Old Ski Boats

Hi Ronnie, I think Roderick said in one of his posts his boat has a 9.9 egg beater on it. I reckon it'd sound good with a little single cylinder diesel putting away.
I reckon it'd nearly kill me to go once a year, I try and go once a week, otherwise my muscles can get a bit stiff if I leave it too long.
The place where they build the Camero's and Sterlings is in Adelaide, I don't think they use the Sterling name any more and the Pintara has been discontinued. Greg (Fortunate Son) from the Adelaide Hills has a Camero/Sterling similar to mine as well.
I'm in Brisbane, we normally ski in the river, it's only 5 minutes from home. 3 of us can go down, all have a ski and be back home drinking beer usually 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Three of us went on Saturday morning, one of us was over 50 and the other 2 are that close it wouldn't matter. We skied on a few of the dams last year after the flood. All the seweredge treatment plants didn't get up and running properley for 6 odd months after the flood. I'm cool with skiing with a bit of crap in the water, I'm just choosy what sort of crap. A mate of mine has a hut at the Skizone at Moogorah, went up there a few times, went to Atkinson's as well, they are both pretty open dams and it is a bit hard to find good water there often, that and about 100 others on Moogorah. Maroon is my favourite, inbetween Boonah and Rathdowney, up in the hills, we'd go up after work during the week, no one else on the dam, only about an hour and a quarter from work, get a ski in then a counterey at the Peak Pub at Peak Crossing on the way home. Here's a couple of pics of Maroon, it's a bit unusual because most dams are in gullies sort of thing, but this one is up in the hills, very pretty spot, and the weather gets a bit unusual up there too, can get some ripper storms through there.

The earlier photos were prepared for a petrol-station flickr group; today's was prepared for two pub groups, so I cropped the boat. The uncropped version is on a cd, not the hard drive.

Jessie II is about 20 years old, but with 1930s styling, which is why I get so many conversations when trailing, and at marinas. The motor lives in a housing, with lockers for fuel and gas alongside. That gives me modern spares and maintenance availability, and I can leave it unlocked to kick up if I hit a bad snag (and the Murray above Mildura has many, and above Barmah is almost nothing but snags). It runs on normal unleaded; I use 2 L/h, cruising on 2000-2500 rpm through a hight-thrust prop. The interior starts with a classic V berth cabin, then a wheelhouse with galley (and a portaloo under the skipper's seat), then a large day saloon with dining table, which makes up into beds for two adults or three children at night. There are side blinds, with mosquito-net panels.

The type originated with an American designer, and has been popularised in Australia by Duck Flat Wooden boats.

I have learned a bit more: the original was designed for low-wake but fast operation carrying bootleg liquor in the swamps of Tennessee during prohibition. Phil Bolger took his inspiration from the style. It is a low draft low wake hull. A friend has named his Moonshine, and now I know why.

For more photos and information, see
www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2475.0
This is a paddleboat group, so a lot of the photos are of the paddleboats which I have passed while voyaging.

For information on the Tennessee type, and of the Mundoo design into which it has morphed, see
www.duckflatwoodenboats.com

In its for sale section, there is a beautiful wooden speed boat for sale: only a few years old, but styled to match an era 50 or more years earlier.
Rascal
www.duckflatwoodenboats.com/mainpages/forsale2.php#PaddleBoat

There is usually a classic wooden speedboat at Goolwa Wooden Boat Festival (next is Feb.13), but I haven't photographed one.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

It's a very lovely boat Roderick. I see the advantage in the egg beater with the snags.

Cam that looks like bare foot water If i was only 20 years younger and half dozen kilos lighter :'( :'(

Ha Ha, your a better man than me Geoff, though it is a top spot during the week with out school holidays.

Hey Charger,I sent you a PM about the skiing at Goolwa,did you recieve it?

Cam,yes the Barron dam looks great.I am a bit longer in the tooth than you blokes turned 67 last month. gave up dry starts a few years ago when I pulled a hammy.Decideded that a deepwater start on my old plank ballenced the load on both legs better.I will get a photo of my old ski on here and see if anyone has seen one.It is a Fred Williams New Comp Special made from some special springy timber with only a flat bottom.It is quite manouverable and good for me to hack around on.A flat wooden ski has a lot less drag at the same speed than your fibreglass modern ski,s. A mate and I bought one each new about 46 years ago

Ronnie, you are going great mate. I gave up using a proper ski years ago. I just use a wakeboard now.
That is an enoumous achievment to still be able to get up on a single ski at 67. Quite a few of the blokes I ski with still use a single though, but they compete so it is good to watch them in action. They are pretty good on the trick as well.

...it's a credit to you blokes who can really ski ...but i reckon i'd prefer to ski later in life.....and we all know what that means

Hi, everyone pulled out my old ski and dusted her off ready for this years ski. Dont suppose you young blokes have ever seen one of these.Its done well to last 46 years.
Also I found some photos of our earlier boats.the first one that got us all going on singles was a bonwood powered by a flat 6 Plymouth and had it until I got married in about 1968then because Wendy didnt like the water much swapped it for a caravan. Then as you would all know could not go for long without a skiboat so then bought this Merlin Sabre hull with the idea of putting a holden 6 in her.Too hard so found the 85 Mercand got going again. then as you know nothing like inbord torque for skiing so bought the old Filam clinker Glass hull with a 186S Holden from the Adelaide Uni.She was a bit rough at first but we got here perfoming and looking better and had that one until we bought Aggressor in 1983.Well there are my old skiboats, and Hope every one has a Merry Xmas and a good New Year.