Jean Batronie |
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Jean Batronie Vintage Restoration
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This boat was driven by John Shewbrooks and Unlimited racing legend Andy Coker.
This is a photo of the boat as it was discovered in a warehouse. The boat had appeared on eBay. Apparently, it was abandoned in the warehouse. When the warehouse was being sold, the developer or real estate agent was tasked with selling off the items in the building. I provided some information that was used on the eBay listing. The boat generated a great deal of interest on the vintage web site. This page will be used to talk about the
restoration of the hull. Jean plans to complete the project in
A little history on this boat follows based on my memory. This may not be exactly correct. The best I can remember, my Dad Jack Shewbrooks designed and built this hull around 1979. It was primarily built for Lake Maggorie in St. Petersburg, Florida, where we raced frequently. The boat was 16' 6" long and was about 8' wide. It was built with marine fir plywood ribs, spruce, and marine mahogany plywood. The cowlings were from Jon Staudacher. The boat had shallow sponsons. It was first built with a very shallow shaft angle and a belly pan. That did not work well and was later removed. Once the belly pan was removed, the boat ran well. It was powered by a Chevy II 4 cylinder engine. The boat ran excellent in St. Pete. It was a smooth stable ride. The boat pretty much turned itself. It won some trophies over next several years. At some point, Dad retired from his job and the boat I lost track of Art and the boat. I was shocked to have heard that it was for sale on eBay. I can't wait to see the boat again. The restoration has begun with the removal of the damaged side and wood has been ordered. This is how things looked in early January. The status of the project will be updated as the work progresses. Well, here it is, mid January. Jean continues her restoration work. She has removed decks and can see the condition of the hull. It looks to be solid. The construction technique of the hull is rather simple. It would be interesting to know the weight of the hull when restoration is complete.
Progress continues on the restoration. Jean flipped the boat February 3, 2007, to replace the bottom. She built a rolling table for the boat and is sending the trailer for rebuild. At this point in the project, Jean's two sons are getting a workout helping with the restoration. The pictures below show that the hull is solid and new skins will preserve the boat for decades to come. The new wood is on order and will be installed soon. Jean is focused on being ready for the Gold Cup in July.
Jean continues to impress everyone with her woodworking abilities. It is equally impressive to see how she gets so much work done. For those who have done this type of work, you can see the tremendous effort that is taking place here. The following photos show plywood being applied to the hull. Keep up the great work Jean.
Jean is still after it in a big way. She is now well ahead of schedule. She has 800 stainless steel screws in the bottom. The boat will be righted soon for hardware installation and new decks. Keep up the good work Jean.
The boat continues to come to life. Jean is several weeks ahead of schedule. Decks will be on soon and hardware installation will begin. Congratulations Jean on a fine job.
Jean continues to make excellent progress on the hydroplane restoration. Decks are on and the boat has been accepted to participate in the vintage Gold Cup event in Detroit in July! Jean is remarkable at restorations. Jean has taken this very old boat and made it look like the day it was born. The entire Batronie family will be in Detroit having a great time. The boat's former driver, John Shewbrooks will be in Detroit as well.
Jean continues to make excellent progress with the restoration. Stain is on, varnish is being completed. The boat will be turned over soon to begin installation of hardware. Note the flame pattern in the stain. This is a neat look.
Well, here is what she looks like now. Awesome. The engine work will begin soon:
The boat is looking more like a finished product all the time. Jean picked up the motor and has begun installation. The following photos show current status.
Jean's project is now nearing completion. The boat looks great. The following pictures show the boat fitted with a new dash.
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Jean Batronie bought Jack Shewbrooks' hydroplane on eBay. A little history
on Jean, she was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan therefore she grew up
loving hydroplanes. She owned a marine refinishing business and because of
her love for the hydroplanes bought 2 classic unlimited hydroplanes Miss
Liberty and Gale V. Jean plans on restoring Jack Shewbrooks'
hydroplane A76, named Hi Mom.
time
for the Gold Cup in Detroit mid summer. We wish her luck on the
project. I plan to travel there to see the finished project. 
was sold to Art Bozarth Jr., down in Florida. I recall seeing the
boat run on ESPN television a few times with Andy Coker driving. It
ran well and may have won a few times.
I
think Jean is doing a great job on this project. I had my doubts
about this boat being ready to display or run at the Gold Cup.
These pictures remove any doubt. It would make a nice display even
without the motor. This boat represents a very important part of
Inboard Hydroplane racing. This boat is a good example of the home
built hulls during the era. This boat was the last of many home
builts by Jack Shewbrooks. When this boat was built in the early
1980's, most boats were being built by Jon Staudacher, Ron Jones, and
other builders. The days of home built boats had nearly come to an
end. Jean is the "real deal". It is fitting that such a good
job is done on one of the last totally home designed and home built boats
that raced the circuit.
