Who doesn’t like hot boater girls? We know everyone here does so we’ve assembled a compilation of 20 of the hottest boater chicks into this awesome video for your enjoyment! Well, there might be more than 20 but who cares! Stay Tuned to Powerboat Nation for more News, More Action and More Girls!
See Below for Indvidual Pics!
2013 Began in a familiar way. A wonderful group of like minded powerboaters gathered at the 10th street boat ramp in Sarasota to participate in a Powerboating fun run that began over 10 years ago. Coordinated and supported by Ryan Beckley, owner of Kinetic Animation and a long time Offshore Powerboat racer, this event is now something we never want to miss and if you are a powerboating enthusiast who lives within striking distance you shouldn’t miss it.
Since 2012 this Sarasota Fun Run is now known at the Joey Gratton Memorial New Years Day Fun Run, to not only remember “The Man” but to raise money for the Joey Gratton Foundation.
The mission of the foundation is to help provide the opportunity and the means by which children can actively participate in an organized sport that values personal integrity, team and leadership skills, in a fun and healthy learning environment. This is accomplished through donations of equipment and scholarships.
With just over 60 boats and one float plane in attendance, people came from all over the world to participate this year. Boaters from as far away as United Arab Emirates, and Seattle, Washington came to Sarasota to celebrate the life of Joey and raise awareness and money for his foundation.
The event was truly for enthusiasts, powerboats of just about every type lined up for the departure. Flats boats, small to large center consoles, party barges, real race boats, and a large selection of performance powerboats.
The crew on hand to support Powerboat Nation was lucky enough to be invited to Offshore Racer Billy Glueck’s shop for an outrageous New Years Eve Toga Party, complete with roasted pig, party beverages and interesting video show brought by David Branch and his entourage.
I am now committed to spending all of my foreseeable New Years Days in Sarasota. A grass roots fun run that brings a really cool group of people together to bring in each New Year and now to remember and celebrate the life of our lost Friend and Offshore Racer Joey “The Man” Gratton. Special thanks to the Powerboat Nation Crew, who made it all possible to attend this year. Jason Ventura, Celeste Segredo, Greg Harris, Yvonne Aleman, and Travis Loftland. Brand X Hi-Performance Marine and Native Engines!
Powerboat Nation has just confirmed the “oh so quiet” under wraps version of the legendary Outerlimits 43′ V-bottom will debut in Miami at the international boat show this February. We were able to pry a few specs and some preliminary photos of the new boat during its construction. It seems as if there is a ton of new technology in this boat and many of its concepts were a collaboration of both Dustin Whipple (future owner) and Mike Fiore, President of Outerlimits Powerboats. Fiore is no stranger to building some of the worlds fastest and most prominent V-Bottom boats and this will be no exception.
Outerlimits is using a proprietary Carbon/Epoxy construction for the hull and deck lay up. Beyond the construction materials Outerlimits has developed a new, advanced 5 step modified pad bottom. Whipple being a purist of performance at heart convinced Fiore to cut down the hull’s height by 4″. Not only will these modifications allow the new SV43 Outerlimits to lower the boats center of gravity for increased performance, but it will give the opportuniity to showcase the new sit down front suspension seat that Whipple and Fiore have been developing. We will be bringing you even more great details on this boat so stay close for the latest in what’s coming from Powerboat Nation.
An Orlando boat dealer was convicted of being the pilot of the boat that killed a 20-year-old and injured several others, while he was drunk.The crash occurred about 4:30 a.m. July 30, 2006. Mark David Watts,owner of Liquid Sports Marine, was charged with killing Shelby Harper, a former Amateur Athletic Union basketball star, during the accident on Lake Irma in east Orange County. Watts was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday. Orange County court records show that Watts, 51, pleaded no-contest to charges of operating a boat under the influence of alcohol, and three counts of boating under the influence. State prosecutors dropped the more serious charges of vessel homicide, boating under the influence causing damage, and reckless operation of a vessel. In addition to prison, Watts will have to serve three years’ probation. A judge also ordered a special condition that Watts will have to speak publicly about the dangers of drinking alcohol.
Harper and her friends met Watts and his wife at the Roxy nightclub shortly before the accident, initial reports said. When the club closed early that morning, the Wattses invited Harper and her friends to their canal-side home on Lake Irma near University Boulevard, reports said.Witnesses told deputies Watts drank at least eight cocktails before taking the boat out. Two guests skipped the boating after they saw Watts fall into the water when he first tried to board his speedboat.Reports taken at the time showed that witnesses told authorities that when Watts finally got in the boat, he sped away from the dock at full throttle. Watts, who was boating without running lights, rammed a dock. Those on board the boat suffered broken arms, a collapsed lung, a lacerated liver and facial fractures. Harper suffered a broken neck and died at the hospital.
