The Restoration of the Ben Kramer Apache 47, Preserving Offshore Powerboat History.

VÉHICULE presents Ben Kramer's Apache 47' race powerboat, freshly restored to its original state. After over a year of tireless work between 2019 and 2020, the good-as-new masterpiece finally had its first startup in 2020 and is ripping Floridian waters once again.
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The world of offshore powerboating, despite its tight-knit community-or perhaps because of it-is often veiled in mystery. Rumors swirl around almost everything, making it difficult to discern what’s true and who can be trusted. For some, it’s this intrigue-the relentless search for truth-that adds to the thrill of the sport.
Enter Lorne Leibel, a Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee, Olympic sailor, powerboat champion, and world record holder. Beyond his high-stakes achievements and leadership in the homebuilding industry, Leibel has spent decades on a determined quest to find Ben Kramer’s legendary Apache 47’. For Leibel, this particular Apache holds a personal significance-it feels like a tribute he owes to Ben, preserving the boat as a symbol of his legacy. After all, Ben introduced Lorne to racing, and this boat carried not just racing history, but shared memories worth protecting.
In 1987, Kramer was arrested during a Miami race, having owned the Apache 47’ for less than a year. What happened to the boat after his arrest remains a mystery, with conflicting theories clouding the truth. One of the more credible stories claims the boat and trailer were abandoned on a highway while being transported to a shop. The reason behind this remains a topic of speculation. Back then, everything was passed on by word-of-mouth, and in the fiercely competitive powerboating world, every account was met with skepticism.
Now, decades later, the bright yellow 47-footer has been found and meticulously restored to its former glory, complete with all the unique features and quirks that made it a legend in its prime.
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[@jasoncoleman8133]

I grew up in SWFL, making trips to South FL regularly to watch these races, to Sarasota, the East Coast of FL, since I was a kid (I'm 48). Watching the Apache's, Kramer, Saccenti, McManus run these boats has always been my absolute favorite. This particular boat has been a dream of mine to just take a ride on. The narrator nailed it at the end, "there are newer, faster, easier to run boats today, but this is a floating museum, a homage to powerboating's golden age. In one word, Perfect" is the absolute truth. I saw Lorne running into to Haulover about a year ago, I was headed out and that was the closest I've ever been to this 47. It was like looking at your childhood hero. Even better in person, and the way she sounds. Just magnificent. Thanks for sharing this video!

[@longtime239]

I AGREE. This Brought Back Some Memories 🤘

[@gregoryfranks7347]

I'm from MD and grew up going to Ocean City every summer and I made it my mission to spot my 2 favorite boats that I saw every year on or around the White Marlin Open they held every year to this date. Two Apache boats JENNY'S EXPRESS and the ULTIMATE WARRIOR. being a teen and still today getting the Motorboat &sailing magazine. I still have the issue from '87 when a Cigarette Top Gun broke 90mph a world record so I've always been a Cigarette fan and they were to only boats that could even come close to handling the seas an Apache could. I love these videos on your channel. They bring back awesome memories from childhood. Keep up the great work! Cheers

[@vehiculemagazine]

awesome! glad you like it. check out vehicule-magazine.com for more

[@randyscott3386]

The still print Motorboating and Sailing magazine ? My Dad got that back in the 80's . Along with Golf Digest .

[@gregoryfranks7347]

@@randyscott3386 no i have the original issue when a top gun broke 90mph. its was fastest v hull record. actually i think they still do have that mag currently

[@randyscott3386]

@@gregoryfranks7347 We had a 32 foot houseboat , The Westwind was on Sat. Mornings , Jaws and The Deep were in the theaters , everyone was learning to scuba dive , We moved the houseboat from my uncles dock , to a boring public marina , and on to a bigger public marina , then onto a crazy country club marina ,. Motor Boating & Sailing was there as sort of a guide thru all of it along with all the other stuff . Dad was more Golf Digest , I always snagged Motor Boatting & Sailing as soon as it showed up ! Hang onto yours I wish we still had ours . Happy Holidays !

[@gregoryfranks7347]

@randyscott3386 that's great. Youve got a great memory. I can remember every week wait until Friday for that new episode of Miami Vice I watched everyone. That's what got me interested in the whole boats and I started to do a little research and found that cigarette was the brand of choice for me. As I got a little bit older I started to be able to go and watch some of the boat races here on the East Coast around Maryland and fell in love with skater boats as well. There was alcone Motorsports they were my guys Jerry gilbreath and Matt alcone that's back when it was called Douglas skater not just skater LOL great story thank you very much I enjoyed that wonderful holiday wishes to you as well. Cheers

[@TonyLawrinson]

Listening to those 3 engines run together was like music I can only imagine what it must have been like on a good run out throttles wide open , wow !!

