Boats history
Project 334. Borey (II version). Dry and unclear what it is. With a high probability it could be a tank or something from space. But is this a Soviet water ski boat that came to our workshop at Restomod or Pro Touring or remanufacturing? For those who want to immediately move on to work on the boat and not indulge in history, you can go here. And for those who like to read history.. Welcome
When studying the history of a particular tug (tugboat, towing vehicle for water skiers), I had to spend a lot of time in archives and study literature. In the process of collecting information from grains of sand, the history of Soviet tugboats emerged: first wooden, then plastic.
The history of Soviet water ski towing vehicles is inextricably linked with the plant that produced them: the Leningrad Experimental Sports Shipbuilding Plant. At the beginning of its development as a factory, the company produced boats, then wooden boats for recreational parks. Specialized in rowing boats, sports yachts, trimarans and sports equipment.
The construction of the shipyard in 1933-1935 was a great merit of the shipyard masters. a series of large cruising yachts - four sailing-motor gaff ketches with a displacement of 38 tons. The yachts went on a 7,000-kilometer voyage around Scandinavia, which lasted 65 days. Subsequently, these cruisers sailed to Sweden, Finland and Denmark, along internal routes to the White Sea. They raised a whole generation of yachtsmen, future sailors.
Model 195М
As for water skiing, in 1968, the first wooden tugboat of the USSR, model 195, was built.
| Model 195 | |
| Year of issue | 1968 |
| Length, m | 5,3 |
| Engine | M53-FUL |
| Engine power, hp | 70 |
| Speed, km/h | 54 |
| Load on board, ppl. | 2 (driver, coach) |
I tell the story of boats. There were boats that were more or less suitable for water skiing, but the reason for their existence was the price. A boat with two outboard motors was almost half the price of a boat with a stationary engine. For this reason, I will leave them in the shadow of the description, otherwise I will not get to the main point.
Since 1972, marinized M8ChSPU-100 engines with a power of 90 hp appeared and the boat was modified for the installation of this engine. This is how the 195M model appeared, developing a speed of 58.6 km/h (without a skier, 2 people on board). The dimensions and contours of the body remain practically the same. The cockpit was changed to 1.4x2m and an aft three-seater sofa was installed. The volume of gas tanks has been increased to 90 liters. The boat was mass-produced from 1974 to 80 units per year. At the same time, the production of Neva-SF boats was stopped.
| Model 195М | |
| Year of issue | 1972 |
| Length, m | 5,3 |
| Width, m | 2,0 |
| Board height at midship, m | 1,0 |
| Engine | М8ChSPU-100 |
| Engine power, hp | 90 |
| Speed, km/h | 58,6 |
| Load on board, ppl. | 2 (driver, coach) |
Most water ski boats could only be used in figure skating, that is, only in one type of competition out of three. Their use in slalom or ski jumping is excluded, since these vessels do not satisfy the main requirement of the “rules of water skiing competition” - they do not provide a stable speed with a skier of 58 km/h. And the reason for this will be not only the contours of the boats, but also the lack of powerful engines produced in the country, more detail about which can be found here.
"Neva-S"
Since 1972, a 6-meter boat "Neva-S" with an M53-FUL engine with a power of 70 hp was produced.
| Neva-S | |
| Length, m | 6,07 |
| Width, m | 1,96 |
| Board height at midship, m | 0,92 |
| Engine | М53-FUL |
| Engine power, hp | 70 |
| Speed, km/h | 50—55 |
| Load on board, ppl. | 5 |
Trimaran "Triumph"
The plywood experimental trimaran Triumph was released in 1974. The main goal is to compare the behavior of the boat with the classic low-rise boats Neva and Neva-S in all operational parameters. Engine is similar to the Neva - "M652-U", 70 hp. with angular gear. Later the boat will become fiberglass and engine will change to 90 hp M8ChSPU-100
The main purpose of the boat is to serve water sports competitions and perform rescue services. Speed with one driver is 50 km/h, with five people 40 km/h. The skin thickness is 7-10mm, which ensures high strength of the hull, but at the same time makes its weight higher than that of comparable sized vessels made of light alloys or plywood. Designed for high speed, has limited seaworthiness.
As practice has shown, on a water ski slope (usually in calm water), a towing trimaran does not have any noticeable advantages over conventional boats. But overall, the Triumph tests were great. aroused great interest and approval from cross-country skiers. Therefore, the boat went into production, but not as a tug.
| Serial Triumph | |
| Length, m | 5,32 |
| Width, m | 2,0 |
| Board height at midship, m | 0,82 |
| Engine | М8ChSPU-100 |
| Engine power, hp | 90 |
| Speed, km/h | 50 |
| Load on board, ppl. | 5 |
"Bars"
In 1979, the Leningrad Experimental Sports Shipbuilding Plant switched to the production of fiberglass boats. The first fiberglass boat was Bars.
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| Fig. 7-10. Bars | |||
According to the official version, the lines of the boat were similar or close or copied from the Boesch 510 boat (or Correct Craft - some kind of collective image of a boat) that was popular at that time in Europe, which was precisely used as a towing vehicle for water skiers.
