Ditch the hand throttle and get a foot throttle. I couldn't imagine driving a performance boat with one hand. :220v:
Havasu Hangin!! Your right!! I gotta hold on for dear life. I wear the dead man switch and keep it real slow with passengers.
I actually gotta let go of the throttle while moving the Jack plate to!! lol
I will be looking into the foot throttle and steering wheel controles right away.
Let me know if anyone has a lead on used stuff.
About the time Dick Sherrer bought Dick Sherrer Marine from the family of the late Bobby Massey, 1969, I'd say, a guy named ART, not Art Carlson, had a small glass shop in Norwalk behind Dick Sherre's Shop by the RR tracks....
At this time, the Glass Tech Tunnel was a "HOT" little rig and selling pretty well. In Cobra, California Outboard Racing Association, they ran these Glas Tech's with in-line sixes as TP...(Tunnel Pleasure). In Cobra there was SJ, at the time, single seat tunnel,wood tunnels, in-lin six....TP ran two in the boat, glass boat, prop shaft 4 inches below the bottom...
I made a lot of props for these TP boats from Mercury two blades. Art called me and asked me to come by his shop... As Glas Tech was 16 foot, he wanted to know what I thought of his 17 foot idea that he was tooling. As he thought boats MIGHT be getting bigger if they'd come up with more horse power...
He had the boat pretty well tooled, I think Dick Sherrer had given him some ideas........and I think I suggested he take some of the curve out of the tunnel top, as I explained that a curved tunnel bottom's lift moved forward when the bow lifts....and causes blow overs....
He said he'd take some out by rounding the bow with bondo....I never saw this guy again...He build only a few boats, and died of a heart attack working at his shop, he was only like 42 at the time...
The big rounded nose may have been bigger because of my suggestion...
As far as putting a V-6 on this boat....Bad idea, I feel, as it was designed for an in-line six before there was and XS Merc 150...99 per cent of the 16 foot Glas Tech's blew over once they added 1500 XS Merc...They were ok with 22 and 2 pitch props, but when you went to a 26 pitch, you went in the trees...Probably, never designed to go over 72 MPH...A 2.5 would push this 110 before she blew!!!!
This "ART" guy, had he lived, seemed to have a real talent for tooling, and seemed like a nice guy...
ADD; In those days, everyone dove with one hand.....Torque??? Never heard of it...1969 remember!!!! (37 years ago)...
The only confusion I have is if Art was building the first one in the late 60's and passed soon after who was building them in 78 when mine was built?.
Also mine already had the 225 v-6 on it and I was well aware (on my own) just from the sight and first few feet on plane that it could be so dangerous.
I put about 250# in the boat (people) and with the jack plate way up and verry little trim if any it actually got allot safer and more planted and level on the water. I probibly will never see over 70 for safety sake. I will however bring the gps with me next time and never run that fast into the wind. LOL
You did look at the pics and know we are talking about the same boat? I am confident or you would not have mentioned the bondo on the nose! Lol Thanks so much for your time and super info!! :idea:
Seems, there is a Sterling Tunnel at Pro Marine in Elsinore...MAYBE, I'll go and lok at it tomorrow....Somewhere in the serial number should be the year...
The BONDO, was on the "PLUG" before he bulilt the mold....but, yes, we are talking about the same boat...
There was a guy....can't think of his name, but...Jim Gregory..he and his son built some boats for awhile...Jim and been in the ...I'm going to say printing business and his partner was found dead in a ink barrelmor something...After that, Jim went into the boat business...No foul play was hinted...Jim brought a boat from NJ to CALIFORNIA FOR ME IN 1977...
Jim Gregory may have built the Sterling tunnels after Art's death...Chuck Rear would know..maybe, I'll call him... this is a "FUN" puzzle...Also, Jim Buckhorn would know...he's a retired fireman...from some were......Jim would know!!!
I will be at the Elsinore Grand Prix Tomorrow so maybe I will stop by to!!
Guess this may be a plug for Pro Boat but hey! Where are they located? I was at the old shop out in Riverside but never seen the new shop. Rick did a bit of work for me a while back. Will Pro boat be open tomorrow? Ok today now?
The last time I was at Pro Marine in Elsinore, I heard they might be closing....let me know if they are open...they are on Grand Avenue about at theend of the lake...
The Sterling had a 235 Evinrude on her..
Check out www.blmarine.com if you want more info on these boats.Excellent Power Boat magazine article on Sterling boats, including quite a bit of history.BT
I remember Sterling, at least in the 70's. They were over in Norwalk at that time and besides the little tunnel, they had a 18 v bottom outboard and a 20-21 cruiser too. My friend had one of the 18's, lotta hook in that baby. Don't know why, but there was 2 1/2 inches in it. He dumped a ton of cash in that dog (yeah I know, who doesn't) and it still was a pile.
On the other hand I always like the tunnels, our nieghbor in Parker had one of them back then and it was a fun, well built boat. It had a 150 inline on it, ran pretty well.
They didn't offer any of the boats in Bob Ts link above, so it must have been another Sterling.
That Sterling on BT is a Florida Boat, it is a 19 DAYTONA splash. The Norwalk Sterlings, were not pickle fork and were built before Elimnator's 19 Daytonas...
OLD RIGGER...hmmm??? Everybody is old anymore...
The very first post is of the Norwalk, California, Sterling. And he olny built this one mold...
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