(01/07/03) DAN MY SERVER HAS BEEN SOLD, SO I HAVE A NEW E MAIL redbarn2@earthlink.net . 

HERE'S THE LATEST UPDATE WE HAVE SUBMITTED A NEW APPLICATION TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA'S BUREAU OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOR A SMALL MATCHING GRANT OF $ 50,000.00 AND WE ARE LOOKING GOOD FOR THE GRANT. WE WERE ABLE TO GET ON THE GRANT LIST WITH OUR PRESENTATION IN SEPT 2002, AND ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR LARGER GRANTS LATER THIS YEAR. THE SMALL GRANT IS ENOUGH TO GET THE BOAT TO DELAND, FLORIDA AND BEGIN RESTORATION. WE ARE TALKING WITH A BANK FOR INVESTOR BACKING FOR THE SHORT TERM. WE WOULD HAD A CHANCE AT THE LARGER GRANT FOR LAST YEAR IF WE HAD FOUND THE FLORIDA HISTORICAL CONNECTION. THIS WAS LOCATED AT PENSACOLA NAVAL STATION THE DAY AFTER THE PRESENTATION. THAT CONNECTION IS THAT EIGHT OF THE BOATS PURCHASED WERE ORIGINALLY EAR MARKED FOR USE AGAINST CUBAN MISSILE BOATS AS PER REQUEST OF ROBERT MCNAMARA IN THE ORIGINAL MEETING THAT ORDERED THE NASTYS' IN THE FIRST PLACE. 

ONE EFFORT WE ARE USING IS LOOKING FOR AN INVESTOR GROUP THAT WILL WAIT FOR TWO YEARS BEFORE SEEING A RETURN. THE BOAT WILL BE OPEN TO THE PAYING PUBLIC WHEN DOCKED IN SANFORD, AND WILL BE BACKED UP BY GRANTS THAT WE ARE ELIGIBLE NEXT YEAR. THE CITY OF SANFORD WHICH IS 30 MILES NORTH OF DISNEY WORLD EXPECTS OVER $ 200,000.00 IN THE FIRST YEAR EXHIBITION TO THE PUBLIC. 

THE BOAT IS STILL DOCKED IN FT. LAUDERDALE AND WE ARE MAKING ARRAIGNMENTS TO MOVE THE BOAT FURTHER UP THE COAST. I WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED AS TO PROGRESS, 

ROBERT MCCRAY redbarn2@earthlink.net TEL: 800/ 694-7161 FAX: 386/ 775-1130

The Plot Thickens as new evidence is found on the boat. Is it really actually PTF-3?

 ........ My body was so exhausted after the first day down there that when I came up out of the boat I had to sit on the top of the hatch for a half an hour and recuperate and drink water. My clothes were so wet with sweat it was difficult to walk. The security guard thought I fell in the drink. It was kind of funny (afterwards) when I found that tag, it was on a pipe toward the rear of the tank on a twisted wire and I could only get one arm in there and hold the flash light at the same time. There was no deck under me, just a 2" X 6" plank. When I finally got the tag untwisted and was bringing it toward me, my hand hit a pipe and that damn tag fell down in the bilge's, full of water, 3 feet below the plank. 

I just stood there cussing and sweating and had no way of retrieving it. The next morning I brought a couple of clothes hangers with me. That tag was just lying down there, and it looked like it was laughing at me. I straightened out one of the hangers and re-bent the hook smaller and retrieved it with no trouble, but what a hassle. 

