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100-mph Chaparral Project Update: Engine and Deck Complete

May 6, 2013, 11:00 pm
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Work on restoring a 1986 Chaparral Villain, which began approximately six weeks ago and has been covered on speedonthewater.com (See Related Stories below) reached two major milestones late last week. The 23-footer’s engine rebuild/upgrade and deck restoration are now complete.

chapecknewhugeLooking good—the restored deck for the 23-footer is complete.

"I picked up the engine from White’s (White Performance & Machine) on Thursday,” said Chris Uzzolina, the owner of the boat, who lives in Charlotte, N.C. “The final numbers were 640 hp at 6,700 rpm and 571 foot-pounds of torque at 5,600 rpm.  We have kept the timing conservative to prolong the engine's life, as well as because marina fuel is not always the best. The deck is complete with new gelcoat and the hull is under reconstruction now.

“I am happy with the engine build, but I will only know for sure when it's in the boat and running,” he added.

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100-mph Chaparral Project Update: Trailer Upgrade

May 21, 2013, 11:21 am
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With his hopped-up 427-cubic-inch naturally aspirated engine ready to install and hull and deck reassembly for his 1986 Chaparral Villain sportboat well underway, owner Chris Uzzolina (Read the first story) of Charlotte, N.C., has purchased a new trailer for the 23-footer from Loadmaster Trailer Company of Port Clinton, Ohio. The trailer will be painted tomorrow.

“We’re having it painted blue to match the boat and it should be ready on Friday,” said Uzzolina. “I will be making the trip out there to next weekend to pick up the trailer and get a tour of the factory.”

chaptrailerhugeReady for paint at Loadmaster Trailer Company, the trailer for Chris Uzzolina's vintage 23-foot sporboat will be color-matched to the boat.

Uzzolina said he estimates that Lake Effects Marine in Mooresville, N.C., which is handling the hull and deck restoration, will begin engine installation and rigging in the next two weeks.

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100-mph Chaparral Update: New Stringers and Sole Installed

June 11, 2013, 7:56 am
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Progress continues on the restoration of a 1986 Chaparral Villain owned by Chris Uzzolina of Charlotte, N.C. Most recently, Lake Effects Marine in Mooresville, N.C., replaced the 23-foot sportboat's stringers and sole, which is ready for fiberglass, according to Uzzolina.

New stringers have been installed in Uzzolina's 23-footer.New stringers have been installed in Uzzolina's 23-footer.

“Once Lake Effects is done with hull blueprinting and gelcoat, Bob Shudder at Boat Repair Plus in Denver, N.C., will handle the rigging,” said Uzzolina. “Lake Effects is backed up with work from all the downtime they had because of a family illness, and the boating season is in full swing here. So this will help lift a load off of them so they can service their customers. Plus, what could be better than to have one of the best men in the industry rig the boat?”

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Restoration Project Update: Bertram Competition 38’

June 20, 2013, 3:00 pm
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A little more than two years ago, speedonthewater.com published a feature called "Restoration Project: Bertram Competition 38'". In that story, we chronicled the work Kurt Groom, the owner of the 1975-built sportboat, did to restore his vintage 38-footer. The results were impressive and stunning.

Groom is hoping to complete the latest phase of his project and be back on the water by November.Groom is hoping to complete the latest phase of his project and be back on the water by November.

Turns out that Groom, who lives in DeLand, Fla., wasn't finished—not even close. About six months ago, he decided to completely update and renovate the boat's faring and dash, and expand its interior to seat five. To raise and widen the boat's faring, Groom turned to Will Smith of Phantom Boats in Sarasota, Fla.

"Will did all the fiberglass work on the faring and dash, and he reinforced the deck," said Groom. "We are moving all the gauges, the steering wheel and the throttles and shifters to the right side of the dash—as you recall they were in the center of the dash."

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Speedonthewater.com Trailer Headed to Big Cat & Shootout

July 25, 2013, 10:44 pm
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After debuting the trailer in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Speedonthewater.com's Jason Johnson drove the trailer to Houston for the Texas Outlaw Challenge (above).After debuting the marketing trailer in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Speedonthewater.com's Jason Johnson drove the trailer to Houston to cover the Texas Outlaw Challenge (above), as well as promote the website and new digital magazine.

Admittedly, neither Matt Trulio nor myself are great self-promoters, although we're getting better. So as I put plans in place to attend two events in August—the Big Cat Poker Run in Northern California and the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Missouri—I figured now was as good a time as any to throw out a little self-promotion for our latest marketing vehicle—the Speedonthewater.com trailer.

For those of you who haven't seen our modified Doolittle trailer, which is probably most of you unless you happened to catch up with us at the Desert Storm Poker Run in April or the Texas Outlaw Challenge in June, take a look. We'll be happy to show it off and give you a free coozie at one of next month's events, but just in case you won't be in California or Missouri, check out what our friends at Waves and Wheels in Osage Beach, Mo., created for us.

