hacker speedabout

[gentleman]

i got plan's - blueprints for a 28ft john hacker speedabout, does anyone know anything about this boat? could you consider it a gentleman's racer?

thanks.

[itchy1finger]

i have looked at a lot of runabouts and racers and i would say yes, it is a racer, but i say somewhere inbetween a runabout and a racer if that makes any sense. been looking for plans on a gentlemans racer myself, prefferably 30 foot.

[PAR]

Both of you seem to be interested in a classic runabout or racer. Are you prepared for the ill handling and lousy preformance envelop these craft (in general) exhibit? As a rule, these boats were very lightly built, knowing full well they would be replaced in a year or two with a newer, more competitive model. They break up, will pound your dental work out, handle like beasts, plus are difficult to build and own. Owning a 20'/30's vintage monolithic iconoclast of a powerboat is romantic and certainly good looking, but do yourself a favor and drive one. They don't do much very well and even the go fast stuff sucks in comparison to a modern design.

[itchy1finger]

I was told by a rep. of a very well known company, that if i founds plans from 1925 to 1933 of this Gentleman's Racer, they would be almost, and i say almost identicle to their newest make. Now this company makes a spanking new Gentleman's Racer, 30' long and i think 6' wide. Weighs 5400 lbs, has 425 HP in her ( don't know tourque ) and does 52 MPH. No keel, mid engine.
We race boats. In excess of 70 MPH. 750 HP and the same tourque. Our boats have the same specs except that we have to have a keel. keel is only 10" deep at stern post position and has a length of 8', about 1" thick. Our boats are fiberglassed hulls that we finish in our own way. Both together motor and boat weigh approx. 2500 lbs. These are tight races, a bouy is involved. Have to U turn around the bouy back to finish line. Everyone has their own style boat but all have the same specs, it's in the rules. 1 mile race, 1/2 mile down, U turn, 1/2 mile back. Truthfully, this has just started up within the past 2 years, this racing we do. These boats, none of them in my opinion go on the right plane. Some drag, some porpoises and some completely at times come all out of water. The Gentleman's Racer has the sharpest bottom with great intentions in their design. We think it is the hull we want.

[itchy1finger]

Our stuff can be viewed on Facebook. Search Causeway Boat Races.

[gentleman]

Originally Posted by PAR

Both of you seem to be interested in a classic runabout or racer. Are you prepared for the ill handling and lousy preformance envelop these craft (in general) exhibit? As a rule, these boats were very lightly built, knowing full well they would be replaced in a year or two with a newer, more competitive model. They break up, will pound your dental work out, handle like beasts, plus are difficult to build and own. Owning a 20'/30's vintage monolithic iconoclast of a powerboat is romantic and certainly good looking, but do yourself a favor and drive one. They don't do much very well and even the go fast stuff sucks in comparison to a modern design.

compared to what new designs? we plan to build a fiberglass hull, and believe me they will handle as good as anything we got down home here far as boats. we were looking at the speeds they get from rebuilt runabouts and racer's and pound for pound they are much better then the boats that we race. i think that we are looking for style and speed both, but you gotta admit the style of the old racer are next to none.

[Kazulin]

Have to agree with Par regarding the ride, etc. of the all wood racers.
Have owned a few woodies, but prefer the speed and ride of our
Kavalks.
Been designing and building this line for over 30 years with fiberglass hull and mahogany or teak deck.
Attached is a shot of one of the Continental gentlemen racer (year 1987) and one of her dash taken this summer while driving her.

[gonzo]

I think you are confusing terms. There were gentleman's launches and racers. Gentlemen don't let the ladies bonnets fly off and must be able to have tea while boating. Are you refering to commuter launches perhaps?

