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Healey Boats

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spritenut

Luke Skywalker
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I have seen several Healey Sports boats, the wooden ones with the MGA engines, but I read in one of Donald's books that the Healeys also made a Healey Sprite fiberglass boat. I have a picture of one being towed by a Sprite (car).
Donald Healey mentions that the boat was a mould taken from a fiberglass boat from the States.
He does not mention whether or not the Healey Sprite was exported to the States.
Does anyone know if the Healey Sprite (boat) was imported to the States? Or what particular US boat Donald Healey used to copy the Sprite?
One of these would make an interesting item in my Sprite collection.
 
Frank-
Go read the posts under the "Spridget Specials" thread. The last few deal with Healey boats.
 
A quick glance through The Healey Book tells me that the Sprite boat was designed to be a small, inexpensive craft suitable for towing water skiiers. Engines were outboard, available from manufacturers like Evinrude, Johnson, and Mercury. I'll try to read up some more on it and post a little more info.
-William
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by spritenut:
Does anyone know if the Healey Sprite (boat) was imported to the States? Or what particular US boat Donald Healey used to copy the Sprite?......<hr></blockquote>

I've seen pictures of these Sprite-boats too, and they look a *lot* like a "GW Invader", a 10' sport/ski boat that was built up to the early '70s. There is still an "Invader" company (in Canada) that builds big boats, but the *real* Sprite-size Invaders are no longer built. I remember seeing several GW Invaders at the Jersey Shore. The rumor was that they stopped building them due to instability. I drove a 10' Invader once: it had a 50 horse Merc outboard. Wow!!
Probably search with Google and you could find something.

GW Invader pic:
https://www.hydrostream.org/Images/BlueGW.jpg

[ 02-15-2004: Message edited by: aeronca65t ]</p>
 
The GW Invader is still produced by a few small boatbuilders. Due to their almost flat bottom, they had a tendency to slide out on hard turns, which I happened to love about the boat.
I reworked the hull 6 years ago. Incorperated a 9"pad and inverted chines. The hull now handles awesome. And unlike the original GW Invader, which did 35mph with a 25hp. My FX10 Supervader does 42 with the same motor.
Price for the hull with steering start at $3,200.00. With the optional Cook Power trim/tilt, it does 45mph.
Feel free to contact me if your interested.

Rick Fisher
 
I think I might know where ther is one of those here in the midwest. Not geographically convienient to the East though. Let me know if your interested. I am aquainted with the owner and would be happy to get some pictures.
 
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