You couldn't read the tag because of so much paint on it, so I bought a can of the best paint remover I could find and it took 3 days of soaking and carefully brushing it to remove the paint. I put it in a small freezer bag. I took it to the troop meeting that next Monday night and they showed it around and talked about how much that tag changed the facts about this boat. - Jerry

TO PTF ALUMNI:

BOY SCOUT TROOP 544 HAS QUESTIONED THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE HULL NUMBER OF OUR BOAT FOR SOMETIME. IN MAY 2002, A SURVEY WHICH INCLUDED :

ROBERT MCCRAY, TROOP COMMITTEE MEMBER 
JIM THOMAS, PTF 7 CREWMEMBER 
CHIP MARSHAL, PTF HISTORIAN 
RAY WILLIAMS, REP. FOR BILL NORTON 
CHRIS MCCRAY, TROOP ASST SCOUTMASTER 
CATHERINE MCCRAY, TROOP ASST SCOUTMASTER 

CLIMBED OVER THE PTF WRECKS AT GREAT BRIDGE, VA. THIS CAUSED MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS. THE BOAT IDENTIFIED AT GREAT BRIDGE, VA AS PTF 7 HAD MULTIPLE ID STAMPINGS THROUGHOUT THE BOAT. OTHER BOATS HAD HULL NUMBERS PAINTED ON THE BRIDGE AND THOSE NUMBERS MAY NOT BE CORRECT ON ALL OF THE BOATS. CHIP MARSHALL WILL MAKE A RETURN TRIP SOON TO TRY AND CLARIFY THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE BOATS. JERRY FIFIELD MADE A RECENT TRIP TO THE BOY SCOUT PTF AND FOUND AND ID TAG WITH THE PTF 3 HULL NUMBER. THIS MATCHES UP WITH THE FLOOR PLAN OF THE BOAT, THE MOST GLARING FEATURE IS THE ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION PANEL IS DIAGONAL TO THE ENGINE ROOM BULKHEAD AT THE ENG. STATION BLOCKING ACCESS TO THE 600 GAL. WATER TANK. A FEATURE FOUND ONLY IN PTF 3-8, AS THE FLOOR PLAN CHANGED WITH PTF 9 - 22 BOATS, WITH THE ELECTRICAL PANEL FLUSH MOUNTED TO THE ENGINE ROOM BULKHEAD. OF THE PTF 3 - 8 BOATS, PTF 4 AND PTF 8 WERE LOST IN VIETNAM, PTF 7 IDENTIFIED AT GREAT BRIDGE, PTF 5 AND PTF 6 AS NUMBERED AT GREAT BRIDGE STILL HAVE THEIR CANOPIES, WHICH MATCHES PHOTOS TAKEN IN 1973. THIS LEAVES ONLY THE PTF 3 BOAT WHICH NEVER HAD A CANOPY AVAILABLE AS THE ONLY POSSIBLE REMAINING BOAT. THE PTF 3 IDENTIFICATION TAG IS PROOF THAT THE BOY SCOUT PTF IS PTF 3. WE DO NOT MAKE THIS CLAIM LIGHTLY AS WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PTF 3 AS THE LEAD NASTY. A LOT OF TIME AND RESEARCH HAS GONE INTO THIS IDENTIFICATION. WE EXPECT POSSIBLE DISAGREEMENTS AND WELCOME ANY COUNTER INFORMATION. THIS WILL OPEN A LOT OF DOORS TO HISTORICAL PRESERVATION GROUPS. BOY SCOUT TROOP HAS PRESENTED OUR BOAT TO THE FLORIDA BUREAU OF PRESERVATION AND HAS BEEN ACCEPTED ON THE GRANT LIST FOR $ 300,000.00 FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THIS BOAT. THIS MONEY WILL BE AVAILABLE NEXT SUMMER PROVIDED THAT ENOUGH BULK MONEY IS APPROPRIATED IN FEBRUARY, 2003 FOR THE WHOLE BUREAU BUDGET. WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEEK OTHER FUNDS. 

MANY THANKS TO ALL WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ROBERT MCCRAY

We need to search the boat down from bow to stern, check the engine room, steering gear, electrical panels and every thing else and make sure we have the PTF Three. I feel if we can show the higher ups that we have in hand a boat that is connected to the Tonkin Gulf and Turner Joy that the grant money will come thru quicker as there isn't many Boats left from The Early Viet Nam War. I will come down and help search the boat. Jim

 > How closely were the engine serial numbers tracked? Or, for that > matter, any other serial numbers of equipment (generators, Vee drives, > props, etc.) that may have been installed on the boats. If it was > tracked, who did that. Maintenance officer's shop?

