gofastlvr

Have you ever actually seen a Skater up close? Now they are fast and nobody could ever doubt that but fit and finish is lacking to say the least! The MTI is a fantastic boat all around and the Bentley of all the offshore cats and even they don't even get to be in the same conversation with DCB. The attention to detail that those guys have are unmatched in boating. I have had the opportunity to crawl around on Silver Lining and it is breathtaking and talked to Tony at length about his boats. The wire looms are spaced exactly the same throughout the boat and the dang hex bolts in the engine compartment are all turned the same way and point up if I remember correctly. That is over kill in my opinion but the boats are gorgeous and the "fit and finish" is amazing.

I personally think that if money was no option the Mystics are the most amazing machine out there with the MTI's not far behind but who am I to judge... If you take a look at the guys out there with a "money is no object" approach to buying a boat... they are buying Mystics and MTI's and that says something.

precisiondetails

I agree- Tony is a close friend and I to have had the exclusive tour, I've rode in silver lining, I just love the straight business and performance of a Skater, plus the lines and style are just for me and that's purely my opinion! But their performance is 2nd to NO one

Drock78

iTrader: (2)

speaking of guys that money is no object...how many skaters has Ronnie(FLight Club) bought? 1 Mystic? Couple MTI? and who knows what else...lol

precisiondetails

Oh and he's only bought Mtis in a pinch when he needed a boat for a weekend! Lol

paintman

The one cat I see every time and I do a triple take is redline ...the fit and finish of these look impeccable , makes you wonder what a 50' redline would be capable of or how it would compare to the others

Do they only make 26?

blume

I have pricing on both and that above is not a true statement. They are very close to the same price. If you have any questions or want the pricing call me. Just want to keep the facts straight. 903-814-8848

offshorexcursion

iTrader: (5)

Not many new cat manufactures I would not be proud to own! Wish we could learn more true facts but just like the V's thread it will never happen. No way to prove which is better without an unbiased test. And who is going to pay for that!

Don't forget about Nordic. The 28ss is TOP NOTCH. Had the pleasure of taking a test drive with Bob Teague in one rigged with his 900 and it was beyond words at 119mph! Then my friend bought the boat, and the first weekend with him behind the wheel I was even more blown away at how well it handled, turned, and ate up the rough.

Every thread needs pics!

Rock solid on rails

JRider

iTrader: (1)

Almost a separate thread in itself maybe? I know the new Big DCB can be ordered either way.

JRider

iTrader: (1)

I will take the bait.

Not all cats porpoise, however all air entrapment hulls do go through a period of instability when they transition to airing out. By instability I do not mean dangerous instability, I mean physics. Center pods reduce or almost eliminate any kind of porpoise and make boats transition to airing out smoother. The trade off is rough water capability.

Half a lake to turn? That right there is funny. Half of lake Michigan? or half of on golden pond?

A step vhull cannot and will not rival a cat in turns at speed...unless your goal is to swap ends.

Only great race boats? What do you consider race boats?

CoolSpot

Don't know "first hand" that much about any kind cat besides Skaters other than how they look and what other owners say about them. Most MTI owners I know say good things about them, DCB owners say good things about them, etc, etc. I think they all look good and brand loyalty seems to be pretty strong.

What gofastlovr says about a Skater up close is somewhat true. They tend to exhibit "print through" if you examine the hull at close range. Peter builds them strong and light and that can be a characteristic. Most owners like myself consider it a positive though. However, the rest of his rigging is good quality, proper, and sanitary.

Regarding performance, nothing is as fast or feels as safe, and responsive as a Skater. Particularly the mid range models from 30 - 38 feet. Some comments from previous posts on this thread - such as they take the whole lake to make a turn - just aren't accurate. I can almost throw you out of my boat in a turn at 100 miles an hour it carves so tight. And as Precisiondetails said, with the right set up, they accelerate hard and strong.

In many ways, Skater really started mass producing cats before all the rest. He did his R&D on the race course so the pedigree is speed and manueverability, not necessarily bling and finish. Not that there aren't some gorgeous Skaters out there. Or that other makes aren't fast and manueverable. But the guys that really want to haul the mail almost always have Skater on their 'short list" of cats to consider.

There's room in the market and a buyer for every brand. But for speed and reliability, you absolutely can't go wrong with a Skater.