Story and select photos by DinaRella / Additional photos courtesy of Ben Robertson, Allison Boats, Reynolds Racing & American Performance Media Video John Potts
Part One
What’s in a name? Absolutely everything when it comes to Allison Craft founder and Tennessee mastermind Paul Allison, his historic influence and his boundless innovations from raceboats to bass boats.
Never one to look for recognition or praise, Paul's graciousness is more admirable than his game-changing ingenuity, which far exceeds his life-long need for speed, as we quickly discovered during our special chat.
Having won more races, set more records, and seen his successful designs – most notably the cupped prop and padded V-bottom – materialize on boat makers hulls across the world, in the first part of our interview which took place at his amazing log cabin in Friendsville, we talk about the immense impact Paul's contributions have had in shaping the marine industry.
For the second part, the centenarian fills in the blanks about other facets of his life like having a hand in fabricating the atomic bomb; his unbelievable talent with a paint brush, and 77 years of marriage to his beloved wife Lucille.
Dina: 1. Tell us about your earliest days in boating and the transition from wood to fiber glass construction?
Paul: My favorite subject was always speed! In 1953, I built my first car using the salvaged parts of 20 autos. Then I started building wooden boats for fun. My little boats kept beating all the others. At the time, I was working in the autobody business, but everyone down at the river wanted me to build them boats. So, I decided to do it professionally. I started in the backyard with Lucille.
The first wooden Allison Craft was built in 1955. In the early days, you had to ship the resin cold. There was cobalt and hardener in it. You'd need a refrigerator truck to keep it freezer cold, so I didn't fool with it. Later, I found you could add the little bottles of catalyst to the resin when you needed it to harden and that's when I switched over. My first "high-performance" fiber glass boat was in 1961. That 14' screamer beat everything in its class.
The first wooden Allison Craft was built in 1955. In the early days, you had to ship the resin cold. There was cobalt and hardener in it. You'd need a refrigerator truck to keep it freezer cold, so I didn't fool with it. Later, I found the catalyst in little bottles and that's when I switched over. My first "high-performance" fiber glass boat was in 1961.That 14' screamer beat everything in its class.
Dina: 2. The cupped propeller changed the world of performance boating. How did it happen? And, what was Mercury founder Carl Kiekhaefer's reaction when he first saw it in 1962 at the Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami?
Paul: One day, I forgot to trim the motor up and accidentally scraped the prop from dragging it on the concrete. Not having time to beat it out, the next time testing, the boat ran faster. I knew if I could get the rest of the curl out, it would go even faster. Or at least that's what I thought. But that wasn't the case.
I actually lost speed. At the next race, I ended up outrunning someone that had previously beat me. Everyone wondered what I did? I told them how I damaged the prop. After fixing it, my speed went back down, that's when I realized it was the change in the trailing edge or from the cupping of the blades.
Carl Kiekhaefer was a genius when it came to building engines. When he first saw the cupped prop down in Miami in 1962, it blew his mind.
I had three boats in that race. A 14'8 with a jacked up 85 Merc, a 13 with a 50 Merc and a 14'8 flat bottom with a 65 Merc. We finished with two firsts and our single engine flat bottom came in second overall. At the end of six hours running five miles out of Biscayne Bay, we lapped the Mercury factory team 11 times and Jay Cox was 55 miles ahead in the 13 Allison.
Carl came walking over to where the boat was sitting with the motors out and said, 'You outran my splinters and I want to ask you one thing. "How did you get the motor that high?"
I said, I cupped the prop. Put your hand on it and touch it. Sitting down on the ground in his suit to check it out, Carl asked, "What do you mean? Why'd you do that?"
Motioning for his engineer Charlie Strang to come feel it, he replied, "I guess it makes it more efficient." Carl wanted to know why they weren't doing it to theirs, and he had Charlie draw on a piece of paper where it was to be cupped.
My son Darris said to me, "Dad, you made a propeller 20% more efficient, You made a boat run faster on the same rpm. Using the same gasoline, you get there quicker. You saved billions on gas all over the world with that prop."