Moreover, in 1975 such a boat was bought by a motor plant in Rybinsk for its water skiers. The layout came from the same place - mid-engine. The forward bench is separated from the rest of the cockpit. In the center is the engine in a noise-proof casing and in the stern there is a gas tank. There is also a folding seat in the stern. The boat was not the best. Over several years of operation, information on the modernization of the boat has accumulated. It was decided to build another tug. It turned out to be Borey.
"Borey"
At the end of 1981, pushing the ice floes, Borey underwent two-week tests on the Neva River and the rowing canal.
Boreev there are 3 versions - in chronological order:
- Borey with a central engine layout.
- Borey I with Vee Drive.
- Borey II with Vee Drive.
Borey with central layout
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| Fig. 12-13. Fig. 13. Borey with a central engine layout | |||
| Borey | |
| Length, m | 5,45 |
| Width, m | 2,1 |
| Board height at midship, m | 0,785 |
| Weight with equipment, kg | 920 |
| Crew, ppl. | 1 |
| Passenger capacity, ppl. | 2 |
| Engine power, hp | 90-320 |
Serial production was planned since 1983, and a pilot batch was produced in 1982.
Having retained the contours of the serial Bars, the designers changed the internal layout, increased the local and overall strength of the hull, reduced the angle of the propeller shaft from 16 to 12 degrees, and increased the reliability of all control units and engine installation. A splash guard appears on board. From this point on, Borey becomes similar to the Correct Craft Mustang. But there are differences. In the available drawings, the air intake on the hood resembles a similar one on the '70 Mustang, and the shape of the glass is already chopped, like on the '71 Mustang, but the fit of the glass is different, there is no smooth transition - a pedestal for the glass. Due to the fact that a year earlier, curved plexiglass glass was installed on the Mustang, the lower edge of which followed the body and, with the help of fasteners, created a good seal from water.
The Mustang's pedestal appears in the 1976 model year, but other Correct Craft models have it years earlier (Correct craft Martinique 1974).
The hull shape with a narrower stern is always present. Bosch had it... but also had it on the Neva... This shape helps reduce the resistance of the ship's hull. The reason, most likely, is the lack of power of engines produced in the USSR, and, as a result, available to the plant.
Also in the diagram, the rudder is located under the bottom and, judging by the gas exhaust flap, the exhaust is underwater, like on the Bars and like on all American boats, including the Mustang.
But Bars had an exhaust diameter of 35 or 38 mm, which is not enough for any engine; as a result, increased back pressure in the exhaust tract and a decrease in power, it was then moved higher and placed above the water.
The Ruder on Bars is located under the bottom. On Boreas behind the transom. The efficiency of the rudder decreased due to an increase in the distance from the propeller to the steering surface. Structurally, the steering wheel is controlled by a steering-rope system, which is hidden under the gunwale of the hull. Leaving such a system to control the underwater rudder is more difficult and the control cables get in the way. Switching to push-pull cable control was apparently more difficult - the industry did not produce a similar system for steering wheels designed for relatively powerful stationary engines.
The installation of several engines is provided: M100BC, ZMZ-13, ZIL 114. The boat did not have reverse gear. At all. Mobile driver's seat. Coach's chair molded together with the upper deck.
In the center is a motor in a noise-proof casing and biting for a water skier’s halyard. The gas tank is located in the stern.
Borey I
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| Fig. 15-16. Borey I | |||
After 1982-83, the boat switched from a mid-engine layout to a rear-engine one using Vee Drive.
Engines: M8ChSPU-100 with an angular gearbox and a hydraulic reverse gearbox, ZMZ-13 and ZIL 114 with a mechanical angular reverse gearbox urrp 25–1.5 and a Mariner (Mercury Marine) engine, power 280–320 hp.
The coach's chair is molded along with the deck. The engine compartment hood is square and flat. There is a rear sofa for 3 people.
Borey II
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| Fig. 17-19. Borey II | |||
| Borey II | |
| Length, m | 5,45 |
| Width, m | 2,1 |
| Board height at midship, m | 0,82 |
| Overall draft, m | no more than 0.6 |
| Weight without supplies, kg | no more than 950 |
| Passenger capacity incl. driver, ppl. | 4 |
| Drive speed with full load, km/h | at least 42 |
| Engine | М8ChSPU-100-1 |
| Engine power, hp | 90 |
The engines are the same as in Borey I. The cockpit has 2 movable (portable) seats that are not bolted to the floor. This is necessary for accurate balancing of the boat when moving in a straight line. The rear sofa for 3 people is unchanged. Engine compartment hood with "aerodynamic" hump, adding aesthetics to the boat. The power set is different from the previous one. Structurally, it is the same, but the shape and mounting locations for the power unit are different.
Borey differs from Borey I and II, first of all, in the type of location of the power plant, and, as a consequence, in the internal layout of the cockpit. There are also differences in strength set. Structurally, it is the same - molded fiberglass stringers. There are slight differences in appearance: the nose with a central air intake, the edge and height of the windshield are different.