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Maximum Power Gain: Cigarette 42X Upgrades to 1350s

October 9, 2013, 9:18 am
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postill 42x sotwDave Postill upgraded the Mercury Racing 850SCi engines in his six-year-old Cigarette 42X with a pair of Mercury’s turbocharged 1350 engines. Photo courtesy Florida Powerboat Club

While doing research for an in-depth feature on Chief Performance for the next issue of Powerboating in Paradise magazine, I was introduced to Dave Postill, the owner of a 2008 Cigarette Racing 42X who lives in Florida with his wife, Laura. Through a recommendation from Stu Jones, president of Florida Powerboat Club, which publishes Powerboating in Paradise and organizes next month’s Key West Poker Run, Postill turned to Tommy Hofstetter and the crew at Chief Performance in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to handle a significant repower of his 42-foot V-bottom.

Previously propelled by twin Mercury Racing 850SCi engines and No. 6 drives, the boat was de-rigged earlier this summer as Postill opted not to rebuild the supercharged engines, which had 400 hours. Instead Chief Performance stripped the mechanical components throughout the boat to make room for a new set of Mercury Racing 1350 engines and M8 drives with Digital Throttle & Shift technology.

Read more: Maximum Power Gain: Cigarette 42X Upgrades to 1350s

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100-mph Chaparral Project Update: Glasswork Complete, Interior Next

October 13, 2013, 3:00 pm
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Though the timetable for Chris Uzzolina's restoration of his 1986 Chaparral Villain sportboat has expanded—he began the project in March 2013 and hoped to have it completed in time for the boating season—another stage in the 23-footer's renovation has been completed. Lake Effects Marine of Mooresville, N.C., has finished all the exterior glasswork.

Uzzolina said the glasswork restoration of his 23-footer was worth the wait.Uzzolina said the glasswork restoration of his 23-footer was worth the wait.

"The glasswork came out great, and it was worth the wait," said Uzzolina, a 27-year-old BMW technician who lives in Charlotte, N.C. "They definitely hit the mark in my opinion and in the opinion of those who have seen the boat.

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Broken Arrow Apache Update: Graphics Near Completion

October 21, 2013, 8:08 am
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broken arrow lead

Currently finishing the new deck mural of a 1991 classic Apache V-bottom dubbed Broken Arrow today, noted painter Richy Rich (shown above) of Miami will begin clear-coating the deck of the 47-footer tomorrow. According to Marc Jacob, the Delray Beach, Fla., powerboat broker who purchased the boat for a client in the Middle East and is managing its overall renovation (read the story), clear-coating of the boat's hullside murals has been completed. An Italian-made custom rubrail will be installed on the boat once the deck graphics are finished.

In a few weeks, the boat will be turned over to Fineline Marine for cockpit and cabin interior replacement measurements. From there, it will head to Jason Ventura at the recently relocated Brand-X Hi-Performance Marine for total replacement of its electrical and mechanical systems, new electronics installation and rerigging of its triple 1,200-hp Chief Engines.

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Waves and Wheels Completes Cigarette 38 Top Gun Makeover

November 27, 2013, 2:17 pm
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The 2001 Cigarette Racing 38 Top Gun recently received an interior and engine hatch makeover from Waves and Wheels in Missouri.A 2001 Cigarette Racing 38 Top Gun recently received an interior and engine hatch makeover from Waves and Wheels in Missouri.

Between tow rig conversions, entertainment system installations and fabrication and upholstery restoration projects such as the recently completed Cigarette Racing 38 Top Gun pictured, the crew at Waves and Wheels is in the midst of its busiest winter yet.

Justin Wagner, who founded the company in 2001, is pretty good about keeping speedonthewater.com informed of projects he's working on and the 2001 38 Top Gun that his team tackled on two separate occasions is one of Waves and Wheels latest.

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Broken Arrow Apache Update: Graphics Finished

December 10, 2013, 3:00 pm
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Renowned go-fast powerboat painter Richy Rich of Miami has completed the paintwork for Broken Arrow, a vintage 47-foot Apache purchased on behalf of a client in the Middle East by Marc Jacob, a powerboat broker in Delray Beach, Fla. Jacob is managing the restoration project, which began this spring and should be completed next month.

Although Broken Arrow’s paintwork took longer than anticipated, it appears to be well worth the wait. Although Broken Arrow’s paintwork took longer than anticipated, it appears to be well worth the wait.

"Painting took longer than we expected—we didn't expect it to take four-and-a-half months but we also didn't expect to spend six weeks in the bilge making it absolutely perfect," said Jacob.

