I built my first hydro at the age of 14. At 16 I started racing in the 92 mile marathons in class “A” stock while living with my folks on Lake Winnebago Oshkosh, WI. As I got heavier I moved into “D” stock, boat number D-88W. The last year I raced my boat had to be totally rebuilt. I was thinking there had to be a better hull material. After college in 1959 I was hired at the Mercury outboard Research Center working on their hydro which cranked out 117 miles per hour. After moving to MN with my wife I worked for Graco as a project engineer in Minneapolis and still thought about a better hull material. In the mid sixties a cross-link polyethylene was INVENTED. I tested this material and saw the strength as well as a molded memory. My thoughts went to a double wall with kiss-offs joining both walls in the molding process. No molder would quote any parts telling me it would not work.
I left Graco in 1972 forming a company as an Industrial Designing Engineer. I proposed my double wall concept to a company and we proved my concept would work. I ran a patent search, finally began developing designs for military and consumer boats which would reduce the G- loads and also be unsinkable. My patent was issued in 2002. My business hit the skids after offshore trading & 9-11 kicked in. I got on a military bid site looking for interest in my double wall hull. After years of talking I got a contract to build a test boat which is being tooled at present. FEA Studies were conducted dropping a glass and my rotational molded boat with inboard engine and jet drive from 15 feet at 21 mph. The glass boat was at 20-g's and my rotational double wall at 13 g's. This is a tremendous engineering breakthrough for reducing broken legs, ankles as well as back problems for boat riders. My crew tested the first 7-meter patrol boat rotational molded in a double wall with my patented hull structure in Oshkosh Spring 2010. We have started on an 11 meter with twin engines. I have written a book titled The Journal of a Business Man. I talk of my boat in my book (dancing to the music) crossing waves at high speed with screaming high RPM's.
The ONR and Navy joined our testing of the 7-meter patrol boat on Lake Winnebago Oshkosh WI during May, June, and July 2010. The hull, deck and all hatches are rotational molded in a double wall with my patent issued kiss-offs October 2002 joining both walls together during the molding cycle. Testing went very well in white cap conditions with a softer ride. In all water conditions the design of the chines as well as the hull profile handled like a dream. In a turn in light chop conditions I could take my hands off the wheel and the boat tracked whatever I had set up. The navy then tested the 7-meter on the east coast starting in late July to December 2010; the only comment back was that is one tough boat. I presently have two patents pending on a weight reduction suspension chair reducing the weight from 100 pounds to 30 pounds, and also a sliding truss design for larger boats. We are doing a design study on a 36' twin engine patrol boat using Cummins engines at 480 hp each in an advanced rotational mold boat. If the 36' boat moves forward a 60' inline rotational molding machine will be purchased which will allow molding of boats in a length up to 53'. Molding time for this size boat is around 4 to 6 hours. This is using the polyethylene cross-link material. After that turns out to be a success we would consider a 120' in line rotational molding machine. Molding time for a 110' boat will be about two shifts (16 hours). No other process will match this in time and cost to build.
Explore my website to view the 7 meter tool build and watch a video of water testing in Oshkosh WI which is my home town. You can also view my proposed hub site built in conjunction with an expanded airport runway here in Staples MN. My goal is to have everything in one location from engineering to testing the boat in heated water tanks, testing the engines, before final shipment by air, rail, or truck. My boat group consists of six people at present with several sub contractors. Stanley Widmer, Disabled Vet Small Business Defense Contractor.
