Custom Wooden Hydroplane (One of a kind)

Description

Eclipse

I found her propped up the in front yard of a house about 30 minutes southwest of O’Hare Airport. She was in pretty bad shape showing the scars of many previous races. There were several holes in the plywood and a deteriorated transom at the waterline but she looked so cool I had to buy her. The following is a concise timeline which highlights the work completed.

December 2015-March 2016

· Paint Removal, sanding, etc…

· Repairing various holes, gouges, etc…

· Repairing 2 stringers, transom and deck openings from the original steering system.

o I’d always planned to install a new Teleflex Steering system and so I wanted a clean deck surface.

· New West System 105 bottom.

After turning her up, I could have easily painted the hull and been done. However, I had this idea to make her look like a classic wooden boat. The question was how? This boat has sharp lines and curves made from special plywood that bend easily. I was determined to use correct hardwood and spent 30+ days with several different species on an array of thickness’s doing nothing but trial and error with the steam box. After all the testing, I chose Sapele and Grandis for the topsides.

http://www.wood-database.com/sapele/

http://www.wood-database.com/lyptus/

April 2016 – June 2017

· Raised transom by 8 inches to accommodate the new power.

o Old growth oak pieces/rodded with 304 stainless/epoxied/shaped

· Installed 3 center-line tracking fins for better/safer recreational use.

· Cockpit sealed

· Removable custom Teak floor

· Applied the decking material

o Brass brads and West 5200

o 2 coats of Old Master’s Stain

§ Grandis (Clear Stain) / Sapele (Custom Mix Mahogany/Spanish Oak)

o 6 coats of Old Master’s Spar Varnish

o Seams Calked Big Stretch

§ Will never fully harden and accepts varnish

· Motor: (1987 25HP Mariner)

o Modern power (forward/neutral/reverse)

o 15” shaft length

o Sand blasted, dents/scratches in “cowl” filled.

§ Primed and Painted

§ Decals from 1962 25HP

· Tank

o Period Mercury 2.5 gallon tank.

§ Sanded and polished to bare aluminum

· “Eclipse” engraved on tank sides

§ Inside “boiled” and is completely clean.

§ New fuel line, primer bulb and motor connector

· Tee Nee Trailer

I wanted a period trailer (late 50’s or early 60’s)

§ Original wheels with “pie pan rims” & “swept fenders

o Sand blasted/primed/painted

o Installed 1 7/8” receiver

o New wiring & lights

o Cleaned/repacked hub & bearings (Marine Bearing Grease)

o Installed cedar “bunks”

· New Teleflex Steering System / GUSSI Steering Wheel

· New Throttle/Shift assembly including new cables

· Other Items

o Brass Work

§ The Cutwater/Bow and Transom Pieces were custom made.

§ The chine pieces were all custom cut/fitted and installed with brass screws.

o Custom Battery Box (Mahogany)

§ New INTERSTATE battery

o Custom Boat Hook

o Period Fire Extinguisher (Port side stern inside cockpit) (DECORATIVE ONLY)

§ This thing is SO COOL!!

o New fire extinguisher (WORKING)

o Equipment Box

§ Restored trunk

§ Custom design depicting an eclipse of the sun.

She is fantastic to take for early morning/late afternoon runs on the lake. On the trailer or in the water, everyone stops to check her out or give a “thumbs up. I have over 400 hours invested in Eclipse and the starting price is well below my investment in just material and component costs.

I will be happy to answer any questions or send additional photo’s as requested. I will also make myself available for showings/motor (tank testing) based on mutual accommodating schedules. The winning individual may lake-test the boat but there will be conditions in the event the boat is damaged.

Buyer to pick up, no shipping

Boat is sold as is, where is with no warranties offered, suggested or implied.

Thanks! Tim