By McKenzieDriftBoat.com
Does Anyone Know Who These Chuckle Heads Are?
WBP,
I was going through boxes of photos and ran across this one. Was wondering if anyone knew about the boat as well as the folks in the boat? I assume the boat is Martin Litton's second "Diablo Canyon" built by Don Hill? By the looks of the background, they are in a city park, lake or someones swimming pool...
I was going through boxes of photos and ran across this one. Was wondering if anyone knew about the boat as well as the folks in the boat? I assume the boat is Martin Litton's second "Diablo Canyon" built by Don Hill? By the looks of the background, they are in a city park, lake or someones swimming pool...
Tags: Canyon, Diablo, Litton, Martin, dory
Views: 62
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WBPDiabloCanyonDoryPool.png, 1.1 MB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Roger Fletcher on -
According to my interviews with Martin he met Keith Steele in 1961 when visiting the McKenzie White Water Parade. Litton commissioned two boats: one for Pat Reilly (Susie Too, the follow-up to Reilly’s Susie-R), and his own boat that he originally named the Portella, but later named Diablo Canyon (not to be confused with Diablo Canyon II, a boat built by Steele 12 or 13 years later). I have no idea who the folks are in the boat pictured. Perhaps Brad or other Colorado aficionados recognizes them. Given the hairdos I'd say we're looking at late 1960s or early 1970s photo.
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Permalink Reply by Brad Dimock on -
That's definitely Martin's old Don Hill boat. I think it ended up in Durango, and that might be where this is. That wouldn't have happened until the late 80s at the earliest--maybe the early 90s. Don't recognize any of the occupants. There is snow on the ground, which would not likely be Hurricane, UT, and the boat was originally painted and named there. So it must be later.
Martin's original Keith Steele boat was named after the valley where he lived--Portola.
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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on -
Ok I'm confused guys. The first Litton boat made by Keith is called the Portola-Diablo Canyon
Another Diablo Canyon (II) was made 12-13 years later by ? Keith Steele or Don Hill?
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Permalink Reply by Brad Dimock on
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Steele made the original Portola around 1962, subsequently renamed the Diablo Canyon. That boat eventually got retired and it pretty much rotted away in the back 40. Then, in the late 70s or early 80s, Don Hill built the beast in this picture, named the Diablo Canyon. In discussing the two, the suffix I or II can be used, but there was no II affixed to the second boat. It was, and is in most folks' opinion, too tall, making for an awkward rowing angle. Also, it's hard to get your beer off the floor from way down in those deep hatches.
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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on
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So, do you know the difference in the height between the Keith Steele version and the Don Hill version. I've heard the story over and over about a boat that is too tall. You can't wash your hands reaching over the side, yada yada. Tall seems good for really big water. I guess I'm asking two questions.
1. height difference between the two Diablo Canyons?
2. how high is too high?
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Permalink Reply by Brad Dimock on
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I couldn't tell you any of the measurements. I never measured the II, and the I was rotting away in the yard upside down by the time I showed up. That would be apples and oranges anyhow, since they were totally different hull designs. But I know Martin asked Hill to raise the sides a few inches. The result was having a pretty steep oar angle from oar to water, or having to use an oar that was way too long, or putting in such a godawful heavy load that you get the gunwales down to where they should be--either way, it's bad. And was bad. I ran a lot of trips along side that thing and the boatmen bitched a lot about it. I think Martin thought the high sides would be good in big water, as you say--and it did run drier than most--but he failed to take into account what that would do to the geometry of rowing.
That boat also had a 1/4" thick green plastic sheet screwed to the bottom to make it slippery. It ended up rotting the floor to pieces in a few short years.
I guess the answer to "how high is too high?" needs to be worked out as you design the boat. For a given beam of boat, there's an ideal oar length that, when exceeded, makes for difficult rowing, especially in big water. There's also an ideal height at which the oar handles sit in your hands when pulling a stroke--above your shoulders is way too high--belly button level is way too low. I like somewhere between nipple and shoulder level. And there is a weight limit for the boat that determines the height of the oarlock above the water--too heavy, it's a pig; too light, it's tippy and unballasted (in big water, that is). So you gotta juggle all that to decide how high to design your wall height and oarlock height.
I do know Briggs pretty much nailed it. Andy Hutchinson builds a lot of Briggs clones and he told me he doesn't like to raise the walls more than half an inch, as it starts to not work right pretty quickly.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Baker on -
I love this picture. You gotta love the retro stuff. Brad says it is later but that sure looks like late 70's stylishness. Looks like they are having fun anyways.
Mike
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Permalink Reply by Dave Z on -
Ha! they are definitely fashion forward! I want the sweater that dude on the left is wearing.
The dude on the right looks like Han Solo. hahaaha!
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Permalink Reply by Dave P on -
I don't know the folks in the pic, but the Diablo Canyon (II) is owned by Chris Berger in Durango. He, Andy Hutchinson, and I think one or 2 others restored her a while back. I boated the Salt in May with Chris, and was able to pick his brain about that boat and his other decked McKenzie boat he built (since I am in progress of building a decked Briggs style) . Great guy with a decent knowledge of Linton and early boat names, etc. I think the boat name list came from Brad.
I saw the 2 boats last November but my notes I took are too fuzzy even for me to read much less list here, and the batteries died in my camera. He did state however, he did enjoy rowing it, thought it handled just fine and he didn't think that it was problem at all to get a beer from the bottom of the boat. One man's opinion.
I hate to list another persons phone number, but if interested, I could give him a call and ask.
Great site, thanks for all the great info!
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Permalink Reply by Robb Grubb on -
David,
Great information! It is cool to know the boat is still afloat. Any information, stories, design lines, etc. you could gather (especially photos) of the boat to post is what this site is all about!
Post some photos of your contraption too!!
Cheers,
Robb Grubb
www.RiverTraining.net
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