Revelocity

As others have said, Baja provided an excellent entree into offshore performance boating. Baja was one of few non-California boats that featured gelcoat based graphics. The boats were stylish and the buyer had a broad options list including selecting the vinyl color layout for the interior and a nice range of gelcoat colors. For a high production builder, you really could personalise your boat without added cost. I found the factory support on my new boat was very good in the early 1990's. For what it's worth Baja had very good marketing and was one of the first to use a website circa 1995 which had a cool factor! Yes there were build and rigging compromises to achieve the more affordable price point but for the average buyer, they were smart compromises. As also been said, it doesn't bode well for any boat brand if owner doesn't routinely care for or stay on top of his boat's issues - which they all have.

All that said, I am a little disheartened if there really is genuine "hate" towards Baja's as it's not deserved. I never observed it toward Baja's during my 20 year tenure organizing New Jersey Performance Powerboat Club events which included the best of the best offshore hardware.

Helmwurst

I've had 2 Baja's and they were both pretty good boats. No issues with either one. The 320 had a leak around the transom assembly. Took it in and when the pulled the port engine and drive, they found a small piece of wood had been wedged up between the transom and the assembly. I remember a thumping sound one day on the lake and a few days later it started to leak. Big Thunder fixed it and saved the sliver of wood to show me what was causing the leak. A $10 seal and 900.00 labor was all good. As far as I know the boat is still on the Lake.
Replaced that boat with a Fountain. Another favorite to bash. Sits on a lift, all mostly original, new dash and gauges 20 years ago and new power last year, just because. No wet transom, stingers or all that BS. It is all about taking care of them and fixing issues when they come along.

VetteLT193

Baja is sorta like Ocean Yachts. The other manufacturers show up to a boat show and these guys show up with seemingly the same boat... engines are the same, drives, gauges, etc. yet their price is way better. So the sales teams have to make up reasons why they suck even though they really didn't suck. Compromises were certainly made to hit the price point but that should be expected to get max value from a product.

So Baja might not be laid up and rigged as well as Formula, Donzi, and Cig but they are a great value. Same goes for Ocean vs Viking. We had a 45 Viking then a 42 Ocean... both had the same engines, generator, gauges, controls, etc. and you know what? The Ocean was faster, more efficient, rode better, and we didn't get wet on the flybridge in 2 foot seas like we would in the Viking. The brand hype is a real thing

bajaholic

I was always a fan of Baja's, no ****, I'm listed as Bajaholic. Over the years, I had a 18, Hammer, 25OL,33OL and finally 40OL. We were always the envy of the family boat sect and step brother of the performance side. But to be honest, most of the hate started after Reggie acquired Baja. The liner built boats were an issue as well over the stringer boats, which really hurt in my opinion their standing with the owners.

Baja's had the "Cigarette look" (ie lines and nice colors) which drew most people to the docks, They always had a great sound and as an owner had alot of bang for the buck. We knew where we fit in as owners, we were the muscle car crowd, performance on a budget.

Baja owners were loyal, numerous ownership "clubs", Factory sponsored events and always a great bunch of people when we tied off. It was a good time.

Unfortunately when Reggie bought Baja I feel he never understood the market because were were not his hoity toity buyers. Most of us aspired to a bigger and better line, but I think it is fair to say, most of us looked to Cigarette or Outerlimits. Never Fountain, which did not help our standing with Reggie.

Today, Performance boats are still on the rebound, Obviously Center Counsels took over. The cost to redesign and then build the Baja line is just not cost effective for the masses. Hard costs are hard costs, and a manufactured line is hard to compete. Maybe someday it will come back around?

offshoredrillin

No room for hate for anything, especially an inanimate object... people fall under the categories below.

anger mgmt

I had my 25 Outlaw for 10 years and loved it. Only reason I sold it was I got the itch for twins, so I got the Formula. Yes there is a quality difference between the two but the Baja served me well. I had a guy tell me baja was the bayliner of performance boats but idgaf. Everyone's opinion will vary on the subject

ICDEDPPL

iTrader: (1)

So if it was a baja they wouldnt let you tie up but because it`s a Nordic it`s fine?
I don`t understand that logic, sounds like a buunch of stuck up a holes.

People that never owned a baja hate on em because people love to put stuff down to feel better about themselves.
Loved my baja.

croth27

Bought my 30' OL at 28 my 3rd boat. FIrst Performance boat. I Love it. Ya its had its issues. Its a used boat and the majority of the issues werent of the boat side. Ya I get if your the guy who has an Islander and says I have a Performance boat your an Idiot. For the most part people around here are pretty friendly and not stuck up. Go ahead and give me alittle **** about it Im aware its not a Donzi or Cig. (Someday!) Most of those guys didnt start there and remember that!

Wildman_grafix

Growing up in the Midwest (Indiana) they were all over the place. Never really seen hate, they are production built boats, like Fountains. Never understood why people would compare them to a Outerlimits or any limited production boat.

They diid bring a lot of boaters into the performance world, I think them and Fountain made more boats then all the others combined.

One thing Baja had that fountain didn't was smaller boats, most may not even remember the little 18 footers they made in the 70's. Did they have issues, sure every boat has/does.

I will disagree with Bajaholic on the hate when Fountain started making them (not many).

Brunswick pretty much gave the molds to Fountain when everything was collapsing, and the whole market went to chit then.

https://www.tradeonlytoday.com/manuf...0to%20Fountain.

TexomaPowerboater

I don't know why, but for some reason the cheaper the boat the more fun I seem to have boating. Maybe it's because my give o care meter runs on empty vs full when I'm on an expensive boat where I'm worried about something most of the time.