 Chip -  We started out keeping real good records but suspect down the road the the records got real slack. With no engines in the FL. boat and unless there is a way to locate the records from MST-1 and Subic Bay, San Diego and Little Creek, I think that we are barking up the wrong tree! The Deltics were used in all of the boats and the same engines didn't not go back in the same boat as you could switch oil lines on the clutch packs and change the rotation of the Bi-directional gear box for a port or starboard engine as needed. What we need is to find numbers stamped into frames and engine bases as those would have gone back into the same boat and the same tanks also that they came out of due to fitting exactly and keep misalignment down because thru the years and settling of the hulls they would had conformed to the hulls. Just read Dan's e-mail about Norton asking 50 thou for with engines, does he know that the ones that I saw in Great Bridge has the crank case covers missing and the insides of the engines are filled with rust and the connecting rods were polished along with the crank shafts. If the hulls are worth saving I would re-engine them with an up-dated and cheaper to maintain engines but in my opinion there was maybe two hulls to keep. Believe the Navy would go for new boats instead of Viet Nam era boats. - Jim

(07/17/02) PTF CREWS:
I RECENTLY RECEIVED A SET OF 4 PHOTOS THAT WERE TAKEN IN 1964
OF THE PTF BOATS, THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN BY ROBERT T WEBB
WHO COMMANDED THE PTF 7 BOAT. THEY ARE SURPRISINGLY CRISP
AND CLEAR, IN TWO OF THE PHOTOS ARE SHOTS OF THE BOATS
THE FIRST ONE SHOWS THE PTF 7 TIED UP NEAR A US CRUISER AT SUBIC,
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU WILL SEE THE BRIDGE OF PTF 8 OFF THE
STARBOARD STERN OF PTF 7. THE SECOND PHOTOS SHOWS A GROUP
SHOT OF THE BOATS IN DANANG WITH PTF 1 & 2 IN THE CENTER. THE
TWO REMAINING PHOTOS SHOW VIETNAMESE CREW MEMBERS TRAINING
ON DECK MOUNT WEAPONS.

BSA TROOP 544 HAS APPLIED FOR A GRANT FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA
FOR $ 350,000.00 AND THE PACKET IS PRESENTLY BEING VIEWED BY
STATE ARCHITECTS, WE SHOULD RECEIVE A SCHEDULE FOR APPEARING
BEFORE THE REVIEW BOARD IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE GRANTS
ARE SUPPOSE TO BE AWARDED BY 1 OCTOBER 2002. THE LAW FIRM
OF BENNET AND AIELLO OF MIAMI HAS BEEN ENGAGED TO SUE THE
TOW BOAT COMPANY AND THEIR INSURANCE CARRIER FOR NON- 
PAYMENT OF DAMAGES TO THE BOAT.

WILL KEEP IN TOUCH

BOB MCCRAY

OUR BOAT CARRIES THE DOCUMENTATION AND NUMBERED STAMPED BULL NOSE RING OF THE SEVEN BOAT, BUT WE FOUND THAT ONE ON THE BOATS ON THE JAMES RIVER HAS STAMPINGS THAT IDENTIFIED IT AS THE 7 BOAT AND THIS BOAT WAS MISSING ITS NOSE RING. OUR BOAT IS AN EARLY NASTY BOAT OF THE 3 - 8 LOT AND WE KNOW THAT THIS BOAT CARRIED A 40 mm ON THE BOW BECAUSE OF THE WIRING TO THE DECK. THE EARLY NASTY BOATS WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE BOW 40 mm REMOVED AT SUBIC AND THE REST HAD THEIR'S REMOVED AT THE PHILADELPHIA NAVY YARD > PRIOR TO BEING DEPLOYED. WE FOUND ONE BOAT ON THE JAMES WITH IT'S 40 mm MOUNT STILL ON THE BOW AND AMID-SHIPS BASE RING MOUNTS. THIS BLOWS THE ARGUMENT THAT ALL THE BOW 40 mm WERE REMOVED. WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU HOP IN ON THIS. WE HAVE APPLIED FOR A $ 350K GRANT FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND WE HAVE A BROAD SUPPORT FOR BRING THE BOAT BACK TO LIFE. FOR THE SAKE OF IDENTIFICATION OUR BOAT WILL CARRY THE NUMBER 7 UNTIL WE CAN PROPERLY IDENTIFY IT OR THE BOAT ON THE JAMES RIVER. KEEP IN TOUCH  - BOB MCCRAY

