Jet Boat Parts

Crash sets back jet boat races, but boats back on Clearwater today

31.12.69

Mark Cromie, who was in the lead after the first three days of racing, won’t be on the water today. His boat, “The General,” is out of commission following a crash at Captain John Rapids during the first leg of Tuesday’s race. Spectators said Cromie, who runs in the Unlimited class with a helicopter jet turbine engine, was set up to take a line on the east side of the river but veered right and tried to cross some rough water to the west side. He and navigator Richard Maunder hit a roller wave at the bottom of the rapid, became airborne, slammed hard on another wave and then pierced the next wave like an arrow.

“He just went up in the air like this, came down and went completely under water,” said Jane Phillips of Lewiston while gesturing with her hands. “It scared me half to death. I thought they were both dead.”

Source: The Spokesman Review (blog)

Lakefront residents raise a ruckus over Juanita Bay party boats

31.12.69

Robert Pantley and his family like to go out in boats to fish, water ski, wakeboard and photograph wildlife.

But the party scene outside their Juanita Bay house bears little resemblance to Pantley's idea of what boating is about.

The screaming engines of speeding boats, throbbing stereo subwoofers, sexually explicit song lyrics — and at least once a live band — bombard his lakefront property on warm, sunny days.

"I've got a 12-year-old son, and I don't want him listening to it. If you want to listen to it in a nightclub, that's fine. If you want to do it at your home, that's fine. But don't make us listen to it," Pantley said.

"The music gets louder and louder and louder as the drinking goes on. ... If you have 100 nice days, you have 100 days of blasting music."

Source: The Seattle Times

Nightmare as man sees boat flip and brother drown

31.12.69

"I got him out ... and gave him CPR, but he had a large gash on his head. I think he had hit his head on a rock."

Unable to do anything more himself, he trekked about 2km in the dark across the waterways and rocks to get to a van the pair had travelled in. He then smashed the van window to get in and use a phone to call police.

Emergency services were called about 7.55pm, but after St John ambulance paramedics arrived, Leslie Stirling was pronounced dead at the scene.

"It's a nightmare, it really is," Dave Stirling said. "It just reminds you how short life can be."

Dave Stirling had only recently moved back to Christchurch for work from Whangarei, after an earlier stay with his brother for a few weeks.

Source: New Zealand Herald