Dina: 3. Tell us about that 1957 Nationals at Old Hickory Lake and the trophy from that day that sits on your fireplace mantel today?
Paul: I was thrown out three times from NOA (National Offshore Association). I was told I couldn't race anymore because my "little boat" would outrun the others and they were going to quit racing. I had a 40 with a 2 cylinder and ended up beating all the twin engine boats at the Old Hickory Lake Nationals. The sponsor Robert P. McCulloch gave me that trophy.
It was a perpetual trophy that had to be turned back in. The next year, they didn't have the race and the trophy was later purchased at an auction by a collector. My name was the only one on it. After he passed away, his wife reached out to my son Darris to see if he wanted it. Darris polished it up and restored it. He surprised me and gave me the trophy 60 years to the day of the race.
Dina: 4. The next decade, your padded V-bottom single-handedly led to the modern design revolution of a speedboat. Not only was the pad your trademark, Reggie Fountain gives you 100% credit for his offshore racing V-hulls and says you made the best on the planet. What first prompted you to apply a pad?
Paul: I would watch skiers and bare footers and the hydrodynamics of it all. I thought if you get up on that ski and run like that, just maybe putting one on the bottom of the boat would make it go faster. The problem was, it wouldn't turn, so I had to put strakes on the sides.
Reggie said for himself in the American Performance Media video that his ideas came from the 20 foot Allison. He used the padded keel and notched transom on his offshore boats so he could compete with the Cigarettes and Wellcrafts dominating Florida at that time. They worked to balance the boat and give the engine more leverage to carry it at speed.
Dina: 5. You introduced over "100 Boating Industry Firsts" can you tell us about some of your most memorable Allison Craft achievements?
Paul: I designed the first foot throttle with a hinge screwed to the floor and a wooden pedal. To return the throttle, I used a screen-door spring which let you have one hand free to control the trim. Then there was the hydraulic engine trim. To run wide open you'd squeeze the pump handle to trim out the boat. Holding onto the wheel with one hand, you needed to press the button to release the pressure to reduce the trim coming into the turns.
Like Richard Petty had a wing on his car, I added one on the boat. It helped to stabilize it and carry itself. At a race in Macon, Georgia, one rolled over and bounced back. "Oh that’s why they got that on there!," said a spectator standing next to me.
Benny Robertson raced that winged Allison. Nobody could beat him. He gone off and left everyone. They were all scratching their heads. "Who is that little boy? He's good," they said.
We were in Miami at an APBA race. There were about 300 boats and the first thing they said was "take the wing off." I was questioned at the protest, "Have they ever asked you to build a wing?" Yes, I said. "How much?," they asked. For 500 I said, which they thought was too much.
Mercury, Johnson, all the big factories worked for months at a time trying to beat that Rebel Hillbilly from down in Tennessee. That's what they called me.
Dina: 6. I hear there's a few car parts worked into the molds of the Allison Crafts?
Paul: That's right! I used the actual hood of an early 60s Buick with the pointed torpedo shape for the plug and it became the front of the boat. I really liked that style.
Then one day in 1969, my son Darris pulled up to the shop in his 63 Corvette. I knew it. There’s what I wanted. I said to him, I need to make a mold off these fenders right now. Darris replied, ”Whatttt?” And just like that, we turned them around and the front Vette fenders became the streamlined rear fins.
Dina: 7. Allison Craft designs that weren't patented began turning up on the competition worldwide, to the point, models were being named Tennessee Boats. Did this upset you?
Paul: Bass boat builders began borrowing the Allison Craft raceboat pads for their V-hulls. I didn't care what they did. I stayed busy outrunning everybody. Did you ever hear the expression, if you build a better mouse trap, the whole world will be knocking at your door? People always want what's best. And, if you invent a new one... you'll sell tons of them!
Dina: 8. Allison owners say their boats are in a class of their own. Tell us about the newer models since you gave your son Darris the company and he took over.
