No Vacation? Live Vicariously with Bob The Builder as he Crosses the Caribbean.

Having recently started a new job, I'm not sure I will be able to get any time off this summer. But I don't feel so bad after checking out this thread on Offshore Only - courtesy of well-known performance boater Bob the Builder and his crew, who have been keeping us all up-to-date as he undertakes a wonderful adventure that's seen him cavorting across the Caribbean to enjoy friendship, fun, beautiful scenery and plenty of good times.

PHOTO CREDITS: naplesimage.com

It will take you some time, but check out the whole thread, where you'll read about Bob's superlative piloting skills (managing seas and dock areas with no steering - only throttles and trim tabs for control), swimming with pigs (really) awesome sights, and plenty of hot boat action.


From Bimini to the Bahamas - to Turks and Caicos and the Dominican Republic, San Juan and then on to British Virgin Islands for a poker run, Bob and his intrepid crew members including his (damn lucky) photographer Jay - put you right in the passenger seat for what has to be one of the best trips ever.


Not only will you see some great locations, hot women and unforgettable sights, you'll also see some very nice boats...a classic Monza, a nicely-restored Midnight Express, and plenty of others, including Bob's very own 2009 Diesel-powered NorTech 5000, Predator.

If you haven't registered for Offshore Only yet, be sure to do it so you can check out this wonderful photo-packed story that almost reads like a travelogue. The photos are incredible, with most demonstrating the considerable skills of Jay at naplesimage.com

Don Aronow's Last Race Boat Available for Sale

Historic Offshore Race Boat Association (HORBA) Managing Director Charlie McCarthy has posted in the Offshore Only forum that he is considering putting up the 35' Benihana Cigarette up for sale. One of the better-known boats from a golden period in offshore racing, it is the last offshore race boat that Don Aronow ever built for himself and registered with the APBA under his favorite racing number 4. According to Charlie:

"The boat was not finished in time for the start of the season and Don was testing another boat and was injured and decided against coming out of retirement. The boat sold immediately to Hal Sahlman who raced it as Spirit and he sold it at the end of the season to Rocky Aoki who raced it as Benihana. The boat won the Bahamas 500 twice, the very last Miami to Nassau race, the Bushmills twice, The Stroh's race, the Hurricane Classic, and the Marina del Rey race while setting five new world speed records......it was a very special boat built for a very special guy."

PHOTO CREDIT: Historic Offshore Race Boat Association

As Charlie indicates in his thread, this special boat would be guaranteed to be the center of attention at any poker run or race gathering you would attend. The boat will come with a letter of authenticity signed by Aronow's son Michael, as well as many original parts including windshield, trailer, Kiekhaefer tabs, fuel fills, gauges etc etc. and more.

"The Engines and drives can either go with it, or repower it with something brand new like Ilmors...your choice," says Charlie. Whatever a buyer might choose to do, this is a real opportunity to pick up a piece of offshore racing history.

OPA Kicks off Great Summer of Racing at Ocean City

Summer officially arrives on Memorial Day weekend, and Ocean City MD is the first stop of the Offshore Powerboat Association’s (OPA) 2010 Offshore Racing Series - presented by Geico. This year's race will feature teams from across the country, a team from Qatar, and races by the Jersey skiffs and garveys — flat-bottomed boats that were originally designed for clamming. Over the years, thrill seekers have replaced the wood with fiberglass and now race the small vessels.

PHOTO CREDIT: Delmarva Daily Times

Last year, the racecourse was altered to move the action closer to the shoreline in order for spectators to get a better view. According to OPA president Ed Smith, it was difficult for spectators on the beach to see the races in 2008, so after visiting with the Ocean City representatives, one turn near 14th st. was moved closer to the shore in 2009. Now just 600 yards offshore rather than a mile out, it's much more spectator-friendly. The course is a total of 5.8 miles from 13 to 35th streets.

As usual, spectators will be able to view Sunday’s races from the beach, but for safety reasons, no one will be allowed in the water from Seventh to 22nd Streets from noon-12:45 p.m. and 2-2:45 p.m. Eight classes of boats will fight it out, with about 40 boats competing. Before the races, fans are invited to Sunset Marina in West Ocean City this (Friday) afternoon and all day Saturday to take a closer look at the boats and to meet the crews.

Run Through a Propeller Checklist to Ensure Top Performance and Safety

Springtime is the official start of the boating season and it's also a good time for performance boaters to run through a prop check list -- because the wrong or damaged prop can negatively impact performance, increase fuel use, and lead to potentially expensive problems at the worst time: while you're out on the water.

I'm especially aware of this because I have some prop issues of my own - some minor dings that I picked up - courtesy of some unseen rocks that I drifted into last year.

PHOTO CREDIT: www.boattest.com

“Even if you don’t suspect prop damage, you should check for it,” says Brett Anderson of BBLADES, one of the country's best known full-service propeller companies. “A ding or a dent – or worse – could have occurred when trailering the boat for the final time last year, while the boat was in transit or even in storage. Look for the obvious, and then look closer for cracks that may run through one or more blades.”

