All News Posts (264)

Bob Steil, former owner of the Squire Shop hydroplanes, has just acquiring the 1979 U-31 Miss Circus Circus from the Dave Bartush collection in Detroit. The hull is a duplicate of the 1979 U-2 Squire Shop, with both being designed by Dave Knowlen and built by Norm Berg. The U-2 demolished in a test run in late-season 1981. Bob Steil then bought the former Miss Circus Circus as a replacement. The "new" U-2 was itself badly damaged at the 1981 UIM World…

One of the sport's winningest, most important boats arrives back in Seattle this week.  Dr, Ken Muscatel purchased the 1973 Pay 'N Pak (Atlas Van Lines, Miss Madison) from the Dave Bartush collection in Detroit. The famous hull make a brief appearance before being moved Ken's Burien shop today. Ken's plans are to restore the boat to its original Pay 'N Pak livery.…

This is an unreleased military photo taken in the Pacific ocean. Isn't that Billl Muncey in the Thriftway?

Last week I received my official membership card and pin (thanks David), so I feel official.  It's been a couple of months now volunteering each Thursday at the museum helping restore the 1958 Miss Bardahl.  Yes, it's work, but what a great bunch of guys.

I sent an email today to our firm's (Bader Martin, just in case anybody needs a good CPA) event planning committee suggesting they consider renting the facility for our next event.  David, it might be a good idea to add…

Here are some links to some photos of the Slo-mo-shun IV being moved from the Museum of History and Industry's Montlake location, Tuesday, April 3, 2012 in Seattle.

Seattle Times Photo Gallery

The Center for Wooden Boats

The…

Through Them, the Rivalry of Their Mentors Lives On

Reprinted from the Los Angeles Times, September 17, 1986

SAN DIEGO — Bill Muncey vs. Dean Chenoweth. Atlas Van Lines vs. Miss Budweiser.

There were some fierce hydroplane races between those intense rivals in the 1970s and early '80s.

Muncey was the American Power Boat Assn. national champion in 1972, '76, '78 and '79 and is the all-time leading unlimited hydroplane racer with 62…

He's Mr. Calm, Cool and Collected in the Most Dangerous Game of Hydroplane Racing

Reprinted from the Los Angeles Times, September 09, 1985

SEATTLE — The deaths of boat racers Jerry Bangs and Bill Muncey gave Chip Hanauer the opportunity he needed to become the No. 1 driver of unlimited hydroplanes.

When Bangs was killed on Lake Washington in 1977, Hanauer was chosen to replace him. He was 22, a weekend racer, a schoolteacher with a…

As many of you know, Seattle's Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) has long been the home of the Slo-mo-shun IV, unlimited hydoplane racing's "Grand Old Lady". Well, MOHAI is moving from it's long time location at McCurdy Park, near the University of Washington, to the Naval Reserve Armory Building at Lake Union Park.

Slo-mo’s radical…

Unlike what has been seen in Formula 1 car racing, Indianapolis car racing, NASCAR, or Limited class boat racing, Unlimited hydroplane racing has brought out many unique and very unusual designs. Clear, not all of these worked as hoped, but they sure made things interesting, and often advanced the state of the technology.

Renown aerodynamicist Doug Ford…

Completed my first visit to HARM on Saturday, met lots of great people, and signed up to work with the restoration crews.

Biscayne's waters shivered to the opening of the unlimited-hydroplane racing season as a new winged marauder called 'Pay 'n Pak' awed and eventually overcame Bill Muncey, the suffering 1972 champion.

By Dan Levin

Reprinted from Sports Illustrated, May 23, 1973.

The noise of the big boats set knees and spines humming Sunday in Miami's Marine Stadium, but the shock waves were even more intense. Out on the roiled water of Biscayne Bay a…

Join the Blue Blaster Booster Club and help restore Bill Muncey's Atlas Van Lines.

Dues are $100.00 per membership. These funds go directly to help the current Atlas Van Lines restoration project.

Membership benefits include:

• Dynamic Blast From The Past BBBC membership tee-shirt.
• Exclusive BBBC membership…

The 4th Annual Roger Newton Memorial scale model unlimited hydroplane show will be held at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum in Kent, Washington on Saturday, February 11th from 11:00 AM until 4:00 PM.

Admission is just $5.00 for the general public and is free to all Museum members. A pizza lunch will be available.

Come and learn about the exciting sport of scale model unlimited hydroplane racing from some of the nation's best model builders. Over 50 of these beautiful…

I hope fellow volunteers are using this down time to maintain their restoration skill levels.  Since shop time available for most of us is limited, we need to keep our minds sharp for the time when we return to 'action' next week.

Here is my practice at the future resto of Miss Madison; she is running again, rounding that final buoy heading towards ...

 …

Hi. Just found this promotion for Mobiloil in a technical magazine in Sweden in 1955. This is nice showing that the unlimited hydroplanes were famous in Sweden even though we didn´t have unlimited in Sweden. Since I have been furtunate to meet Ron Jones Jr last year at the Hydroplane Museeum this is special to me.... Hope to be back soon...…

The Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum will be holding it's Annual Membership Meeting and Holiday Party, Saturday, December 10th from 6 PM to 9 PM. Once a year we all gather to share a meal, honor our outstanding members, and elect new Board Members and Officers.

This year's dinner will include a special visit from Gold Cup champion owner Erick Ellstrom of this year's National High-Points Champion team, the U-96 Spirit of Qatar racing team.

Cost is $15 per person. We would REALLY…

Over 80 hydro fans showed up at the Hydroplane Museum last night to watch H1 Unlimited’s live stream of the Oryx Cup UIM World Championship. The crowd enjoyed a festive party atmosphere and some great racing. As has become our tradition, a fantastic homemade breakfast of eggs, bacon, French toast and sausage patties was prepared by Ken and Denise Strong with help from Mike Opel…

For unlimited hydro racing it was a remarkably uneventful event. Nobody got killed and the boats, most of them powered by aircraft engines, flew so low that Bill Sterett won with his Chryslers.

By Kim Chapin

Reprinted from Sports Illustrated, July 10, 1967

All that is good in the small domain of the thunderboat was demonstrated last Sunday on the Detroit River during the second annual World's Championship Race for unlimited hydroplanes.…

Thirty years ago today, October 18, 1981 in Acapulco, Mexico, the legendary careers of Bill Muncey and his Blue Blaster Atlas Van Lines came to an end. It was an awful day not only for friends and family of Bill Muncey, but for the other drivers and crews involved in the final-heat crash. Muncey was leading after a brilliant start when the Atlas blew over on the first lap. It was one of the lowest points for the sport of Unlimited Hydroplane racing.

So much of the direction…

     In Feb of 2011 I walked through the doors of a place that "I've always wanted to check out". When I walked into that building, I stood there flashing back to a time in my life when I didn't have mortgages, family responsibilities, careers.....all the things that happened when I was forced to grow up. I was suddenly in a place where it was okay to be young again. As a matter of fact, the contents and the people INSIST that you bring your memories with you.

     For every story I…