The racing lobster boat CRY BABY, powered with a 6-cylinder gasoline engine, showing her transom to Lindsay Durkee’s BLACK DIAMOND, which was powered with a V-8 454. [Photograph by Lindsey Strout]
By Jean Dubuc & Bruce LePage
The recent photos and complimentary articles in “Maine Coastal News” about the racing lobster boat CRY BABY really warmed the hearts of her builders Jean Dubuc and Bruce LePage – now 83 years old – inspired us to write the story of the CRY BABY.
Bruce grew up in Falmouth and fished lobsters while attending high school and college, first from a skiff he and his dad built, and later from a 28-footer with a Ford flathead engine. He went on to a career as a high school math teacher.
Jean vacationed at the coast as a boy and always admired lobster boats. When he returned from Vietnam he rewarded himself by buying a piece of junk lobster boat which provided him an education on just about everything that could go wrong with the boat. He completed a 40-year career with Johns Manville as the Plant Engineer in Lewiston.
We were neighbors and friends since 1979. At one time we worked together to build a 16-foot John Gardner designed semi-dory and discovered that we could work very well together. Over the years we thought that when we retired we could build a big skiff, and fish a few traps for fresh air and exercise, and make a few bucks! Fast forward to the late 1990s-we were both retired and faced with the realization that the system was rigged so there was no way in hell that “outsiders” like us could ever get lobster licenses. Jean said to Bruce, “You have lots of boat experience and you know woodworking. I have been around auto racing half my life and know how to design things. We know we work well together. We can’t fish with these people but we can still race against them. What do you think?” Bruce said, “Let us do it!”
THUS BEGAN THE STORY OF THE “CRY BABY”
We studied racing results to learn what boats went how fast in the various classes. We attended some races to get a feel of what went on. We hooked up with Al Strout, an old friend from sports car days, who was racing KELIN at the time, and got a feel of what a racing lobster boat was like. We decided that a small boat, which could be trailered to the races, would be most practical and affordable. We also decided that the six-cylinder gas class would be a good fit since no one was competing regularly in that class. If we were no good, nobody would notice-if we were fast we would not be stepping on anyone’s toes (we were not figuring on “Free for Alls” at the time).
We felt that a small, lightweight boat, powered by a big race tuned six-cylinder gas engine, should be able to exceed 30 miles per hour (in its final form CRY BABY could go 33-34 miles per hour.)
Making a boat with a conventional hull design go fast is not magic. You need a wide flat planning surface aft, minimal underwater interference, and lightweight. Bear in mind that CRY BABY was not a lobster boat – she was a fast boat that looked like a lobster boat, the way a NASCAR racer looks like a passenger car. All she had to do was to go fast in the relatively calm water of harbors. She did not have to deal with rough or following seas, handle loads of traps, or take the beating of a working lobster boat. We figured that it was just as easy to build a good-looking boat as an ugly one. We did a lot of sketching and determined that we could make a 25-foot boat look like a scaled-down 30-footer rather than a stubby 24 footer. The trunk cabin could be kept low since there were no accommodations and the shelter could be kept lower than normal since neither one of us is very tall. We built a half model and shaped it until we were pleased with its appearance. At this point we were faced with the harsh reality – how do two amateurs actually build a real 25 foot boat?
We visited several boatbuilding shops and met a number of interesting individuals, every one of them respectful and helpful in their own way. We hit the jackpot when we met Walter Greene, builder of world-known sailboats. He sat with us, sketched and explained the way he built his hulls. It is simple, straight forward and generates a minimum of wasted material. Building the hull upside down you hang plywood “perimeter frames” developed by cutting the half model in sections, tracing on graph paper and scaling up directly on the plywood-interlocked with 2x fore and aft stringers. The perimeter frames were half inch plywood. The 2x lumber made up four vertical supports. The two center were quite tall. They supported the working platform and continued through the bulkhead to become motor mounts. The outer two were 2x4s supporting the platform and ended at the bulkhead. Down in the cabin we laminated plywood material extending forward of the motor mounts and curving to a point to support the perimeter frames where the hull narrowed toward the bow. This assembly is bolted to stands and basically covered by nailing and gluing cedar strips to it. On the big flat triangle that made up the planning surface on the aft half of the bottom, we used 1×6 boards. From there we use cedar strips 1 inch wide x 5/8 inch thick.
The full-length keel required by racing rules presented a challenge. We built a truss-like structure of oak above and below the fiberglass shaft tube. We ground the sides of the tube flat, as much as we dared, to keep the keel narrow. The sides of the keel were covered with 3/8 inch Marine Meranti plywood and scalloped out ahead of the propeller in an attempt to stream-line the water flow in that area. The outside of the hull was covered with two layers of 6 ounce fiberglass cloth in epoxy resin. At that point we flipped the hull over onto a cradle. The inside of the hull, frames, stringers, etc. were covered with 18 ounce stitched-mat in polyester resin. The platform, decks, cabin and shelter were built in a rather conventional manner keeping everything as lightweight as we thought we could. The shelter was too high on the boat to build it inside the garage so it was built separately and bolted onto the boat outdoors.
The two common six-cylinder engines were a Chevy 292 and a Ford 300. Knowing that 292 Chevys were used in lobster boats and that they shared some parts with very common small block Chevy V8s, we chose that motor and were able to buy one from a gunsmith in Norway, Maine. We found a Clifford racing intake manifold in “Uncle Henry’s” and located a set of exhaust headers used in the old six-cylinder charger class race cars. To obtain hardware components we found a derelict lobster boat and a rundown Downeast cruiser in a field in Naples, Maine. The property owner said that they had belonged to a deadbeat tenant who abandoned them when he skipped out. We could have anything off the lobster boat if we got it out of there. We cut it up, salvaged the pot hauler, steering controls, gear, shaft, etc., hauled the rest of it to the dump and cleaned up the area real well. The man was so pleased he told us to take whatever we wanted off the other boat. So, we grabbed another velvet drive, shaft, and propeller. The Olds’ engine was junk and the gear was no good but the gear from the second boat was good and used in the CRY BABY her whole entire career. We sold the hydraulic trailer. To avoid the complexity and weight of the hauler but stay within the rules we used the old system of a belt driven pulley off the front of the engine turning the shaft to a capstan. (Yes, yes, yes, we all know what it is really called.)
We built the trailer out of square and rectangular tubing. The only unique feature was the towing draw-bar which we could extend ten feet to get the trailer deeper into the water during launch and retrieval. We used house trailer axles and wheels. The magnetic brakes were a maintenance headache-we seldom returned from a race weekend with all four working. We added grease fittings to the hubs to keep water out of the bearings. At the end of each season, we had to remove, clean and re-lubricate the bearings because water always got in. When we were building the second boat we decided we were going to buy a real boat trailer.
When the time came to launch the boat for “sea trials” we brought it to Lake Auburn. The first thing we did was mark the waterline. Not knowing where it would end up, we had not painted it. The boat floated dead level on the design waterline! Beginners luck? We pulled away from the dock, warmed up, opened it up, went over 25 miles per hour – over-revved the motor and spun a rod bearing. We had hoped to make the last races of the 2004 season but now we had to remove, rebuild and replace the engine instead. It was obvious that the boat had potential so we decided to get serious with the engine. We approached Bob Bailey and Cundy’s Harbor – a well-known builder of racing engines, notably the one in VOOP. He said he wanted nothing to do with our project in no uncertain terms! When we asked if he could recommend another engine builder he referred us to a young man in Richmond. The next time we met Bob Bailey was at a Boothbay race. He was with the Engerts at the dock where we had our trailers. THUNDERBOLT had retired with engine trouble and CRY BABY had just won the Free for All. We have since learned that Bob is a pleasant and accommodating guy – (just not with us, we guess). Sharing the same building with Bailey is the shop of Mark Lucas who specializes in marine gears. He was exceptionally helpful to us on a number of occasions.
