Jersey Skiff

[Just Say N20]

There was a Jersey Skiff that used to run on our lake in the Adirondacks. Always looked to me to be a scary/fun ride watching him bounce down the lake, crabbing sideways when the prop was more than half out of the water, acting like a paddle wheel more than a propeller.

I remember getting my first ride :biggrin: in it. It ran about 65 mph, but it was an amazing thrill. Sounded great with the 4" exhaust. Vibrated like a mother. He ran this goofy looking 2-blade prop that had squared off ends, maybe to minimize the crabbing.

They always looked to me like a total mis-match of stuff; take the hull of a 15' wooden Thompson runabout, and put a 450 hp SBC in it, and run them 75+ mph.

This guy has some stones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIioNasDu04&feature=related

[CHACHI]

They run a bunch of the skiffs at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton when the museum holds its Race Ragatta weekend. It is an event that is run every two years and this is the year.

The boats seem to defiy physics and yes, you do need some sack to run in one.

Ken

[BUIZILLA]

i'm gonna guess that run was on the north side of 7500 rpm... :cool:

[72x2]

I had one for with a 350ci and 425 hp it was the sister boat to the first kelvar skiff made in Barnegat Light NJ by lindsy perry out of Bud Benders mold ran about 85 and could turn on its side and scare the hell out of a passenger. I was sited a few times running it behind ocean city nj for noise. Not practical for much and the exhaust was hot on your shoes. Not a boat to run barefoot. I sold it to a guy in Fl with a different motor because I was afraid someone would get hurt with that much power in it. I do miss the rush of it as it popped up on plane but like I said not very pratical and I could not get anyone to go for a ride in it after they were in it once.

[Just Say N20]

i'm gonna guess that run was on the north side of 7500 rpm... :cool:

It sounded like it was in NASCAR engine rpm range to me too. I listened to the engine in one of GEOO's fly-bys, and then to this (because I have that kind of time right now). The Jersey Skiff was definitely spinning faster. :eek: You don't hear that happen very often. :superman:


I do miss the rush of it as it popped up on plane but like I said not very pratical and I could not get anyone to go for a ride in it after they were in it once.

They have to be in the same category as top fuel drag boats for practicality, but what a RUSH! :worthy:

[chappy]

Can't help smilin' like a kid on Christmas morning watchin that clip.

[dammmagnum]

I had one for with a 350ci and 425 hp it was the sister boat to the first kelvar skiff made in Barnegat Light NJ by lindsy perry out of Bud Benders mold ran about 85 and could turn on its side and scare the hell out of a passenger. I was sited a few times running it behind ocean city nj for noise. Not practical for much and the exhaust was hot on your shoes. Not a boat to run barefoot. I sold it to a guy in Fl with a different motor because I was afraid someone would get hurt with that much power in it. I do miss the rush of it as it popped up on plane but like I said not very pratical and I could not get anyone to go for a ride in it after they were in it once.

Hello 72X2 is Lindsy Perry still around?

He painted my 27 Magnum Sport many years ago when I lived in NJ?
Thank you
Jim

[oledawg]

The guys at Race City Marine in Mooresville, NC are a dealer for these boats and have one that they race, a green one called "Fast Buck". Last time that I was in there ( they work on my Correct Craft ) they had blown the engine and they were getting one of the NASCAR shops to build them a new one, think that it actually was a small block, like a 283. It is indeed a scary looking beast and I can't imagine riding in one! :cool!:

[silverghost]

The racing class these boats were used in limited the Cu In to only 283 ! This was the limit for decades despite the later introduction of the SBC Chev 327, and then 305,350,400.
The Jersey Speed Skiff races were a blast to watch.
Some years ago they tried to establish a Jersey Skiff race behind the Ocean City NJ Yacht Club
It was to become an annual event for the Jersey Skiff circuit ~if successfull !
BUT~
There was far too much boat traffic with the "More Money Than Brains Croud" down here throwing big wakes while the races were being heald.
They should have had more patrol craft, NJ Marine police (can't believe I'm saying this!), & Coast Guard to keep the race area clear of nutty plasure craft skippers..
The Great Egg Harbor Bay gets very very rough on mid-summer weekends from boat traffic wakes~ The water just churns. It is crazy around here with the weekender boat traffic.
Two of the race skiffs flipped & one sunk at the very first race heald here.
The Jersey Skiff race group vowed to never return to Ocean City again...
Luky no racers were lost or badly hurt.
I have a buddy that owns a Bender fierglass hull.
What a bang for the buck !
I remember the old lapstrake plywood Jersey Speed Skiffs.
The SB Chevy 283 was a throw-back to that early 60s era.
For decades that's all that was used in Jersey Speed Skiff race boats! Old SBC 283 engines became very hard to find in junkyards. They were long since discontinued by Chevy long before the 70s-80s ~ Yet the Jersey Skiff Racers continued to only use the old 283 !
Brad Hunter

[dammmagnum]

The racing class these boats were used in limited the Cu In to only 283 ! This was the limit for decades despite the later introduction of the SBC Chev 327, and then 305,350,400.
The Jersey Speed Skiff races were a blast to watch.
Some years ago they tried to establish a Jersey Skiff race behind the Ocean City NJ Yacht Club
It was to become an annual event for the Jersey Skiff circuit ~if successfull !
BUT~
There was far too much boat traffic with the "More Money Than Brains Croud" down here throwing big wakes while the races were being heald.
They should have had more patrol craft, NJ Marine police (can't believe I'm saying this!), & Coast Guard to keep the race area clear of nutty plasure craft skippers..
The Great Egg Harbor Bay gets very very rough on mid-summer weekends from boat traffic wakes~ The water just churns. It is crazy around here with the weekender boat traffic.
Two of the race skiffs flipped & one sunk at the very first race heald here.
The Jersey Skiff race group vowed to never return to Ocean City again...
Luky no racers were lost or badly hurt.
I have a buddy that owns a Bender fierglass hull.
What a bang for the buck !
I remember the old lapstrake plywood Jersey Speed Skiffs.
The SB Chevy 283 was a throw-back to that early 60s era.
For decades that's all that was used in Jersey Speed Skiff race boats! Old SBC 283 engines became very hard to find in junkyards. They were long since discontinued by Chevy long before the 70s-80s ~ Yet the Jersey Skiff Racers continued to only use the old 283 !
Brad Hunter

Hi Brad,

If I remember correctly with the old 283 Chevy motors, they even listed the Chevy part numbers that you had to use when putting a motor together to race. not a lot of lead way on building a motor for a JS back then

Thank you
Jim

[TOPSY II]

Being "borne and bred" on the Jersey Shore ( Rumson) I know these boats well. My first ride was in a boat owned by a guy that owned the local marina, his son ( about 16 I guess) took me out and I was HOOKED for life!

He ran a SB Ford in his ( back in the day to race they had to be at least 16 ft long, 1600 lbs dry and no more than 300 c.i ( normally asperated).)

Long story short, I bought one a couple years back ( A Bud Bender Skiff) built in 1980. had the 283 rebuilt ( Dart Heads/ big cam/ 750cc double pumper etc etc. putting out around 415 H.P I've put a rev limiter to keep her under 6500 RPM, but she still FLYS!!! They race them every spring up in Tavares, FL. GREAT SHOW!

Topsy II

1986 Minx , Hull #59
1980 Speed Skiff JS-74

[Ned L]

Grew up in Rumson too. I have to agree, there is nothing like them. I have two, an antique wood one built in the late 30's - early 40's (have had it for more than 30 yrs now), and a '69 glass Bender derivative with a 350 in it (this one was Nat'l champion in 1970).

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8df10b3127ccec36a863a607c00000010O02Bbs3DVuzZA9 vPhI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/


http://gallery.me.com/boatclub/100107/Thunder-200493/web.jpg?ver=12541484560001

[Just Say N20]

Great pictures! Although I'm not sure I could drive one and NOT have a H-U-G-E smile on my face :biggrin:

This was my Avatar for a long time. Don't bother clicking on it, it doesn't get any larger. This was the actual avatar.