Can someone help me with this boat: Hornet II

Discussion in 'Powerboats' started by Flysafe, Mar 15, 2011.

  1. Flysafe
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Location: Lisbon/Portugal

    Flysafe Junior Member

    Hello everyone,

    I wonder if I can help with anything you know about this boat Hornet II, I've seen on the site of Lake Tahoe, many people have asked whether they had or knew where I could find some information, they say see here see there but I can not find anything, the photos are very few information is even more rare. what I look for are the specifications of the boat as length, width, the origin of the hull.
    I know he participated in several races, was modified by the Howard Hughes who removed the wooden top and designed and built a custom aluminum top and would be a champion.

    This is the boat.

    If anyone can help me I was very grateful.

    Thank you very much.
     

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  2. Flysafe
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Location: Lisbon/Portugal

    Flysafe Junior Member

    Anyone please :)
     
  3. mreoe4sure
    Joined: Jul 2009
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    Location: trustafarian land

    mreoe4sure who me

    If you goggle Howard Hughes Hornet II, You get the picture you have, and who did the design, number built, and the whole history of the rebuild. Hope this helps Steve
     
  4. Jimboat
    Joined: Feb 2002
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    Jimboat Senior Member

  5. Ike
    Joined: Apr 2006
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    Location: Washington

    Ike Senior Member

    Contact the Antique and Classic Boat Society http://www.acbs.org/. They may have more info on this boat.
     
  6. Flysafe
    Joined: Oct 2009
    Posts: 63
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    Location: Lisbon/Portugal

    Flysafe Junior Member

    Hello everyone,

    Sorry for my late reply, I have been looking for more information about this boat I think I've seen all the websites I found, I sent email asking for any information that could exist, but did not get any reply.

    Before I put the question here, I had already done a Google search.


    Thank you all for the tips.
     
    1 person likes this.
  7. IMP-ish
    Joined: Jan 2011
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    Location: united states of america

    IMP-ish powerboater

    Think this boat would sell today in any numbers?
     
  8. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    It was an over the top boat in it's day and still is. A very limited market to say the least, so to directly answer your question; Nope.
     
  9. IMP-ish
    Joined: Jan 2011
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    Location: united states of america

    IMP-ish powerboater

    And that's a bad thing :D :D :D
    You are right I'm sure. I'd take one though!
    Would turn heads next to the fiberglass boats at the dock for sure.
     
  10. Frosty

    Frosty Previous Member

    its an ideal tender.
     
  11. IMP-ish
    Joined: Jan 2011
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    Location: united states of america

    IMP-ish powerboater

    Yea, the deck might be hot. Might get some glare. Not a lot of seating. But look at it. How could anyone not want to take it for a spin. Wouldn't ever forget it I bet :D
     
  12. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Ownership of a boat like that would prove troublesome to say the least. Ever try to keep aluminum panels looking like that?
     
  13. Frosty

    Frosty Previous Member

    Not for the faint hearted. However there was a boat pictured on the forum some years ago but I have been unable to find it that had 3 RR Merlins, they just filled the boat . Seating was 2 small leather cushions somewhere behind number 1 and 3 engines. Number 2 was up front.

    Im sorry but the old hornet is nothing but a whimps boat compared to that. Wish I could have found it.

    I had it as screen back ground for a while.
     

  14. Jason Stewart
    Joined: Jun 2020
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    Location: NorCal

    Jason Stewart New Member

    Bumping this old thread. The boat at points were owned by Henry J Kaiser and Howard Hughes. It won a bunch of fancy pants races on Tahoe and still lives there. A collector of period Tahoe race boats bought it and had a Packard engine with problems. The Tahoe boat mechanics accidentally made things worse. The owner opted to put in a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine which was the non supercharged version of the Merlin. British tanks exported to Australia were converted to diesel so they had a surplus market at one point. The transplant was labor intensive and many unforseen obstacles encountered and bested before it was lake worthy and almost tuned. Unfortunately the lawsuit between the insurance company and boat repair place came to rest upon the agreement that the owner would be paid out but the boat was taken by one of the other parties involved.
     
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