Paul: "Hand laid "means hand laid. Allisons require many more man hours than the competition. After each layer of composite materials, excess resin is removed. The Allison XB-21 became the world’s most efficient bass boat due to its maximum strength, light weight and lasting durability. Today the XB Series features the BasSport Tournament Edition, BasSport 2+2, and the ProSport 21.
We asked two renowned powerboat racers, which personally contributed to Allison Craft's string of firsts, for their input. Butch Jordan hit 101 mph in the first twin engine 18' Vee-bottom; and in 1976, Benny Robertson backed that up in a 17 XST with a single Twister 2X 2.0 Mercury V6.
Butch: He's the smartest guy I've ever known. His mind is unbelievable when it comes to engineering. I've watched him design boats with sticks and dirt in his driveway. In the early 70s, on foggy days, Paul would run the boats and watch the aerodynamics of how the fog came off the boats.
Ben: When I first met Paul, I was racing a Checkmate. Paul walked over and said, "If you had one of my boats you wouldn't lose." At the time, his boats cost $100 a foot. I bought a $1,500 boat and never looked back.
Back when it was normal to run 30 to 50 mph, Paul’s plywood boat with a 6 cylinder stock 80 hp Mercury become the first production pleasure boat to break the 60 mph mark. He was just a genius with everything he touched.
At 100 years old, he's still giving me the best advice. Just this week, we were talking about sanding boats and he gave me the idea to mark the highs and lows by spraying black lacquer, the way he used to do it.
While the competition was busy chasing their dreams... Paul kept himself busy creating the next dream for them to go chase! Apart from being moved by speed and making waves, his life's marvelous triumphs ripple through many other streams which he shares with RDP in the next part.
Part One
What’s in a name? Absolutely everything when it comes to Allison Craft founder and Tennessee mastermind Paul Allison, his historic influence and his boundless innovations from raceboats to bass boats.
Never one to look for recognition or praise, Paul's graciousness is more admirable than his game-changing ingenuity, which far exceeds his life-long need for speed, as we quickly discovered during our special chat.
Having won more races, set more records, and seen his successful designs – most notably the cupped prop and padded V-bottom – materialize on boat makers hulls across the world, in the first part of our interview which took place at his amazing log cabin in Friendsville, we talk about the immense impact Paul's contributions have had in shaping the marine industry.
For the second part, the centenarian fills in the blanks about other facets of his life like having a hand in fabricating the atomic bomb; his unbelievable talent with a paint brush, and 77 years of marriage to his beloved wife Lucille.
Dina: 1. Tell us about your earliest days in boating and the transition from wood to fiber glass construction?
Paul: My favorite subject was always speed! In 1953, I built my first car using the salvaged parts of 20 autos. Then I started building wooden boats for fun. My little boats kept beating all the others. At the time, I was working in the autobody business, but everyone down at the river wanted me to build them boats. So, I decided to do it professionally. I started in the backyard with Lucille.
The first wooden Allison Craft was built in 1955. In the early days, you had to ship the resin cold. There was cobalt and hardener in it. You'd need a refrigerator truck to keep it freezer cold, so I didn't fool with it. Later, I found you could add the little bottles of catalyst to the resin when you needed it to harden and that's when I switched over. My first "high-performance" fiber glass boat was in 1961. That 14' screamer beat everything in its class.
The first wooden Allison Craft was built in 1955. In the early days, you had to ship the resin cold. There was cobalt and hardener in it. You'd need a refrigerator truck to keep it freezer cold, so I didn't fool with it. Later, I found the catalyst in little bottles and that's when I switched over. My first "high-performance" fiber glass boat was in 1961.That 14' screamer beat everything in its class.
Dina: 2. The cupped propeller changed the world of performance boating. How did it happen? And, what was Mercury founder Carl Kiekhaefer's reaction when he first saw it in 1962 at the Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami?
Paul: One day, I forgot to trim the motor up and accidentally scraped the prop from dragging it on the concrete. Not having time to beat it out, the next time testing, the boat ran faster. I knew if I could get the rest of the curl out, it would go even faster. Or at least that's what I thought. But that wasn't the case.
