Champ XVII

[Rob Montejo]

Hi BMcF,

I am sorry to post in this thread. I saw an older thread (too old to reply to) regarding a Champ XVII. I would love to see more pictures if you still have it. My great uncle Charlie “The Champ” Gagliano started the company. I have never seen a restored model, but we have old pictures from when my parents we kids. Additionally, if you would ever consider selling it, I would love the opportunity to buy it.

 

[BMcF]

Hi BMcF,

I am sorry to post in this thread. I saw an older thread (too old to reply to) regarding a Champ XVII. I would love to see more pictures if you still have it. My great uncle Charlie “The Champ” Gagliano started the company. I have never seen a restored model, but we have old pictures from when my parents we kids. Additionally, if you would ever consider selling it, I would love the opportunity to buy it.

Isn't the internet amazing. There is precious little information about the Champ boats, so I'm very keen to share what I have with you, and get my hands on copies of the pictures and any other history that you have. I have two Champ XVIIs..one in original unrestored condition and the other that has been modified a good bit over the years. billmcfann *at* hotmail.com

 

[BMcF]

This thread seems to have been cut off completely. Sorry to see that...I was really looking forward to learning more about a very rare Miami-built performance boat that I happen to own two of.

 

[Boat Design Net Moderator]

Sorry -- I'm not sure why there was no reply once this was split into a new topic. That was not the intent. Sorry! Let me try and send an email to Rob with a request to reply.

 

[BMcF]

Sorry -- I'm not sure why there was no reply once this was split into a new topic. That was not the intent. Sorry! Let me try and send an email to Rob with a request to reply.

Thanks. When his post and my reply were moved...he vanished.

 

[Boat Design Net Moderator]

It should have sent an email automatically when the posts were moved, but that may have not happened correctly (possibly spam filer.)
I sent him an email now with a link to this thread asking him to reply. It's a really neat boat so I hope my email reaches him and he replies now.

 

[BMcF]

It should have sent an email automatically when the posts were moved, but that may have not happened correctly (possibly spam filer.)
I sent him an email now with a link to this thread asking him to reply. It's a really neat boat so I hope my email reaches him and he replies now.

Thanks. The Champ boats are very cool..and very rare. Only a small number were built over several years, out of a small garage-shop in Miami. They are great runners, easily beating out Donzis (built not to far from the Champ shop) on top speed as long as the water was not too rough. It is my understanding that Charlie Gagliano was a friend of Don Aronow's, or at least a business acquaintance...he used the same Holman-Moody/Volvo power package as the Donzis did at that time.

 

[Enrico1996]

Hi BMcF,

I am sorry to post in this thread. I saw an older thread (too old to reply to) regarding a Champ XVII. I would love to see more pictures if you still have it. My great uncle Charlie “The Champ” Gagliano started the company. I have never seen a restored model, but we have old pictures from when my parents we kids. Additionally, if you would ever consider selling it, I would love the opportunity to buy it.

My name is Enrico Smolka, I am 30 years old, and I am writing to you from Berlin Köpenick , Germany.
I am a trained professional boatbuilder (Bootsbauer) and I own a rare Miami-built Champ XVII. My absolute dream and goal is to fully restore this beautiful piece of Florida powerboat history back to its exact original factory specifications. I am very fortunate that I even still have all the original hardware and fittings (alte Beschläge) for the boat.
I read your posts on the Boat Design Net forum and was absolutely thrilled to find out that you are the great-nephew of Charlie "The Champ" Gagliano! It is an honor to connect with the family of the man who created these incredible boats.
Since I want the restoration to be 100% historically accurate, I am searching for any piece of information I can find. You mentioned that your family still holds private archive pictures and original photos from the shop back in the late 1960s / early 1970s.
Would there be any possibility for you to share some of these historical photographs or factory documents with me? As a boatbuilder, seeing how they were originally set up, rigged, and finished at the shop in Miami would be an invaluable help for my project, especially to see exactly how the original hardware was mounted.
I would be more than happy to share pictures of my Champ XVII and keep you updated on the entire restoration process if you are interested.
Thank you so much for keeping the memory of your uncle's work alive, and I look forward to hearing from you!
Best regards from Germany,
Enrico

 

[BMcF]

My name is Enrico Smolka, I am 30 years old, and I am writing to you from Berlin Köpenick , Germany.
I am a trained professional boatbuilder (Bootsbauer) and I own a rare Miami-built Champ XVII. My absolute dream and goal is to fully restore this beautiful piece of Florida powerboat history back to its exact original factory specifications. I am very fortunate that I even still have all the original hardware and fittings (alte Beschläge) for the boat.
I read your posts on the Boat Design Net forum and was absolutely thrilled to find out that you are the great-nephew of Charlie "The Champ" Gagliano! It is an honor to connect with the family of the man who created these incredible boats.
Since I want the restoration to be 100% historically accurate, I am searching for any piece of information I can find. You mentioned that your family still holds private archive pictures and original photos from the shop back in the late 1960s / early 1970s.
Would there be any possibility for you to share some of these historical photographs or factory documents with me? As a boatbuilder, seeing how they were originally set up, rigged, and finished at the shop in Miami would be an invaluable help for my project, especially to see exactly how the original hardware was mounted.
I would be more than happy to share pictures of my Champ XVII and keep you updated on the entire restoration process if you are interested.
Thank you so much for keeping the memory of your uncle's work alive, and I look forward to hearing from you!
Best regards from Germany,
Enrico

Great to see another XVII. Good luck with your restoration! Mine is proceeding slowly....the new engine is built and also the waterjet; I'm converting to jet from the original I/O so mine is technically not really a "restoration".

