There Are Powerboats Racing Up & Down The Hudson River Right Now

"Jonathan Harper" (jbh)
09/07/2013 at 14:53 • Filed to: Boatlopnik, jbh, Hudson River

I heard it before I saw it; a booming marine engine echoing off lower Manhattan's skyscrapers. Probably the fastest thing I've ever seen on the Hudson, and just after I shot the above video, two had lined up and were charging North on the Hudson at full bore.

If you're in NYC, and near the river down by Canal street, head over to the water, it's quite a sight.

Keep up with JBH on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

DISCUSSION (41)

kouryuuk > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 14:59

Your lens or sensor needs cleaning, you have two specks in the lower left hand corner.

BJDonnellan > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 15:24

Watch out for all the logs**

Jays81DMC > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 15:45

Looks like this was shot a block or so from my office. I'm over at 390 Greenwich. Looks like you were a block or 2 north of that. Great video!

Loping Camshaft > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 15:49

As much as I love cool cars and driving a good car, I love boating more. People talk about the "freedom of the open road" etc, but boating offers near ultimate freedom. No lanes, no speed limits (usually), no noise restrictions, open air etc. The only thing better would be to be a pilot. Dual-sport motorcycles and off-road capable trucks (i.e. Raptor) also have the right idea.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Loping Camshaft
09/07/2013 at 15:55

Now you just gave me a random idea - has anyone done a small boat using a street bike engine? I'd think the high-revving nature of a street bike would lend itself well to a small, light, but fast power boat.

All Motor Is Best Motor > BaconSandwich is tasty.
09/07/2013 at 16:12

I don't really think you want high revving engines for boats. In a car, it would be like cruising down the highway at 65 mph in third gear all the time. Not good for the engine. This is coming from someone who indeed owns a Sea Ray 180 recreational boat.

Wraither > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 16:15

come to cincinnati - either up or downriver and its just like that. pretty sketchy dangerous speeding amongst that traffic but I'm sure it's brakes are up to par.

TurboSloth > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 16:17

JBH are you watching from CCC or from the place you live? Either way, nice view.

Loping Camshaft > BaconSandwich is tasty.
09/07/2013 at 16:32

I'm just thinking through this myself, having never really thought about it either. I'm certainly no engineer and it would be great to play around with, but I don't think the high RPMs would be beneficial. Mainly due to cavitiation and wear issues.

You can only spin a specific prop (or impeller on jet drives) so fast before they create little vacuums of air bubbles which heat up and severely damage the prop. It's actually a really interesting subject. Some PWCs and most outboard engines have reduction gears to allow for strong low end torque but not turn the prop too fast (think low range on a 4x4). Other engines are designed to run 1:1 and use an engine's natural torque band over a relatively low RPM.

Most marine engines are designed to run for long periods at elevated RPMs or WOT. This usually means the RPMs are limited by quite a bit relative to the theoretical max. Bike engines are fine to run to 12k+ RPM for short distances, but you wouldn't run it at 12k for 2hrs on a highway cruise because you have a transmission, whereas boats usually don't. Some PWC (aka Jet Ski) engines are modified motorcycle or snowmobile engines. Race boats also use reduction gears. What RPM is best for the prop and engine depends on tons of factors, including intended use, weight of the boat, size and pitch of the prop, number of blades, torque curve of the engine etc.

All that said, I like where your head's at, and I'm sure it's been done to some degree or another, but it's not worth the hassle and besides, modern marine engines are pretty highly optimized for power and efficiency for the job they do.

TL;DR: no.

Hey Hardigree, I'm available if you wanna start Boatoplik. Just sayin....

Jonathan Harper > kouryuuk
09/07/2013 at 16:33

I know, it angers me daily.

Jonathan Harper > TurboSloth
09/07/2013 at 16:33

A friend´s apartment.

hatbob > Loping Camshaft
09/07/2013 at 16:50

I always found power boating sorta boring after a while. Besides the basics training you need little to no skill to go fast. You point it where you want to go and open the throttles. There is no sense of achievement, your just driving around. What can I do to make it more fun?

Sailing or kite-surfing or whatever has a sense of achievement when you get it right.

Whats the power boating licence requirement in the US? In Canada I just did a online test which was just ridiculous.

Busslayer > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 16:54

So is there a boat lap of Manhattan record? What kind of speed can you get in the Harlem River I wonder.