2012 is gone and of course it went by fast. Our new PowerBoat Nation came on fast and we are now rigging for what is expected to be a incredible 2013. I am convinced you will like what you see and will hopefully be surprised by what we have coming for you.
Looking back at 2012 I am not sure we as a sport/industry had any highs and lows as it all seemed a little flat. The lows were really the beginning of the year; coming out of a horrible Key West we started 2012 remembering those lost just months before. The Miami Boat Show came and went as well as all of the Poker Runs and fun runs.
Individually my personal Powerboating life certainly had some highs and lows. I put the engines back in my boat got ready to leave on trailer boating trip. Tres and I had a busy early 2012 and our U S Navy Special Warfare training remains strong, the balance of the year trailed off to being very slow.
I did spend the month of July trailer boating across the country. I know some of you thought I was crazy to tow a 38 Top Gun all the way from Florida to the Pacific Northwest, down to California and then back on the southern route across Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. Butttttt, it was one hell of a trip and at least in my mind got to the true essence of what Powerboating in PowerBoat Nation is all about. There are so many side stories and takeaways from that trip it will take me years to get the book done. What I can tell you is I needed another 23 months to do all I wanted too. But the theme of the trip remained, I got to go boating in new places with my boat and hang out having fun with friends and family in the way I remembered what boating was all about.
The re-launch of our website and brand giving us the opportunity to bring the essence of the PowerBoating lifestyle back to the WWW is certainly a high and just the beginning.
The low of my personal experience was tearing up a newly rebuilt engine because if leaned out for some unknown reason. But thanks to all of boating friends we seemed to get it back and running in time and have not missed a planned event. As much as having to buy new pistons and rebuild the rebuilt engine sucked and really hurt financially, the whole experience reinforced my true feeling and belief that the trust, friendships, and true spirit of lifestyle is what makes all this what it is and life worth “L I V I N I N”.
I hope you are all ready because as bleak at our government leadership seems to be. My blind optimism and cup half full running over all the time is propelling me to believe that at least what is coming from Powerboat Nation may very well be what the industry high becomes for 2013!
PowerBoat On!!
– Brad
Hurricane Sandy left a $650 Million bill for the 65,000 boats lost or damaged in the great storm. Sandy surpassed Irene as the most destructive Hurricane since Insurer BoatUS started keeping records in 1966. Last Years major Hurricane Irene racked up $500 Million in damages, while previous hurricanes Wilma and Katrina together caused $700 million in damages. Most of the damage was centered around the Tri-State area in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Nearly 60,000 of the damaged boats came from this area, the remainder came from other areas on the eastern seaboard and the Great Lakes area.
Scott Croft of BoatUS had this to say: “Like we said before – we’ve never seen anything like it, Sandy was such a huge geographic area — 900 to 1,000 miles wide at one point. The topography of where the storm hit the hardest played a major role. The lowlands in the tri-state area have little elevation above high tide. So when you take that topography and combine it with a record surge of 14 feet there was no place for those boats to go except up off their blocking and out of their cradles and into yards, other marinas and neighborhoods.”
The storm struck at lunar high tide which allowed for a massive tidal surge, which set records in many places, including Lower Manhattan where it rose to 13.8 Feet, 4 feet higher than the previous record. The extra high surge was responsible for most of the damage, as is typical in most hurricanes. Many of the boats damaged were set up for winter with their drains unplugged which led to their ultimate demise as they got floated in the storm surge, took on water and sank. The one silver lining to this disaster is the work that will need to be done to rebuild, repair and replace boats lost in the storm will help jump start the boating industry.
View the Thread of Sharkey-Images Sandy Photos
The engine is the heart and soul any powerboat. If you are in the market to put together your own motor, we’ve compiled these tips in order to help you make sure the engine in your boat is ready for business. We want to help you put it together easier, better and faster so you can get your boat out on the water in no time, and maybe help you avoid some costly mistakes along the way!
1) With filling ring gaps, it is recommended that you check with the manufacturer for gap recommendations. Manufactures usually have a formula, for example “core times the number of rings.” Keep in mind when measuring gaps, use a bore to square up the ring; to make measurements accurate.
2) Engine bearings come in three different sizes: Standard, 0.001-inch under-1, and 0.001-inch over 1x. This is a helpful hint when trying to get the correct amount of clearance for the oil
3) Always apply a liberal coating of assembly lube when installing a cam. After installing the cam, make sure its spin is smooth with no hard spots.Hard spots in the rotation can mean there is an issue the cam being bent, journals not inline, or the bearings are crooked. The cam should always have smooth bump free spin.
