About Us
Bob Conn
Bob Conn was the man behind Conn-Craft and was based in Miami, Florida. ConnCraft was already involved in flatbottom hulls and had two record setting hulls, Second Mortgage and Oh Mona Too in 1966. ConnCraft also built an E-Service boat named Gentle Ben that was the 1972 National Champion.
Thank you to VintageHydroplanes.com - https://www.vintagehydroplanes.com/boats/fiberglass/fiberglass.html for much of the information and pictures from the Phil Kunz Collection
More information about the history of ConnCraft can be found at https://www.vintagehydroplanes.com/boats/black_magic/black_magic.html
"My Bad Penny" F-13
Running in the 266 cu in modified F class in Miami, Florida 1963
"Miss Miami" E-3 Miami, Florida 1963
Miss Miami E-3
Miami, Florida 1963
Todd Bohnet of Wilson Creek, Washington restored the 1960 hull that campaigned as Miss Miami.
F-35 "Coffee Break" St. Pete 1972 (ex Miss Miami E-3)
You can see one (or more) of these Conn-Craft fiberglass hydros running in the 1964 movie, Racing Fever.
Also, one (or more) of the hydros was reportedly used in the marathon-type races held in Florida during that era.
The fiberglass E/F class hulls were heavier than the wood hull and were not really competitive. Only 3 were made. Word is one of them burned to the waterline. Two are left. These E/F hulls were 17' 3" LOA with a 7' 5" beam.
After these smaller hydros were made, the plug was extended to pull J and H class hydros out. Perhaps the thought was the smaller 17' boats were too heavy for the E and F classes and maybe the big blocks would be better suited to moving the heavier fiberglass hulls (vs wood). This is the early 60s and fiberglass was just starting to become a viable boat building medium and probably alot of fiberglass and resin was laid up into these old hydro hulls. They do have fiberglass wood main stringers in them just like most boats of that era did. If you look closely at the larger hydros, it appears that the hulls were extended in the back as there is some extra real estate after the rear colwing and transom that you don't see on the E/F hydros..
Miss Miami restoration
Miss Miami - This is a 266 class hull that is owned by Todd Bohnet of Wilson Creek, Washington. It is fiberglass and wood construction built by Conn Craft. Last summer, we started sanding on it and found the original paint job which was red with the bottom in black. The hull had all the gold scallops and lines still there. The name was still visible, as was the number and letter, it was the E-3 Miss Miami! We had David Williams from the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum look at it to make the verification. We are just finishing up the process in putting the boat in the form that it was in when it was in the 1964 movie Racing Fever. In the movie, the number was changed to F-3. The movie can be found at Movies Unlimited's web site.
The hull also had the name Ms. Right on it. The hull formerly was white/green with yellow bottom. It also campaigned as Coffee Break F-8. Wally Johnston had the boat for a short time in Montana.
Please contact me if you know anything about this hull's history.
Todd can be reached at (509) 345-0211.
Another raceboat we are restoring is One More Time F-17
© Todd Bohnet
H-99 "Caldwell's Caper" Harry Caldwell, Jr. O/D Miami, Florida 1968
H-99 "Hy Voltage" Jeffersonville, Indiana 1970
This boat is the former Caldwell's Caper" capaigned by Harry Caldwell Jr
J-99 "Flying Coffin" 1972
This boat is the former "Caldwell's Caper" capaigned by Harry Caldwell Jr as well as the former "Hy Voltage"
J-99 Miss Paducah Saint Petersburg, Florida 1974
This boat is the former "Caldwell's Caper" capaigned by Harry Caldwell Jr as well as the former "Hy Voltage" and "Flying Coffin"
J-99 Saint Petersburg, Florida 1975
This boat is the former "Caldwell's Caper" capaigned by Harry Caldwell Jr as well as the former "Hy Voltage", "Flying Coffin", "Miss Paducah"
J-6 "Crown Hobbies" Saint Petersburg, Florida 1970
(Click pic to see a larger resolution version and you will note the driver's cowling is molded into the hull)
Parked in the background is the other Conn-Craft hull, but she is running as the 7 litre, HY VOLTAGE
J-6 "Crown Hobbies" Saint Petersburg, Florida 1970
Contact Us
If you have a ConnCraft or know of where one is - please drop us a line.
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Conn Craft Boats