 06/03/02   From: "Robert T. Webb"  I was recently introduced to the website 'ptfnasty' and learned that BSA Troop 544 is in possession of  PTF-7. My name is Bob Webb and I was the original Captain of PTF-7. In JAN 1964 I was ordered to report to Boat Support Unit 1 (BSU1) in Coronado, CA. After some initial training I flew (with my crew) to Subic Bay, PI and linked up with PTF-7 which had recently  arrived from Norway. After refitting and training, we accompanied  PTF-7 aboard USS Fort Marion (LSD-22) enroute Vietnam. We departed Subic Bay on 4 JUL and arrived in Danang, Vietnam on the 7th. I actively participated in the exercises described in the website until SEP 64 when I returned to Coronado,  Ca for crew rotation. Since learning of PTF-7's reappearance I have searched  my attic and have found some slides of PTF-7 and 8 in  Subic Bay and several more of PTF-1 to 8 at the base in Danang. I am in the process of having them converted to prints. I would like to share them with you and can be contacted at roberttwebb@yahoo.com  Bob Webb > 

06-05-02 New pictures of the land that has been made available for the restoration. See the map for directions to the facility.

Shows the museum. It was the Master at Arms headquarters during WW 2 when the airport was a U.S. Navy Airfield. When the airport was procured by the city of Deland just before the end of the war, the museum was converted to the living quarters for the Airport manager. After his retirement it was abandon and the city and county fire fighters used it for training. It stood empty for awhile and then renovated and converted to the Navy Air Museum. The Deland City Council approved our request hands down to use the space for the renovation of PTF # 7. The museum sets on the outskirts of a very large, open field. The space behind the camper is the designated space for the boat.
Shows the east side of the museum and the place where the boat will be placed during the restoration. The large bush on the right side of the camper is bamboo. I'll bet there are more snakes in there then in an insurance companies board meeting, we'll maybe not.
Shows a full view of the area where the boat will set, once we get it here. The present intent is to have the boat towed up to Daytona Beach, lifted out of the water onto a special built flat bed and trucked over to the Deland Airport. At the moment we anticipate 2 years to restore PTF # 7
The map for the location of the Museum.

PTF-7 at Bradford Marina in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She is still waiting to go home. Jim Thomas says that in Vietnam the boats would soak up 16 to 18 tons of water before a haul out and repainting.

 DAN, HERE'S THE LATEST ON THE NASTY 7 BOAT. WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO LIST THE BOAT AS A SEA SCOUT VESSEL WITH THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA AND WE ARE GETTING AN INSURANCE POLICY TO COVER THE BOAT. 

I'M ALSO WORKING ON THE SPECIAL CATEGORY GRANT THAT THE BOAT IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE, WHICH GOES TO $ 350,000.00. THIS HAS A DEADLINE OF MAY 31, 2002 AND AN AWARD DATE OF SEPT 31, 2002. 

MANY THANKS BOB MCCRAY 800/ 694-7161 redbarn@n-jcenter.com

02-22-02
We have tried drumming up some private interests but so far we haven't had anyone commit yet.  I sent copies of them and several sets of pictures to Jim Thomas and he has sent them on to Dan, so they will probably be on the website soon also. We still have to make arrangements to get the engines shipped here yet also. The boat is rough but nothing that time and a lot of love can't handle. I think that is about it for now. I'll try to be a little more prompt in keeping you updated in the future. Have a good weekend  Jerry.

