http://videos2view.net/PT658.htm
These guys did a fantastic job! A real tribute to the greatest generation…
With the correct engines even! WOW is all this guy can say…
put who pays for the AvGas? Must cost $10k just to motor her around for an afternoon at idle!
Anyway, just found the website to this boat and discovered it is in the Columbia River! Definitely got to make a trip to go see her soon!
Not sure I am keen on the jungle camo vs. the Haze Gray but what the hell! Great job to all those who made this a reality. C.captain is VERY IMPRESSED and it wasn’t some billionaire’s toy project either!
Warms the heart!
Completely and totally…Badass! I always kind of fantasized about those when I was driving crew boats. Felt like Cliff Robertson in PT109. I would love to see it the next time I wind up on that side of the continent. It’s also cool that it was built at the Higgins yard in New Orleans. My hometown.
Realy? I knew the Higgins boats were built in New Orleans, but PT boats? Really? Did I miss that detail in the video? If so, I stand corrected…
[QUOTE=Xmsccapt(ret);112019]Realy? I knew the Higgins boats were built in New Orleans, but PT boats? Really? Did I miss that detail in the video? If so, I stand corrected…[/QUOTE]
Yup! Higgins Industries built landing craft, PT boats and even Army freighters during WWII and remained in the shipbuilding business until the late 50’s.
176’ Army Transportation Corp FS freighter
A complete listing of all the vessels they build has been compiled by Tim Colton here.
Interesting list, thanks.
Good find on the website. I always get a kick out of the USN’s kinship with John Paul Jones. There, on the site is a quote from him " give me a fast ship for I intend to go in harms way". Yes, I would say an appropriate quote for a PT boat. JPJ as we know was a merchant sailor, and a fact I always enjoyed bringing up to Naval Officers when they tended to look down their nose at the merchant marine.
[QUOTE=Xmsccapt(ret);112036]Good find on the website. I always get a kick out of the USN’s kinship with John Paul Jones. There, on the site is a quote from him " give me a fast ship for I intend to go in harms way". Yes, I would say an appropriate quote for a PT boat. JPJ as we know was a merchant sailor, and a fact I always enjoyed bringing up to Naval Officers when they tended to look down their nose at the merchant marine.[/QUOTE]
Nobody, but NOBODY has done a better job to document the history of US shipbuilding than Mr. Colton! His detailed lists and knowledge on the subject is without peer and making his research available free to men like me to spend countless hours studying is a priceless gift! I know there will come a day when he is gone and I sometimes wonder if I have the chops to fill such large shoes? I certainly hope someday, he turns over all his material to a suitable research library somewhere like the Mariner’s Museum.
I love PT boats. One of my favorite movies is “They were Expendable” not because the Duke was in it but because of all of the REAL PT boats that were in the movie. They were ELCO 80 footers.
How bout in PT-109? Aren’t they original 80’ Elco boats in it? I can’t seem to find a photos on the net to say one way of t’other.
In the 2 decades after the War the use of real equipment was prevalent. The biggest gathering of genuine WWII armor and wheeled vehicles in Europe after the War was for the film “A Bridge Too Far”. One of the best war movies ever made and at a staggering cost of $22M in 1977 dollars. It would be $300M today if it was a buck! If you haven’t seen it…DO NOW!
two PT-109 stills…looks like an Elco 80
John…are you reading all this shit? I ain’t quitting on selling you a PT before all this is done! I am your “Go-To” man here.
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There is a guy in Kingston, NY that has/had several different PT boats of different models in varying states of repair. I will have to find the link again. He also had a bunch of old tugs.
PT 109 was an ELCO 80 footer. In the movie I think they have have used an ELCO 77 footer or maybe even a “crash” boat. I havent seen that movie in a long time so im not sure. I have a 4 foot 103 class model RC boat that I have needed to finish for years. One of these days ill finish it. All it really needs is a final fit and finish, some green paint, and the RC gear installed.