Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

JJMC

Where are you located, if your in VA let me know I have access to 25 Eliminator and a 26 Eliminator, be glad to take you for a spin. I have only been in Eliminator cats so I can't really give you an comparison but they feel like skipping across the water compared to my Fountain :drink: lots of fun

WILL

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

I rode in all of those prior to buying my 26 ft eliminator daytona.
I personally think it is the best cat on the planet in that size range ,as far as looks , handling , performance , resale , and overall quality go.
Not to bash the other two , i just wasnt impressed by the way either looked or rode .

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

First of all, the AO is not a splash of a Talon.

If you'd like me to get you any info on the AO let me know. I have ridden in a few 2600's and I think they are comparable to all the above, but since they are all factory direct and no dealers, they are considerably cheaper than the competition.

my 2 cents
Don

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

I have never been in a HTM, but have been in numerous 21-25-26 Eliminators, Warlocks, etc. I have owned 3 26' AO's since 1995. They are the best boat all around without question. I just took delivery (in July) of my 2006 26' AO with a 525 EFI from Ed Ferro (the original owner of AO), and it is the best yet. I boat out of Atlantic City on the Atlantic Ocean and it is rarely smooth. It is great in 3-4's and fast on smoother water. Workmanship is excellent and I would buy another one if I sold this one. Probably going to Whipple power in the winter once Whipple starts making the 525 blower package again. My previous 26" AO with Offshore Performane 750HP dialed in at 112mph on the GPS...

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Ok, I'm going to cover this once. I'm not going to argue over it.

This is a Talon 26.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

The first photo is the American Offshore. The second is the Howard and the third is the Firehawk. You can see that all the boats have the same basic line. The deck was changed on the AO and Howard splashed it again. Firehawk also changed their deck, but the bottom mold is almost exactly the same. You can easily identify a Talon splash by the small splash rail that runs down the side of the boat. Other features are the notched transom, deeper center pod and the pickle fork nose. Deny it if you want, but these guys are splashing each other. And that's why Talon only builds fishing boats now a days.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

I'm not denying anything, and I'm very aware that many boats are splashes of something else. I happen to be a good friend of Ed Ferro, who started the company American Offshore. As this subject has come up before, and I asked him. I was told that he bought a mold from a sale at Firehawk, and made the deck and cockpit liner that is still used today. As far as where Firehawk got their top don't know. I know that Howard splashed the 2600 in a garage in CA. I know that the Talon is very similar, I don't remember the minor differences, but I also know that you can't tell the difference of a boat from a picture. A good example of this is the difference between a 3100 AO and a 31 Awesome. One was a Chris Cat, the other a Shadow Cat... very very similar, but there are some differences.

Not trying to get under any skin ... just clarifying...

Don

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Eliminator

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

Thanks for the responses. Ended up buying a used HTM SS 24. '01 model with just 46 hours total. Its more engine than boat but I couldnt pass up the value on all the hardware.

Re: Looking for 24' to 26' Cat HTM, AO, Eliminator
 

GIMME A BREAK!!!
You apparently need a little help with you're "2 cents".

The AO is a direct copy of the Talon 25......originally tooled by Gary Armington and built by Gary Armington and Robert Wilkens at Talon Marine.

If your buddy at AO tells you different, you shouldn't let him hold your wallet. HE may not have been the PERSON that splashed the Talon, but he knows exactly where his 26 AO came from. TALON

I'm sure he thanks Gary Armington for the tooling and design daily.

THAT'S THE FACTS