The Original Moppie

The deep-vee begins to emerge in Hunt's 1949 design, Sea Blitz, which was commissioned by Hunt enthusiast Bradley Noyes. The bow sections are straighter and Hunt increased the deadrise noticeably, carrying it aft with virtually no flattering. Instead of a broad stern, there was a vee something like the bow. Hunt loved to build prototypes. By 1958, a wooden deep-vee, complete with lifting strakes and 24 degrees of deadrise, was turning heads in Newport, RI. One July day, Bertram, a crewman aboard the 12 meter Vim, looked up to see "something special hurtling across" the bay. Bertram made a mental note to corner Hunt after the day's racing. He took a short ride the very next day and immediately ordered the 31 footer that would become the record-setting Moppie.

Mitchell's Miami-Nassau race story appeared in Sports Illustrated, spreading the deep-vee story to an emerging class of postwar recreational boaters. Businessmen noticed it too, and the race for the new powerboat market was on, with Bertram at the forefront. Moppie was quickly turned into a plug and a mold was cast to produce fiberglass versions under license to Hunt. Hunt shunned the accolades that started coming his way and, as a result, some people considered him standoffish, Deknatel recalled. Meanwhile, other boat companies copied the deep-vee, and Hunt was unable to patent his idea. Drawings had appeared in a boating magazine early in 1958 as part of a story on the design. Patent rules stipulated that a patent application must be filed within a year after the invention has been written about or used - and Hunt had missed the deadline.

A phase of unsuccessful patent infringement suits followed, in which the oversight proved his undoing, Deknatel recalled. Even as he was working on the deep-vee, Hunt continued to design other craft. He worked with partners Dick Fisher and Bob Pierce on the experimental tri-hull shape that would become the Boston Whaler. Hunt convinced Fisher and Pierce to make the foam-cored boat an outboard instead of a sailboat.

Photo's and documents of the Moppie "V" bottom boat as sold in 1967

The selling price for the complete Ready to Run boat including radio system was- $700.00. Taking in consideration the era, in today's dollars that would be about- $3000.00. Wow! We have it made, quality and an affordable price. The average weekly salary in 1967 was between $100-$150.00.