Sunken Jetboat Salvaged from Lake Powell

[J-RAD]

I've been following the Fab Rats YouTube channel for probably about a year now. They're a small town fab/repair shop in Southern Utah. They're a great follow. They just debuted a few videos of a project they call Operation Yellow Submarine. They along with their cousin Merlin (Merlin's Old School Garage) located jetboat that had been sunken at Lake Powell for an estimated 30 years. Low water levels had revealed it. After getting permission from the appropriate authorities, they recovered the boat from the lake bed and are attempting to restore it. Both Fab Rats and Merlin's channels are collaborating on the project. They're just getting started, but it's pretty unbelievable what they're doing and the surprising condition of this boat.
Fab Rats

Merlin's Old School Garage

This one is pretty unbelievable...

It's hard to believe the condition of the thing. I'm excited to see how this thing turns out, and see it back on the water. Check it out if you have the time.

Merlin has built a go fast boat with a 12 valve Cummins in it. It's pretty awesome!

 

[zipper]

I was checking out his channel yesterday. https://youtube.com/@MerlinsOldSchoolGarage

 

[2kwik4u]

My youngest used to LOVE watching Matts Off Road Recovery. Back before Matt was a big content guy, just some dude that worked for a tow company that would go out and retrieve stuck people. Fab Rats is a spin-off from his channel. Cool stuff to watch for certain. Beats the pants of scripted network reality TV!

 

[J-RAD]

I was checking out his channel yesterday. https://youtube.com/@MerlinsOldSchoolGarage

Yeah, that last video was trending #1 on YouTube. Pretty cool for a small channel with minimal production. I actually started watching the Fab Rats channel first where Merlin showed up one day. I recognized him from a time he appeared on Mike Finnegan's (from Motor Trend) channel with his Cummins powered boat, so I gave him a follow. I found Fab Rats thru Matt's Off-road Recovery channel. There's a web of interconnected/commingling YouTubers in that group.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

Thanks for the post. I watched the first video and plan to watch the rest. Cool to see the boat getting recovered and hopefully restored.

Jim

 

[oakley24]

Appreciate the links. Watched the first episode so far. Always looking for something entertaining to watch. Both of these channels are worth a subscribe

 

[2kwik4u]

Yeah, that last video was trending #1 on YouTube. Pretty cool for a small channel with minimal production. I actually started watching the Fab Rats channel first where Merlin showed up one day. I recognized him from a time he appeared on Mike Finnegan's (from Motor Trend) channel with his Cummins powered boat, so I gave him a follow. I found Fab Rats thru Matt's Off-road Recovery channel. There's a web of interconnected/commingling YouTubers in that group.

I'm a fan of Finnegan as well.

I found him through the Roadkill series back in '17. Followed him around for awhile and now just mostly watch his shenanigans through Instagram.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I've been following the Fab Rats YouTube channel for probably about a year now. They're a small town fab/repair shop in Southern Utah. They're a great follow. They just debuted a few videos of a project they call Operation Yellow Submarine. They along with their cousin Merlin (Merlin's Old School Garage) located jetboat that had been sunken at Lake Powell for an estimated 30 years. Low water levels had revealed it. After getting permission from the appropriate authorities, they recovered the boat from the lake bed and are attempting to restore it. Both Fab Rats and Merlin's channels are collaborating on the project. They're just getting started, but it's pretty unbelievable what they're doing and the surprising condition of this boat.
Fab Rats

Merlin's Old School Garage

This one is pretty unbelievable...

It's hard to believe the condition of the thing. I'm excited to see how this thing turns out, and see it back on the water. Check it out if you have the time.

Merlin has built a go fast boat with a 12 valve Cummins in it. It's pretty awesome!

All that crap talking about Fords and it started… LOL!

 

[J-RAD]

All that crap talking about Fords and it started… LOL!

His video today hinted that motor or at least the intake was going back in the boat. Also hinted they may be giving the boat back to the original owners. That would be a shock after 30 years...

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Was it mentioned how the boat sunk?

 

[lazergeek]

Was it mentioned how the boat sunk?

Not yet, Since they found a ski rope wrapped up in the pump I assume they sucked up the rope then the boat swamped in from waves from a wind storm.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

LP is no joke when it comes to wind driven waves! There’s a post on this site somewhere about our boats getting swamped and how effective the self bailing decks are. In that thread there’s a story about a guy in a bow rider at LP who got caught out in those big waves and made it to a sheltered cove with about 18” of water in the boat that drained out quickly….

 

[the MfM]

My youngest used to LOVE watching Matts Off Road Recovery. Back before Matt was a big content guy, just some dude that worked for a tow company that would go out and retrieve stuck people. Fab Rats is a spin-off from his channel. Cool stuff to watch for certain. Beats the pants of scripted network reality TV!

I stopped watching that channel when he was charged and plead no contest to insurance fraud….won’t support a thief.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I stopped watching that channel when he was charged and plead no contest to insurance fraud….won’t support a thief.

Links?

Sometimes people get screwed over and there is more to the story.

 

[the MfM]

Links?

Sometimes people get screwed over and there is more to the story.

https://www.way.com/blog/youtube-matts-off-road-recovery-insurance-fraud/

Screenshot from above link: