The Real Bob Dillon
A Timeline in Boats

This is where it all started.

In 1969 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. (I won't mention her name.)

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 that 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).

So, I thought I'd design a few more....