[@vehiculemagazine]

more at vehicule-magazine.com

[@sublime929]

She's stunning, the boat isnt bad either.

[@tngtacticalmiata1219]

Yeah, no kidding....

[@WizardOfWhoopee]

Narrator is correct at the end. There are newer faster better nowadays but none are Legendary. I'm lucky I have one.

[@vehiculemagazine]

🏁🏁🏁🏁

[@joeross2914]

Nicely DONE Mr.Leibel/TNT Marine..Team APACHE No.1 ..😎👍👍👍👍👊👊👊

[@vehiculemagazine]

VÉHICULE vehicule-magazine.com

[@Al_Nunnery]

Just finished the Video wow. RESPECT. Im Blown Away

[@vehiculemagazine]

thanks! check out vehicule-magazine.com/ for more

[@RHJ3]

Always loved this boat! Man what a showpiece!

[@DerUnbbekante]

To be honest, I don't want to know how much money it costs to restore such a boat to yesterday's sesifications, but regardless if it is a 30 year old grocery getter or a powerboat, keeping such machines alive in there original conditions preserves the spirit of the people who created such machines.

[@falcon0351]

Man that thing sounds sick.Love from Australia 🇦🇺

[@CaptainjackSparrow-z2b]

I had a 36 and boy that baby could ride Ruff water, one time I had 4,000 lbs of fish in 5 ,6 ft sea's from the Bahamas love that boat

[@vehiculemagazine]

✔️

[@ultraviolet9863]

great story. thanks for creating this doc.

[@vehiculemagazine]

🏆🏆🏆🏆

[@williesweetjr8713]

It took an insane amount of money to create this boat. It took even more for the two owners to maintain this craft in the condition it was built in. They should be commended for recognizing and maintaining this iconic boats impact in the motorsports world.

[@vehiculemagazine]

it tool us two 4 years coving it

[@vicbittertoo]

Wow, what a LEGEND !!, one thing I noticed was no drive showers, surely those drives would heat up badly ??, had bravo x drives on my old boat with 496 cube motors and that totally cooked the mineral oil to black in a few hours, fitted the showers, used redline 320 heavy shockproof oil and no dramas, totally silent gear shifts :)

[@vehiculemagazine]

be sure to read vehicule-magazine.com

[@jamesdow9137]

Big difference from bravos to a 3A and 5’s.

[@ThebigShrimpy]

Love your channel!!! There was a yellow 41' around Galveston Texas in the late 80's early 90's. Absolutely astounding boat. Do you know who owns the Apache molds today? I thought i read at one time McManus had possession.

[@vehiculemagazine]

Very cool!

[@vehiculemagazine]

also check out our print edition vehicule-magazine.com

[@ztwntyn8]

That’s an awesome boat. I remember back when there were three and four engines. Love the middle drive is lower. Just a great boat. Hilborn injection on alky no doubt wow a great boat

[@vehiculemagazine]

Thanks for watching!

[@michaelgavin4568]

Bad ass hearing those engines rumble!!

[@adamthiemann3084]

What a beautiful machine

[@vehiculemagazine]

It sure is!

[@tacticalofficer6103]

Sterling Motors Yessssssss !!!!!▪

[@robertlamorte7079]

What happened with the cracked hull?

[@vehiculemagazine]

is that a trick question? or all you read some where

[@nunyabizznizz7326]

i have pictures of it....

[@LivingOnCash]

It was repaired and is running again.

[@jamesdow9137]

Can see the repair area at 12:00

[@gatorsaw3315]

I know where the old Don Johnson race hull is in Florida.. Its sitting in a field doing nothing

[@waterworldofficial]

you guys rock

[@vehiculemagazine]

thanks! more here vehicule-magazine.com

[@roberthawxhurst3717]

Like to know just how far the "restoration" was as far as replacing the 47s plywood, stringers, transome etc....... Hard to believe the "original" gellcoat and art-work stayed pristine over decades and world wide travels. I attended the KS&W Offshore Race Team Sal Magluta and Willy Falcon Federal Auction at St Augustine and still have a some of the seized inventory. I think they sold 19 boats...

[@vehiculemagazine]

guess you will have to read all about it vehicule-magazine.com

[@richardcarter3406]

Free Ben Kramer!!

[@vehiculemagazine]

yes!

[@johnmurray9526]

Is he still alive? He'd be so happy his boat is in good hands!

[@slartybarfastb3648]

Free them all. Has anyone noticed how many drug-addled freaks there are on any given day in any small town or city? What has 60 years of prohibition given us other than prison culture and cheaper, more plentiful, more destructive drugs? Time to accept locking people up only allows even worse people to take their place.