The shop to which we were referred was doing so well rebuilding automotive transmissions that they were not doing engine work. However, there was a man in Richmond who was a retired Coast Guard man, in not very good health, who did engines, and said he could come in and use his machinery. What a stroke of luck! This man had specialized in building six-cylinder racing engines for the old “Charger” class stock cars. He did our engine promptly, at a fair price, set up and clearanced for racing. In her whole career CRY BABY never had an engine issue! In its final form the engine had an Iskendrian cam, solid lifters, cylinder head with oversized intake valves – racing springs – milled .090-inches, hi-volume oil pump, Clifford aluminum racing intake manifold, Holley 500 CFM-4 barrel carburetor, and exhaust headers. A stock 292 has 165 horsepower. We estimate our motor had about 225 horsepower. We ended up running a 17 x 19 inch propeller with a medium cup and ran at 5000 RPMs. As we made improvements over the years at some point the propeller was 17 x 17 inch and we were buzzing the motor so we added pitch and cup. At Lake Auburn, the first time the throttle was opened up, there was a horrendous screeching and thumping noise. The increased effort to turn the prop was too much for the old bronze shaft we salvaged from the old cruiser and it twisted. Since it was under compression the twisted area expanded about 1/8 of an inch – right inside the rear cutlass bearing, turning the rubber to charcoal. A new steel shaft and cutlass bearing, and we were ready to go racing again.
CRY BABY made her debut in Boothbay in 2005. The day before the races we called up Clive Farrin to make sure about launching, parking, and docking, and sign-up procedures so we would not get off on the wrong foot and be a nuisance. Clive patiently and politely dealt with our concerns. He asked if we had a full keel and hauler. Years later we learned that after that phone call he put his head in his arms on the desk and said “Now I have heard it all. Two f***ing dubs from Lewiston think they’ve built a lobster boat and want to come race with us.” When we arrived and tied up the boat we received a lot of attention. We treasure a photo of us talking with Glenn Holland on the boat. We remember the look of surprise on the face of Jon Johansen when he came aboard and felt the boat move when he shifted his weight. Our performance on the race course brought immediate success in our class which had practically no other entrants. We also regularly placed in the money in the Free for Alls, since it was uncommon for more than one or two of the really fast boats to show up – and they often had problems. The first time we had one a Free for All was at Searsport. Galen Alley in FOOLISH PLEASURE ran side-by-side with us to make us look good. When we got near the finish he opened it up, blew something in the drivetrain and went dead in the water. We sailed on to win. We went on to win other Free for Alls over the years, but that one was the most fun! One time, early in our career, in Friendship there were several boats in the small block V-8 class. The race director was evidently not familiar with us yet as he politely asked us to run in the race with the small blocks saying we would be credited with our class when and requested that we run on the side and stay out of the way of the other boats. Naturally we went out-stayed out of the way by leading all of them down the course.
Shortly after we started racing, we met Chris Smith who now races the MISTY. We had taken on the unenviable task of trying to make a Repco 30, named LINDA CAROL go fast. The Repco hull – one of the very first fiberglass hulls [produced by his relatives] – has a lovely sheer line but is very heavy and pathetically narrow in the transom. We usually ran against him and had about a two miles per hour advantage. We became friendly rivals and later on good friends. For several years we would both make improvements during the winter and emerge the next season both faster, but we maintained the slight advantage. He keeps a ruined piston in his shop as a memento of one of these attempts. The CRY BABY was uncontrollable in wind and choppy water. Chris took great delight in beating us when this happened. CRY BABY had an evil habit – usually in a crosswind – of heeling over and seemed to sail on its keel and start to go in a circle. The steering wheel input did nothing – only slowing down would correct the situation. This actually occurred once during a race at Pemaquid. The addition of tiny lifting rails recommended by Glenn Holland made a major improvement. We first ran the boat with the rails at Richmond with Chris Smith aboard. We were congratulating ourselves on how safe and stable she felt. Chris said, “If you guys thought that was safe and stable, I cannot imagine how it was before!” This would not occur in a lobster boat that had three times the weight and one third the speed.
Over the years we kept careful records of construction cost, and maintenance, as well as all the expenses associated with the race days. Each year we added up race expenses versus race winnings. Every year except one we earned money – that year we gave away two traps to young friends – that we would normally sell – and lost $11 from that season. When we sold the boat each of us earned about $4000.
The CRY BABY provided many wonderful experiences and memories – from the satisfaction of designing and building a successful boat, to the fun of racing, to the great characters we met, to some memorable experiences. That is about all of the CRY BABY story, but let us recall some of our favorite memories:
One day after the Searsport race, Steve Johnson and his crew needed a ride back to their motel. We had no room in the truck so they rode in the boat from the harbor, right down Route 1 to the motel, in Sunday holiday traffic.
