Gordo

Hopefully, that "small thing" was going back into the boat. I'm about ready to go get it for the Tantara on-water show.

thunderdan

I think it was until the mad man got on the fork lift and well...........nah just kidding.

Jassman

What you talkin about Willis.

thunderdan

You should see Pat on the forklift and how he is able to move those boats around. It is amazing. I think he may have put a supercharger on his fork lift but he can move those boats around fast and without touching a thing.

Gordo

Mad Dawg Pat has been on the forklift again?
This has got bad written all over it.
I think he's been secretly hopping it up to race against the local dudes that use the next block for a drag strip...

Jassman

This I got to see, so am I safer to be with the mad man on a test ride or better off on the side lines when he parks these bad boys, I'll take the test ride. The Tim Allen of fork lifts

Thunderstruck

I'd like to weigh in on AT boats. I have a 1998 32' with 500 HP's. The boat is a head turner. We bought the boat to go on Poker Runs (moved up from a 27' Baja) and to ride comfortably on the big lakes, bays and the Gulf down here on the gulf coast. The ride is awesome. The speed is comparable with stepped hulls on smooth water and is better than stepped hulls in rough water due to the ride. We wore out a guy in a 33' step hull Scarab last summer on Lake Ponchartrain. The boat is rigged professionally and is easy to work on if you are a do-it-yourselfer. I can do 82 or so GPS in smooth water with stock 28" Bravo I's. Guys with the lab finished props do a little better. Ride on a Thunder before you buy.

E-Mail me and I'll send a picture. I can't figure out how to insert one here.

Jassman

Hey Tom, I sent you an email, hope to se ya at the TIC FA

Thunderstruck

Jassman, sent you back an E-Mail with pics. I thought I was going to be able to insert a pic here but it said it was too big! I have that problem all the time.

Can't wait to see your Thunder eating up Ponchartrain!!!

Miller

I'll try to shed some light on your questions, even though I am not (yet) an Active Thunder owner.

Yes. You will be impressed when you step on any Thunder.

The stringer system is custom designed for each model and the stringers themselves are made of Mantex. The following was taken from the Active Thunder website regarding the choice of Mantex instead of wood.

Mantex is; "more rigid, stronger and lighter than traditional wood
Has high impact resistance, and twice the insulation value of all-glass laminates.
Will not rot, attract fungus or mold, which destroys wood.
Much stronger than traditional structural materials like aluminum, wood, honeycomb, and fiberglass.
Can be produced in various densities and thicknesses.
Flotation foam - it will not absorb water, so it acts like a lifesaving device in the event of boating accidents.
Extremely reliable and dimensionally stable.
No special maintenance required.
Will not delaminate to fiberglass mat. like wood can
Can be glued, stapled, or screwed without potential water damage
Rigid, durable, and much more dependable than structural wood and metal
Our customers enjoy increased performance, rough water handling and fuel efficiency, as well as a safer, sturdier boat."

Now, the reason many people have come to appreciate Active Thunder is that the boats are truly custom made to customer specifications. As such, each boat is carefully and slowly put together assuring that no short custs are taken. The construction includes time-consuming techniques like vacuum-bagging, fully bonding hulls and decks, through bolting everything instead os using screws, custom making each wiring harness, etc., etc.

In addition, each boat is then customized to the customer whims. This includes not only the paint and interior color choices, but fitting the bolsters to one's girth and height, allowing you to pick your own insturments and brands for every component on the boat. They also rig the boats as though they are going to see duty on the race course, thus insuring reliability and comfort for the the new owner.

Finally, the guys at the factory, Pat and Steve answer the phones and are the ones you will deal with if you order a boat. You won't go through a dealer or anything like that. You simply will work with the guy who owns the company and those that will actually construct your boat. That makes it a different experience than you will find at many other companies.

Please email me if you have any other questions, though the guys who own AT's are probably better able to answer questions than I.