I actually lost speed. At the next race, I ended up outrunning someone that had previously beat me. Everyone wondered what I did? I told them how I damaged the prop. After fixing it, my speed went back down, that's when I realized it was the change in the trailing edge or from the cupping of the blades.
Carl Kiekhaefer was a genius when it came to building engines. When he first saw the cupped prop down in Miami in 1962, it blew his mind.
I had three boats in that race. A 14'8 with a jacked up 85 Merc, a 13 with a 50 Merc and a 14'8 flat bottom with a 65 Merc. We finished with two firsts and our single engine flat bottom came in second overall. At the end of six hours running five miles out of Biscayne Bay, we lapped the Mercury factory team 11 times and Jay Cox was 55 miles ahead in the 13 Allison.
Carl came walking over to where the boat was sitting with the motors out and said, 'You outran my splinters and I want to ask you one thing. "How did you get the motor that high?"
I said, I cupped the prop. Put your hand on it and touch it. Sitting down on the ground in his suit to check it out, Carl asked, "What do you mean? Why'd you do that?"
Motioning for his engineer Charlie Strang to come feel it, he replied, "I guess it makes it more efficient." Carl wanted to know why they weren't doing it to theirs, and he had Charlie draw on a piece of paper where it was to be cupped.
My son Darris said to me, "Dad, you made a propeller 20% more efficient, You made a boat run faster on the same rpm. Using the same gasoline, you get there quicker. You saved billions on gas all over the world with that prop."
Dina: 3. Tell us about that 1957 Nationals at Old Hickory Lake and the trophy from that day that sits on your fireplace mantel today?
Paul: I was thrown out three times from NOA (National Offshore Association). I was told I couldn't race anymore because my "little boat" would outrun the others and they were going to quit racing. I had a 40 with a 2 cylinder and ended up beating all the twin engine boats at the Old Hickory Lake Nationals. The sponsor Robert P. McCulloch gave me that trophy.
It was a perpetual trophy that had to be turned back in. The next year, they didn't have the race and the trophy was later purchased at an auction by a collector. My name was the only one on it. After he passed away, his wife reached out to my son Darris to see if he wanted it. Darris polished it up and restored it. He surprised me and gave me the trophy 60 years to the day of the race.
Dina: 4. The next decade, your padded V-bottom single-handedly led to the modern design revolution of a speedboat. Not only was the pad your trademark, Reggie Fountain gives you 100% credit for his offshore racing V-hulls and says you made the best on the planet. What first prompted you to apply a pad?
Paul: I would watch skiers and bare footers and the hydrodynamics of it all. I thought if you get up on that ski and run like that, just maybe putting one on the bottom of the boat would make it go faster. The problem was, it wouldn't turn, so I had to put strakes on the sides.
Reggie said for himself in the American Performance Media video that his ideas came from the 20 foot Allison. He used the padded keel and notched transom on his offshore boats so he could compete with the Cigarettes and Wellcrafts dominating Florida at that time. They worked to balance the boat and give the engine more leverage to carry it at speed.
Dina: 5. You introduced over "100 Boating Industry Firsts" can you tell us about some of your most memorable Allison Craft achievements?
Paul: I designed the first foot throttle with a hinge screwed to the floor and a wooden pedal. To return the throttle, I used a screen-door spring which let you have one hand free to control the trim. Then there was the hydraulic engine trim. To run wide open you'd squeeze the pump handle to trim out the boat. Holding onto the wheel with one hand, you needed to press the button to release the pressure to reduce the trim coming into the turns.
Like Richard Petty had a wing on his car, I added one on the boat. It helped to stabilize it and carry itself. At a race in Macon, Georgia, one rolled over and bounced back. "Oh that’s why they got that on there!," said a spectator standing next to me.
Benny Robertson raced that winged Allison. Nobody could beat him. He gone off and left everyone. They were all scratching their heads. "Who is that little boy? He's good," they said.
