Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Gable.
Hi Mike, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My story started probably like many stories of entrepreneurs. I graduated high school and transplanted to Florida from the northeast. I have been racing sailboats and building boats since 1970. My journey in the boating industry started as a floor sweeper at a local boat-building co. that would quickly lead to 43 years of proven success as a blueprinter, designer, boat speed modifier, and marine product innovator. These “blueprinting” upgrades and techniques were collaborations of other designers in the early years. After being “Blessed” with success achieved in my career, I enrolled part-time in a local college. It was then I found a useful way to apply “silly” subjects like math and fluid science in the design applications that were now to be completed as my own ideas. Every time I come up with a new “speed” idea that may be off the wall, I think of my childhood experience in pools while spinning around to start a whirpool. I remember the flow of water on my hand as I spun and changed angles, pitch, width, and depth of my hand. I’m thinking I was hooked as a designer but didn’t yet know it.
After owning many boats, I desired to purchase a pontoon boat but DID NOT want that standard slow, wet, and rough pontoon boat ride. Knowing my longtime boat racing and designer peers would never expect to see me on a pontoon boat, I drew up a pontoon hydrofoil system idea for speed gains on a napkin while sipping a few mind twisters at a yacht club bar. After speaking with some hydrofoil design experts, I believed my idea was going to work, at least in theory!
After a purchase of a 20′ pontoon boat with a 75 hp motor with a partner that also bought into the idea, I designed, built, and installed the first prototype hydrofoil having never used the boat. At the time of purchase, we were told the boat did a maximum of 18 mph with its 75hp motor. The boat was then splashed and tested. We achieved a top-end speed of 26 mph with an extremely quiet ride with the hydrofoil attached. The best part of this hydrofoil addition was we were now at an economical cruising speed of 21 mph and smiling with successful joy.
After 5 prototypes and more than 800 hrs. of structural, speed, economy, and performance testing, I finally found a “sweet spot” for the size and shape of an extruded aluminum hydrofoil. We designed this system into a “Kit” form. Hence Pontoon Hydrofoil Applications, Inc. was born. After 1400+ hours of vigorous testing and 14 prototypes, our pontoon test boat maxed out with a blazing 36 mph at wide-open throttle!
After incredible business input from family, friends, professionals, and many mentors in the industry, we have a viable small company that builds pontoon, tritoon, and power catamaran speed improvement branded products that are made in the USA. Our hydrofoil design (VaraFoil™), strut design (VaraStrut™), and pitch control plate (VaraPlate™) are patent pending, and the brand is trademarked. The complete kits are made for the hydrofoil do-it-yourselfer who knows how to use basic, common tools. Although hydrofoils are not completely understood by the general boater, we aim to make hydrofoil conversions accessible to the common pontoon/tritoon enthusiast who wants more speed, better fuel economy, smoother ride, and less wear and tear on their motor.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth Road, great question? Each of us carries a story of struggles of ALL sizes.
For example, Alexander Graham Bell once said, “The most successful men, in the end, are those whose success is the result of steady accretion.” I use Mr. Bell’s quote as on Sept 9, 1919, Mr. Bell, his wife Maybell, and his designer traveled faster than any person had ever traveled on water before in 1919. That team started the design of this ship, known as “hydrodrome” or HD-4, sometime in 1906. I wonder what happened to HD-1, HD-2, and HD-3? I would guess they encountered bumpy results with many challenges and struggles.
So, I would respectfully answer that my life has been blessed with many challenges, and for the most part, I can look back with a big old smile and say, ” What in the world was I thinking when I did that”? If I were to compare my parallel with Mr. Bell’s, The challenge factor would probably be an MG-9 (Means Mike Gable with 9 Times the struggle of Mr. Bell) if you understand my jest!
I guess the biggest struggle when designing the VaraFoil™ hydrofoil system for any boat is that there is the no ONE SIZE FITS ALL hydrofoil kit for all sea conditions. I have to ask the customer several questions to ensure the proper custom build. Examples include, do you want maximum speed? Do you want maximum lift at slower or faster speeds? Do you prefer fuel economy? There are many choices. It would be compared to a set of car tires performing in ALL conditions. You must choose how you spend the most time driving. Offroad? Rain? Highway? Snow? etc.
For me, the biggest challenge in hydrofoil design is setting up/designing each owner’s boat to their desired need but also trying to give the owner an edge in all wave and weather conditions. PHA Inc’s final proof of concept plan is to make a trip to Bahamas from Florida. The Atlantic Ocean will offer challenges to our hydrofoil and pontoon shape that they are NOT specifically designed for.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work has brought me much joy. Most of my life’s work has involved making boats go faster and performing better to win races. I have built, blueprinted, redesigned, modified, and specialized in speed enhancements of sailing and power yachts from 8′- 115 ft long. This work included everything from initial plan form in AutoCad to prototyping the ideas, building molds to replicate these ideas, to large repairs requiring saws large enough to cut a 15ft x 8 ft hole in a 51-foot sailboat and all interior components leading to a total rebuild of the port side and all structures internally.
Boat design and performance enhancements are complicated endeavors. Making boats go faster requires shape changes to accessory fittings and hull shapes. Keels, rudders, masts, sails, hydrofoils, and hull shapes all react differently in different wind strength, water temperature and salinity, wave height/frequency, and water current. Each of these conditions factor into a boat’s setup. Though aerodynamics play a big part in speed enhancements, I have always believed that most of your gains predominately remain in hydrodynamic setups (below the waterline) as water in basic terms is 865 times denser than air. So, something that may be wrong underwater can slow you down much faster than something above the waterline. Try swimming 6 laps in a pool versus running on the pavement surrounding it.
I am known for the euphemism “Get Gableized.” This was a term given by any owner that hired me to make their boat faster for competitions. If you have been “Gableized,” it meant your boat was showing up at the starting line in its best form and preparation in order to obtain 1st place. There usually was no stone left unturned if your boat was “Gableized”. After all, as my clients have said, 2nd place is the 1st loser.
What am I most proud of? I am proud of many things, however 1st and foremost, the fact that with a lot of hard work, sweat, long hours, and dedication, GOD gave me the chance to be part of shared success. There’s nothing like being part of a “Team” that is focused on getting a job done, cooperation from your fellow crew, rallying around the problem-solving of roadblocks, persevering to the end, and ultimately finishing the goal with a trophy. Consequently, it wasn’t the trophy that spelled success, it was the “Team” effort that made me feel victorious in whatever our job was.
I believe most others would say I am wound up tight with a mind that never shuts down. If I accept a challenge or a job, my peers would always know it was going to get done right or not at all.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Assuming the definition of childhood is while under maternal care (16 yrs. of age in my case), I would say that graduating high school was a significant time in my life. High school was filled with many distractions as a boy, there were girls, sports, partying, and also the independency of owning a car which didn’t lead to very good grades. So, when I graduated high school, it was a memory of sweet success as I barely made it to the finish line. It was somewhat surreal realizing that all my friends and social activities would change after the summer of graduation. There was a lonely feeling as friends were off to college, work, and on with their lives.
This forced my growth and independence but also forced me to understand the strength of unity and community in life, as my life had now changed quickly.
Pricing:
- Pontoon VaraFoil™ Kit $3625.00
- Tritoon VaraFoil™ Kit $3755.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pontoonhydrofoil.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pontoonhydrofoil/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PontoonHydroFoil
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-gable-413579224/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCItyVsu3vL9ctkj0w_lnTJQ