02-22-02 
I was down @ the marina by 7:20 am Monday the 10th and they already had the boat pushed out on the elevator. We had them take the props off while the boat was out of the water, which was a good idea, they had a hell of a time getting them off. They had the props setting on deck also by the time I arrived there, I was so afraid that they would forget them, another reason I wanted to be there. They started knocking some of the side supports out and that finished they started lowering her about 0800. She was in the water by 0815 and I rode her out to the covered pier where we tied her up. The first thing I did was to get my flashlight and go below and check the bilges and she was filling up which was discouraging, but we pumped her out 3 times, about every 15 or 20 minutes and by 0930 the water had slowed down a great deal which raised my morale. We kept a check on her for the next couple of hours and the water had slowed down to a trickle. The staff there at Bradford reassured me that she was quite safe to tow to Daytona Beach. I left the marina about 1130,checked out of the motel and drove home. I called the marina last week to see how she was doing and they said good that the pumps were only coming on 2 or 3 times a day, which is surely good news.

Now for the rest of the story. Bob had made arrangements with an old boat works yard here on a large lake on the St Johns River to have the boat put up on blocks so we could restore her, but the present owners wife got into the picture and she didn't want a big boat in her back yard. During world war 2 they use to build tugs for the navy, so that shot that place. We tried a couple of other ideas and they didn't work out either. My shop and home is here at the Deland Airport and just down the street there is a Navy Aircraft Museum, I was going by it one day and said hmmm I wonder, so I called Bob and he called the curator of the museum and we all met there and discussed it, and he was all for it, so I went to the assistant city manger, he thought it was a great idea and Bob and I and the curator went to see the city airport director and he was all for it, but said we would have to go before the city commissioners, which we did that following Monday night, Bob made his presentation and I passed around my pictures of the # 13 boat that were taken when I was on it, they ask a couple of questions about it's future use which we answered and they passed it hands down and gave us all the encouragement in the world. Now we have a home for her      Jerry                             

Jim; Nothing new since we last talked, S.O.S(tuff). # 7 is still setting down there in water and nothing has changed. Meanwhile she is setting in water with a lot of right down to the bare wood spots and I am worried about a lot more damage being done.  March the 1st starts Bike Week here and we have several donation containers made up to put in several of the bars and other places the Bikers hang out in. One of the more popular motorcycle repair shops here in Deland had a party yesterday. I took one of the containers and some booklets I made up on the boat over there and spread them around as well as my big book with all the pictures in it as well. I talked to a lot of people and they all thought it was a good thing, but in 4 hours I collected only $2.00, Kind of discouraging. I hope that isn't going to be the trend. That's about it for now. Have a good night. Jerry  

Photo Group 3:

Pictures 1 shows her sitting on the elevator, ready to be lowered into the water. 

Pictures 2 thru 7 show her  being lowered into the water Pictures 8 thru 14 show her being towed to and moored to the pier where she will remain until all arrangements have been made to tow her to Daytona Beach. 

Picture 5 & 6 shows the propellers on board and secured for the journey to Daytona Beach. Once we got her moored we checked the bilges and the water was still coming in at a pretty good rate, which kind of discouraged us a little. The bilges were pumped out twice after being checked. The third time that they were pumped out, we waited for a few minutes and checked again and it appeared that the water had slowed down quite a bit. We checked the bilges a couple of times over the next half hour and the water had slowed down quite a bit more, which encouraged us quite a bit. The staff at the marina insured me that it would now be safe to tow it . 

Photo Group 2:

Pictures 1 thru 3 show the bottom of the hull that has been scraped and cleaned and epoxied to temporarily stop the leaking or at least slow it down for the trip up the intercoastal waterway to Daytona Beach. There it will be taken out of the water and placed on a house moving rig to move it to the Deland Airport. At least that is the proposed schedule at this time. The men in picture 4 are Jim Parker and Andre of the Bradford Marine Staff.

