Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  0
Page 1 of 9 123456789 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 86

Thread: The Wild Geechee

  1. #1
    Team Member Danny Pigott's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Moncks Corner SC
    Posts
    297
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default The Wild Geechee

    This is the most famous boat in the South. D.F. Jenkins (Jenk's Outboard Service) had it build around 1969. It started off running 65 mph an at Its end was running 100 mph plus. Bucky Morris drove it first, then Earl Bentz. I drove it in its last races. I think it still exist today but not sure where, D F's
    son may know. Earl is a member here maybe he will tell us more. This pic was taken at Hazelhurst Ga. in 1974. This is one of the last races I drove it in. It could still win on a short course and did that day.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  2. #2
    Team Member Danny Pigott's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Moncks Corner SC
    Posts
    297
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Around 1974-75
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  3. #3
    Team Member Danny Pigott's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Moncks Corner SC
    Posts
    297
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Earl Bentz

    This is Earl Bentz an the Wild Geechee.I think it was still a kneel down boat at this time, notice the side board on the side of the cockpit. I think this is the motor that D.F. called the bopper, because of the way it sounded getting on a plane. I still have the cowl from it.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  4. #4
    Administrator Ron Hill's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Tustin, California
    Posts
    3,407
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Wild Geechee

    Over 100 boats at Havasu, and I come home saying, "Wild Geechee"....What is a "Geechee"??

    Great pictures, Danny....Who built that boat? It was red, right? How did D.F. Jenkins die? Was it in a car accident or something wasn't it....???

    Intersting about boat names..some stay in your brain forever....

    Those V-4 Super Stanglers were great motors..We ran one of mine, three Parker Enduros (9 Hours) in a row, without a rebuild.....

    Super posts, Danny!

  5. #5
    Allen J. Lang
    Guest

    Talking D.F. Jenkins

    Hi Ron- Want to know what a Geeche is? Go to Charleston,SC and go south a couple of miles until you can't understand the dialect. After meeting D.F. at the Johnson dealer he worked at, it took me about 3 months before I could understand him. He was a character and fun to be around. The only Merc he liked was a 20-H he ran on an 8' Fillinger. While out in the lead, he flipped in turn 1 and his razor sharp airtrap sliced his foot open. It was his last race in the small outboards as his Mother and girlfriend were attending their first race.
    One weekend we went Merc hunting. He had set up a 75 Johnson on a Lone Star dealer bracket (it was screw clamps adapted to OMC bolt ons) jacked to the hilt on the bracket and transom of a 13' Boston Whaler and a prop he didn't like and cut the blades off and rebrazed them on. We went to one spot and no one was around. Put the boat in and took a ride. It was set up to really hang. Don't know how fast we were going, but, the scenery passed quickly. Went to another spot where we met up with the Merc dealer and his 80 horse tower of power and one of D.F.s customers. The Merc totally out ran the customers 75 Johnson which was not to D.F.s liking. After two trips down the creek out of sight, The johnson flat out ran the Merc. D.F. had a big grin on his face. Everyone but the Merc Dealer went home happy that day.
    Danny- It was great talking on the phone with you about the old days. Please keep posting more on D.F. as I lost track of him in 1962 when I left the AF. Sure miss those days.
    Ye Olde Desert Geezer Now!!!!

  6. #6
    Team Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Bristol, WI
    Posts
    41
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Way Too High

    Quote Originally Posted by Danny Pigott View Post
    This is Earl Bentz an the Wild Geechee.I think it was still a kneel down boat at this time, notice the side board on the side of the cockpit. I think this is the motor that D.F. called the bopper, because of the way it sounded getting on a plane. I still have the cowl from it. I got this pic. from region 4-5 notibles, Sam may be able to get a better copy an change it.
    Funny Story: D. F. and Earl showed up with the red geechee at Miami Marine Stadium IN 1968 with one of the first production 1:1 gearcases installed.

    Jack Leek & Don Henrich looked at the setup and told D. F. the engine was just too high, definetly should be lowered. D. F. told them he would hate to lower it as they had already won two races with the setup. Don installed one of his props and they gave Earl a tach for a test run. After the run they looked at the rpm and agreed the setup was just fine. LOL

  7. #7
    Team Member Danny Pigott's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Moncks Corner SC
    Posts
    297
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Bruce

    There were two Geechee boats built, they were build by a man named Bruce. I never knew if this was his first name or last, everybody just called him Bruce. The boat in the pic. is the first Geechee,the next one was called Wild Geechee Too. This was the one that ran at Havasu, they looked about the same but Geechee Too was a lot bigger, they were called little Geechee an Big Geechee. If you look at the pic you will see a little white bird on the front cowl, this is a Geechee bird that is where the name came from so i was told. The little Geechee started as a kneel down boat then a set down with back cowl an many other changes over the years. In 1975 Bruce made it back to a kneel down for me to run a 75 stinger on, it could run good but was not fast enough to win, this was the last race for the WILD GEECHEE.

  8. #8
    Team Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    66
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Danny,

    There is an RC boat race club that races on Johns Island. Bruce is the uncle of one of the club members and the boat is at Bruce's house and is said to have been restored and painted red. He told me there was motor on it also. Next time I go over there and race with the RC club I will ask to ride over and take a look.

    When I was a kid my dad took me over to see the Beaufort Water Festival race, around '70 or '71. I would bet anything that pic of the boat with Earl in it was taken there. When my dad got there they were testing on the other side of the river and my dad ask where the races were going to be and one of the racers then told him back on the other side (which is where the race was always held) That is where I saw it for the first time.

    Sponsons kinda look like an early Molinari with all that rocker and the strakes on them. All I know, and a lot of other people know is, it worked!!

    Thanks, brings back great memories.
    Outboard Model Concepts
    RC Mod-VP hulls
    Distributor for HTB Tunnels

  9. #9
    Team Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    66
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Looking close at the second pic with the cowl off...is that a distributor ignition?
    Outboard Model Concepts
    RC Mod-VP hulls
    Distributor for HTB Tunnels

  10. #10
    Team Member mercmack's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    cedar city,Ut
    Posts
    80
    Post Thanks / Like

    Talking distributor

    most likely a battery CD ing system..like the 1967 100 hp had..no points .it has pickup sensor and type of rotor that had 4 square knobe it read off of..
    a cd box and a big red coil..

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Lone Star Boat Racing Association
    By jrome in forum Outboard Racing History
    Replies: 196
    Last Post: 06-09-2023, 05:41 AM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •