Don Pinkert

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it all come down to knowing your craft, if I was able to converse with him I sure would ,as bob has stated he is a wealth of knowledge and I would be glad to share some of it from him , never underestimate the aged. they did it with computers. if someone was prepared to spend the time with a boater like him and listen to what he has to say im sure you would be better for it. age does not discriminate but people do.
 
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We will all be old one day, and Cowboy has forgot more than most will ever understand. It sure is nice to see that he can ruffle the feathers, make you think out loud.

My only hydro ever was a coyote 21, Jim Demmi's old boat, and it was a hoot!Over the years we have seen him less, usually he will pop up at the Winternats.Nobody pays much attention to a guy walking around, looking, admiring.But to a very few of us old farts, you can spot him from a country mile. The pic in IMPBA HOF is EXACTLY how you will recognize him.

White t shirt

old faded jeans

trademark light cowboy hat.

and most of all, probably no shoes !!!!!!!

Don't be afraid of what you dont understand, I know most know everything and need no help these days, the Internet has all your answers......

When I spot him, I go directly to him, say Hey old friend, and watch him light up.

Ware all just humans being, afterall.

He occasionally visits the LHS in New Port Ritchey, had a conversation with Bob at the local HOUSE OF HORRORS, where a few of the old farts still slither in.

Foley

Gibson

Beals

He is still in Masaryktown, up by Brooksville to my knowledge. You see him, strike up a conversation...

Be prepared to see a guy light up...his passion runs deep too.
 
I always say hi when I see him . I drive through his lil town all the time but don't know where he lives , he never would tell me ! :D
 
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it would be good for somebody with the time and patience to document his knowledge to book form for the history of model boating
 
yup.. everytime a rigger hits the water, he should get a thumbs up...there were a lot of notes about fuel delivery problems, his days in south florida with Orange Blossom and flying paved the way for a lot of todays technology. Truly a out-of-the-box thinker, but thats where we get inspiration from.
 
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Its been a few years ago, but a few of us played boats at a pond just off of highway 54 in front of an RV resort....who pops in but Don, with some kind of a wood rigger/tunnel/cat boat thingie! It was pretty cool lookin, and when he ran it, it was WFO, until the tank was empty! We met up several times with others at that little pond, and had us a good bit of fun....he had a 60 hydro kit 80% that he practically gave me, and the workmanship was first class....ive still got it. I know not everybody got along with Don, but i just cant really say a bad word about him. Take a good look at a Roadrunner, then a Coyote, and see where it all started...Roadrunners are one of the best race boats ever made, and i dont even have one!
 
Its been a few years ago, but a few of us played boats at a pond just off of highway 54 in front of an RV resort....who pops in but Don, with some kind of a wood rigger/tunnel/cat boat thingie! It was pretty cool lookin, and when he ran it, it was WFO, until the tank was empty! We met up several times with others at that little pond, and had us a good bit of fun....he had a 60 hydro kit 80% that he practically gave me, and the workmanship was first class....ive still got it. I know not everybody got along with Don, but i just cant really say a bad word about him. Take a good look at a Roadrunner, then a Coyote, and see where it all started...Roadrunners are one of the best race boats ever made, and i dont even have one!
Just resurrected an old Pinkert twin, never raced one, look out Muncie here I come. :eek:
 
Its been a few years ago, but a few of us played boats at a pond just off of highway 54 in front of an RV resort....who pops in but Don, with some kind of a wood rigger/tunnel/cat boat thingie! It was pretty cool lookin, and when he ran it, it was WFO, until the tank was empty! We met up several times with others at that little pond, and had us a good bit of fun....he had a 60 hydro kit 80% that he practically gave me, and the workmanship was first class....ive still got it. I know not everybody got along with Don, but i just cant really say a bad word about him. Take a good look at a Roadrunner, then a Coyote, and see where it all started...Roadrunners are one of the best race boats ever made, and i dont even have one!a

The Land O' Lakes Model Boaters. Greg Bavender was the President. We spent a lot of time trying to find water. Club held meetings at the restaurant next to the nudist colony on 41 and 54. Ran boats at the RV park until we got kicked out for noise, rudeness, and someone drove their boat on land for a near miss incindent with some snowbirds. Yes Don ran boats with that club. MANY stories to tell about that entire exercise.
 
Anybody know what Don did for a living? Met him yrs ago when we had a half azz club in Lakeland called the Bouy Busters. Didn't last long. He was good friends with J. Mcguire and at one time Herb Stewart. We use to run at Square Lake in Bartow. I think one national race was held there. Also met Ed Hughey there. The old days.
 