Photo Group 1:

PTF # 7 was moved to Bradford Marine Feb. 5th 2002 and taken out of the water Feb. 6th 2002 to inspect the damage done by the previous attempt to tow it to Deland and the ravages of time. 

The following pictures were taken on Feb 7th and 8th 2002. 

Pictures #1  shows her sitting up on blocks from 100 yards. 

There is a cute story about the Yacht sitting beside her. She ran aground on a reef somewhere in the Bahaman Islands. The story goes that the owner was on the bridge with the Captain and he was looking thru a pair of binoculars and telling the Captain that he could see white water. The Captain insisted they were in 3000 feet of water. Guess who is looking for another job. The grounding did considerable damage to the propellers, shafts and rudders, and they all have to he replaced. 

Pictures 4 & 5 show the damage of the towing accident and the ravages of time and not being cared for. 

Pictures 6 & 7 show the bottom and the bad spots that time and not being taken care of has done. We have been told that the boat has sat in the water since 1978 with nothing being done to take care of it. They also show how the boat is blocked up so we can do it when the boat gets to it's restoration destination, which at this point is behind the U.S. Naval Air Museum at the Deland (FL) Airport. The propellers were also removed at this time and stored on deck on pallets and lashed down.

02-15-02

 Hi Dan - I also received the note regarding the bullnose stamping...pretty conclusive proof I would say. I still can't imaging anyone switching the radar from a Trumpy to a Nasty...If you wanted to do that, you would install a modern radar on her ??? In any event, very glad to hear another PTF will be preserved - wish I lived on the east coast - would love to see it.. ... Keep up the good work! Tim

02-14-02

Hi Bob - just got your note about the BSA acquiring a PTF...Great! Thought I'd add my 2-cents to the issue of hull number - sending it to all on your distribution list - maybe others can add to this. I was Officer in Charge of PTF-17 (the boat currently on display in Buffalo) from 1973-1975 while she was assigned to Coastal River Division 21 based at Great Lakes Ill. The Division also had PTF-18 and PTF-19 along with the USS Asheville, Crockett and Marathon gunboats. I looked at the photo of "PTF-7" on Dan's webpage (the starboard-bow photo of the PTF in gray paint moored at the marina). Note the straight slotted-waveguide radar antenna on that boat. It is the distinctive antenna on the LN-66 radar that was installed on the Trumpy Class PTF's, hull numbers 17-22 built by John Trumpy in Annapolis Md in 1968. PTF-16 and earlier (the Nasty's) had a curved radar antenna (I believe it was made by Decca). If the radar antenna on "PTF-7" is the original radar antenna (can't believe anyone would have changed it), that boat is definitely NOT PTF-7. 

Another distinctive feature of the Trumpy's is the use of Onan diesel generators. The Nasty's had Perkins diesel generators. Are the generator still installed? I also know the builders nameplate from PTF-19 was removed before the boat was returned to Coastal River Squadron 1 in Little Creek (sometime in June 1976) so the definitive identifying plate is not on PTF-19 anymore. (It was mounted on the aft bridge bulkhead just to the left of the access way). Another characteristic that sets PTF-19 apart from PTF-17 and 18 (and likely all others) was the installation of carpet and metal "edging" on the removable deckplates in the crews quarters and galley - the others were just painted...That was an unauthorized BOATALT done by the crew of PTF-19. That carpet may well be gone by now but if your boat has carpet on those plates it's further evidence that she is the 19. 