4) To minimize friction on the cylinder head make sure you use a good molly lube,like the one from ARP, when bolting. Apply the lube to the threads and to the flange of the bolts and washers. This will provide a more consistent torque.
5) For a good seal, on the head bolts for the block ,apply sealant to the threads of bolts and down the treads into the block itself.
6) Before installing a new part, always clean them in solvent tank or bath. Let the parts soak in lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol to remove any contaminants caused by the coating to prevent rust. Let the parts soak for a minute or two then blow them off with compressed air.
7) Make sure you coat all moving parts with assembly lube or oil before installation.For parts that are hard to lube, just soak them for about a half hour in the oil. Doing so will prevent damaged when the engine is fired up.
8) Keep in mind when installing a roller cam, that all the arrows on the tie bar are pointing up. Rollers that are shipped from the factory can be shipped upside down.
9) When installing an oil pump pick-up, you must make sure that it is at least 1/4-inch from the floor of the oil pan. A great tip for the correct distance is to use some clay in a small bag and then set it right on top of the oil pump. Install the pan with the gasket. This will crush the clay and show you the distance you have.
10) When using a standard-type oil pump with a push-in pick-up, you must use a tape measure to get your clearance measurements. Measure the height of the pan, then measure the pan rail on the motor to the pick-up. The difference is your clearance. If need be the pick-up can be adjusted to the correct clearance.
11) When the correct position of the pick-up is found, you’ll need to weld it into place. Start by removing the top plate of the oil pump; this will prevent scarring of the pump gears. While you have the top plate off, pre-prime the oil pump.
12) When setting the valve lash use the “intake opening, exhaust closing”method. Start by turning the engine over clockwise, watching the intake valve’s rocker arm for the cylinder you’re adjusting, when it is open lash the cylinder’s exhaust valve. Once the the exhaust valve is about half-closed set the intake lash.
Fineline Industries Inc., producers of Centurion Boats, has announced the acquisition of Ski Supreme Boats. Fineline Industries will begin immediate production of all current and new Supreme boat orders.
Les Clark, vice president of manufacturing, said, “It is an exciting time of growth for the Fineline family as we welcome Supreme back to the factory floor. There’s a rich heritage of Supreme in this factory!” From 1994 until 2009, Fineline Industries manufactured Supreme alongside its Centurion brand in its Merced, Calif., factory. The existing 2013 Supreme lineup will again be coupled with Fineline’s commitment to building boats with the highest degree of quality craftsmanship, attention to detail, fit and finish.
Fineline Industries will market Supreme boat models as a separate brand. Centurion and its divisions, including World Championship Towboats and the Commercial Flight Division, producers of water taxis and parasail boats, will continue to be marketed separately.
Since the 1970s, Centurion Boats has pioneered tow sports and continues to lead the industry with towboat technology and innovation. Rick Lee, president of Fineline Industries, said, “Introducing our innovation practices, efficiencies in manufacturing, best-in-class warranty and customer service will translate to immediate value to our existing and future Supreme owners. The entire organization is committed to building strength in the Supreme brand by holding these new boats to the highest degree of Fineline’s standards and quality.”
News from Dave Hemmingson
Congratulations to the whole crew at DCB!
Message from Dave:
170 PLUS FIRST DAY AND STILL GOING LOTS LEFT IN HER , BEING EASY ON HER STILL NEW , PERFECT AT ALL SPEEDS !!!! ABSOULTE HOME RUN
The Silver Arrows Marine 46-foot luxury motoryacht is a sight to behold. Taking style from Mercedes-Benz luxury automobiles – This first Gran turismo of the seas has come another step closer to launch after its first sea trials were successfully completed.
“This was an exciting moment for Silver Arrows Marine and I am pleased to say the boat showed all the potential we expected, and more,” Silver Arrows Marine CEO Jacopo Spadolini said in a statement. “The boat looked solid, powerful and like nothing else afloat.”
The sea trials provided the first taste of how this new hull performs in a variety of trim, load and sea states. To get the bet possible information, high-tech data acquisition techniques were employed, with the results providing a basis for future development work. Since this is a project that merges the marine and automotive worlds, many of the techniques used, including automotive-style data acquisition, that have their origins in motor racing.
Silver Arrows Marine engineering director Giorgio Stirano, who has run with Formula One motor racing teams, said in a statement: “Boats are not racing cars, but to use F1-style telemetry for data logging makes a great deal of sense. With equipment such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, along with GPS positioning, we have been able to build up a good picture of the boat’s abilities.”
