Went to the Hydroplane Museum this afternoon in S. Seattle. Oh man, it was
like being in church. Really. Ghosts in there.
I ask timidly, "Can we go in?"
"Sure!"
A Rolls Royce Merlin sitting on an engine stand. A Griffon, all new red
paint and polished aluminum valve covers, ready to go back in the 1980 Miss
Budweiser cab forward that flipped, killing Dean Chenowith. They are
prepping the deck for paint (bottom's already done). One volunteer is
polishing up the firewall. I just stand there, looking at that beautiful
hull, designed by Ron Jones. Awed that I'm actually seeing THAT boat. It's
a ghost from another era. Can you imagine sitting out front of 2200 cubic
inches of roaring Griffon at 170 MPH and climbing over water? No seat belt,
no canopy?
The ORIGINAL 1958 Miss Bardahl ("The Green Dragon"), a local favorite. The
original Miss Burien, with her 1710 cu. in. Allison. The Hawaii Kai (the
"Pink Lady"). A boat repainted to look like the original Miss Madison (this
is the boat you'll see in the movie "Madison"). Seven boats in all. I
couldn't talk for several minutes.
One was dripping water from the trailer. Another fuel. They were just out
on Lake Washington TODAY running THREE of them! This is not a "static
display" museum! I gotta volunteer down there!
My friend says, "Rich! Get OVER here!". He's standing with his mouth open,
grinning, and saying holy *&!%*, touching a 1916 Curtiss V12 (Liberty type?)
of about 400 HP (yeah, THAT Glenn Curtiss, American Aviation Pioneer,
designer of the WWI "Jenny" and NC-4 Flying Boat; motorcycle developer).
Holeeee... how appropriate that one of his engines would find its way to the
Hydroplane Museum!
I still have goosebumps.
Interesting side note: Curtiss' first job out of high school in Rochester,
NY, was working for Eastman Kodak as a camera assembler. It really IS a
small world!
Whotta day.
Rich
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