Anderson suggests a magnifying glass could help locate pitting or hairline cracks that could lead to bigger problems later. He also points out that over or under propping can not only affect boat performance but also fuel economy by causing an engine to work harder.

“High engine rpm that is the result of an inefficient set-up –how high or low the prop sits in the water, or the result of a high prop slip percentage, can often be corrected by changing to a propeller that has more blades, changing the depth of the prop in the water or changing the pitch, diameter or other prop geometry,” he explains. Anderson defines “slip” as the difference between actual and theoretical travel created by one revolution of the prop.

PHOTO CREDIT: www.boatsblog.com

Racers are always focused on the condition of their props, but sometimes the rest of us may neglect to consider the importance of the propeller that's on our boat. The propeller is the final link in the boats drive train, and is the piece of the puzzle that connects the horsepower to the water...so ensuring its proper care and performance is vital. Professional prop shops like BBLADES can help a boater determine prop slip over the phone in many cases, and offers test programs to help boaters determine the right prop and the right drive height.

For more information, contact them at http://www.bblades.com - or call them at 920-295-4435.

Gulf Oil Spill Can't Stop Smokin' The Sound OSS/SBI Races This Weekend

For the first time, the Offshore Super Series and the Super Boats International circuit will team up together to hit the waters of Biloxi, MI. Racing along the the eight-mile course will be nine different classes, including the always exciting Turbine Extreme and Supercharged.

“In the past, we’ve averaged between 28 and 30 boats," race promoter Rusty David explains, “with Super Boat International joining up with OSS, we now expect 40-to-45 boats."

PHOTO CREDIT: Sunherald.com

The exciting weekend is set to include spectacular parties, great local entertainment, and new for this year -- a Poker Run. One of the great features of this race is that no binoculars are usually needed to enjoy the action. Spectators can see all of the excitement up close at any of the premium or VIP viewing areas, which offer an awesome panoramic view of the 8-mile race course and Gulfport Lake.

While there's plenty of excitement about this early-season event, one big concern among the drivers has been the oil spill in Gulf of Mexico. According to David, a number of safety measures are already in place for Saturday and Sunday and no oil is expected on or near the track.

“We have been in contact with the racers every day about the oil,’’ David said. “Since Day One (of the oil spill) the race has been on and now the oil is further away from us."

Oil Hits Louisiana Marshes on the Gulf Coast

“We hope to get some national media down here to let the rest of the country know that our beaches are open and Biloxi is alive and well, he added. “The one thing we will do on Saturday and Sunday is move a boom that’s set up inside Deer Island before the race. We will do that before the boats are put in the water.’’

Useful Tips for Getting Oil Off Your Boat

Matt Trulio, former writer for Powerboat magazine, has posted some very helpful (and timely) guidelines for getting oil off your boat. Given the recent environmental disaster we are seeing in the Gulf of Mexico, it's some good advice, originally provided by the folks at Meguiars.

PHOTO CREDIT: www.examiner.com.

There are many performance boaters on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi -- not to mention Florida, which probably is considered the home of offshore powerboating. Considering the current conditions in the Gulf, it's almost inevitable that boaters will find oil residue on their hulls. Matt has sorted out the basics on how to handle the problem here.

Some Changes in the Works...and a New Offshore Season

First, my apologies to those who followed us last year and wondered where we went after last Fall. I will keep the explanations brief; an extended stint of unemployment made it easy to keep updated last summer, but really cut your Editor's boating time to the bone. Between work and family issues (and the fact that this site was generating no income) we realized that, late last year we had to take a break, since it wasn't feasible to maintain [B3] at the level we had been doing for most of 2009.

Now, I'm happy to say most of those issues have been resolved, at least to the extent that we expect to be able to put some gas in the Formula this year and hit a few spots--where we are looking forward to meeting some of our friends and talk about what we all love best...boats! Let me insert a gratuitous boat photo here, before I go any further...

PHOTO CREDIT: www.club175.com

You have probably also noticed that our site layout has changed a bit. We have been wanting to go to more of a magazine-style design, and what you are seeing now is the first stage of that changeover; we expect it to be complete over the next few weeks, so be patient. Unfortunately the new design has also had a minor effect on some of the older posts--this is most evident on videos we had embedded, but since new material will be designed to fit the new format, this won't be a problem as we move forward.

One thing I've observed over the past few months is that the offshore and performance boating press is really taking a hit. We saw Hot Boat hit the skids a while back, some other magazines have followed suit, and even the venerable Powerboat is getting smaller and less frequent in publication. Combine that with the miserable failure of the SBI/CBS TV deal last year and it's not looking good for those of us who like to follow the sport.

We'll do our best to help fill in the blanks as best we can and see if we can bring more people into the exciting world of performance boating. You can help us with your suggestions and even content, if you're interested. Feel free to drop us a line -- and stay tuned.