What Led to Vintage Hydro Collision on Columbia? Hydro Museum Tells Us [VIDEO]

We kind of figured something along those lines...

   Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum Releases Statement

Founded in Kent, WA in 1983, the Hydroplane and Boatrace Museum is dedicated to preserving the history and glory of unlimited hydroplane history, and the boats that achieved it.

For decades, they've restored and brought back to racing life some of the most famous unlimited hydros the world has seen.  From the Green Dragon-Miss Bardahl, to the Atlas Van Lines, The Miss Budweiser, Thriftway, Hawaii Kai and more.

  This Last Sunday the Pay 'N Pak and Squire Shop Were Out on the Columbia

2 of the vintage boats were out of commission Sunday afternoon, due to mechanical failure, leaving the Pay 'N Pak and the Squire Shop to carry the honors. They were out on the water doing a demonstration vintage 'heat' race, when on lap 2, the Squire abruptly cut across the nose of the Pak.   The crash badly damaged both boats, but they didn't sink, and the drivers were OK.

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They had to be towed back in.

  Museum Releases a Statement About the Crash

The statement read in part:

"The driver of the outside boat mistakenly turned on the wrong course buoy, inadvertently cutting in front of the inside boat. Both boats received damage but fortunately neither driver was injured."

The outside boat was the Squire, named after a famous Northwest clothing store known for their jeans.   The Museum said they are working with the APBA (American Power Boat Association) to strengthen and modify safety protocols going forward.

Several social media pages showed the damage to the two boats, it will take some time to repair them to running order.

This video from the Hydroplane Museum on YouTube (Thunderboats Video) shows Chip Hanauer behind the wheel of the vintage Pay 'N Pak.