bigredbaja

Checkmate Guys....I am looking to move up a few feet from my Baja 252 Islander with 502 Mag and Whipple set up. My boating life requires a MCOB set up but I still want to be close to 70 on top end. I found a 2001 270 MCOB with the Mercury 500 EFI. What can you tell me about this boat? Ride quality, degree vee on the hull, approx top speed w/500 EFI? Any problems or issues to consider with the 01 model 270? Any other opinions or insight woould be appreciated.

Bathtub

Is it the one on powerboatlistings.com up in NY? If so, that was my parents old boat. Mid 70s with the 500EFI, the hull is a 24 degree hull but the boat is pretty light and doesn't ride as well as say the Donzi 28 ZXO.

bigredbaja

No this one is in the mid-west, any concerns with older Checkmates or things to watch out for?

checkmate 500

I owned the boat, I live in northern IL, I picked the boat up in febuary of 2009 in Utah from a marina,the boat was used on lake powel, It had 100 hours, It came with a imco -2 shorty lower i didnt like the way it drove so I put a new bravo lower on it summer of 2009, played with props best speed I could get was 69 gps, sold the boat mid summer, bought bigger boat to much chine walking at high speed, I also owened 1996 253 years ago that boat seemed to drive alot better than the mcob, I payed 31,000 for boat in 2009 boat sold quick, new owner had the rest of summer and sold it again, last time I saw the boat it was at hawkee in IA, they want to much money for it, test drive boat before you buy it had one owner before me but at least 3 since good luck.

Bathtub

Looked it up, nice looking boat but yeah, they want way too much for it, as do the current owners of my parents old boat. The thing is, I am interested in buying back my parents old boat but they are $10k off in price IMO, love the boat just not that much. They never had any handling problems other than at low speed with the tabs up when turning they would catch, causing the boat to roll bad, very scary.

bigredbaja

Great Information Thanks to you and "Bathtub" although I must admit I am disappointed. If it s had four owners since summer of 2009 there must be something that the other owners all disliked as well. The low speed hook does concern me that could be a bad deal!

Bathtub

Yeah, it only seemed to do it if you raised the tabs all the way up instead of just raising them to neutral, but when they would hook it felt like the boat was just going to barrell roll over, very scary for driver and passengers. Other than that, the boat handled great and ran mid 70s all day, not sure if they had a bravo 1 or hydromotive 4 blade, just that it had been labbed a lot, you could shave with it!

Like I said, I am interested in buying my parents boat back from the current owner if they would get realistic with the price. The boat fits my style of boating perfectly and I know the full history of it except for the last 40hrs of use.

checkmate 500

I had the same problem at low speed, that roll got me a 34 powerquest the wife hated the checkmate after that, I still think checkmate makes a very good boat and I would buy another one for the right price, kids loved the mcob, the open bows are made better on the newer ones the seats are hinged so they dont bounce around

checkmate 500

The pictures are old , I sold the boat with those pictures, it is hooked up to my truck at grand sport center in IL

Bathtub

Another friend of ours has the blue and yellow one with a 454 mag that was in hot boat magazine and it does the same, I wonder if all 259/270 do that. Did your 253 do it?

Am I off base thinking that these boats with the 500efi are only worth $30k, not the $40k that people are asking? My parents paid $52k for theirs in 10/01 when it had 77 hrs, 10 years later and with 515 hrs the current owner wants $39k. Maybe he didn't watch the market today...