DonziDave
07-29-2001, 10:26 PM
Since the Holman/Moody days, the lake that I live on, Lake Wylie in Charlotte, NC has been known for some seriously fast boats - had a few myself. That tradition continues today as well as on the pretender lake, Lake Norman, north of Charlotte. It is a result of the NASCAR influence. A lot of drivers, team owners, engine builders, etc. are into speed boatin'. Everything from deep vees, tunnels, to Allison's and SST's with clamp-on's.
Well now I've seen the boat that is going to really raise the bar of one-upsmanship.
I was floating on the north end of the lake where the big boys can get a good long run and has minimal traffic.
Two boats are headed towards me and they are really honkin'. One boat is a regular on the lake, a 32' Fountain with twin blown BB's that I know runs in the high 130's. The other boat, 24-26 foot is new to the lake. I noticed that it had a strange sound. Now these guys are running side by side - the Fountain is wide open. All of a sudden the guy in the new boat nails it and left the Fountain like he had turned the engines off. As the guy passes me, I hear the scream of a turbine and see a vertical heat plume coming out of at least a 24" diameter exhaust pipe. Found out later he is running a helicopter turbine hooked to a surface drive. He was going so friggin' fast that I could not tell the make of the boat or what kind of drive. Have no idea of his speed, but it was very very fast. Way too cool!!
Well now I've seen the boat that is going to really raise the bar of one-upsmanship.
I was floating on the north end of the lake where the big boys can get a good long run and has minimal traffic.
Two boats are headed towards me and they are really honkin'. One boat is a regular on the lake, a 32' Fountain with twin blown BB's that I know runs in the high 130's. The other boat, 24-26 foot is new to the lake. I noticed that it had a strange sound. Now these guys are running side by side - the Fountain is wide open. All of a sudden the guy in the new boat nails it and left the Fountain like he had turned the engines off. As the guy passes me, I hear the scream of a turbine and see a vertical heat plume coming out of at least a 24" diameter exhaust pipe. Found out later he is running a helicopter turbine hooked to a surface drive. He was going so friggin' fast that I could not tell the make of the boat or what kind of drive. Have no idea of his speed, but it was very very fast. Way too cool!!