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View Full Version : Cab over Built in 1959 adjustable sponsons



Thumper
03-01-2012, 12:21 AM
Several People have emailed me about my Avatar, So I thought I would post a Few Photos and The History as I know it.....
This Hydro was Built in 1959 by Harry Goar of Mattoon, IL. The Hydro was Driven by Bob Osborn Mattoon, IL. for Approximately 4 years..... Osborn was located and interviewed a few years ago. Osborn was 89 years old when I went to his house to speak with him and talk about this unique Hydro.......Sponsons were adjustable on this hydro making the Boat very unique! Boat ran in the NOA-D class.... After Osborn quit racing this boat He did not follow the boats future......Osborn stated Goar only made 1 . Harry Goar passed away in the early 80's
I purchased the Boat on Ebay about 6 years ago and restored the Boat over a 2 year period.....The wood on the Boat was not damaged enough to replace but it was also not good enough to revarnish ....I opted to do the Bodywork and repaint......I run the hydro every summer at my home on the Wisconsin River Rhinelander, Wi ....The original racing outboard as seen in the Black and White photos was never found......The Outboard on the Boat today is a 44 cube..
I also made the Boat functional as a Lay Down or Kneeler by adding a removable chest riser. The Lay down Girl on the front was airbrushed on to show the Boat could be kneeled in or you could Leigh Down.

Sponsons can be adjusted back and forth and up and down in just minutes

Boat was an NOA Championship winning Hydro.... It has been told to me . This Hydro won its races in the Turns


Boat Patent # 3094962 filed for 4-27-62 and issued 6-25-63 .....Here is the link
http://books.google.com/patents?id=625zAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&pg=PA3#v=onepage&q&f=true
Thanks For lookin
Brad K

PS-- When I first Got the Hydro home No info was known about it. All my APBA racer friends, laughed at it and told me I was Crazy to restore it and it would make good firewood...The history was chased down thru a tag found in the Bottom of the Boat Stamped Builder HARRY GOAR- MATTOON IL.......Several Newspaper articles were Written before Driver Bob OsBorn found me after he read one of the News articles.
Boat was recovered within 75 Miles of where it was built...People have been coming forward ever since with Stories... Osborn still lives on Lake Mattoon where the Boat had to have special permission in 1959 to be test driven according to Bob Osborn Who is 91 years old and still going strong

Mark75H
03-01-2012, 05:41 AM
To me, its significant that the prop angle is down in the back, running as a true 3 point suspension proprider

Beautiful restoration!

Art Kampen
03-01-2012, 08:25 AM
Seen this boat run several times in the Mid 60`s at St.louis ODA races. Always seemed to perform well. At the time most people were running Sid Crafts. Most people at the time were very skeptical of the design. I was fascinated by the design. I ran a Ted Jones cab over. What a ride those cabovers were. The Nats refered to in the newspaper article was most probably:) the 63 Am Pro NOA Nats at Creve Couer Lake in St Louis

zul8tr
03-01-2012, 08:34 AM
What a great concept and a beautiful restoration. Nice cowl logo.:) Where is the building located in the pics?

Hellova a bunch of compound curves on that deck :eek:. I can appreciate the install of it having delt with a similiar but not as complecated 3 point hydro deck.

FrenchPhil
03-01-2012, 09:21 AM
Sweet, so how are the sponsons attached to the hull ?

Thumper
03-01-2012, 04:08 PM
What a great concept and a beautiful restoration. Nice cowl logo.:) Where is the building located in the pics?

Hellova a bunch of compound curves on that deck :eek:. I can appreciate the install of it having delt with a similiar but not as complecated 3 point hydro deck.

The Building is Sarah Park Tomahawk Wi AOMCI meet many years ago....This is the Hydro when I first got it....It was advertised on Ebay as an Air Marine . I won the auction. You can see its not an Air Marine....

Thumper
03-01-2012, 04:27 PM
Sweet, so how are the sponsons attached to the hull ?



Two 3/4 Bolts are permanently mounted thru each side of the Hull ...Access doors on the top of the Sponsons (seen in photos) allow you to gain access inside & tighten the 2 Nuts.......Large 4 inch diameter Grandfather Clock Gears were used like fender washers against the wood on the inside of the Sponson......1/8th thick rigid rubber sandwich slice Gasket is used between the Sponson and the Hull...Sponsons have a series of Adjustment holes and the ones that are not used are plugged with corks.

Thumper
03-01-2012, 04:54 PM
Seen this boat run several times in the Mid 60`s at St.louis ODA races. Always seemed to perform well. At the time most people were running Sid Crafts. Most people at the time were very skeptical of the design. I was fascinated by the design. I ran a Ted Jones cab over. What a ride those cabovers were. The Nats refered to in the newspaper article was most probably:) the 63 Am Pro NOA Nats at Creve Couer Lake in St Louis


The newspaper article had no year on it and Driver, Robert Osborn did not remember the exact year of the championship races....I saw lotsa photos at his home in Mattoon IL but all the trophies were packed away somewhere.....Osborn told me he ran a C class Goar built boat before he stepped up to the D........Harry Goar built several boats I was told..

In one of the Black and white photos Osborn has the Life jacket on.....Roderick is holding the outboard and Harry Goar is to the left of Roderick ........They were all friends of Quincy Welding shop according to Osborn