aronow 39 blue thunder hull and aluminum trailer

[Reuling]

The boat has been sitting in my backyard for years with plans to put twin diesels and arnesons. I just dont have the time/money to put into it.

This is for the hull and trailer the way it sits in the pictures.
best offer takes it.

http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac303/reuling/055.jpghttp://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac303/reuling/054.jpghttp://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac303/reuling/053.jpghttp://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac303/reuling/057.jpghttp://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac303/reuling/059.jpghttp://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac303/reuling/063.jpghttp://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac303/reuling/061.jpghttp://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac303/reuling/065.jpghttp://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac303/reuling/066.jpghttp://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac303/reuling/067.jpg

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Where is the boat? Bill

[Reuling]

houston, tx

[Ghost]

houston, tx

Doh, now you done it.

[superhatz]

Go get it Bill!....:)

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Doh, now you done it.


Go get it Bill!....:)

Isn't boat pushing illegal in some states? :lookaroun: I certainly couldn't justify buying it, but it would be an awesome ride for someone when completed. I wonder how much that bare hull weighs. Bill

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

I hate to say this but those things where total slugs on the water which will take huge amounts of Hp to perform like a real cat should . Just my 2 cents and i am not trying to offend anyone .

[Reuling]

would also consider trades for a running boat..

[Donziweasel]

The weren't slugs. You just couldn't open them up. They came with 440 Crysler engines. Weak part was the drive. If you ran one over 55 mph, one of the drives would grenade everytime. They were capable of much more.

Cool boat, part of history. With the right hardware, they will move pretty good.

Do you still have the radar arch?

[GBond]

Plezzzzz....Cheese Whizzzzz! :biggrin:

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Plezzzzz....Cheese Whizzzzz! :biggrin: I agree and i think we are on the same page:bonk:

[Cig35Mistress]

The weren't slugs. You just couldn't open them up. They came with 440 Crysler engines. Weak part was the drive. If you ran one over 55 mph, one of the drives would grenade everytime. They were capable of much more.

Cool boat, part of history. With the right hardware, they will move pretty good.

Do you still have the radar arch?

They came with merCruiser 454/440 Cyclones, not Chrysler motors. The drives were SSM #3 and it was the engines that were grenading in the original Customs boats.

Overall, these hulls were rock solid. They were overbuilt; an offshore tank. "Opening up" the motors was not the problem - the sheer amount of power needed to counteract the weight and width of the boat was. With that said, the boats were severely underpowered with the 440 Cyclones and when pushed too hard, they blew up. (Not exactly rocket science there.)

For what its worth, a 38' Cigarette flat deck of the same vintage is a slug with 440 Cyclones as well. Hell, even my 35' Cigarette Mistress was a slug; it had 400 Cyclones and ran a whopping 58MPH at WOT. These are HEAVY boats.

There was a 39' USA Cat in Miami with Merlin diesels/Arneson surface drives of some notoriety, named "None Of Your Business" which was tender to Don Soffer's yacht, "Monkey Business." That boat ran in the low-to-mid-70s and performed beautifully.

Matt, I'm the guy you spoke to this morning in Florida. Are you going to sell me this hull or what? Did this rant convince you of my interest? BTW, what would you want to trade for? :cool:

Harry

[Bluwaterbrew]

Did this boat ever sell or is it still available?

[Mike G3]

I think this was the Blue Thunder out of Miami when I worked there for US Customs in the late 80's. It was one of the very few without an aluminum arch or bimini top. It was rock solid - could turn on a dime. Was very under powered. They later outfitted all of them with 575 hp engines (cost a small fortune). I have many hours on these boats back in the day. I am still on the job but in DC riding a desk waiting for retirement to creep up. That boat is a piece of history.

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Mike G3 , i see this is your first post and welcome to the board .:bighug:

[heavanie]

To anyone who is interested, I purchased this boat and had it shipped from TX back to its home state of FL. The boat is much rougher than it appeared to be but I am not going to be intimidated. I have loved these boats since I saw one on the water back in the mid 80's. I have 2 other boat projects rapping up now and am building a game plan for the cat. Mike G3, I am looking for any info i can get my hands on about these boats. Can you help? I will try to post updates and pics as soon as I start the resto.

[stormrider]

Heavanie, go to offshoreonly.com, there is alot of information there, and some members were the original riggers.

Good Luck.

[heavanie]

Thanks for the input Stormrider. I have been a registerted member of OSO for some time now. I am looking more for hard facts and pictures. Most of the stuff you read there and anywhere else for that matter is pure conjecture. Most of the people who chime in have never even seen one in person let alone been on the the water in one. I do appreciate the input and would be willing to take a look at anything you or anyone else comes across or has. I am trying to put together a "this is my life" type of scrapbook about the boats. Thanks again for your help, David.

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Thanks for the input Stormrider. I have been a registerted member of OSO for some time now. I am looking more for hard facts and pictures. Most of the stuff you read there and anywhere else for that matter is pure conjecture. Most of the people who chime in have never even seen one in person let alone been on the the water in one. I do appreciate the input and would be willing to take a look at anything you or anyone else comes across or has. I am trying to put together a "this is my life" type of scrapbook about the boats. Thanks again for your help, David. David i can not agree with you more, and OSO is one frickin big joke............that is not worth the money you pay for a membership !!!!!!:hangum:

[stormrider]

This is the thread about it that I remember.
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/general-boating-discussion/84222-don-aronow-39-cat.html

Some guys w/ actual time on the boats.