Time afloat

Back in 1964 I got involved with boat racing. A friend Than who also worked at Bell Labs and was originally from Michigan had been at it most of his life. I bought a 10′ runabout and a Mercury KG4 engine from him. I spent the winter stripping and repainting the boat and adding hardware. I had to buy an approved life jacket and helmet. The helmet had to be painted yellow to show I was a newbie. I sent in my fee to be a member of the National Outboard Association and looked forward to spring. Since you drove these boats on your knees I had to get some substantial knee pads. Cement workers pads looked to be ideal.

Then we built a frame for the top of the car to carry the boat. The boat was ten feet long and weighed 110 pounds. Two guys could easily lift it on and off the car. The engine, props, tools, sawhorses, and gas cans went in the trunk.

First race of the year in Greenfield Indiana and we loaded up and headed out. Arriving we paid our entry fees and started setting up in the pits. We got my boat down from the car and set it on the sawhorses and put the engine on it. We connected the steering cables the gas tank and loaded it up with fuel. I put on my approved life jacket and helmet, and we carried the boat down to the water. We set the boat tail first into the water and watch it sink. In my excitement I forgot to put in the drain plugs.

Well, come race time i was ready. We put the boat in the water, and I fired up the engine and went out on the course. We milled around watching the big one-minute clock that determined the start of the race. The object was to hit the starting line as close to when that minute was up. For my first time I thought I did pretty good. The race consists of two heats of three laps each. I counted my time over the start finish line one two three and pulled into the pits. Than informed me I had only run two laps. In my excitement I miscounted.

As the years went by I added a hydroplane and ran four classes of entries and made enough winnings to support my hobby. But I was always remember my first start.