When CRS1/CRD21 were commissioned, they were assigned to Naval Inshore Warfare Atlantic which also owned the Seal Team (LANT) and several other "amphib" units. Curious to know how NAVSPECWAR came to the conclusion that that boat is PTF-7 - I am sure that Navy record keeping would have a hard time tracing the lineage of these boats. Also, PTF-17,18 and 19 had AN/GRC-109 radio sets bolted to the forward bulkhead on the radio room, about eye-level. I removed those radios in 1973 after getting permission from CRS1 since they were obsolete and non functional at the time. If there are repaired holes on that bulkhead, it's further evidence that she is the 19 (pretty sure the GRC-109's were not on earlier PTF's). Another possible identifier is under the paint. In late 1975 we tried an experimental camouflage paint scheme on the 17, 18 and 19. The 19 boat had a series of long triangles painted in her sides and bridge in Haze Gray and Flat Black - if that is still visible under (many?) subsequent coats of paint, she is the 19 boat. (PTF-17 and 18 had different patterns). The boats were restored to "Marine 123" flat green before they went back to Little Creek, probably by painting-over the camo.. Hope this info helps.   Tim Sammons (CAPT USNR - Ret) 

02-13-02

 DAN, HERE ARE A FEW SHOTS OF PTF7 DRY DOCKED AT BRADFORD MARINE CENTER IN FT. LAUDERDALE. JERRY FIFIELD, BOB JUNKINS AND MYSELF MET WITH THE INSURANCE REP AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL BE MOVING TO DAYTONA IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE PROPS WERE REMOVED AND ARE LASHED TO THE DECK, THE NOSE AREA WAS SCRAPED AND PATCHED. THE BOAT WAS REFLOATED 11 FEB 02, WITH ONLY A MINOR LEAK. YOU SHOULD NOTE, THAT THE BLACK AREA BELOW THE WATER LINE IS A PROTECTIVE MEMBRANE THAT SEALS THE HULL, IT'S 1/16 OF AN INCH THICK AND IN GOOD SHAPE, WITH A MINIMAL NUMBER OF BARNACLES. THE ROPE LOCKER AND CREWS HEAD FORWARD OF THE NO. 2 WATERTIGHT BULKHEAD WILL HAVE TO BE REBUILT. WE SCRAPED PAINT ON THE BULLNOSE AND FOUND THE HULL NUMBER STAMPED INTO THE METAL. ADD THESE PHOTOS TO THE WEB SITE AND WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED. THANKS BOB MCCRAY RED BARN GRAPHICS TEL: 800/ 694-7161 FAX: 386/ 775-1130

Bradford Marine Center	Prop Removal	Bob Junkins Scraping

02-09-02

DAN,  PTF 7 HAS BEEN HAULED OUT OF THE WATER IN FT. LAUDERDALE AT BRADFORD MARINE CENTER. THE HULL WILL BE PATCHED AND SHE WILL RE-FLOATED ON MONDAY 11 FEB 2002. I HAVE TO COORDINATE THE MOVE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND EXPECT THE BOAT TO BE TOWED IN TWO WEEKS. WE ARE STILL SCRAMBLING FOR FUNDS AS WE HAVE HAD TO MOVE FAST. I HAVE LOCATED THE BOAT'S NUMBER ON THE BULLNOSE AND HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS PTF 7, THE NUMBER WAS CLEARLY STAMPED IN THE METAL AND IS ABOUT ONE INCH IN HEIGHT. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE BOAT HAD A WATER PROOF MEMBRANE ON THE HULL GOING FROM THE WATER LINE TO THE KEEL. THE KEEL IS INTACT AND SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF SAG AND LOOKS VERY SOLID THE AREA FORWARD OF THE FIRST WATER TIGHT BULKHEAD WILL HAVE TO BE REBUILT, THE PROPS WERE REMOVED AND ARE IN GOOD SHAPE AND MEASURE AT 42 INCHES, PROP RETAINING BOLTS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. ON THE WHOLE THE BOAT LOOKS GOOD JERRY TOOK A LOT OF PHOTOS AND WE WILL BE SENDING THOSE SOON. WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE BOB MCCRAY BSA TROOP 544 PTF 7 1- 800/694-7161 RED BARN GRAPHICS FAX 386/ 775-1130 redbarn@n-jcenter.com