[@chrishackett554]

Screw Kramer. He had Don murdered.

[@RenneeShreiner]

yes!

[@vehiculemagazine]

yessssss

[@raulgutierrez1501]

The only problem I see is the fuel injection setup they were never that reliable compared to today's Merc engines. Other than that the 47' is a great rough water boat.

[@vehiculemagazine]

period correct if you want new mercs get a new boat

[@johnmc1888]

You’re just not cool enough to understand!

[@raulgutierrez1501]

@@johnmc1888@ johnmc1888 I beg to deffer. Having owned Foundtain and Raced a 41 Apache with twin 750 engines, I think I am cool enough. From a restoration point of view, they did a fantastic job. I got my insights about Apache boats after meeting with Bob Saccenti at Fort Apache back in the day. If you are cool enough maybe you have herd of him?

[@sheltdog8463]

That is the original pimp daddy of the water without a doubt!!!

[@vehiculemagazine]

☝🏻🏆🏁

[@edwardnelson3304]

That specific pile of resin, is Bad Karma and always will be.

[@vehiculemagazine]

what are you talking about

[@jss5225]

Of all the boats to do a document on you had a pick the one or one of the ones that was run by a hard-core drug dealer that's what brought down offshore boating are used to run a boat in the races and when my sponsors found out that almost half the guys were running cocaine from the ocean back to the shore. They stopped to sponsoring meand that happened to a lot of the honest guys so you picked the guy Kramer who brought Ron running cocaine with offshore boats a big hobby or not a hobby a big business which killed the offshore industry great choice guys

[@vehiculemagazine]

make your own film stop complaining

[@chrishackett554]

@@vehiculemagazinescrew Kramer. He had Don murdered

[@CaptainjackSparrow-z2b]

I like Ben he's my kind of guy

[@sublime929]

A murderer, and drug and gun runner. Interesting

[@WOOD-BOOGER-lc4fl]

Did they make more racing boats or drug running?!!❤❤

[@vehiculemagazine]

🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁

[@adriankorcyl1418]

“Let me drive the boat”

[@vehiculemagazine]

buy a poster

[@adriankorcyl1418]

@@vehiculemagazine if you lemme drive the boat I’ll buy 5 and you’d be able to make atleast 5 more new posters. Lake berryessa…I’ll get her to 108+

[@kostantinospapadimitriou6032]

Why nobody talks about the beautiful lady…

[@vehiculemagazine]

lool

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

You can buy your own in Miami. Any 5-star hotel bar has 'em.

[@jayfriedrich8975]

hate the special effects,

[@vehiculemagazine]

make your own film buy your own boat

[@Nottalotta69]

Does the model have an @? She’s beautiful 😍

[@vehiculemagazine]

only if you buy something

[@longtime239]

Wouldn't a supercharger fit in that time Era? What if?

[@vehiculemagazine]

3x900hp never felt like it lacked power

[@longtime239]

@vehiculemagazine 900ish is Good But 1500+ on blower and race ⛽️ is Better😁

[@CaptainjackSparrow-z2b]

All she needs is two 1350s mer's

[@vehiculemagazine]

nope

[@nunyabizznizz7326]

free ben kramer!

[@vehiculemagazine]

🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁

[@chrishackett554]

He had Don murdered. Screw Kramer.

[@SimoneBuralliMaj7]

vertical videos should be banned in phones operating systems

[@63melvyn]

What’s with the soppy 3 camera angels can’t see a dam thing

[@vehiculemagazine]

your old

[@Spike-sk7ql]

Why did that chick have to do that double video thing when looking at the boat? Ruined the whole damn segment. There are LOADS of things that people would find very interesting in there! Give us the biggest, clearest picture possible!

[@RenneeShreiner]

then read the magazine or make your own film. quit complaining.

[@Thebestornothing-1]

Apache 41 just come ... last working in progress ....kzbin.infoJ8g9zP8edpQ

[@hoedemakerbart]

Guy was a drug dealer 😂

[@vehiculemagazine]

oh your so smart

[@jeffmech600]

The trophy wife gets to drive Bens masterpiece. She shouldn't be allowed on the boat

[@vehiculemagazine]

haha yet she is and you are not.

[@s0nnyburnett]

20 minutes of AI narration. No thanks.

[@vehiculemagazine]

buy boat, restore, make film for free, post

[@Al_Nunnery]

🚤 🚤 💯 🚤 🚤. Cleveland Tennessee Waivin 👋 in Dallas DFW Forth Worth Tx.

[@vehiculemagazine]

💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁

[@alhill1767]

im more interested in the girl

[@CaptainjackSparrow-z2b]

I like Ben he's my kind of guy

[@vehiculemagazine]

🏆🏁