Hydrodyne info

Just picked up a '94 Hydrodyne Grand Sport that came unfinished from the factory (it was used for PhD thesis on planing hull theory, or something) and has never had any upholstery, a real fuel tank, or windshield. The plus side is that I knew the guy who did the thesis and subsequently bought the boat, the engine has less than 200hrs, it was wicked cheap, and I'm always game for a project. The PO had a factory fuel tank and a bare rear bench seat, he also had put in a floor and port side console. So I've installed and plumbed the fuel tank, got the engine running (rebuilt carb), have started plumbing in a ballast system and am looking for a tower. I'm gonna have the upholstery done by a local guy and I may do some as well, but the one big piece I've had no luck on is finding anything about is the original windshields; who the oem was or if hydrodyne made them on site. I know the hydrodyne molds / company has been bought and sold a few times since thier demise and I haven't been able to pinpoint who technically owns the name / molds now. So if anyone can point me in the right direction I would hugely appreciate it. Also, if anyone who's had a hydrodyne has seen a stamp or marking on the windshields by the manufacturer and could let me know that would be awesome.

I'll try and post some pictures of my stripped boat later and some more details of the ballast system I'm working on. Up here in the North East is't already starting to get cold, but I'm hoping to get to try this boat out at least once before the chilly weather really sets in.

Thanks for the help! -A

http://www.hydrodyneboats.com/boats.htm

their website is still up, you might be able to contact someone that knows something through their contact info on the site...

sounds like a heck of a project!

I have a 95 grand sport it is cherry, I got it in the middle of last summer w/ 225hr. on her. I am also working on a ballast system over the winter. The best weight configuration for my boat is 420-450 up front and 260 on each side of the engine box and finally 375 in the back @ 21mph. I will look at my windshield tonight to see if it is stamped. Check my profile for a picture of my boat.

Lets see some pictures...

Those boats were built like tanks. Great wakeboarding wakes! Have fun

I haven't found any contact info on the Hydrodyne site and the e-mail link didn't work when I tried it. The site hasn't been updated since 2002.

Ok....pics
As you can see, no windshidld and no upholstery.






For ballast, I'm gonna turn the bench seat (last pic) into a tank, it should be around 400lb, slide two of those long narrow launch pad bags under the floor between the stringerss aft. I hadn't figured out how much weight to put in the bow yet, but 450 sounds like a good place to start. I'm using a two pump system, one in one out for simplicity and the same through hull (which already exists). The two bags under the floor are on their own circuit and there is a circuit for the bench, bow and a spare incase I decide to add another bag somewhere. Switching feeds into the pumps is done with a flow-rite three way valve and the circuits are isolated with plastic gate valves and the vents all have check valves. I'll try to post a sketch of the system so everyone can point out the problems later.

For the interior the upholstery will end up looking pretty stock, but no carpet on the floor, just nautolex flooring and the hull sides are gonna have either carpet or a foam backed vinyl, we'll see.

The next step is to get the ballast system plumbed in, do some more cleanup and gelcoat the port console. Then I can get going on the the upholstery and floor. I'm hoping in the mean time to pick up a tower and figure out a basic stereo as a base of something bigger in the future.

It would be great to find a windshield though, as I've said thats been the biggest hurdle so far. I can always go without one, but I'd rather not.

Wow! That's way cool! That would be such a fun project!!!! But I'm sure it will take a lot of work too. Good luck!! Keep us updated!!!

what was the previous owner studying? what were his findings?

I used to think that Hydrodyne was an early production of what is now the Calabria cause of the rush ballast system. I haven't done any research to confirm any of this but if you think about it the Hydrodyne site describes the ballast as doing the same thing the pure vert ballast does.

Try Ebay or a salvage yard for windshields. Find one with a similar size. Also, I think you can get them custom built. A little expensive, but it is a project.

the stamp on my windshield says
"water bonnet
tempered safety glass
as-2 m1" when I googled the name I got this
http://www.waterbonnet.com/

Thanks! Water bonnet could be a good lead, even if I have to get a windshield custom made maybe they can provide patterns. I've had no luck trying to find a salvaged windshield at all. I'm off the nyc for a few days, but I'll post how I make out with water bonnet when I'm back.

The boat was originally built and used to map bottom pressures and for flow visualization about the propeller. There is still a plexiglass plate over the prop, which I'm planning on taking out. The holes where the pressure taps were in the bottom were all filled and laminated over before the boat was gelcoated. The bottom is actually 3/8" solid laminate with seperated balsa core strips on the inside of the hull. I'm not sure how different, if any, this is from stock.

-A

Adam, great project boat. It sounds like you have some well thought out ideas about the ballast system. I will be putting one in this winter as well, and have looked at the Flow-Rite 3-way valves for control; still playing with the overall design. When you say gate valves, are those manual or electric?

Rich - I was originally thinking electric valves to isolate the various circuits. I've instead decided to make a pvc manifold, which will be mounted on the driver side, with manual ball valves, because I'll be using this boat in salt water part of the time and want to keep the system simple and robust.

calabria now owns hydrodyne. give calabria a call.