What's the TRUE early history of jet boats?

[TPC]

I heard at the rumor bar that it all began in Northern California.

A gear headed boater modified a Berkley farm irrigation pump to a boat,, and the rest was history.
The pump was farm service in orig design, then bench modified.

Is this accurate? Is this where and how it all began?
Did it all start in North Cali with a farm irrigation pump, and a Sanger flat bottom,, and some garage ingenuity?

[DeltaSigBoater]

Jetboats were originally designed by Sir William Hamilton (who invented the waterjet in 1954) for operation in the fast-flowing and shallow rivers of New Zealand, specifically to overcome the problem of propellers striking rocks in such waters, although Italian inventor Secondo Campini had demonstrated a similar vessel as early as 1931 in Venice.

The difference between Campini's and Hamilton's inventions is that Campini's waterjet had a very short lifetime in operation due to some unsolved material problems. Hamilton, unlike Campini, filed for a patent.

Or at least according to Wikipedia :hmm

[TPC]

Then maybe Berkelys introduction came through farming first,,,

BTW, we need to put together a RiverDave listing in Wikkipedia.

[JBB]

Dumbasses.....Al Gore invented the Jetboat...:point

[RiverDave]

Dumbasses.....Al Gore invented the Jetboat...:point

That's what I was always told as well? :D

I saw an article on the 1st jetboat(s) once.. I'll see if I can dig it up.

RD

[Mandelon]

Why did you bury it? :D

[Racey]

Jetboats were originally designed by Sir William Hamilton (who invented the waterjet in 1954) for operation in the fast-flowing and shallow rivers of New Zealand,

Sir William Hamilton <---A cousin of mine from my mother's side of the family (she's a New Zealander). Your post is pretty much in line with the way i know the story.

[mbrown2]

Jet Boats were created in Mesopotamian around the 4th millennium B.C. Up until the creation of the Jetboat the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia housed some of the world's most ancient flattest open waters.....once these jet boats were created and targeted at the single rider it was the demise of civiliation as we know it. :)

[Wheeler]

Jet Boats were created in Mesopotamian around the 4th millennium B.C. Up until the creation of the Jetboat the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia housed some of the world's most ancient flattest open waters.....once these jet boats were created and targeted at the single rider it was the demise of civiliation as we know it. :)

I heard it was much earlier than that. Here you will find proof that Neanderthals drove jet boats. :D

[milkmoney]

jesus wheeler, you stalkin me today...:D

[Wheeler]

jesus wheeler, you stalkin me today...:D

I bet you never thought that your jet boat day's would come back to haunt you. :D

[milkmoney]

I bet you never thought that your jet boat day's would come back to haunt you. :D

lol... i actually miss that boat, it was a nice winter boat for parker..:thumbsup:D

[Wheeler]

lol... i actually miss that boat, it was a nice winter boat for parker..:thumbsup:D

How did you get the roost so big? I thought it was a BFH when I first saw you coming up the river! :p

[milkmoney]

How did you get the roost so big? I thought it was a BFH when I first saw you coming up the river! :p

secret...:p

bfh=big fat hemi...:D

[twocents]

Berkeley Jet was really responsible for getting the "Jet Craze" started in recreational boats back in the very early 1960s. And yes, before they developed the Berkeley pump for boats, they were very much in the farm/irrigation pump business. Some of the earliest installs went into Stevens and Sanger flatbottoms and Glastron vee-bottoms. I bought my first jet in 1964 from Dick Schuster at Tahiti (16-foot). Dick Clark was the western sales rep for Berkeley at the time and did a great job convincing west coast boat builders to try jets. The Berkeley Jet Drive company was a pleasure to work with -- Glenn Chambers was their Sales Manager and Ralph Rhoda was their chief engineer. The two couldn't have been more supportive or helpful. Rhoda really understood pumps and fluid dynamics. Their business was booming until late 1973 when the first U.S. gas/energy crisis hit.

[RiverDave]

I swear Bob, I'm going to take all your posts and make a boating history book one of these days..

[twocents]

Funny you should mention that, somebody asked me just the other day about a "history" book. Maybe someday. A couple of other quick notes (possibly of interest). Dick Clark also drag raced for Berkeley and Tahiti in the mid 1960s -- his boat (another 16 foot Tahiti called the "Hairy Canary") held the jet record at just over 79mph for awhile with a Hayden Proffitt (famous land drag racer of the '60s) built 427 Chevy. My Tahiti finally upped the NDBA jet record to just over 80mph, but it lasted only about 3 weeks. A 17-foot vee-bottom Schiada with twin freight-trained 327 Chevys and a single pump went 82+mph. We had the first Berkeley "droop snoot" ever made -- it wasn't cast or molded, it was cut and welded sewer pipe -- we filled and contoured the inside sharp angles of the "snoot" with bondo to smooth out the flow. Back in the early to mid-1960s, the jet industry was in such infancy that when I bought the 16 Tahiti from Schuster, Tahiti didn't do their own pump or motor installs. Instead, I trailered the hull with upholstery down Bellflower Blvd. a couple of blocks to Jerry Wreidt's place and he did the rigging. If Dick Clark sounds familiar, he later made a name for himself in offshore racing in the 1970s and 80s as a navigator for several of the top open class teams. I believe Dick is back in Southern California now, living in Dana Point.

[Vmjtc3]

I heard at the rumor bar that it all began in Northern California.

A gear headed boater modified a Berkley farm irrigation pump to a boat,, and the rest was history.
The pump was farm service in orig design, then bench modified.

Is this accurate? Is this where and how it all began?
Did it all start in North Cali with a farm irrigation pump, and a Sanger flat bottom,, and some garage ingenuity?


Oh it all started in Northern California all right!!!

Just a little south west of Berkley :gayfight

[skiracr]

Funny you should mention that, somebody asked me just the other day about a "history" book. Maybe someday. A couple of other quick notes (possibly of interest). Dick Clark also drag raced for Berkeley and Tahiti in the mid 1960s -- his boat (another 16 foot Tahiti called the "Hairy Canary") held the jet record at just over 79mph for awhile with a Hayden Proffitt (famous land drag racer of the '60s) built 427 Chevy. My Tahiti finally upped the NDBA jet record to just over 80mph, but it lasted only about 3 weeks. A 17-foot vee-bottom Schiada with twin freight-trained 327 Chevys and a single pump went 82+mph. We had the first Berkeley "droop snoot" ever made -- it wasn't cast or molded, it was cut and welded sewer pipe -- we filled and contoured the inside sharp angles of the "snoot" with bondo to smooth out the flow. Back in the early to mid-1960s, the jet industry was in such infancy that when I bought the 16 Tahiti from Schuster, Tahiti didn't do their own pump or motor installs. Instead, I trailered the hull with upholstery down Bellflower Blvd. a couple of blocks to Jerry Wreidt's place and he did the rigging. If Dick Clark sounds familiar, he later made a name for himself in offshore racing in the 1970s and 80s as a navigator for several of the top open class teams. I believe Dick is back in Southern California now, living in Dana Point.

:thumbsup:bowdown::thumbsup