Almost jumped the gun! Help please.
 

Was at a boat show for the first time in many years last week..
I went every day and looked at every model of slight interest.

Finally decided on getting a fast power boat... Something that looks very nice, handles rough water nicely and is made well.

Baja looks nice sometimes and comes with what seams like a good package.. But is also poorly made.. (the display boat was beat on just from the crowds.. peices coming off etc...

Looked at fastech 292 formula... Very well made... very nice..
Not so flashy.. not so fast... but very well made..

Almost decided on a 312 or 353 and decided I should spend 6 more months until next season atleast deciding on the right boat..

Never once saw active thunder at the new england boat show.
Any reason why? Are active thunders a bad choice in New england?


I saw the web page, they seam very nice looking, Well made, good warranty.. The new owner seams terribly proud of his products.. Frankly, Sounds like i'd be blown away every time I step in one..


So tell me, just how good are they? Are they comfortable cabins?
Is the range decent? How are the stringers made?

If I want something fast, well made, good warranty, flashy looking, Should I be buying active thunder? I Want to have alot of fun. (Southern side of cape cod in new england to maryland)


Any help would be great.
darkxer
[email protected]

Well, the rest of the gang should be here shortly but I will throw in my .02. AT makes a really great product in terms of fit and finish, performance, and options. But what sets them apart is the service that Pat and Steve provide to their customers. If you look on the other AT threads you will see a whole slew of very happy present and future AT owners. Actually if you just stick with this thread I suspect they will all chime in very shortly. If you want a boat that is truly "yours" then an AT is the way to go. If you don't know exactly what you want then a little input from the board and some work with Steve will get you your perfect boat. I'll just step back now and let the rest of the faithful step up to the plate:D

Well I guess you could call me one of the faithful. I've been an At owner since Sept 98. Just about ready to start my 4th summer with my boat. In fact its down at the factory right now getting its engines refreshed. (Pat is going to bump up the hp a little for me :D ). I love my boat. I have a 32' with 500 hp's. One of the first side by side cockpits. The boat has over 325 hrs on it and it still looks almost new. No rattles no major problems. And if there was any small detail that I wanted fixed, Pat and his crew take care of it no questions asked. As far as a tough rough water machine I don't think theres a better one out there. And now with what they're doing with the interiors I don't think theres a better finished boat out there, including the Outerlimits, Cigs, Formulas and the rest.

They don't need to go to the shows as their product and customers are their best selling tools. They're a low volume builder so going to the shows to excite the masses is not required. They advertise in the magazines and will give demo rides at anytime. I'm not sure how far out they are in the prduction schedule but I do know that they have standing orders going forward

The main selling point behind any product, even a great one like AT, is customer service. In this regard Pat and his crew are second to no one. I've only been an AT owner for 3 1/2 yrs but I got to know Pat back in 95. He worked to help me thru a bad boat deal with another builder. It was his integrity and honesty, in an industry sorely lacking in both, that impressed me so much.
Pat doesn't just tell you what you want to hear. if you're wrong in your thinking he won't hesitate to let you know. You always get more than what you pay for in dealing Pat and Steve.

If would like to know more about my experiences in workimg with AT, feel free to call me on my cell. 608-289-3834 I would be happy to talk to you about them. Be ready to get your ear talked off though....Right Jeff ;)

Todd K.

It seems like you looked at 3 totaly diff classes @ price ranges of boats, and you can tell the diff!!!!! A. T. seems to be at the top af the heap these days....Speaking of "Jumping the GUN" have you looked at the GUN ? Top Gun that is Hard to beat Cigs Rep at re-sale time.

Yeah, Ditto what the other said.:D :D This is my second AT, it is truely an amazing boat. The only thing that is actually better than the boat itself is the customer service that comes along with it. If you would like to call me to discuss my good experiences with them feel free to call me at 856-767-5159. I think if I was to type it all it would bring the server down......:D :D :D

Thunder Dan and Todd, and Insptech, all summed it up excellently, I looked at other quality builders such as Outerlimits, PowerPlay, and Sonic, and always came back to THUNDER. They gave us exactly what we wanted and then some. It has been actually fun working with both Pat and Steve in designing and picking out stuff for my Thunder, an awesome experience, and I can't wait , like a kid in a candy store, when that boat is finished, April is around the corner. Do your homework, or like in school, copy mine, the anwsers are always right, Thunder is on a roll and by the end of this season, after the poker runs are through, you will see what makes Thunder #1 from everyones point of view. Call me if you got Q's 228-255-3400 Jeff:D

Active Thunder Racing
 

There have been a few Active Thunder race boats on the water, and most have done very well. If I may be allowed to brag a little bit, I believe mine has the most trophys of all the Active Thunder race teams together.
In fact, in 1998 my Active Thunder One Vision finished second in the high points chase for APBA Central division, GLOPRA, and the Great Lakes Silver Cup Series high points championship.
Why do I brag about being second? Because we led the points chase till I missed a couple of races at the end of the season.
The boat that passed us in the points chase, was an outstanding competitor, and raced an Active Thunder.
I've raced in other boats and other classes, but we still win trophys in the Active Thunder against the newest hottest stuff on the water.

Give the Active Thunder a test ride, then decide.
By the way, Steve loves to help with custom paint jobs. ;)

Gordo, Im patting you on the back, good luck this year my friend, spank their asses again:D

Not only does Gordo have a great boat, but he sure does know how to drive that bad boy. 81.7 mph out of a stock 500 hp engine with NO MODS. That is impressive. Good luck this year Mike. Hey, when I was down in Fla last wekk there was one small thing missing out of yuor boat.........:D :D Man does that hull look great still.:D

Blushing...
 

Thanks guys, but it really wasn't about me, It's the boat. Funhome and Cig1 are both damn good throttleman. I just hang on for the ride. We ran that sucker hard in some big water against some larger boats and always held our own.
The 25 Thunder just looks good no matter how you fly it.
The trophys & checkored flags look pretty good too.. :p