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Phil Bononcini
Webmaster:
Chuck Moore
This page updated on
February 28, 2008
NEW 24 FT JONES HYDRO WAS DELIVERED!!! We were able to race at Tri-Cities, Kelowna, and Seattle where the boat really proved to be a winner.
All efforts to make the Lake Sammamish race or our testing date of 6/11/98 have failed. The "pocket mechanic" will be the 1985 hull for this year.
Report from May 28th.
BOY HAVE WE BEEN BUSY....
Phil and Joe have been helping the team at Fab Specialties by transporting parts all around the puget sound. Parts to heat treat, parts to the machinists, parts to the oven,....
JOHN HOGAN owes us one. On Thursday we took his new Jones capsule up to the oven for curing. As soon as it came out of the oven (still hot) we brought it back to Fife. John is leaving for Michigan Saturday, with the new capsule to install it in his new boat.
Parts to the coaters, parts back to the machinist, parts parts parts everywhere.!!!!! The new boat is getting sanded smooth. There is still a lot of hardware to install, but Tom assures us he'll have it done by Monday, June 1st. I sure hope so.
Report from May 8, 1998
The new hull is really taking shape. Both sponson decks have been installed . They fit just perfectly. Phil was down at the shop Thursday to have the seat fit. Some adjustment was needed to make the required head room and leave enough room for foot pedals. The parts for the canard and the vertical tails are done. The roll bars have been installed. Looks like we'll be ready to go in one month!
Report from April 26, 1998
Tom has finished taping, the bottom, installing the leading edges, and drilling the hole for the shaft. The bottom has been faired and primed. The hull has now been turned back rightside up. Tom will focus on building all the metal parts for a few days. Both sponson decks have been returned from the oven in perfect shape. They are ready to go on. The new trailer bed in finished, painted, and installed on the trailer.
Report from April 17th
The structure of the hull's interior is complete.
All frame, spars, and backing for the rudder, strut, and canard are installed. The inside has been
primed with white primer. The hull has been turned over and all work is progressing quickly. The seams in the bottom are being
taped and sealed and the hole for the shaft is being drilled. While this was going on the first sponson deck was
laid up
,sent to the oven and returned. The other sponson deck should be done by Tuesday. Fabrication
Specialties is making every effort to get the new boat
in the water by the end of May. They have, sort of , set up two shifts with Ron and helper starting at 5:30 AM
and the second shift of Tom coming in later and working until 9:30 PM. We have taken the bed off of the old boat trailer
and fabricated a new bed to fit the new boat. This was aided by trailer plans supplied by Ron Jones.
Report from April 7, 1998
The boat has not been turned over yet. Work is progressing though. The deck molds are in the shop
ready to start the laying up of the decks. These will go to the oven as soon as they are done. The canard is also being molded as of today.
Ron is busy building the brackets in the sponson tips which will receive the canard spar. The capsule is fitted and in place. Tom says they should be able to get the inside primed and the boat turned over
by this weekend.
Report from April 1, 1998
The cameras have
been barred from the boat shop as Fabrication Specialties has declared the
new hull as a "BLACK PROJECT". You'll see no other photos until the deck is on.
The frames are all in as work continues on the rudder brackets. The
inside should be primed this weekend. The boat then can be turned over to
drill the shaft.
Report
from March 9, 1998:
TOM K. If you are reading this, get back to work!!!! Evansville is coming up. Checked out the boat today and IT'S A BOAT!!!! the sponsons and the bottom have been attached together. A novel method of marrying the parts has been used to make sure nothing comes apart.
The three main spars are installed as is the belly pan. Ron and Tom are busy fabricating frames and the interior of the sponson structure is taking shape. Looks like we will make our testing date of late May.
Report from Jan. 26, 1998:
Both sponsons have been laid up, vacuum-bagged and sent to the oven for cure. Other materials have already returned from the oven and are being cut out. The project is proceeding on schedule with Jones and crew cutting no corners. The result of their work
will result in the strongest, lightest hydroplane possible, using the best technology available.
Report
from Jan. 6, 1998:
"Joe and I visited the Ron Jones, Sr. shop today.
Progress is encouraging! The leading edges are done as
are the three composite spars (lighter for the same
stiffness as aluminum we're told). All the pre-preg is
on-hand and in the deep freeze. Pre-preg is fiberglass
which has the resin already saturated in it to very
accurate (aircraft) standards. The jig is in place, all
level and true.The honeycomb is there, mostly cut out,
and Ron has a lot of it beveled. The sponson molds are in
the shop and Tom is cleaning them to eliminate fairing
with lots of heavy fillers once the parts are popped out.
The seat is made but looks too small. I'm glad I'm on a
diet. So, this visit reminded me of why we ordered a
Jones: beautiful, quality workmanship."
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