Goatsausage > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 16:59

wanna see the real deal take a trip down to st petersburg florida during the 'festivals of speed'. the whole month is chock full of crazy cool events almost all at the same time. everything from st pete grand prix (irl & alms races including drift) annual macdill afb airshow in tampa, APBA (off shore power boat races) in sarasota but all headlined by the annual Festivals of speed car / boat show, so much $$$ coolness crammed together will make your head spin.

techinsanity2011 > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 17:07

to quote one of the lines from my favorite games "You're crazy!

Kinja'd!!!

alan666 > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 17:09

poor video, this is more like it !

Loping Camshaft > hatbob
09/07/2013 at 17:18

I totally understand what you mean but there is more too it. The main thing of driver would be to optimize your trim angle. More trim will increase your speed and make the boat handle lighter, but if you're turning, you need to trim down in order to keep the boat "hooked up" to the water. If equipped, trim-tabs offer another degree of control. Granted on a glassy lake that's not all that big a deal, but if the surface is choppy, it takes a lot of concentration and good bit of skill to read the water and keep the ride smooth and fast. It's a constant balancing act between trim, throttle, and steering. This is why off-shore raceboats usually have a separate wheelman and throttleman. And remember 75mph on the water is a lot more interesting than on the road, again similar to high speed off-road.

Making it more fun is totally dependent on the boat, the environment, and potential activities. I do most of my boating on medium-size lakes in smaller family boats (current one is an 18ft Crownline) and PWCs. You can spend a bit of time jumping or surfing waves, you can have friendly races with other boats, you can closely follow the shoreline to allow for sightseeing for your passengers, or you can pull skiers or tubers.

Doing a good job pulling 2-ski and slalom skiers, barefooters, or even tubers can be a lot of fun and rewarding when you get it right. Slalom and barefooting especially require a lot of pre-vis, communication, and feedback from one another. It's pretty close a team sport.

Growing up, I had a jetski that I would ride while spending summers at my family's lake cabin. It was a relatively cheap Sea-Doo that topped out at about 45mph. I had it since I was 12 and rode it every day I could for at least 10 years around the same relatively small lake and never got bored with it. Only last year did the engine finally give out. It still feels like I lost an old dog.

kouryuuk > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 17:31

Yea, it was a cool video but my OCD instantly noticed it and freaked out.

hatbob > Loping Camshaft
09/07/2013 at 17:32

Each to their own I suppose. Towing skiers was grand and I didn't mind but it didn't have that same challenge as other things.

Sailing was terrifying and so bloody hard at times I got a lot more satisfaction from it.

So whats the story with licencing in the US ? I'm from Ireland and the course isn't difficult but its better than the crap in Canada. Maybe its because the majority is on lakes but it still seemed silly.

Loping Camshaft > hatbob
09/07/2013 at 17:58

I can definitely understand being rewarded by sailing. I'd like to try it out sometime for sure, but there is a lot to learn to be proficient.

Licensing? Ha! This is America! We don't have time for that! Kidding aside, most states do not require a license or certification if you are over 16 years old. When I started driving my Sea Doo, I had to take an easy 5-minute test by mail (I assume online now) because I was under 16. Some states have started to require all people born after a certain date to take a simple test to get a license.

And really the only things I've ever seen somebody ticketed for are speeding in a no-wake zone and driving too close to other boats and the drinking and driving laws are usually on par with the road laws (by BAC, I mean), though other people can drink on the boat.

As an aside, I've never driven a right-hand drive car, but I imagine I'd have a leg up on getting used to it as most boats here are RHD.

Kerberos824 > BaconSandwich is tasty.
09/07/2013 at 18:53

Sounds like a jet ski to me...

Intending_Acceleration > All Motor Is Best Motor
09/07/2013 at 19:23

You're right, generally speaking automotive engines aren't designed for full-throttle running much of the time. That said - lots of Subaru engines go into kit planes, and 7 Marine puts a Caddy V-series V8 into an outboard. There are modifications, of course, but it works, and the redline isn't changed by much. I imagine much of the modifications are simply making sure there's enough oil and water cooling.

Plenty of GM and Ford V8's are running around in decades worth of inboard motorboats.

jedimario > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 20:15

So this is ok, but street racing is not? The difference is pretty small...

Jefferz > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 20:20

Kinja'd!!!

jhawkmille > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 21:32

upclose vid

Bruce Bianchi > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 21:50

You should come up to michigan in st. Clair we have the power boat open here on the st. Clair river, and where it is the rivers not even a mile wide. This things are flying by at 100mph and it is mind blowing that something can go that fast on the water. It's a large party event here and goes for the whole weekend

12Valve > hatbob
09/07/2013 at 22:48

Kinja'd!!!