[PAR]

I have to agree Gonzo. I don't think they really know what they're after yet. Maybe an era style or something, but I've been in many 20's and 30's era Hackers, Chris Craft, you name it racers and they all are lovely to look at and have moderately good speed in a straight line, assuming you don't mind the ride, spray, very spartan accommodations (if any), etc., but they are flimsy, easily damaged, not long lived things, that I repair on a regular basis for owners that just had to have one.

[viking north]

There are no gentlemen in racing--with exception of maybe Ben Pine of the fishermen schooner race era . Dennis Conners use of a multi hull in the Americas cup being a prime example of my first statement. Unless your racing is vintage class I certainly agree with PAR on this. Old designs while high teck in their day can not compare with modern powered hulls. It's like racing a full slab keel sailer against a fin keeler. While both have the ability to attain hull speed, one does it in less time and more efficiently. Having said that modern so called gentlemens runabouts look more like spaceships than the classy sex magnets of yester year.--

[Kazulin]

A long tradition in Canada has been the "mother-in-law" seat on their gentlemen racer and runabout. Our way of continuing a Canadian tradition in
our own fashion.
Will always love the look of the old woodies - something special about them when your lower back takes a beating at times.

[gentleman]

Originally Posted by PAR

I have to agree Gonzo. I don't think they really know what they're after yet. Maybe an era style or something, but I've been in many 20's and 30's era Hackers, Chris Craft, you name it racers and they all are lovely to look at and have moderately good speed in a straight line, assuming you don't mind the ride, spray, very spartan accommodations (if any), etc., but they are flimsy, easily damaged, not long lived things, that I repair on a regular basis for owners that just had to have one.

i don't think the accommodations are a big concern when it comes to the boat racing we do here lol. most of the seats that are in the race boats here are made out of lobster trap wire lol, so throw accommodations out he he, the old racer were heavy as lead, has anyone tried a fiberglass haul of the hacker racer, they'll be twice as light. OH, and as far as ride is concerned, i don't think that it matter's much if they trimble and shake alittle, we lobster fisherman lol. these boat here are homemade, nothing fancy at all.

the way it is going here now, the boat racer's here starting to use one main design, so we figured why not try the old hacker or gar wood boat's. oh, and kuzulin, there is one boat home here that they race, it's an off-shore v-bottom sort of like the one you got in your pic above, it's the slowest boat that races, sorry.

[FAST FRED]

Modern Go Fasts will compromise a bit of speed to keep the G loadings from requiring $6,000 Stidd seats to keep spines intact.

A retro topside that looks "cool" could be drawn on a modern underbody.

100+K boats can be purchased Off the Shelf , fast enough?

[PAR]

Precisely my point Fred. Again, having been aboard many of these era racers, I can assure you they look great, but that's about it. The first time someone sees a real "race car" they are amazed at the level of imperfections and hodge podged engineering. Poorly fitted panels, pop rivets, big fat welds, but from 15 feet away the paint job looks great and the car as a whole seems very clean. The old race boats are much the same thing. They have a seat, but the weight of a cushion was too much for the competitive driver to tolerate, so he sat on the bare cedar. The scantlings are usually dangerously light, dainty and fragile, having been literally whittled down to what they believe to be the bare minimum for the loads they expect to encounter. Often this turns out to be just a wee bit too light and they often break pieces.

A new hull form, well matched against a comprehensive SOR, with the styling of the appropriate era Hacker is the way to go. The boat will live and the owner will enjoy it, rather then have to bring it to a guy like me every winter to have ribs sisters and backbones repaired.

[viking north]

From the general discription these guys are not interested in high teck--just fun--like the origional lobSTAA boat races in Maine and Nova Scotia or the old rum runners days. All to be spoiled when the ivey league rich boys come on scene with their barrels of money and highly educated engineers. I say go for it have fun-create a racing club and lay down rules to keep it within the average Jo Blows budget. The way stock car and boat racing used to be---The Americas Cup along with most of the sports leagues are nothing but who has the most money to put into it . Nothing but a money racket and chest pounding by winners attained by big bucks--.