Author Topic: Oldskier...(Bernie)  (Read 6412 times)

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Offline oldskier

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Oldskier...(Bernie)
« on: May 06, 2011, 01:15:44 PM »
Hello all, Since Doug (V153) posted a pic of my Contender and I have joined I thought I would introduce myself. The thread 'Weekend at Bernie's" shows the Contender. It is just the latest of my association with Glastrons. I live in East Tennessee now but grew up down near Doug in SW Fla. I grew up water skiing in and around Charlotte Harbor with several friends who were and some are still Glastron owners. My best friend from age 4 (I'm 56 now) still owns our high school ski mule, a yellow GT150 affectionately known as 'Tweety". She's been repowered twice and now has a 100 HP Johnson. Another of our friends had a Jetflite with a 135 Johnson, a very serious ski boat. Another had a blue GT160, still has it but it hasn't seen the water in many years.

Anyhow, life led me to Tennessee where I had no boat for a few years but came upon a 1969 Skiflite with a 60 HP 3 cyl. Johnson that I bought and skied behind for nearly 20 years. I gave it away about 8-9 years ago, still ran but more problems than fun.

A few (3-4 years) ago I began thinking about boating again, so I started looking for old speed boats and found a Hydrostream Viper with a 175 Merc in bad condition. I re-cored, re-transomed and repainted it and began learning to fly it (70 mph plus) and realized I really didn't enjoy going that fast. I began looking for a more reasonable motor for it and found a Merc 1350 inline shortshaft attached to a weird looking dual tunnel tri-hull called a Powercat. I bought the rig for 650 then found out about Powercats. They are remarkable boats, handling and stability are outstanding...anyway I rebuilt and repainted the Powercat and sold the Hydrostream. I joined a Powercat owners group and one of the guys from Texas mentioned a Glastron Carlson Contender with a weird looking inline for sale near Dallas. I told him he ought to grab it, and he did. Eventually I bought it, drove 1700 miles round trip to get it, and over the last 10 months I rebuilt it. Hope to get registered and get it on the water soon.

Thats my Glastron story, and I'm stickin to it.

Bernie

Offline Tonka Jim

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  • 1977 SSV 176 1989 CV 23
Re: Oldskier...(Bernie)
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2011, 03:04:24 PM »

Welcome Bernie

Great 'Tron story, Thanks for sharing.

My father-in-law loved his Powercat, He had twin Merc 65 shortshafts on it.
We did alot of fishing in northern MN with it.
I remember sitting 5 people wide in it.
 
1977 SSV-176 / '85 115 Merc. - Mine
1989  CV 23 / 350 - 270hp - Kelly's
1968 V-174 / '73 140 I/O - Gifted to Son
1971 Seaking 14' / 1958 Evenrude 7.5 - Gifted to Grandson

Offline V153

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Re: Oldskier...(Bernie)
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2011, 06:38:21 PM »
Ahoy Bernie! Good gang here & I'm sure they'd love to see any & every pic of yer Contender. They never seem to get bored of G/C pics ...? Me neither.

Buncha Merc heads'd probly get off on some pics of that 'Frankenmerc' too ...

Welcome aboard! Take care man
'81 C500_given away, bought back_75.1 mph
'81 Baja 15SS_140 Frankenrude_66.7 mph
'70 something SpeedCraft_(Allison 16R Clone)_69.0 mph
'79 CVZ19_given away
'71 V153_54.8 mph_wrecked


WALK TALL AND CARRY A BIG BILGE PUMP

Offline Hyperacme

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Re: Oldskier...(Bernie)
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2011, 07:11:46 PM »
Welcome Bernie !
Been watching your restro thread on CGOA.
Would love to see more pictures of your Powercat !

Offline oldskier

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Re: Oldskier...(Bernie)
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2011, 09:03:01 PM »
Thanks for the welcome guys! Doug, thanks for turning me on to this site. Seems very friendly and active around here. Love to show pics of the Powercat. Here's my fave, taken at last years Powercat Rendezvous in Lake Degray Arkansas.



'Backfire' is a pro photographer who showed up at the meet and took some great shots. The one with the bow barking at the moon was me holeshotting over the bow wake of another Powercat. I was on the way back down at that point...all I could see was deck for a second there....I was glad Terry got a shot of it.

Here's another he took.



We had a VERY large time, 11 almost forgotten boats some with insane HP bolted on. Here's the fastest at the meet.



Travis Gatlin's 16t from Louisiana with a 2.5L 225 HP Merc V6. 75-80 MPH. Those coonasses know how to party, Bryan Jordan from down there has an 18c catamaran Powercat with twin 2.4 L Bridgeports that is running 108!!!!

Took the Contender for a shakedown today. My son the semi pro photographer with the high dollar Nikons forgot the camera, me too. All went well, the transom stayed on. The 21P prop is a little tall, 5k RPM is all I could muster. It didn't leak, thats always good. It did porpoise like crazy so I ordered a set of Nauticus trim tabs as soon as I got home. I have used them before (on the Hydrostream) and I am very impressed with them. We'll get some pics on the water in the next few days....

Bernie

Offline Hyperacme

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Re: Oldskier...(Bernie)
« Reply #5 on: May 06, 2011, 09:09:41 PM »
COOL !
Beautiful Cat Bernie ...