, probably one of the best

    Rob
     
  5. markbano

    markbano Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2005
    Messages:
    854
    Boat Model and Year:
    1973 Hydrodyne Tournament Skiier
    Awesome. Thanks Daniel!
     
  6. Ab Crosby

    Ab Crosby Hydrodyne 20 Specialist Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2007
    Messages:
    10
    Boat Model and Year:
    None
    Jim:
    The first ski boats that Dad produced were 19' Crosbys for Mercury Marine back in the late 50's, 56 or 57 unknowen year, I have some photos. He also built jump boats for them. I belived Tommy Bartlett was involved, but not sure, I was young at that time and did not pay attention. In the early 60's he built replacement boats for Mercury. The fist 10 or so had glass covered wood decks and Glass composite hulls. Although Dads back ground was racing, the first boat were designed for sking and then we built race boats using that hull. They were fast on the strights but needed choppy water to turn. Smooth water turning was a treat, you did not know if you were running the boat or it was running you. A fin would of helped but that was not developed until the mid 60's, again for the ski boat and not the race boats. Dad did want to ruin that smooth bottom design " with a piece of shit hanging on the bottom". It took a lot of talking from a lot of people to change his mind.
    Please forgive the typing, big fingers, little key board.
    AC
     
  7. jim

    jim Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

    Joined:
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    Location:
    FL
    Boat Model and Year:
    77 Dyne 18 I/O converted to Outboard
    Ab,

    Thanks for the answer. I did not know about that part of the evolution. The early and late 18's are different in that the late ones have the raised floor. What was the reason for that change and what else was changed. I have never worked on the early model.

    Incidentally a couple of the boats owned by members of this forum have additional fin area and they claim that it makes them turn flatter. I actually cut an inch off the bottom of mine for trailer clearance and I cannot tell the difference, probably because I use the boat for slow work mostly.

    jim
     
  8. Ab Crosby

    Ab Crosby Hydrodyne 20 Specialist Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2007
    Messages:
    10
    Boat Model and Year:
    None
    Jim:
    The early boats had a double balsa wood bottom. It was just about bullet proof, 38,45 or 223 could not go through. We then glassed plywood boxes on the bottom for seat bases and then put fiberglass bucket seats on the boxes. The first seats did not even have pads. We went to seat pads about a year later. After about 4 years we took the second layer of balse out to the bottom and then went to the flat floor. The flat floor enabled us to put foam under the floor and go to Alum. seat bases and Uph. seats. They were a lot better. It was still the 3 seat set up, 2 on the drivers side and one on the passanger. The fin was not a standard item until about 1974 although we were using them clear back in 1964. Dad just did not want to put them on the boat, he and I and Tom had some real heated talks about them. They helped tracking and directional stability, took a little roll out of the boat with a heavy skier. The fin keeps the boat flatter in a turn. The faster and harder the turn, it is possible to break the fin loose and the boat will roll up real fast. It can give you a pucker factor if you have never done it before, you feel like the boat is going right on over. Over the years we had worked with all type of fins, the best is a long shallow fin. Ther is a lot of hype over 1,2 or 3 fins. the turb. from the first fin cancels out about 50% of the second fin and about 2/3 of the third. Most boat builders use stock fins and us as many as it needs to do the job. When we built our inboard we used 3 fins because it was easier and cheaper. The single fin on the outboard had more area than the 3 fins on the inboard with out the turb. problems.
    Ab
     
  9. jim

    jim Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

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    FL
    Boat Model and Year:
    77 Dyne 18 I/O converted to Outboard
    Thanks Ab,

    I truly enjoy your explanations, and I think it is good to get them recorded like this for the younger folks. You and I are not getting any younger.

    I assume that the balsa was changed to end grain at the same time the extra layer was taken out? The under floor foam was also discontinued at some point was it not?

    A bunch of us are meeting at the show ski nationals in August. I wish you would come on over, it would be nice to see and talk to you again.

    By the way, my son in law did his turn in Iraq and made enough extra to buy their own 17.6. She won the nationals the first year with it (2004) with her husband driving. He has driven two tournaments now with two first places. I told him that has to be a world record and to retire. They did retire from the tournaments and now ski for fun.

    I have another question. Why was the production of the 18 never resumed along with the 17.6 and the 20? (at Hydrodyne)

    Thanks again,

    jim
     
  10. jbarraclough

    jbarraclough

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2006
    Messages:
    24
    Location:
    Pleasanton, CA
    Boat Model and Year:
    1967 Hydrodyne Competition Ski Classic
    In response to Jim's last post:

    You hit it right on the head with your statement about passing on this knowledge to us "younger folks". From a huge boating family of 10 or so boats, we only have one boat that is younger than me and most are old enough to be made out of mahogany. I love the history behind these boats and it is posts like Ab's and everyone else's that make it truly enjoyable to read about. I slacked off from the site in the winter as a lot of people do I think, but what a cool thread to come back to and read. PLEASE keep up these excellent posts. And great work on the site as usual Daniel. I even got a hydrodyners.com polo for X-mas....

    JB
     

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