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100-mph Chaparral Update: Drive Installation and Rigging Underway

January 6, 2014, 1:09 pm
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Chris Uzzolina's ongoing restoration of a 23-foot 1986 Chaparral Villain sportboat has moved to the drive installation and rigging stage. A BMW mechanic and longtime powerboat owner who lives in Charlotte, N.C., Uzzolina started the project in March 2013 (read the story) and had hoped to finish it in two months. Despite a number of delays and setbacks beyond his control—to stay on the water he had to buy a "play" boat for the 2013 boating season—the recently engaged Uzzolina continues to chip away at the project and is looking forward to its completion.

Uzzolna used an empty upper and lower unit to set the height for real drives on his sportboat project.Uzzolna used an empty upper and lower unit to set the height for real drive on his sportboat project.

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Inside Speed On The Water Digital Magazine: Project Pleasure

January 28, 2014, 10:13 am
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ballough 32skater1With help from Skater Powerboats, TNT Custom Marine and more, Gary Ballough turned a 2006 canopied raceboat into a sporty 32-foot pleasure catamaran. Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot-2-Thrill-Pix

This 32-foot Skater raceboat became the yellow pleasure boat above. Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot-2-Thrill-Pix

You might wonder how Gary Ballough, an accomplished offshore racing throttleman both in national and international stock outboard class competition, has managed to not give in to the temptation of owning a pleasure boat for so many years. Obviously he can—and does—take any of the raceboats he's owned out for joy rides, but that's not the same as owning a boat for pure recreation.

Maybe it's because Ballough hasn't had a lot of time between racing in the XCAT World Series overseas and the Super Boat International circuit stateside. Or maybe it's because the thought of hopping into a boat after weeks or months of trying to get one race ready through setup and testing doesn't sound too fun. Or the most likely explanation is that the timing hasn't been right for the Boca Raton, Fla., resident.

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Donzi 43 ZR Receives Waves and Wheels Treatment

February 22, 2014, 12:32 am
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Last summer Dre Trudell of Overland Park, Kan., purchased a 2007 Donzi Marine 43 ZR offshore V-bottom with a pair of Teague Custom Marine 975-hp engines coupled with No. 6 drives from Mercury Racing to use on Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and at various poker runs across the country.

donzi43 wnw hatch leadnetWaves and Wheels recently customized the underside of this Donzi 43 ZR owned by Dre Trudell of Kansas.

Trudell, who has owned a Donzi 28 ZX sportboat since 2006 and is on the water nearly every weekend of the boating season with his girlfriend, Callie, had his eyes on the stepped 43-footer for some time. With less than 60 hours and still in the original owner's possession, the boat was a perfect fit for Trudell, who was looking for more hull for Lake of the Ozarks and wanted to stay in the Donzi family.

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Broken Arrow Apache Update: At Marine Performance for Rigging

March 11, 2014, 10:46 am
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brokenarrowrig

The restoration of Broken Arrow, a 47-foot Apache V-bottom, has reached its next phase with the boat's arrival yesterday at Marine Performance, the Port Orange, Fla., shop of famed go-fast race and pleasure boat rigger John Pompi. The project is in the parts inventory and assessment stage, according to Marc Jacob, a Delray Beach, Fla., high-performance powerboat broker who is managing the project for the 47-footer's owner in the Middle East.

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All Clear: Eliminator 38 Eagle Canopy Replacement

March 19, 2014, 9:49 am
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When Colorado performance boater Jon Wright purchased the 2004 Eliminator Boats 38 Eagle last year, he knew the boat needed a little TLC. Since that is Wright's forte—he owns Diamond Marine, a private shop in the Denver area that specializes in buying used boats, restoring them and finding new homes for each one—he wasn't too worried.

am gt eagle sotwThanks to Aero-Marine and GT Performance in Upland, Calif., Jon Wright’s 2004 Eliminator 38 Eagle looks like a whole new boat.

What Wright didn't know was how much work the V-bottom would really need, including gelcoat restoration, fiberglass repair, an interior overhaul and a new power package. He also found out upon purchasing the 38-footer that its 10-year-old quarter canopies were practically worthless as they were cracked, chipped and faded.

Because canopies and windscreens don't fall into his areas of expertise, Wright knew he had to find someone to help him out. After searching online, he came across Carmen Bélanger-Martin, owner of Aero-Marine in Fontana, Calif.

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40 MTI Project: To Infinity and Beyond

June 18, 2014, 10:58 am
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In this OffshoreOnly world we're immersed in, the chances of a boat story gone bad resulting in a happy ending is slim. So it's always fun to share the ones that do work out. Take Brian Shelton's first catamaran, which he's planning to take to several events this summer, including next week's Lake Cumberland Thunder Run, the Tennessee Powerboat Club's Old Hickory Fun Run and the Florida Powerboat Club's Emerald Coast Poker Run.

shelton mti trailer sotw

Denny Kirkland at Custom Performance in Kentucky got his hands on Brian Shelton's 40 MTI and installed infinity mirrors in the engine compartment.