While we were getting the boat and trailer ready to leave after a Friendship race, a lovely lady spotted the boat and excitedly said something like, “Is that the CRY BABY? Is that the CRY BABY? Yes! Yes! It is the CRY BABY! Oh! I love that boat! It is my favorite boat.” Needless to say we had a very pleasant conversation with her!
Tied to the dock in Pemaquid we were approached by a woman who appeared normal at first. She said something about not being allowed on some other boat. Bruce graciously said she was welcome aboard our boat. After a few minutes it became evident that she was more than a little strange. She muckled onto Jean and tried to hug and kiss him. Jean was so shocked he cannot remember how we got rid of her.
One of the good guys we met was Paul “Bucky” Holloway “Coastal Boatworks.” We had an arrangement where we could drop off the boat and trailer in his yard after the Boothbay race and pick it up the next morning on the way to Rockland, saving us the two-way haul to Lewiston and back. We even had the combination to the lock on his gate so we could get in if it was close. Much appreciated!
Another facility where we were treated very well was Bittersweet Marine in South Bristol where we launched for the Pemaquid races. Mike gave us the run of the place, use of his tools, etc. and never made us pay for launching.
After the Rockland race, one year, we were parked next to the awards hall and were pleased to see several young studs under the back of the boat checking out the propeller etc. Our rudder was quarter inch stainless steel – ground to a knife edge and engine turned. We kept the propeller polished so it would look brand-new or special-just for such an occasion.
After the Searsport race Glenn Holland came over and gave the boat a good inspection as it sat on the trailer. He asked “Would you guys mind doing me a favor?” Jean asked, “What is that Glenn?” He answered, “Don’t go into business.” We would say that was pretty high praise!
One year at Harpswell the wind was increasing from the southwest. We were anchored next to the Engerts. All of us were concerned about getting our boats on the trailers. The launch is near a pier which goes out to floats perpendicular to it, so the area around the launch is tight and blocked on three sides. With the wind from the southwest, you come in with the wind at your back, turn to port, so you have the wind on your left and try to get on the trailer. If you don’t get on the trail of the first time you get blown into the pier with practically no room to get yourself maneuvered around. By the time it came to take the boats out, the wind was really blowing and we were four nervous wrecks. We decided to team up – one man in the truck, one man driving the boat, one man on the boat to help save it, and one man on the dock to save the boat. Naturally we had quite an audience to watch this operation. THUNDERBOLT went first – came in hot – made the turn and got on the trailer. CRY BABY followed and did the same. By that time, we were exhausted, emotionally drained and relieved. As we were preparing the boats and trailers for the road, people were filtering by admiring the two racing lobster boats. As they came by, a kid said to his dad that it was neat the way we got those boats out. His father said, “Remember this son, those men are the real professionals,” – if he only knew!
CRY BABY must seem like a strange name for a boat. We wanted something unusual and catchy. For one thing our boat was little and cute, but loud and nasty. Also, in lobster boat racing – as in all forms of motor sports – there are always some individuals who complain that the rules are not fair, that other competitors received favorable treatment, that other people are cheating more than they are etc. etc. Therefore, we felt that one more cry baby should fit right in.
CRY BABY
Boat type: Custom
Designer: D&L Boatworks
Boatbuilder: D&L Boatworks (2004)
Construction: Wood and Fiberglass
Dimensions: 25’
Accommodations: None
Engine(s): Gasoline: 292 ci Chevrolet
Owner(s): D & L Boatworks, 14 Raiche St., Lewiston, Maine 04240 (207) 782-3290
Year’s Raced:2005-2014
Racing Class: Gasoline Class A: 4 and 6 cylinder, 24 feet and up.
Results:
2005: BOOTHBAY, 1st Gasoline Class A. 4th Gasoline Free-for-All. FRIENDSHIP, 1st Gasoline Class A (26 mph). 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. HARPSWELL, 1st Gasoline Class A. SEARSPORT, 1st Gasoline Class A (28.8 mph).
