Pumpkin Is Smiling Now.
Pumpkin is smiling. Should we paint out the eggshell white bottom? I took it out so folks could compare the height of the pipes. Should we change the name to Pump King? HA
Yesterday when we posted the story on Pumpkin the population of Woody Boater jumped in bigtime, with in about two hours, she had secured a new engine and beauty makeover courtesy of none other than Katz’s Marina and Dave Van Ness! In fact they went one, two, three steps further. Pumpkin is to be completely saved and ready to return to Mt Dora this spring! To say we are moved is an understatement. Everyone loved Larry and want to keep her going and back to mt Dora.. So we will be Woody Jetting on Lake Dora in 4 months! WOW! Thanks to all that commented yesterday with some great ideas… Like raising the exhaust pipes which are originally lower. . I had been wondering how she wound up orange and it turns out the color was changed for the Chicago Boat Show in Illinois State Highway Dept Orange. Her base eggshell white is original. But can’t find the two tone look anyplace as a reference? We LOVE the orange, but can’t decide if it’s better as an original paint scheme. Or match exactly what was done. What ever was at the show I suppose is the way to go.
Here is the shot un touched with the white bottom
As to sinking, that history also came out. It was an exhaust clamp that failed. Starboard side, They caught it in teh nick of time but the boat sank on the lift. As to restarting, There is some confusion on my end about that. But all soon to be taken care of by Van Ness. The coolest part for me is that the Woody Boater transporter is already the right color! Wooohooo.
And yes, she is 100% stock in a rare Highway orange. Three were made, Fully loaded and ready to tow.
Don’t you already have matching shoes too?
And here’s the perfect matching outfit to wear to the WoodyBoater reception at Dora!
Take the hits…but imho, she HAS to remain that pumpkin colour. She’ll always be a hit in Syracuse!
It’s common around here. What’s orange and sleeps four? A state of Illinois truck!
You should have looked behind the Boydell varnish can.
Jim, I thought that was just Cook County!!!
State is Orange. Chicago is blue but they sleep 5.
Don’t change the paint scheme, and don’t move the pipes.
The quirks are what makes Pumpkin unique.
Clean her up, DOUBLE clamp the exhaust, and let Dave fix the engine.
I respectably disagree. The white is distracting to me and either a lighter engine or raise the pipes if its going to be a user boat. Of course it aint my boat either.
Don’t change the color! She won’t be Pumpkin anymore,she’ll be Cauliflower. Yuk.
Matt,
You may want to reference ABYC P-1. I am a member of the project technical committee that is responsible for maintaining this and other ABYC standards. This is the industry standard on Intallation of Exhaust Systems for Propulsion and Auxiliary Engines.
Make sure you also use at least two non-overlapping hose clamps on each end of the exhaust hose. They must be stainless steel, and at least 1/2 inch. These should be checked regularly for breakage or damage, especially if you are running in salt water.
The standard also talks about exhaust riser requirements, and their location.
Hope this helps.
I’m sure Larry is getting a kick out of these discussions.
ARRRGH!
You betcha!
Matt ( to Loyd), “I’m going to hang by the bar and put out the vibe.” get the top hat, seriously.
Just my opinion here – I would preserve the deck detail/scheme, but run the orange with the chine and over the entire transom as shown in the first pic. Leave the bottom eggshell. I would raise the exhuast.
Now being silly -And for Alex’s benefit – Fab some triangular exhaust outlets, then paint a black, “toothy smile” sort if mirroring the “V” at the stern… Voila’ – a “Pumpkin” when viewed from the stern at speed… 🙂
No small task to move those pipes. Unless Seth is feeling mighty generous this holiday season, I’d simply put in new soft wall exhaust hose, double-clamp, and maintain well.
Re the paint, the hull looks better when it’s all one color, whether on its trailer or flying across the waves. (At the dock, of course it doesn’t show.) So go ahead and pumpkinize the whole boat!
One other thing. Get an artist to do justice to the great name. The block letters on the transom ain’t makin’ it. My Super Fly name is on each rear flank of my XK-18, not the transom. It was a bit tricky getting the placement right, seeing the boat sits so low at dock and totally out of the water at speed. But we got it right. Very happy with that decision. (I’ll see if I can put a detail pic of that in Comments later.)
