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

Small thing?
 

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

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

What you talkin about Willis.;)

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.:D :D :D

Uh Ooohhhhhh
 

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...

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.:D The Tim Allen of fork lifts:) :p

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.

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

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!!!

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.

[DO YOU WANT THE BEST DAMN OFFSHORE BOAT OUT THERE? DO YA? LOOK NO FURTHER!!! I have a 1999 Active Thunder Tantrum (25 Ft.) LOVE IT!! Runs great on Mercruiser power (502 Mag/Bravo) 70 plus MPH! YOU HEARD RIGHT STOCK WARRANTED POWER!!!!!!!!OOOOOOOOOOOHH YEEEAAAA!!! RUNNIN' WITH THE BIG BOYS!!! BRING IT ON!!! Pat and Steve are great too work with. Get a CD!

This boat ain't no........COLOR=purple]purple[/COLOR] bold

SHE'S A.........

HeyTOM, nice pics, I like the purple, and those 400 watts are going to rock:D :D :D :D

Soo, darkxr,

any more questions or comments. Have you narrowed your search down to one yet?:D :D :D

Darkxr, give me a call anytime if we can help you out, good luck in your decision, 228-255-3400 Jeff Jassby cell 228-216-0900:D

Darkxr,

come out, come out wherever you are.....:D :D

YOU'LL POST ON ANYTHING, YOU LITTLE POST WHORE, HOW THE HELL EM I SUPPOSE TO CATCH UP:p

Who me???:confused: :D Just trying to pull him or her into the cult, i mean family:p :D :D

gettin closer:D

My posts will drop off as soon as the spring hits, gotta work to pay for my toys...:D :D

DAN, IVE BEEN KEEPING A LOG, 44 POSTS THIS WEEK, YOU ARE THE KING, NEXT TO INSPTECH, HE'S DA MAN:D

I am really trying hard to push my number up.:D :D

you think, eduacational posts are better than blah, blah, blah,!!!!!!!:p