We were in Miami at an APBA race. There were about 300 boats and the first thing they said was "take the wing off." I was questioned at the protest, "Have they ever asked you to build a wing?" Yes, I said. "How much?," they asked. For 500 I said, which they thought was too much.
Mercury, Johnson, all the big factories worked for months at a time trying to beat that Rebel Hillbilly from down in Tennessee. That's what they called me.
Dina: 6. I hear there's a few car parts worked into the molds of the Allison Crafts?
Paul: That's right! I used the actual hood of an early 60s Buick with the pointed torpedo shape for the plug and it became the front of the boat. I really liked that style.
Then one day in 1969, my son Darris pulled up to the shop in his 63 Corvette. I knew it. There’s what I wanted. I said to him, I need to make a mold off these fenders right now. Darris replied, ”Whatttt?” And just like that, we turned them around and the front Vette fenders became the streamlined rear fins.
Dina: 7. Allison Craft designs that weren't patented began turning up on the competition worldwide, to the point, models were being named Tennessee Boats. Did this upset you?
Paul: Bass boat builders began borrowing the Allison Craft raceboat pads for their V-hulls. I didn't care what they did. I stayed busy outrunning everybody. Did you ever hear the expression, if you build a better mouse trap, the whole world will be knocking at your door? People always want what's best. And, if you invent a new one... you'll sell tons of them!
Dina: 8. Allison owners say their boats are in a class of their own. Tell us about the newer models since you gave your son Darris the company and he took over.
Paul: "Hand laid "means hand laid. Allisons require many more man hours than the competition. After each layer of composite materials, excess resin is removed. The Allison XB-21 became the world’s most efficient bass boat due to its maximum strength, light weight and lasting durability. Today the XB Series features the BasSport Tournament Edition, BasSport 2+2, and the ProSport 21.
Setting the "Records" Bar
Allison Craft / Allison Boats Speed Records
60+ record in 1959
70+ record in 1962
80+ record in 1964
90+ record in 1968
100+ record (twin) 1969
110+ record (twin) in 1975
120+record (twin) in 1984
129+ record (twin) in 1987
Decades back it was stated by Reynolds Racing Marine that, "Allison's list of achievements could fill a book, but that there was never an end result – Paul's accomplishments were a by-product of endless R&D, testing and continual advancements." With that said, in wrapping up part one, to answer our final question: Why did everyone want a boat built by Paul Allison?Allison Craft / Allison Boats Speed Records
60+ record in 1959
70+ record in 1962
80+ record in 1964
90+ record in 1968
100+ record (twin) 1969
110+ record (twin) in 1975
120+record (twin) in 1984
129+ record (twin) in 1987
We asked two renowned powerboat racers, which personally contributed to Allison Craft's string of firsts, for their input. Butch Jordan hit 101 mph in the first twin engine 18' Vee-bottom; and in 1976, Benny Robertson backed that up in a 17 XST with a single Twister 2X 2.0 Mercury V6.
Butch: He's the smartest guy I've ever known. His mind is unbelievable when it comes to engineering. I've watched him design boats with sticks and dirt in his driveway. In the early 70s, on foggy days, Paul would run the boats and watch the aerodynamics of how the fog came off the boats.
Ben: When I first met Paul, I was racing a Checkmate. Paul walked over and said, "If you had one of my boats you wouldn't lose." At the time, his boats cost $100 a foot. I bought a $1,500 boat and never looked back.
Back when it was normal to run 30 to 50 mph, Paul’s plywood boat with a 6 cylinder stock 80 hp Mercury become the first production pleasure boat to break the 60 mph mark. He was just a genius with everything he touched.
At 100 years old, he's still giving me the best advice. Just this week, we were talking about sanding boats and he gave me the idea to mark the highs and lows by spraying black lacquer, the way he used to do it.
While the competition was busy chasing their dreams... Paul kept himself busy creating the next dream for them to go chase! Apart from being moved by speed and making waves, his life's marvelous triumphs ripple through many other streams which he shares with RDP in the next part.
