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.
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.