Slo-Mo-Shun Replay: Hydro Lives Again

Nearly Destroyed In 1956, Famed Boat To Roar Again Today

By John Peoples
Reprinted from The Seattle Times, August 5, 1990.

Dark, tragic events often create vivid memories.

Most people remember exactly what they were doing or where they were when presidents died or natural disasters struck.

For many Seattleites, the day the Slo-Mo-Shun IV unlimited hydroplane was nearly destroyed in a spectacular accident on the Detroit River in the summer of 1956 is one of the those mental mileposts.

The people of Seattle loved the boat. Contributions from local people helped pay the Slo-Mo's way to Detroit for the 1950 Gold Cup race, where it shocked the Easterners and won.

The gloom that settled over the city in the crash's aftermath was palpable, almost as if a living, breathing person had died.

But in honor of today's 40th renewal of the Seafair regatta, the boat that put the sea in Seafair is scheduled to roar out of the history books and onto Lake Washington for three exhibition laps before racing begins at noon.

"If not for the Slo-Mo, there would not be any hydros in Seattle. The first Seafair didn't have them,'' said Fred Farley, Unlimited Racing Commission historian. "It was the first and last boat to win the Harmsworth Trophy, the Gold Cup and set a world straightaway record (160.323 mph) in the same year (1950).''

The straightaway mark was nearly 20 mph faster than the previous standard, which was set by legendary Sir Malcom Campbell's Bluebird II (141.740 mph, 1939). In all, Slo-Mo won three Gold Cups (1950, '52, '53). Sister ship Slo-Mo-Shun V won the Gold Cup in '51 and '54.

More than 50 volunteers, many members of the Slo-Mo's original crew, spent the past six months restoring the Slo-Mo IV to racing condition. As it showed in a test run on American Lake in Pierce County Wednesday, the Slo-Mo is ready for its journey down memory lane.

The revolutionary boat was patched up and given to the Museum of History and Industry for display in 1959.

Anchor Jensen, who built the boat Ted Jones designed and Stan Sayres owned, did the repair work that made the hull look like its old self in 1959.

Jensen, 80, who still runs a Ballard boat shop, plans to attend today's races.

The boat had only a partial engine while it was on display. After nearly 30 years of being mounted on a wall, the hull's wood had become fatigued and had started to stretch.

Enter Ken Muscatel of the Antique Race Boat Foundation, who volunteered his group and its money to restore the craft to racing condition, in its original two-seat configuration.

"It's a part of Seattle's history, but it's a boat, not a piece of furniture,'' Muscatel said. "Stan Sayres kept it in his boathouse at Hunt's Point. They'd drop her in the water and run it on the lake whenever they wanted to. Hundreds of people got to ride in it.''

It took nearly three years to work out an agreement, but Muscatel received permission from the Museum of History and Industry to restore the Slo-Mo at no expense to the museum. His group will get to display the boat to promote itself for the next two years, then it will go back on display.

Under the agreement, only a current professional is allowed to drive the boat, never at speeds exceeding 100 mph and only with the museum's permission.

"I'm sure the few hairs I have left will be a lot grayer after this is over, but I'm excited about it,'' said Carl Lind, the museum's executive director. "It's a gutsy move by our directors. But we decided that since this is Seafair's 40th anniversary, let's put the thing in the water and see it run.''

In February, a large hole was cut in the wall of the museum's upper floor and the boat was removed.

"Except for getting the boat out of the museum itself, the hardest part was coordinating everything,'' Muscatel said. "A lot of talented people worked on this thing.''

Among the helpers were Jensen and Jones.

Muscatel said the group spent $50,000 to $60,000 on materials for the project. "But you can't calculate the value of the all the hours people put in. It would just be too much,'' he said.

"We're still raising money, but we spend it faster than we get it.''

Muscatel's group is selling T-shirts during the Seafair regatta for this and future projects, which might include restoration of Slo-Mo-Shun V.

Muscatel said his workers tightened every nut and bolt on the Slo-Mo IV in addition to rebuilding the cockpit, installing new gauges and adding a bilge pump "that could keep the QE2 (Queen Elizabeth II)'' afloat.''

Also added was a state-of-the-art fire-suppression system.

The boat nuts who did the volunteer work made sure no detail was overlooked, he said.

"In order to get all the screws' heads to match, one guy, Kim Lazare, went over each of them with a blaster and some dental equipment,'' Muscatel said. "The guy was a nut, but he's the best.''

George Woods Jr., who drives the Mr. Pringle's unlimited for a living, is scheduled to drive to the Slo-Mo IV around the course today sometime between 11 a.m. and noon.

"The test run was a lot of fun,'' Woods said. "We just ran it up to 100 (mph), just to make sure everything was in proper working condition. I remember the boat from when I was a kid, when all of us used to drag wooden hydros behind our bikes.

"What I really like is that the boat wasn't just restored, it's run-able. That's a big plus. It's truly a work of art.''

By his side for today's ride will be Joe Taggart, the last man to race the Slo-Mo.

The day the Slo-Mo rolled over on the Detroit River burns especially bright in the memory of Taggart, 83, who was at the controls when the wake from a Detroit police boat sent the Slo-Mo flying.

"When I close my eyes, I can still see the two policemen looking down from their boat at me in the water,'' said Taggart, who traveled from Orlando, Fla., for today's exhibition.

Taggart and his son, John, were among the hundreds of hydro-holics to view the boat on it's new trailer Thursday just outside the Stan Sayres Pits.

Taggart said the Slo-Mo was traveling about 150 mph as he steered it onto the course for that fateful qualifying run. He was tossed into the river as the craft hit a wake and overturned.

"It was 7:30 in the morning. I hit the wake and the next thing I knew the boat was up on one sponson,'' Taggart said. "I was thrown about 250 yards from the boat. I went all the way to the bottom of the river.''

The force of his body hitting the water blew out a knee, tore up a shoulder and bruised him from head to toe. All of his clothing, including his heavy-duty life jacket, were scraped from his body.

"The only thing left was the hem of my shirt sleeve on one arm,'' said Taggart recalling his last unlimited race. "My helmet was torn to shreds, and somebody with a ghoulish sense of humor gave it to my wife.

"I was 49 when that happened. I could not put my family through any more.''

Slo-Mo didn't look much better.

Taggart may be several pounds over his former driving weight, but his handshake is as solid as his memory.

What abut his heart? After seeing his old boat back in fighting shape, Taggart said he doesn't want to ride in the passenger seat.

"I want to drive it,'' he said.

That wouldn't please the museum people, but Woods might not mind.

"I can't imagine what it was like to drive the boat at top speed,'' he said. "It rides so rough compared to the new boats. In that way, I'm glad they don't build them like they used to.''

New boats, schmoo boats said Taggart.

"It's beautiful. In fact, it looks better than new,'' he said. "The guys did a super job.''

SLO-MO FACTS

SLO-MO-SHUN IV

Owner: Stan Sayres.
Designer: Ted Jones.
Builder: Anchor Jensen.
Length: 28 feet, 6 inches.
Powerplant: Allison.
Gold Cups: Three - 1950, 1952, 1953.
Seafair Trophies: Two - 1952, 1953.

THE OTHER SLO-MOs

Slo-Mo-Shun I - A 225-class boat, burned and sank on Lake Washington in 1941.

Slo-Mo-Shun II - Another 225 boat.

Slo-Mo-Shun III - Forerunner to Slo-Mo IV, it was a limited by a three-point design. Was restored by and owned by Antique Race Boat Foundation.

Slo-Mo-Shun V - Won the 1951 and 1954 Gold Cups on Lake Washington. May be future restoration project.