2006: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gasoline Class A. 4th Gasoline Free-for-All. FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gasoline Class A. 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All (32 mph). HARPSWELL: 1st Gasoline Class A (29.3 mph). 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All. PEMAQUID: 1st Four and six cylinder gas, 24 feet and over (27 mph). 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All. SEARSPORT: 1st Gasoline Class A, 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All (29 mph)
2007: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gasoline Class A (26 mph); 4th Gasoline Free-for-All. SEARSPORT: 1st Gasoline Class A, 4th Gasoline Free-for-All. FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gasoline Class A (30 mph). HARPSWELL: 1st Gasoline Class A, 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. PEMAQUID: 1st Four and six cylinder gas, 24 feet and over, 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All.
2008: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gasoline Class A (31 mph); 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All. ROCKLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A and 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. SEARSPORT: 1st Gasoline Class A (32.0 mph), 1st Gasoline Free-for-All. FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gasoline Class A (32.3 mph), 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All (32.4 mph). HARPSWELL: 1st Gasoline Class A, 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All. PEMAQUID: 1st Four and six cylinder gas, 24 feet and over and 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All.
2009: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gasoline Class A (31.6 mph); 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (32 mph). ROCKLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A (25.2 mph), 1st Gasoline Free-for-All. SEARSPORT: 1st Gasoline Class A. FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gasoline Class A (33.1 mph); 4th Gasoline Free-for-All. HARPSWELL: 1st Gasoline Class A, 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. PEMAQUID: Four and six cylinders gas, 24 feet and over, 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All.
2010: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gasoline Class A (30.8 mph), 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All (32.0 mph). ROCKLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A (30.4 mph), 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. SEARSPORT: 1st Gasoline Class A, 4th Gasoline Free-for-All. FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gasoline Class A (33.1 mph), 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (33 mph). HARPSWELL: 1st Gasoline Class A (31.8 mph), 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. PEMAQUID: Four and six cylinders gas, 24 feet and over, 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. PORTLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A (31 mph), 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All.
2011: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gasoline Class A (31.4 mph), 1st Gasoline Free-for-All. ROCKLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A.3rd Gasoline Free-for-All. SEARSPORT: 1st Gasoline Class A and 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gasoline Class A (33.9 mph), 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All (33.6 mph). HARPSWELL: 1st Gasoline Class A (29.3 mph), 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. PEMAQUID: 1st Four and six cylinders gas, 24 feet and over (32.8 mph), 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All (32.1 mph). PORTLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A, 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All.
2012: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gasoline Class A (35.4 mph), 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (34 mph). ROCKLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A (31.6 mph), 4th Gasoline Free-for-All. SEARSPORT: 1st Gasoline Class A (33 mph), 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All.” FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gasoline Class A (31.3 mph); 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (29.3 mph). HARPSWELL: 1st Gasoline Class A (29.3 mph); 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (27.8 mph). PEMAQUID: 1st Four and Six Cylinder Gas, 24 feet and over; 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (29.3 mph). PORTLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A (28 mph); 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (28 mph).
2013: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gasoline Class A; 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All. ROCKLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A (32.7 mph); 1st Gasoline Free-for-All. LONG ISLAND: 1st Four and six cylinder gas, 24 feet and over (25.6 mph); 1st Gasoline Free-for-All (28.3 mph). SEARSPORT: 1st Gasoline Class A (23 mph); 5th Gasoline Free-for-All (28 mph). FRIENDSHIP: 1st Gasoline Class A (33.9 mph); 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. HARPSWELL: 1st Gasoline Class A (31.4 mph); 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. PEMAQUID: 1st Four and six cylinder gas, 24 feet and over; 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. PORTLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A (31.5 mph); 3rd Gasoline Free-for-All.
2014: BOOTHBAY: 1st Gasoline Class A (30.5 mph); 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All (31.3 mph). ROCKLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A (30.6 mph); 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All (30.6 mph). PEMAQUID: 1st Four and six cylinder gas, 24 feet and over (22 mph); 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All (43 mph). LONG ISLAND: 1 Gasoline Class A (30.2 mph); 2nd Gasoline Free-for-All. PORTLAND: 1st Gasoline Class A (25.2 mph); 1st Gasoline Free-for-All.