02-04-02

  Hey Guys, The Deland city commission tonight approved our request to put the ptf # 7 up on blocks and work on it here @ the Deland Naval Air Museum. The reason they had to be involved is the Deland Airport is owned and operated by the City of Deland. Once Bob McCray presented all the information and they asked a couple of questions concerning the future use of the boat, they passed it unanimously without hesitation, thought it was a great project. Everyone that we have talked to here in this area think it absolutely great. We haven't had one negative thing said about it that I am aware of. It's really great to know we have that kind of support from the local people. Now all we got to do is get it up here and we are working on that. They are going to pull it out of the water tomorrow and we are going to be down there Thursday with the surveyor and get things on the way to get it up here hopefully by the first of March. Got to go now, thought you would like to hear the good news. Jerry

02-07-02

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE PTF 7, HAS BEEN DONATED TO BOY SCOUT TROOP 544 OF ORANGE CITY, FL. THE BOAT PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED AS PTF 19 ON DAN'S WEBSITE IS ACTUALLY PTF 7, WE RECEIVED THE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE CENTERS CERTIFICATE OF BUILD IDENTIFYING THE PTF WITH THE HULL NUMBER 7. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING THE BOAT FROM FT. LAUDERDALE, FL TO DELAND, FL. FOR RESTORATION. WE HAVE RECEIVED A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORT FROM PRESERVATION TRUST GROUPS THAT ARE WAIVING THEIR 50 YEAR AGE EQUIPMENTS DUE TO THE HISTORICAL NATURE OF THE BOAT. WE ARE PREPARING GRANT REQUEST WITH THEIR GUIDANCE TO ACCESS FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT, BUT WE WILL NOT SEE ANY MONEY TILL THE END OF SUMMER 2002. WE ARE IN A SHORT TERM BIND, WE HAVE TO MOVE THE BOAT BY LATE FEB 2002 OR BEGIN INCURRING LARGE DOCK FEES.  I HAVE ATTACHED A  LETTER BEGGING FOR MONEY FROM ANY WHO CAN HELP. IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE OR COMPANY THAT MIGHT HELP GIVE THEM A COPY OF THIS LETTER AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THIS IS WORTHY CAUSE THAT WILL PRESERVE A PTF IN WORKING ORDER, THAT WILL SERVE AS A SEA SCOUT TRAINING VESSEL AND LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM THAT WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, HONORING THOSE WHO SERVED ABOARD THESE BOATS.

 MANY THANKS ROBERT MCCRAY

 BSA TROOP 544 ORANGE CITY, FLORIDA TEL 386/ 775-8597 FAX 386/775-1130 E redbarn@n-jcenter.com

11-27-01

THE PTF IDENTIFIED AS PTF 19 IN FT LAUDERDALE MARINA IS  IN FACT PTF 7 AS STATED BY THE BOATS PREVIOUS OWNER BILL NORTON, AND HAS BEEN DONATED TO BOY SCOUT TROOP 544 IN ORANGE CITY, FLORIDA. THE BOAT WILL BE TOWED AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE DATE TO SANFORD, FLORIDA FOR RESTORATION. THE BOAT WILL SERVE AS A LIVING MUSEUM AND TRAINING VESSEL, THE BOAT WILL GO ON CRUISES TO STATE PARKS AND SEA PORT MUSEUMS. I AM LOOKING FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND ANY HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER 7 BOAT. WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE IN GETTING THE BOAT MOVED, WE HAVE RECEIVED QUOTES RANGING FROM $ 15,000 TO $ 30,000 FOR A COMMERCIAL TOW. WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO TOW THE BOAT OURSELVES, BUT LACK THE BOAT FOR THE JOB. 
THANKS

PTF-3 (formerly thought to be PTF-19 then PTF-7) when it was for Sale at a Fort Lauderdale, FL marina. I made a visit to that marina in February, 2000.