Looking for pics of the Houseboat that finished the Bahamas 500

**JnT** · 05-30-2010 06:23 PM

I saw it in the last week or so but cannot find it now. Any help appreciated

**Ghost Rider** · 05-31-2010 02:16 AM

1967 Miami-to-Nassau Ocean Powerboat Race
Bulit by Jack Beacham of the " Lazy Days Houseboat Company and crewed by the Mother/Daughter team of Renee and Gail Jacoby.

The Following is an excerpt from Lazy Days History Website..

In October 1967 Lazy Days participated in the Miami-to-Nassau Ocean Powerboat Race. The 50' luxury houseboat was equipped with three air-conditioners, walnut paneling, wall-to-wall carpeting, a well stocked refreshment center and even an icemaker. Despite some problems with their engines, the houseboat averaged 20 mph during the 184 mile race. After the race, the Race committee performed a thorough inspection, concluded that there was no damage to the houseboat and awarded an "Ocean-Tested" seal of approval by the Bahamas Powerboat Association. Lazy Days is still the only houseboat manufacturer to have received this award.

The following June the 50' Lazy Days was selected to be the pace boat for the Bahama 500 ocean power boat race. The excitement started shortly after arriving at the rendezvous for the run from Miami to Freeport. Beachem had made arrangements for photographer Keith Heaton of Miami to take pictures of the Lazy Days playing "mothership" and towing race boats. Heaton had hired a helicopter for the assignment.

Once out in the ocean, they were in the process of rigging a tow for Wishnick's 32-foot aluminum race boat, when Heaton and his helicopter pilot swooped down to record Lazy Days' first effort as a triple-air conditioned tow boat. Somehow they failed to swoop back up again.

In fact, the chopper continued to descend, splashed in the ocean and sank in less than two minutes. Heaton, who had a heart condition, and the pilot, who could not swim, were tossed life preservers from the Lazy Days. One race boat crew member, Ed Sims of Atlantic City, N.J. and Beachem's 16-year-old son, Doug, dived overboard and helped the two airmen to the big houseboat. Meanwhile, using Beachem's Leica, Geer recorded the rescue on film.

Beachem notified the Coast Guard by radio. Dropping all tows, he headed for land to deposit the two wet, shaken airmen. Wishnick and Brown decided about that time that they'd better crank up and head for Grand Bahama under their own power, and waved goodbye in a cloud of salt spray. Donzi Blue Devil put out the anchor to await Beachem's return.

Around 5 p.m. . . . nearly four hours later than the plan called for . . . Lazy Days with Blue Devil in tow departed Haulover for race headquarters at Lucaya. They made the 96-mile trip across the Gulf Stream in 5.5 hours, averaging better than 17 m.p.h. in four to five-foot seas.

"At some point, the guys watching the Blue Devil were yelping for me to slow down," Beachem remembered. "The 28-foot race boat was jumping off waves just as though she was being driven. However they were worried we'd break a tow line, so we throttled down a bit just to keep our tow in the water."

Despite