7' beam vs 8' beam
 

I had pretty much decided my next boat would be a 24/7 boat. But now a 25' boat with an 8' beam has got my attention. Both have a 24* deadrise.

I know the 7' beam is suppose to "slice" through the water better because it is narrower and the 8' beam will be more "stable" because it is wider. But what are the other characteristics? What are the pros and cons of both?

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

A 24' 7' beam boat slices through 3'ers like it's nobodies business. If you go too high on the power...like in the 600+HP range they can get a bit squirrley and that limits topend sometimes. They CAN go 100mph...but not with me in 'em. Not much surface back there to run on. Need good k-planes too.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

The 30' Superboat supposedly runs real well at 100mph and it's a 7' beam V bottom

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Isn't a phantom a 7' beam?

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Yes it it. :D

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

I know the phantom tmp had would run!

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

As long as the deadrise is the same I'd take the 8' beam for more space....

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

With all else equal thats the way I would go also, however we know all else aint equal.
Which two boats are you considering?

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

24/7 would be a Pantera or Superboat
25/8 would be a Checkmate

They would all have full external steering, 280 K planes and a HP500.

I never even considered Checkmate until I got in one and checked it out. Huge boat for a 25'. So I did a little homework. I didn't realize that they had a decent rough water reputation, especially when set up right.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Personally, I would go with the Pantera or the Superboat, they are proven rough water boats.

The Checkmate, I haven't been on to many but wasn't very excited about the ride.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

That was my thinking as well. Plus I like to own something "different". But after being in the Checkmate I started considering it. Like I said, it was a huge 25' boat.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Where do you boat?

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Most of my boating is done on Torch lake but I do hit Lake Michigan a few times a year. Torch will get the 2'-3' washing machine chop on occasion but no big water. We all know how Lake Michigan can get and I like to drive hard when the rough kicks up! :D

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Then you need a 24' Cigarette

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Did you look at Active Thunder?
Split it down the middle with an 7'8" beam and if you think the Checkmate feels big :D Rough water capabilities are incredible.

Id go with the Pantera over the Checkmate if I was choosing between the two.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

One of the Old Wellcraft Panthers, although 30 footer and twins, has a 7 ft beam. Talk about a boat that cuts 2-3 footers like a knife...there it is.

No Boat, is your avatar a lighter look a like of Mr T.?

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

I like the AT 25' but haven't seen any in my price range($30-35k). I'll probably stick with the Pantera or Superboat. But I wanted to know if the 8' beam gave any other advantages other than a bigger boat and more stability.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Ummm, I don't know. I guess it kinda does look like him! :)My brother emailed me a link where you could "design" your own avatar pic. So I tried it out one night when I was bored. :D

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Hi!

Phantom 25 - 5,5 inch beam. Runs on rails. Soon 95 mph + with twin 2.5 EFI's.

Cheeers, Toffen G :D

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

I had a Checkmate 253 and was impressed with the ride. However, it is not a "strong" boat. Lots of stress cracks and things started to loosen up after 200 hrs. You can beat the piss out the other 2 and they will smile back at you!

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Wow thats a 1st. I have a 251 Checkmate, its a 89 and has no stress cracks. Every thing is super tight. Its one of the best built boats I have been in. Although I have only been in boats a blue colar guy like I can afford. I have a 240 Baja around the same year and the quility is not even close to the checkmate. And I'm not a true blue Checkmate fan either. I just gotta give them props for quility. The older checkmates like I have are a narrower beem then the new ones. Mine slices though the rough stuff with ease. Its a very fast hull even with out steps. The only thing I can say bad about the Checkmate is it porposes very easy at cruizing speeds. I have stuggled with this alot. I got some great advice from board members and they were right. You have to drive this boat. Once you learn the tricks its just awesome!!! Now on the other hand I two would like to move up to a Pantera 28 with a single engine but I just cant swing the price of one. My checkmate is totally redone(Its my avator) exacty how I want but I get board easily. I was really wanting a Pantera so bad I was even thinging about a 24 foot one. I'm sure a 28 Pantera would be a huge step up but I'm not sure if the 24 would be a whole lot better then my Checkmate. If I didn't already have the checkmate I buy the Pantera but my Checkmate is paid for and that means alot.

Russ

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

If the hull designs are exactly alike (deadrise,strakes,chine), an 8' beam may ride better then 7' because it has more hull and the keel runs deeper. Unless the 8' boat cant carry the bow which wont have the same deadrise up front as the 7' beam and will ride a little rougher.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Try to find a late eighties, early ninties 27' Activator. Ride quality is right where any 7' wide performance boat should be. The 27' Activator is 6'5" at the transom, outside of rubrails. 7' beam midship.
Non stepped hull with the inner strakes ending only 8" from the transom. Boat runs clean and fast.
They are in your price range.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

A 27' is a little too big. But I do love the Activators. In fact, I keep catching myself looking at the 92 in the classifieds! :D

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

If you like the narrow 24s you might as well buy a used 25 aggressor. The factory is in Algonac and their support is great. After owning a aggresor with the 7 ft beam I bought a boat with a 8 ft beam and I would never go back to the narrow beam. As far as the 25aggressor and the 253 check, the ck is much larger and they do run well in Lk Mi.
Dwight

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

If I buy a 7' beam boat it will be a Pantera or Superboat. The only reason I am even considering the Check is because I came across one set up right and it was a big boat for a 25.