The prototype used in the sea trials is an not finished, it features an open hull and lacks the distinctive superstructure. The final model, with its many new design features, will be part of the finished yacht. The trials included an offshore “racing circuit” complete with virtual corners so that comparable lap times could be taken to gauge how different setups affected the boat’s performance, handling and comfort.
Well if you wanted a 2013 Nor-Tech you either have already ordered it or you will need to pay a premium and buy it from someone already on the order list. “Business is Booming” according to Mr. Terry Sobo Director of Sales “We are slammed building boats, so busy in fact we are searching for new employees to grow our workforce, particularly for our rigging department.”
Nor-Tech has always been known for innovation and building some pretty incredible powerboats. I have always had great fun and wonderful boating experiences in Nor-Techs. I remember the Daytona Poker run in 2008. In the 50 foot Turbine powered “Canada Thrust” we got pulled over by the water cops and issued a speeding ticket for doing 34 MPH in a 30 MPH zone. (Every boat got a ticket that day. It was a real cop sting operation). We were then the last boat to leave the inlet and way behind, we throttled up and passed every boat on the way up to St Augustine, we then turned around and ran back to the last boat, turned around again and ran to St Augustine. After all that we were at the dock a full 30 minutes ahead of the next boat ,Tony Mondozee in his 46 Cigarette American Muscle II. I think I have more fun stories in Nor-Techs than any other boat, and way more fun stories rolling around the Poker Run Fun with Tron, Terry, and the boat owners.
Nor-Tech has also had the ability to sense the shift in the economy and the market and be nimble and lean enough to move quickly when appropriate. More importantly, unlike other builders the Band of Brothers at Nor-Tech have always told me the truth about what was happening in the boat business. If business was bad they said it was. So when Mr. Sobo speaks I believe him because they can back it up. I also know this because they are cold calling all my friends trying to get them to go to work for them.
The bulk of the new sales are Center Console’s. A mix of fish boats and Non Fishing Fun Craft. The recent Quad 300, 344GT ran over 85 MPH and according to Nor-Tech, the boat features four hi back bolsters and a high performance shortened T-Top. Top speed was recorded at 85 MPH.
Buy it now and sell it next year. Nor-Tech may very well be on the way to model what Intrepid has mastered. A dedicated stream of owners who have a perpetual build slot on the new model year list.
The recent news of the U.S. Marine imprisoned in Mexico reminded me of someone I knew. I quickly remembered the last time I saw him. Key West Poker Run 2010, I was riding the 50 Statement Turbine Cat and the Coast Guard didn’t like the 150 MPH Harbor Pass. When we hit the dock and were preparing to be boarded. “Stinky” came to mitigate and I didn’t even have to throw my get out of jail free card. Steven Knight “AKA” Stinky” the man behind the Yacht Clubs of America and the first 80 Foot Nor-Tech Performance Yacht had a tall presence everywhere and with everyone. Once you met him you would never forget him. We fast forward about a year later just before the Key West Poker Run we learned Steven got stuck in a “Sticky” spot in Mexico. It seems there was a misunderstanding about the sale of the 80 Nor-Tech and according to his US based attorney at the time it was all “just a major misunderstanding”.
It was early November of 2011 and Knight had been in Mexico since October 25 closing the boat deal, as he readied to leave the country with hundreds of thousands of dollars, reported to be $950,000,00 in small bills in a suitcase. He was with 41-year-old Walter Stevens who was along as the boat captain. Knight’s attorney, Dan Barks, says Knight sold the boat to a buyer in Mexico and made the first trip to Mexico to pick up a large deposit. Bark says after that trip, he came back with the proper paperwork and without any problems. The money was even deposited into a bank. But, Bark says, it was on the second trip to collect the rest of the money and deliver the boat that Mexican authorities picked him up. When they went back to finalize the deal and just doing what he had done before – declaring the money properly – he was detained and the money seized. Mexican authorities stopped both men after they boarded a private jet in Mexico bound for Texas and the $950,000 was discovered on board in a suitcase. The men and the plane, a Lear 25, and the pilot were taken into custody, I was told the plane and the pilot had been released sometime later. Barks was working with attorneys in Mexico and said Knight could be held for up to 30 days while the Mexican government formalizes charges. That was well over a year ago and he is still in a Mexican Jail.
My attempts to reach attorney Daniel Barks and others for updates went cold fast. But I felt it was a good time to bring the story back because who knows what could happened on the wake of the visibility surrounding the Marine and others who remain incarcerated in Mexico. I will continue to seek out additional information and look for updates about the status of our Powerboat friend stuck in a Mexican Hell.
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