Craig Breedlove late sixties boat design with breakaway cockpit

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by FranklinRatliff, May 4, 2012.

  1. FranklinRatliff

    FranklinRatliff Previous Member

    Attached is a photo of the model for a fascinating twin-engine jet boat Craig Breedlove was proposing in the late sixties. The finished boat would have included a breakaway cockpit that was to be slowed with a drag chute.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. tunnels

    tunnels Previous Member

    A man ahead of his times !!
    He had his hay day when i was just a spring chicken growing up making model boats of my own ! :p
     
  3. hoytedow
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    It is sad that Craig(named after Craig Breedlove) Arfons was killed on Lake Jackson in Sebring in just such a "pickle-fork" boat. The narrator of this clip mis-identified the lake as Lake Sebring.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHxk93WOfhk
     
  4. FranklinRatliff

    FranklinRatliff Previous Member

    Lake Jackson was in Sebring, which may have lead to the misidentification. Craig Arfons was born before Craig Breedlove became famous.
     
  5. hoytedow
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    You are right about the timing. I could not document that Craig A. was named after Craig B. It is possible they knew each other before the 1960's rivalry but I couldn't find anything in the short time I looked. I thought I had heard it many years ago, but now, who knows?

    Lake Jackson is still there. ;) I went by it last month. I was in Sebring when the tragedy occurred.
     
  6. tunnels

    tunnels Previous Member

    Any ome have HOT BOAT magazines ??

    This was during my teen years !! i used to collect HOT BOAT magazines at that time and Graig and his boat wer on the cover of one ! plus a full story of the boat and evrything !!

    The hot boat mag is no longer but performance boat is and they might be able to find the old articals . http://www.performanceboats.com
     
  7. Andiamo
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    Andiamo Junior Member

    w o w w w w !!!

    Riding on a jet plane...
     
  8. tunnels

    tunnels Previous Member

    Any one have old Hot boat magazines hidden away ??

    There used to be one guy that mounted his jet powered dragster on pontoons and tried to use that as well . Hot boat !! was a really great magazine !! It oldest hot boat mag i have was 1959 .
    They are all packed awayin boxes in in storage in nz !! i live in China so cant look up the dates or the articals from here .
     
  9. Andiamo
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    Andiamo Junior Member

    I had a file drawer full of hot boat magazines. Wish I still had them.
     
  10. hoytedow
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    Welcome to the forum, Andiamo.
     
  11. tunnels

    tunnels Previous Member

    I know the feeling !! many times i have looked at my collection of old books but i will not part with any of them ever !! lots old hot rod mags as well !! plus spare parts books for ford cars that are absolute collectors itams now !!
    My pride of collection is a Chris Craft 1959 catalogue and also the range of 1959 mercury out boards . :eek:
     
  12. rasorinc
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    rasorinc Senior Member

    Was Graig Arfons the son of Art Arfons of drag racing fame in the 50s and early 60s?
    I believe his dragster was named The Green Monster and at one point in time it had 2 Allison V-12 engines coupled together. You did not buy speed parts then, you made them.
     
  13. hoytedow
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    Craig Arfons was the son of Walt Arfons and the nephew of Art Arfons.
     
  14. tunnels

    tunnels Previous Member

    The green monster was the drag car that was fitted with pontoons so it could go on water !! never saw it go but it was impressive looking !!1960s sometime it was !!:D
     

  15. rasorinc
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    rasorinc Senior Member

    thanks Hoyt. Must spread it around before giving points to you. Stan
    As in aside, I listened to the Green Monster fire up on radio and come to the line with 12 raised exhaust pipes per side and it was LOUD,LOUD,LOUD, he was pushing 250 mph +++ and 60 years later were at about 315 mph. Met him on an airplane in the later 60s he had a jacket on with his name, said HI, "your a brave man" he replied I'm letting the younger guys drive now.
    That was all. Short and sweet. I never mentioned I flew AD-4s skyhawks in 1961. I felt safe doing that, but put me in a dragster at 250 mph in the 1/4 and I would have been terrified.
     
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