 

[Enrico1996]

Great to see another XVII. Good luck with your restoration! Mine is proceeding slowly....the new engine is built and also the waterjet; I'm converting to jet from the original I/O so mine is technically not really a "restoration".

Hi Bill,
Thanks for the reply! It’s amazing to hear about your project. Converting a Champ XVII to a waterjet sounds like an incredible setup – that boat is going to be an absolute rocket on the water!
Even though you are building a custom jet boat and I am going for a factory-original restoration, we are dealing with the exact same hull.
Since you know this boat so well and have its history, do you happen to have any original documentation, old factory brochures, or archive photos from back then? I am especially looking for pictures of the original deck layout, dashboard, and the interior setup so I can replicate it perfectly.
Also, since your build is already underway, do you have any specific tips or hidden traps I should watch out for regarding the hull structure or the fiberglass?
I’m very lucky that my boat still has all of its original hardware and fittings. If you ever need any exact measurements or reference photos of the original hardware for your own build, just let me know! As a boatbuilder, I'd also be happy to talk shop or help you out if you ever need a second opinion on the structural fiberglass work for your jet conversion.
Let's definitely keep in touch and share our progress!
Best regards,
Enrico

 

[BMcF]

Enrico;

I actually have two hulls but one was heavily modified to remove most of the interior and convert to outboard propulsion on a transom bracket with hydraulic lift plate. It was quite fast, at 74 mph, with only a slightly modified 235HP Evinrude V6, uprated engine and lower unit modified for surface running propeller.

The second one is largely unmolested. I'll post up some pictures when I get to my other computer.

I'm modifying the already-modified hull with the structure and other details to support the waterjet installation and I'm using the unmolested "top", moving that over from the complete boat. One finished boat from two...

 

[Enrico1996]

Hi Rob,
Wow, 74 mph with a 235 HP Evinrude on a 17-foot hull is absolutely flying! That must have been an incredible, wild ride. Modifying the lower unit for a surface-running prop and using a hydraulic lift plate shows you really know how to set up a high-performance boat.
As a boatbuilder, your "two-into-one" plan makes perfect sense. Swapping the clean, unmolested top deck onto the modified hull while engineering the structure for the waterjet is a massive project, but it is definitely the smartest way to get one perfect boat out of the two.
I am incredibly excited to see the pictures you mentioned! Take your time getting to your other computer – I can't wait to see both hulls, the deck swap, and especially the work you are doing for the jet installation. Seeing the unmolested top deck will also be a huge help for my own restoration.
If you need any close-up photos or precise measurements of the original hardware from my boat while you are prepping your deck layout, just let me know.
Looking forward to the pictures and talking more shop with you!
Best regards,
Enrico

 

[BMcF]

It's Bill ;-)

The Evinrude was tweeked a bit..carbs modified and Boysen composite reeds. Probably pushing about 250 HP at the RPM I ran it.

I'll get you those pictures. Here's one of the outboard version running flat out. I don't have many pictures of her running..those were pre-cellphone-camera times. ;-)

 

[Enrico1996]

It's Bill ;-)

The Evinrude was tweeked a bit..carbs modified and Boysen composite reeds. Probably pushing about 250 HP at the RPM I ran it.

I'll get you those pictures. Here's one of the outboard version running flat out. I don't have many pictures of her running..those were pre-cellphone-camera times. ;-)

Hi Bill,
That photo is absolutely insane! Seeing a 17-foot Champ running flat out like that is incredible. Even for pre-cellphone times, that shot captured the action perfectly. The stance of the hull in the water looks incredibly stable for that kind of speed.
Tweaking that Evinrude with modified carbs and Boyesen reeds explains a lot—pushing 250 HP on a hull this size is a serious power-to-weight ratio. I bet that motor sounded amazing at full tilt.
Thank you so much for sharing this first picture. I’m really looking forward to the other photos of the hulls and the unmolested top deck whenever you get a chance to access your other computer. Seeing the structure and the deck layout will be a massive help for my restoration.
Talk soon and thanks again, Bill!
Best regards,
Enrico

 

[BMcF]

The Champ ran remarkably stable at those speeds! Having that "ride pad" at the bottom stern probably helps a lot and that's all she's sitting on at those speeds.. Not even a hint of any porpoising or chine walking. Two of us were in the boat one day when a sudden squall with nasty straight-line winds arose (a common occurrence on the Chesapeake Bay in summer months) and we rushed to beat it home. We were running about 65-70 mph in to an increasingly strong head wind and the water surface was boiling with a horizontal spray. Suddenly...she lifted off and flew as nicely as could be imagined. We were stunned..pulled back on the throttle to protect the engine and looked over the sides down at the water..minds blown. I estimate we "flew like a bird" for at least 50 meters and probably reached a height above water of nearly 2 meters at peak. She settled back in as smooth as a duck's landing and we continued on.