Unmarked Mini-boat. Any ideas?

Discussion in 'Powerboats' started by superbee24, Aug 30, 2013.

  1. mppcalza
    Joined: Aug 2006
    Posts: 8
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 15
    Location: sacramento

    mppcalza mppcalza

    I'm wondering. Some of the last boats we produced had an Australian engine called "Blue Thunder" I've tried to find anybody that owns one. Really cool little engine. Individual cylinders like Porsche and put out quite a bit of HP too. Don't recall the specs but, I got the first one. Blue block with chrome heads made them easily identifiable and they were in jet models using the hawk pump. That combo made installation a breeze as engine and pump were mounted together instead of fitting the pump then fitting the engine and trying to get the shaft angles right.
     
  2. rusty929
    Joined: Nov 2010
    Posts: 12
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    Location: South Australia

    rusty929 Junior Member

    I'll try to do some research here in Australia on these engines and see what I can find.
    Do you recall anything else about them? the maker, location or State they were built in, or when these were sourced for your boats.
    I recall seeing a very small Aqua Lark looking boat with a jet many years ago. but as I was only a young child I never really looked to closely, I just thought it was so cool! Were these late jet models styled like the late outboard Aqua Larks?
     
  3. mppcalza
    Joined: Aug 2006
    Posts: 8
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 15
    Location: sacramento

    mppcalza mppcalza

    That engine was originally designed to be a well pump and it had been improved to the point that they were approved for ultralights. My father was helping them to get a foothold in the U.S. Two blokes were running the deal. I believe they were from Queensland as one of those guys offered me a job on a ranch as a "jackeroo" whatever the heck that is. they apparently couldn't secure the level of capital they needed for production and last I saw there were about twenty of those engines covered with a blue tarp in the factory. Don't know what happened to them as I began attending college three months before my father passed and the company closed and auctioned off. I was in contact with the guy that bought all of our moulds about a year ago. I was going to purchase the moulds and begin production again but, as life would have it stuff got in the way. Oh well, next year. But, then I've been playing around with scanning software and rapid prototyping (3d printers) equipment. Maybe in a couple years you guys will be able to buy new and improved larks. Ok, back to slaving away fixing mercedes-Benzes...
     
  4. Sea lark 14
    Joined: Mar 2014
    Posts: 1
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    Location: Amherstburg,On

    Sea lark 14 New Member

    Looking for more info

    I would love to track down as much info as I can on the Aqua Lark and Sea lark boats ??? in the 1970's my grandfather and father both worked at Tampco in Lasalle Ontario Canada building what my father always called Sea lark boats. In the late 70's early 80's my Grandfather brought home an original Hull and deck fresh out of the molds never assembled which has been in storage for the last 34ish years until this week.
    I have finally started restoring/ assembling this boat as it has been a dream of mine since I was a very small boy.
    Any and all info on these boats would be great and I'v attached some pics of the start of my project so far.
    I have a mint 25hp Merc that will be going on the boat with a sweet 3 blade chopper style prop...any ideas on what kind of speeds I should expect ???
    Thanks in advance for everyone's input.
     

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  5. tom77
    Joined: Apr 2014
    Posts: 1
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    Location: Brisbane, Australia

    tom77 New Member

    Well I have one of those, here in Australia it is called an Aqua Lark and in the states I thought it was called an addictor 190… there were larger 3 seater models as well.

    I bought mine as someones unstarted project as a bare hull never having been in water.. I was told that someone had made it a few years ago front he old moulds they had gotten.

    I modified mine by reinforcing the transom and building in a floor partially and filling it with buoyancy foam.. also I added a electric trim tilt unit which pushed the new 30HP tohatsu further back by about 150 mm meaning that it got heavier in the ***.

    Also I added a battery since the motor was electric start ( I have now changed it to a lithium battery which dropped the weight by about 12 or 13 kg)

    I built my own windscreen and made a lid for the back compartment as that was never supplied.

    I also cut away a lot of the gunwales to fit the two bucket seats I bought in.

    I have 2 different SS props.. 1 that has a better top speed but is hard to plane with two people and another SS prop for towing a tube or heavier passengers.

    A hydrofoil helped a lot to improve planing time and is a cheap fix..

    here are some photos
     

    Attached Files:

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