Anybody know what Don did for a living? Met him yrs ago when we had a half azz club in Lakeland called the Bouy Busters. Didn't last long. He was good friends with J. Mcguire and at one time Herb Stewart. We use to run at Square Lake in Bartow. I think one national race was held there. Also met Ed Hughey there. The old days.
Herb was Don's "Husband In Law"
 
Its been a few years ago, but a few of us played boats at a pond just off of highway 54 in front of an RV resort....who pops in but Don, with some kind of a wood rigger/tunnel/cat boat thingie! It was pretty cool lookin, and when he ran it, it was WFO, until the tank was empty! We met up several times with others at that little pond, and had us a good bit of fun....he had a 60 hydro kit 80% that he practically gave me, and the workmanship was first class....ive still got it. I know not everybody got along with Don, but i just cant really say a bad word about him. Take a good look at a Roadrunner, then a Coyote, and see where it all started...Roadrunners are one of the best race boats ever made, and i dont even have one!a

The Land O' Lakes Model Boaters. Greg Bavender was the President. We spent a lot of time trying to find water. Club held meetings at the restaurant next to the nudist colony on 41 and 54. Ran boats at the RV park until we got kicked out for noise, rudeness, and someone drove their boat on land for a near miss incindent with some snowbirds. Yes Don ran boats with that club. MANY stories to tell about that entire exercise.
We fostered Greg and his buddy and the club for one year at Brandon after the kickout, then he closed the hobby shop and poof!
 
Anybody know what Don did for a living? Met him yrs ago when we had a half azz club in Lakeland called the Bouy Busters. Didn't last long. He was good friends with J. Mcguire and at one time Herb Stewart. We use to run at Square Lake in Bartow. I think one national race was held there. Also met Ed Hughey there. The old days.
Herb was Don's "Husband In Law"
LOL.....Herbie filled me in on that one !!!!!

1995. Jay was responsible for getting that lake, what a place. Jim and Cheryl Parker stayed in touch for a while with Jay and his family. Unfortunately that race (95 Internats) was the beginning of the end of the Largo club. Remember Phil Struckman getting smacked with a cable run across the lake, it snapped and came up shore and hit I believe Dave Rabbitt's truck, and Phil. Anyone who was there will remember the storm that rolled up and almost took down the big tent.
 
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Norm and Randy, i forgot about that!! Norm, you and i CDed a one day race with the help of the Brandon guys!! We did have some fun with all that...too bad GB was such a POS!!
 
Its been a few years ago, but a few of us played boats at a pond just off of highway 54 in front of an RV resort....who pops in but Don, with some kind of a wood rigger/tunnel/cat boat thingie! It was pretty cool lookin, and when he ran it, it was WFO, until the tank was empty! We met up several times with others at that little pond, and had us a good bit of fun....he had a 60 hydro kit 80% that he practically gave me, and the workmanship was first class....ive still got it. I know not everybody got along with Don, but i just cant really say a bad word about him. Take a good look at a Roadrunner, then a Coyote, and see where it all started...Roadrunners are one of the best race boats ever made, and i dont even have one!a

The Land O' Lakes Model Boaters. Greg Bavender was the President. We spent a lot of time trying to find water. Club held meetings at the restaurant next to the nudist colony on 41 and 54. Ran boats at the RV park until we got kicked out for noise, rudeness, and someone drove their boat on land for a near miss incindent with some snowbirds. Yes Don ran boats with that club. MANY stories to tell about that entire exercise.
We fostered Greg and his buddy and the club for one year at Brandon after the kickout, then he closed the hobby shop and poof!
You guys were a huge help to us. I just moved here, got sucked back into boating, next thing you know I am in Brandon getting attacked by water foul. Ducks everywhere.
 
Norm and Randy, i forgot about that!! Norm, you and i CDed a one day race with the help of the Brandon guys!! We did have some fun with all that...too bad GB was such a POS!!
Yup...some things happened, forget the details; and people wonder why some of us do not want to deal with "little boat" politics.

HOWEVER we did have fun and Yes that was when the one day races were ran all over this neck of the woods. We had to have a CD certificate signed by Fred McBroom to call a race. We even had T-Back wearing hot dog girls showing up.

I feel OLD :)
 
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Yup, Pinckert Rock to be more accurate, John Bridge and I were standing right next to him when he ran his rigger into the rock on shore with what would very well have been the first 80 mph pass.

Thanks, John
We got to know it as Pinckert Point as it jutted out from the shoreline. We'd stand out there taking pix and videos, not exactly the safest thing to do with its reputation. The course doesn't quite follow the shoreline which messed up a lot of people.
 
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