The Real
Bob Dillon
A Timeline in Boats

It started right here.

In 1968 I bought this Minimax "punkinseed" hydroplane for 50 bucks, bought a 15-year-old Mercury Mark 20 for a hundred, re-painted the boat and put it all together.

Oh my, what fun I had.

During the winter of 1968-69 I built my first boat, a 3-point hydroplane from Champion Boats. I believe this boat was only 7'6" long.

You can see from the undulating shape of the front cowling that I had a thing or two to learn about boatbuilding.

Stock outboard racing on the Merrimac River in Methuen, MA, 1970. I wish I could tell you I was in one of those boats. I was a member of the South Shore Outboard Association that year, very eager to race, but short on resources.

And utimately distracted by other teenage concerns.

And then, of all things, I discovered sailboats. Despite a childhood facination with tiny powerboats, I only had to take the helm of a sailboat once to fall in love with it.

In the 1990s I got back to boatbuilding. I built two sailboats including 21-foot "Little Wing," which I first lauched in 1998.

Then in 2003 I made the "mistake" of going to the powerboat races in Crosby, MN. I was hooked all over again. I resisted the urge for a year of so, but finally succumbed.

For thirty-five years I had not owned a powerboat of any description. Then in the winter of 2004-5 I built this somewhat modified Glen L Tunnel Mite. I finally got to go racing at the age of 50.

The following year I tried my hand at raceboat design. The Dillon Mini Tunnel was the result, and it was very successful (shown here with Tyler Kuhl at the wheel -- and leading the way).

Then I designed a few more.

And you can build one for yourself.