Shelton, who has owned several Fountain Powerboats V-bottoms since the mid-90s, picked up a well-documented 2008 40-foot Marine Technology Inc. (MTI) catamaran and added more custom touches to the boat that had been repaired, repainted and reupholstered after falling off its trailer in December 2012. If you didn't see it, check out the OSO thread following the boat as Pier 57 and a talented surrounding cast made the boat like new for the owner prior to Shelton.

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100-mph Chaparral Project Update: Interior Progress

July 10, 2014, 10:00 am
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Although Chris Uzzolina, a longtime powerboat owner and BMW technician in Charlotte, N.C., admits with a chuckle that he may have been "a little off" in his estimated completion date of May 2013 for the restoration of his 23-foot 1986 Chaparral Villain III sportboat—he expected the project to take three months and his boat to be ready for the summer—the project is still moving forward. And while he long ago abandoned his initial plan for the boat to actually reach 100 mph (the early name for the project raised enough eyebrows to stick), he's still excited about the project.

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Broken Arrow Apache Update: Rigging Nears Completion

July 16, 2014, 8:27 am
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Started more than a year ago, the restoration of Broken Arrow, a vintage 47-foot Apache V-bottom built in 1991, has reached another milestone. Engine compartment rigging for its triple 1,200-hp turbocharged powerplants from Chief Performance of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is nearly finished at Marine Performance in Port Orange, Fla.

brokenarrowrigging1

Broken Arrow's transom assemblies are complete and its No. 6 drives have been rebuilt. All photos courtesy Marc Jacob

High-performance powerboat and yacht broker Marc Jacob, who purchased the boat on behalf of a client in the Middle East and is overseeing its renovation visited the rigging shop last week. He said he expects renowned rigger John Pompi of Marine Performance to install the engines next week.

"The No. 6 drives were completely rebuilt and they look brand new, and the transom assemblies are finished," Jacob said. "The batteries are installed, there are new trim tabs with new pumps and the fuel system is complete.

"John pretty much replaced everything," Jacob added. "It's pretty much a brand new boat. It has all-new deck hardware with custom pieces including flush-mount fuel fills."

After the engines are installed, the 47-footer will be transported to Fineline Marine Interiors in Hallandale, Fla., where it will be outfitted with its new custom-made cockpit that includes a conversion of the original bolsters from manual to power and creating new heavy-duty seat bases, and cabin interior. Jacob estimated that Broken Arrow will be in the Fineline shop for a month before it goes back to Marine Performance for final testing.

brokenarrowrigging2

If all goes to plan, triple turbocharged 1,200-hp Chief engines should be installed in the refurbished and rerigged engine compartment next week.

"Hopefully, John will run it and give it his blessing," Jacob said. "And we'll be done."

Jacob said the while his client is patient and that there is "no hurry" to finish the project, he expects it to be complete this year.

"I would like to unveil Broken Arrow in the (Florida Powerboat Club's) Poker Run Village in Key West (Fla.) during the Super Boat International Offshore World Championships in November," he said.

brokenarrowrigging3

This power plant is one of three 1,200-hp engines that will power the 47-footer once it's finished.

Related stories

Broken Arrow Apache Update: At Marine Performance for Rigging
Broken Arrow Apache Update: Graphics Finished
Broken Arrow Apache Update: Graphics Near Completion
Project Update: Broken Arrow Apache Graphics Chosen, Interior Gutted
Project: Broken Arrow Apache Getting a Makeover

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Friends Restoring Brad Smith’s First Go-Fast Boat

July 27, 2014, 10:00 pm
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For Jeremy Strup of Joplin, Mo., the upcoming restoration of a 20-foot-long 1987 Liberator picklefork-hull boat he recently purchased is more than just updating a classic river and lake hot rod. The boat was formerly owned by Brad Smith, the noted Missouri-based high-performance marine engine builder who died last September in a boating accident on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. A longtime, close friend of Smith's for more than 15 years, Strup is refreshing the 27-year-old tunnel boat powered by a 200-hp Mercury outboard engine to honor Smith. The process will begin in September.

smithlibllede

Formerly owned by Brad Smith, a rising star in the high-performance marine engine game before he died last year, this 20-footer will undergo a restoration led by two of Smith's closest friends.

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High Risk Reborn

August 13, 2014, 9:52 am
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Longtime fans of offshore racing will remember High Risk, a 32-foot Skater catamaran that won multiple national and world titles from 1988—the year it was built—to 2005. Then owned and campaigned by Rick Felsen of noted racing event and race team insurer Hawk Marine Consultants, Ltd., in Westbury, N.Y., the outboard-powered 32-footer was a perennial threat in what was called the Pro Stock class.

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