1997 Custom Unlimited Two-Seater For Sale In Saint Joseph, MI
Call (800) 886-0493

• Length Overall (LOA) : 22'0"/6.71 m

Key Features

• The Story of Miss Rosie
  

  Miss Rosie is the realized dream of Tom Costello, an avid boat racer and lover of vintage hydroplanes. Tom began his project in 1995 and built Miss Rosie by hand, carefully selecting his design and materials and then meticulously crafting his stylish two-seater.

  Miss Rosie is built of mahogany plywood, ½-inch on the bottom, 3/8-inch at the sides and ¼-inch at the deck, framed in oak with mahogany gussets. Stringers are birch 2 x 10s with plywood over and the entire boat is fully treated with West system epoxy. The exterior is glassed with two layers, professionally painted and clear coated for a show-quality finish. The cockpit is nicely detailed with simple gauges and controls.

  The current 468 (stock 454 bored 60-over) is the second engine for Miss Rosie, with less than 100 hours and the boat has less than 200 running hours, total. The 468 features Dart exhaust, a 4-bolt main, mid-range cam and 4 barrel Holly carb. The drive is a Merc Bravo I, with nose cone and drive shower. As powered, Miss Rosie will top in the mid 70 MPH-range and cruise comfortably at about 60 MPH. The stepped hull is easily at home in the ordinary slop and chop of inland lakes and rivers.

  APBA and vintage boat aficionados will recognize Miss Rosie from seven Gold Cup entries, plus appearances at the Muscatine, IA and Hessel, MI boat shows, among others.

  
  

• Vintage Hydroplanes Years ago, these comments appeared on the website of Vintage Hydroplanes and serve as a excellent historical background for Miss Rosie:

  Tom Costello from Coloma, MI has sparked our interest by building a 3/4 scale replica that closely resembles a two-seater Unlimited. He started designing Miss Rosie about four years ago. He wanted a boat that had the spirit and appearance of the step hydroplanes of the 30s and 40s. He also wanted a boat that he could use extensively on our inland lakes and occasionally on Lake Michigan, not just for show. This required a somewhat deeper V for stability. Although he designed the boat and built the boat himself, he used a bottom design from a professional naval architect for a 20 foot long speed runabout. He stretched the design to 22 feet and added 2 steps. The decking and super structure are all his own design to resemble the old racers. The entire boat is built of mostly mahogany. The boat runs in the mid 70s with a stock 7.4 litre engine and throws a respectable rooster tail. Miss Rosie is not a replica of any boat that ever existed but she represents the spirit of stepped hydros. This is a design that he has always loved since he was a kid watching My Sweetie Dora, Gale and Miss Pepsi from the Detroit Yacht Club dock. After having started construction on this boat he discovered the existence of the APBA Vintage Division. He also later found that Miss Rosie closely resembles Gales Roostertail, the last stepped hydroplane to compete in the unlimited category in or around 1967.

  
  

• Your Opportunity

  Miss Rosie is your opportunity to own and enjoy a living tribute to a racing era gone by. This unique craft will be a joy to drive and to show.

  Contact Pier 33 for detailed photos and video.