Nothing against the Sun, I've just liked the Pantera and SB for a long time. And they are always set up with the right goodies!

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

If you want something that can run in bigger water, something like this Superboats 30'er might be a good option.

If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd call John C and get my Superboats Y2K on order.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

No egg beaters for me! :D Just not my thing.

I'm looking to stay in the 24'-25' range

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

The cockpit is as big as any 8' beam in my 30. They don't have side storage like wider boats. My cat was 8' 6" and had no more room between the seats than my Superboat. I've had 8' beam V's and cats. I'm sure the narrow beam makes a difference, but you have to buy something that you like to look at. For what I want a Superboat, Activator, or Phantom are the only boats that will replace my cat.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Excellent point! Thanks for all the replies. I think if I got something just because it was a little bugger I would regret not getting what I really wanted (and liked to look at)!

Now I just need to sell my boat!!!

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Guys,

The older 25' Checkmates had a 7'-5" beam, the newer ones (259's and 270's) have a 8'-6" beam. Both models taper down the sides of the hull to a very narrow bottom. My 270 Checkmate is only like about 6'-3" wide at the back at the transom. Looking at the spec sheet on a Checkmate, one might think of it as a wide beam boat. Really not the case if you look closley and drive one. It is an awesome, hull, excellent aggressive strake and chine design and a nothched transom.

Very nice rough water boats. They are rarely criticized for being "not strong". Usually when someone complains about one's build quality, it is someone who knows a guy who's brother's has a some stress cracks, and it's 25 years old...most manufacturer's haven't been around that long. They've been building hand laid, balsa cored boats, for almost 43 years. And they are low volume and family owned, no big corporate entities pulling on their strings.

-Craig

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Having owned both types and size hulls its a matter of what you're looking for.
A) What you're doing with the boat. Are you looking to just go out and pound waves, do you hang out with friends, do you want to weekend on it? All of these concerns will a part in your decision.
B) Looks! What hull do you like to look at? You'll spend more time working on it than you're care to think about. You'd hate to be thinking this thing isn't exactly what I wanted the whole time!
C) Quality! We used to call Checkmates Crackmates where I grew up, but their quality has gotten better over the years.

As far as any of the 24/7 boats the hulls are all about the same, Pantera, Sunsation, Super Boat, Python, etc. They almost seem to have that splash... but I digress. You'll be very happy with either the Pantera, or a Super Boat. You can probably get a killer deal on a used Sun up that way as well.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Rum, I agree with you. But I think all glass boats cracked when we were kids. That was a long time ago. Nowadays there's better flexability in the material.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Fasterdamitt,

I know what ya mean... Heck we all did things back then that we look at now, and go "wow how am I still alive"... You know like the 16' Hydrostream with a 115 Merc jacked up to the moon. Ah to be young ,and dumb(er).

How do you like your Y2K? I keep thinking of getting something different while I redo the one boat, and it's one of the hulls that I'm looking at. How does yours run speed wise?

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

I owned a Panther for 5 years, they have an 8.5 ft beam not a 7. Boat is good in 2-3's but anything over that it's a rough ride.

If you buy a boat and want it to hold up in the rough I would recommend Superboat, Activator, Progression, Pantera etc. In my opinion the Checkmate is a production boat, assembly line kind of building unlike the others listed.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

I like the boat alot. Seeing low-mid 90's so far.

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

I can't beleive you guy's are leaving the Extreme 29 Shotgun out !!!! :drink: Dave

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

PM Superbash. He's owned a 24' Superboat for a few years now. Doing almost 80 mph with a 300 Merc. Loves it !!

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

Only because he want's a 24-25' boat! You don't build one do you? Now your included! :drink:

Re: 7' beam vs 8' beam
 

how about the 26 sutphen only a foot longer 8 beam will out handle the others in rough water erines went 94 with 800hp talking about crackes I'VE seen them in a cig bullit, cafe, my best friends superboat 550hp, my 650hp baja, if you run them hard in the ocean something is going to give :D the sutphens have a 26 degree v which will out handle the above 24to 25 ft boats I've been in the new 32 sutphen with a single 800hp running smooth in 5 to 6 footers at 3/4 throttle doing 75mph :cool: thats whats on my list tons of room drove as nice as my friends 37ol check out the 26 :D art