Help with boat history

[Mike Field]

Hi I am new to the fourm but not new to boats in general. I started with a seaflea when I was about 12 and have had boats all my life. I presently have a 16 foot Sidewinder SS, 3 small seafleas, 1 for myself and 1 for each of my boys, a recently restored Hal Kelly Jupiter with a KG7H and my latest purchase a boat and motor I need help identifying and getting some history on. I purchased the boat and motor in Montreal, Quebec about a week ago from a gentleman in his 60's. The boat was his uncles and he was left the boat and motor as an inheritence which he has absolutley no interest in. Apparently the boat hung on his uncles wall in the living room for many years and there were a couple of other motors that went to other relatives. The Uncles name was Marcel Maheu and apparently he was a racer but after checking with the APBA they said he was a crew member in 1985. The boat and motor are in incredible condition, really what a lot of people would class as a barn find and after talking to a few people they believe the boat to be a sidson or sid craft. There are no remnince of any racing numbers on the boat and I have taken a mirror to look around under the decking and have only been able to find a Weldwood plywood sticker. The motor serial number plate is from 1956 (non H) but the block is matching numbers from 1956. Any help in identifying or providing some history on this boat would be greatly appreciated.

I can take more pictures if needed.

Thanks
Mike

[Ron Hill]

http://www.antiqueboatamerica.com/Print.asp?boatid=31170

I did a Google search for Ogier Hydro and came up with the above. Seems Orgier also sold plans because the early Marcel Bellvue boats were Orgiers. It could have been that he had just seen them when he lived in Canada!

[Mike Field]

Thanks for the input. I did a search for Orgier and came up pretty empty other than what you had found. The boat in the picture is a wood deck and mine is cloth, do you know did Ogier make cloth deck boats as well? The boat has the APBA national champion decal on the front from 1985 is there any way to trace who owned and drove the boat or somewhere to find photo records. Unfortunately the APBA was unable to give me much information without the boats numbers. I would also really like to find out if the motor I got with the boat is the motor it was raced with.

[Ron Hill]

Thanks for the input. I did a search for Orgier and came up pretty empty other than what you had found. The boat in the picture is a wood deck and mine is cloth, do you know did Ogier make cloth deck boats as well? The boat has the APBA national champion decal on the front from 1985 is there any way to trace who owned and drove the boat or somewhere to find photo records. Unfortunately the APBA was unable to give me much information without the boats numbers. I would also really like to find out if the motor I got with the boat is the motor it was raced with.

Actually, there probably were more cloth decked Ogier Hydros than wooden decked. There were ads for Ogier Plans in some old magazines, I'll look around and see what I can see. Seems to me, someone up Canada way could tell us something about this boat. I quit Stock Racing in 1979 and raced MOD VP in OPC til about 1989. So, 1985 winner and me don't connect. Many people painted their Mark 30-h's and 55-H's black.

[BRIAN HENDRICK]

Ron; -you must be living right because you have a memory like a rat trap!
That is a design by Ray Ogier of Burlington ON
He built some, Ed Orsatti built more, and many plans were sold.
I built the smaller C in '65, and ran well with a FB Konig.
The plans catolog from '65 shows only a C and the DSH, [B or C alky]
both cloth decks, and a break in the bottom, which was one of the new features at that time.
The big ply cowl was also ditinctive;
They were fast, but 'docile', light, and took more skill than a Kelly to build.
I will see this one this summer, and hope to get some insite into its history
It certainly was not US1 in 1985.
Did Bellvue build in CA ?

[Ron Hill]

I wish you'd post the plans on BRF. Marcel built a ton of boats, really. I don't know how many, but he change the Ogiers along the way.

[Ron Hill]

Not a good picture, It's Freddy with the "Muffel" on his Konig, C-186. This think his steering pulley broke in the first turn and he totaled this boat. Marcel built him another one, though. "Orange" deck called "The Orange Blossom Special" .

Looks somewhat like an Ogier! This boat was 12"6" om 13 feet long. I borowed Norm Weiss's Bell Craft one time, put my "D" Konig on it and "HID" behind that big cowling, that boat smoked. If I had not already paid Ted May to build me a boat, I would have order a Bell Craft.

[BRIAN HENDRICK]

I wish you'd post the plans on BRF...

-the plans catalog was posted by 'smittythewelder' a while back;
http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/showthread.php?2733-Any-ideas-on-this-one&highlight=ogier

I must look up Marcel in FL. He would be just north of Tampa.
About two hours north of there, Yankee Town,
is another fast CSH builder and driver, Bunky Bowerman.
Says he has no time for racing as too busy harvesting his oysters.

[rumleyfips]

I remember that brochure; I must have had a copy 40 years ago. On the second page , the C or D SH on the inside looks like Jon Stone in a Coutts.

John McManus