Allan "Brownie" Brown

Allan Brown

Allan "Brownie" Brown, the author, is a 'Hall of Fame' offshore racer/builder with 17 years on N.E. 188th Street, Aventura, Florida: The fabled "Thunderbolt Row". Brownie did four years at Donzi Marine, five years at Magnum Marine, five years at Cougar Marine, and three years at Cigarette Racing Team. The book consists of 54 stories, all written by Brownie, covering racing, boatbuilding, woman chasing, beer drinking and related activities. Subjects of the stories include Don Aronow, Sam Griffith, Dick Bertram, Jim Wynne, Walt Walters, Jim Breuil, Jake Trotter, Harry Schoell, Tim Chisholm, Sonny Levi, Odell Lewis, Johnny Bakos, Bobby Moore, Sammy James, Elton Cary, Al Copeland, John Holman, Dinny Phipps, Red Crise, Jack Manson, Bill Wishnick, Carl Kiekhaefer and dozens of others.

What's in it

In 1964, Brownie worked for Don Aronow at Donzi Marine, the first real sport boat builder. We considered Formula to be a utility boat. Aronow sold the company (and Brownie) shortly after its inception

(and a couple of big offshore wins). It was all downhill from there. Offshore racing blossomed, with races drawing 50, 60 and 70+ entries, and racing in the ocean to faraway ports, such as Nassau, Bahamas, Torquay, England, etc. Two hundred mile races were common, 500 miles sometimes, and often brutal, being contested in the winter months. The result was better and faster boats and engines, quantum improvements in hardware, compasses, radios and such.

The most fun you can have standing up!

The book is an expose of the irreverence, fun, the hair-standing-upon- the-back-of-your-neck world of offshore racing. There is little in the world as satisfying as passing your buddy in rough water, grinning. We dedicate this book to the grins. As Brownie says on the back cover, "If you have never had your adrenaline flush like a toilet, you have never really lived.

Tales From Thunderboat Row

Tales From Thunderboat Row

Allan "Brownie" Brown

Allan "Brownie" Brown

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