Yea I heard it's going back to Hawkeye....Nice ride Eddie woulda made you a nice boat!

Don't know if anyone has found the Baja Cat article but here is the one I found on the 33 Cat.

Hopefully it attached......

Nice find! I think Bob Morgan had one of those called "Cat in the Act" back in the early 90's.

Why isn't this thread sticky-d? Great read, a lot of info, I think it should stay at the top for the new members (such as my self) to find easily

2x on sticky

I'm not sure if this has been posted before but this is an interesting story about the early years of Baja/ Aeroglastics:

A little Baja history from the local TF.

BUCYRUS -- A small fiberglass company named Aeroglastics Inc., which built parts and products for other companies, moved into building fiberglass boats in 1971.


That company, Baja Boats, was originally located at 543 Jones St., which had been a roller skating rink. The company had many ups, and downs, in its turbulent 37-year history in Bucyrus.

Aeroglastics was incorporated on Feb. 5, 1970, by Neil E. Baker, Charles F. Coulter and John D. Sears.

The company broke ground for a new $1 million facility in the Bucyrus Airport Industrial Center on Dec. 10, 1974. The new building was the first phase of a four-year expansion program which saw all aspects of the company's operation move to Issac Beal Road.

Company president Baker said at the time that plans for the expansion began some years before when it became clear that projected sales would exceed the capacity of the Jones St. plant.

The plans were rushed, however.

While still on Jones Street, the company suffered a series of fires in 1976, the first happening on Jan. 23 and the second Feb. 5. Both were small fires, causing little damage.

The third fire, however, was different. Much different. Fire ripped through the plant in the early morning hours of Sept. 20, causing more than $140,000 in damages and virtually destroying the plant. Flames were estimated as high as 100 feet.

"We couldn't have saved the building by the time we got there," then Bucyrus Fire Chief Gordon Grove said. "The building was down and gutted within 45 minutes after we got there."

The fire occurred just two weeks before an annual trade show in Chicago, but dealers loaned boats to exhibit to generate subsequent sales.

In the meantime, the Jones Street plant was shut down and Baja executives decided to move quicker to build the new plant on Issac Beal Road.

The building suffered another major fire on Nov. 29, 1977. This fire hit a building just 20 feet south of the site of the first fire. Both fires were eventually ruled to be of suspicious origin.

Aeroglastics also suffered another setback on Dec. 20, 1976, when an administrative judge of the National Labor Relations Board found the company engaged in unfair labor practices and was ordered to restore three employees with seniority and other rights and pay them their earnings.

Aeroglastics appealed the ruling, kicking the case up to a three-member panel, who affirmed the ruling of judge Almira Abbot Stevenson on April 10, 1977.

Baja completed its expansion plans in mid-1979, finishing a 12,000-foot square building. At the time, the company expanded its work force by 40.

The company held yet another groundbreaking for a $1.5 million expansion on Jan. 17, 1984, to build a 20,000-square-foot warehouse. The expansion was expected to create 35 new jobs with more jobs coming as other phases of the expansion were completed.

By 1986, Baja reported sales of more than $20 million and 235 employees, that raised to $32 million and 360 over the next year. During peak periods, production hit between 55 and 60 boats per week coming out of the Bucyrus plant.

In 1987, president Doug Smith announced that the company was opening a new manufacturing facility in Mabank, Texas. In that story, Smith said his company is experiencing unprecedented growth. The Texas facility closed after a short time.

Baja opened an 86,000 square foot engineering facility in 1989 and its Baja Sport 250 was named full size boat of the year by Powerboat magazine.

"Our business has doubled every two years for the last eight years," Smith said in 1989. "We have had tremendous growth."

Hi,

Does anyone remember a Baja 60' from the 79'-82' era? I kept a boat magazine that featured it for many years, but can't find it or anything on the web.

I remember it had twin diesels and the text said it would break 60mph. Blue exterior with white interior as I recall.

Anyone know if there is any of these in existence?

That would be a Baia, not a Baja.

Thanks for the info!