Boating is always fun. Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a jetski. And yes that is Ford Mustang Grabber Blue and I did that in my garage, rebuilt basically the entire ski. Bought the ski on a mans word that it ran for $200. Best investment evar. Also that pusher sea plane landed right next to me while I was jet skiing, thats always cool. Tandem skiing is always more fun than single.

MisterSlowCar > Jonathan Harper
09/07/2013 at 23:03

Probably twin 1000hp mercs with IMCO or such drives and possibly a canopy cat hull. Boat racing is no joke, they can go reeeeal fast if they have the right boat. I own an old racing boat and 70mph on water is insane, so 100-150+ is pure ridiculousness.

Zagato-Zee > Jonathan Harper
09/08/2013 at 11:42

Someone going for a Power boat lap of Manhattan in under 24 minutes - just so Afroduck's time is completely inconsequential now?

Zoom > Jonathan Harper
09/08/2013 at 12:24

I live near Lake Michigan, and the whole western side of Michigan has harbors where sights like this are a daily occurrence. Holland, Grand Haven, Traverse City, Grand Traverse Bay, Torch Lake, Charlevoix. I share your excitement for marine performance. But on the Hudson? Very Cool.

Chappy > Jonathan Harper
09/08/2013 at 16:55

Fastest I've ever driven a boat is about 115. Fastest I've ever ridden in was about 135. Boating at those speeds is a crazy rush; you're fighting against a dynamic surface, and every run you make is different. Slight changes in wind can lead to incredible alterations in the water and thus how you handle the boat. Overall, I feel like it's a much more exciting experience than driving a car at those speeds.

MrDude_1 > BaconSandwich is tasty.
09/09/2013 at 09:30

You're not the first one to think this. Sometime around 2002, Yamaha took the motor from their flagship superbike, the R1, and put it in a PWC. If you look at what is in the huge boat size sit on PWCs now, most have what you could consider marine superbike motors.

magman007 > Jonathan Harper
09/09/2013 at 13:41

Sounds like an off shore power boat. We went to the race here in Sarasota over the 4th of july weekend, and holy hell! We were fortunate enough to be on our friends boat, out in the thick of it, and each time 1 passes, its equivalent to 2 nascars per boat. Talk about eargasm!

magman007 > kouryuuk
09/09/2013 at 13:42

theres a 3rd one on the middle right.

Jonathan Harper > magman007
09/09/2013 at 14:14

Yeah sounded so awesome.

Unrelated; did you see the F40/F50 /DRIVE video? They totally had some drone shots :)

magman007 > Jonathan Harper
09/09/2013 at 14:35

Yes! I was so distracted by it due to my own ADD. I kept thinking, is that a jib? Jib on a truck maybe? No, that shot couldn't be done by jib, it has to be a drone! Then I kept searching for shadows (I didn't notice any) to find out what it is. I really want to find a way to transition from what I'm doing now, to doing that professionally. I cannot think of a cooler job then being chris harris's friend going all over the country side of england and europe, filming bad ass cars with bad ass drones. At least I can live vicariously through my customers.

Other notes, my co worker loved the M2 videos, and I caught your drive with Orlove, but didn't make it past 5 mins or so. No offense, commuting with you 2 around Manhattan would be fun, but you guys couldn't hear me talking through the computer screen, so I gave up. Still, thumbs up for science.

Jonathan Harper > magman007
09/09/2013 at 15:19

Cool thanks! And yeah, no offense taken, I've been meaning to look at the audience retention stats from that vid, I can't imagine anyone made it past 10 min or so.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > MrDude_1
09/09/2013 at 16:00

That's pretty cool. Has anyone ever done it with a rotary engine? I suppose fuel consumption would be a concern (as perhaps pollution?), but the power-to-size ratio would be interesting.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Loping Camshaft
09/09/2013 at 16:09

Thanks for the thorough reply. I hadn't thought about the cavitation issues. I suppose one could try to use more props (with a steeper pitch?) that turn slower, but I'm guessing there's regulations against that in most leagues.

Loping Camshaft > BaconSandwich is tasty.
09/09/2013 at 23:22

Yeah, who knows. It was fun to think through it; never thought about it before.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Loping Camshaft
09/09/2013 at 23:49

There's so many fun engineering things to think about. It's really a wonder I didn't end up going into engineering.