This was Larry’s boat. I’m sure he’d be fine with any of these changes / improvements so long as none of them make the boat less quick or less sexy (which they don’t).
One last thing. Always wear a life jacket in this boat, as Larry did and as I do. It is fairly easy to be ejected if you hit a wave at speed. Which, by the way, is where these are their most fun. 🙂
I never like to disagree with m-fine so I will agree 50%.
DON’T CHANGE THE COLOR!
Her history is more improtant than originality in my book.
Even with a bad clamp she would not have sunk if the pipes were above the waterline. Odds are she will never sink for that reason again, but for my money I want my pipes above the waterline if thruhull.
PS: They make an outfit for Suzy too!
The people who want to raise the exhausts must be the old blue hairs who run their boats at idle up and down the lake. This is a jet boat. They should either be on plane or sitting on a lift. Hamilton found the key to making a water jet work well was to have the jet output above the water and not try to push water like a prop. A jet boat like Pumpkin is a horrible performer at displacement speeds, it needs to be on plane at which point those exhaust ports are well above the water.
Completely agree, however I do not own a lift all my boats are on moorings.
Not worried about them sinking while running just while sitting.
Matt indicated that she sunk on the lift? Seems odd to me.
That boat is so low, I wouldn’t trust it at a mooring. Even with raised exhaust, look at the bilge pump and even the air vents. Murphey’s law + rogue boat wakes + Mother Nature = that boat will sink eventually. I have had boats with much more freeboard sink at the dock from freak waves. She is safest when moving or in a lift. Plus the orange will clash with a lake scum bottom.
It’s the noon hour Eastern Time, people. On today’s color theme, open your lunchboxes, pull out your pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie, go to YouTube, and search “Orange Was the Color of Her Dress – Changes Two.” Click on the 15:00 version and turn it up. You’ll be treated to some extraordinary jazz by Charles Mingus, the genre’s most brilliant bassist. Released in 1975, too, the same era as Pumpkin.
The pipes are fine where they are, just make sure the flapper valves in the ends of the pipes are in good condition. They act like an anti siphon valve and stop the engine from hydro locking the #one cylinder at least on an olds 455.
I love conversations like this on WB because it makes me really think about what is important to me, so if I over post it is not to convince others of my opinion, but to convince myself where I really stand.
Confucius Say: “All the water in the world will not sink your boat, if it stays on the outside.”
The last boat I acquired is a 55 year old Connie that was used most of it’s life on Lake Winnipesaukee in NH. To my knowledge she has never sunk even though there are no seacocks on either engine. Trust me when I say “I will install seacocks before she goes overboard again.”
I do agree with the guys, there is no NEED to raise the pipes, however if her sinking is really do to an exhaust clamp she would not have sunk in the first place if her pipes had been installed above the waterline. I can not say for sure if I would raise the pipes as I do not know how much it would cost to do so. The other issue if the exhaust ports are too high she will back flow water into the manifolds when shut down. Lots to think about.
the color is everything on this boat- what a great and moving story… god bless.
agreed on the pipes- too high will cause some issues and the boat is low profile already.
Quick fix her, I thought this was going to be a user boat?
What is she Princess Pumpkin?
if this is all it takes to get a new engine and restoration consider my ’47 C-C sunk. when can you come get it ?
Pumpkin would be a stealth boat on Lake Seminoe in WY
Here’s where I put the name, one on each side. Kept it small, not wanting to overpower the lines of the boat.
M-fine has me sold on this one.
Leave the pipes where they are and lift her or let her be a trailer queen.
Just remember to raise the lift if that is where you are going to keep her.
I would do whatever Alex suggests, aesthetically. As his collection proves, he is a man of taste and distinction.
Have you ever met someone from the Youpee?
Check’s in the mail, Rabbit.
Whether you go big block or small block, you’ll need one of these too, because you’re foot will be on the floor (or near it) most of the time. Note the matching color.
Alex,
Are you referring to the orange PUMP in the center of the photo or the orange TANK to the right? LOL.