Forest E. Johnson

Forest E. Johnson (born on May 17, 1899) was an American boat designer, boat builder and boat racer from Key West, Florida. He built his first boat at the age of 14. He would go on to build over 2,000 Boats and win many Awards and Trophies for his achievements as a Boat Racer.

By the time Johnson was 14 years old, he had built his first boat. Soon after, he was building outboard powered race boats and winning races with his own design. Johnson married Gina Navarro in Key West, Florida at the age of 19 and within the next 6 years had 3 daughters. He built and raced his own boats winning a 150-mile non-stop race from Key West to Miami.

In the 1920s, he mobved to Coconut Grove, Florida. His power boats were in high demand and his business, the Forest E. Johnson Boat Co. thrived. In 1935 Hurricane "Yankee" demolished most of his boatbuilding facility and he divorced from his wife In 1936, he moved to Miami and built a manufacturing facility on the Miami River where the company name was soon legally changed to Forest E. Johnson Boat Works. The brand name "Prowler" came from a friend in 1940 who made reference to his boats being not only fast but featuring a semi-vee hull that could operate in shallow water and "Prowl like a Prowler".

In addition to winning inland races and setting speed records up and down the eastern United States, Forest E. Johnson was also one of the Pioneers in starting the sport of Ocean Racing. He continued to be very successful at boat racing. One of his most notable victories came in 1958. He won the Ocean Powerboat Race from Miami to Key West, then set a record in winning the Ocean Powerboat Race from Key West to Havana - a record which stood for 57 years before being broken in 2015. In later years, younger drivers in Jr. Prowlers continued to win and set records. Renowned Boat Racing Drivers like Howard Hibbert maintained the Prowler winning tradition.

In 1956, Rene & Gale Jacoby, Wife & Daughter of Harry Jacoby (owner of Amazon Hose & Rubber Company) made the decision to enter Boat Racing. After successfully racing in inland events, by 1963 this mother-daughter team had a 31' Prowler and entered the Miami to Nassau Offshore Ocean Powerboat Race finishing in the middle of the pack. They soon followed up with a First Place Finish in the Production Class and Third Overall in a Miami to Key West Offshore Powerboat Race!

Many of the vessels Johnson built during his lifetime became classics, beginning in the early part of the 20th Century and continuing through prohibition, World War II, the 50s, and throughout the 60s.

Johnson built boats for the City of Miami, County, and State of Florida as well as the U.S. Navy. In 1955, Johnson drove one of his twin-engine 26' Prowlers from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas towing 22-year-old Delores Kipple non-stop on One Single Water-Ski. This World Record was set in 10 hours and 25 minutes, covering 200 Miles despite losing one engine near Nassau on board the Prowler "Tooky".

Don Aronow, the originator of Boatbuilding Companies Formula Marine, Donzi Marine, Magnum Marine, and Cigarette Racing Team, was also a good friend and Johnson helped Don Aronow get started in the boat-building business in the early 1960s as referenced in a book "Don Aronow, The King of Thunderboat Row" by his son Michael Aronow.

By 1968, most all wooden hull boats had been replaced with fibreglass models. So, he ceased building wooden boats and made the change to build 23-foot and 32-foot fibreglass Prowlers until his death in 1971.

Johnson's son Forest Johnson paid tribute to his father, his father's boats, and the early days of Miami boatbuilding in an article about "The Life of Legendary Boatbuilder Forest E. Johnson" in Power & Motoryacht magazine (July 2015 Issue - Page 44).

Awards

1928: 1^st Tahiti Beach Cup, Bay Hijacker II, B-Class, First Place

1928: 2^nd Tahiti Beach Cup, Baby Hijacker IV, C-Class, First Place

1928: 3rd Tahiti Beach Cup, Biscayne Bay, B-Class, First Place

1928: Miami Herald Outboard Marathon, Miami Sunny Isles, B-Class 30 miles, First place

1928: Tampa Boat and Anglers Club, All Cat Class B, First Place

1928: West Palm Beach Outboard Trophy, Class B, First Place

1928: Palm Beach Yacht Club, Outboard Regatta, 2nd prize, Class B, Coconut Grove FL

1936: Albany - New York Motorboat Race, Inboard, Class E, First Place

1937: Biscayne Bay Regatta, Miami Cruiser, Second Prize

1938: Washington Birthday Regatta Gold Cup, First Place

1946: Biscayne Bay Regatta, First Place

1948: Biscayne Bay Regatta, First Place

1948: Glenn L. Martin Trophy

1951: New Martinsville Regatta, Inboards, W Virginia

1957: Nation's Top speedboat Drivers set for a 2-day launch Club Regatta; Hibbert, holder of the world five-mile competitive record for F service runabouts, defending his National crown in Forest E. Johnson's newest Jr. Prowler.

1958: Ocean Race, Regata Crucero a Motor, Miami to Havana, First Place

1958: Ocean Race, Miami to Havana, Speed Record, First Place