What ever happened to CHEROKEE BOATS?
#21
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 8,356
Likes: 1,515
From: NW Michigan
Your correct in regards to the plant or at least one anyway just a short distance from home in Onekama MI. They built a awesome rough water boat and rock solid. Thats where my 28 challenger deck and hull were laid up and then transported back to cedar springs MI for the rigging was done. That was mike and Sean bowers the owners of challenger boat works facility in cedar springs. It’s to bad they had to close up shop as they built once heck of a boat. I was very close to both of them during those times as I purchased directly from factory. Saved a great deal of money as others did as well however they were kinda side stepping their dealers and things started to go south on them. To bad they didn’t make through those difficult years. I would buy another super v28,in a heartbeat. My dad purchased a 38 fountain and I built some 675 sc’s for it. Our top speeds were near identical and my 28 would out perform the 38 ftn incrough lake MI like no other in rough water.
Needlesa to say say I was in the kaleva plant about 5-6 years ago and almost threw up. Many hulls, decks and even some molds were all cut up. Made me sick. I recall there some issues going on btwn owners etc that didn’t sit and they might have some litigation going on way back but the remains were still there in the back part of the plant.
#23
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Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Speaking of awesome offshore racing boats my brother Pat Hyland owns the original showroom model with cubby cabin and live well (converted to ice chest/bar) The boat will do 85 easy on the rough Lake St Clair with it's deep v hull and twin blueprinted 454's. Great fun as the other 2 were used in offshopre racing before the Cherokee Boat company went uder and sold hull and designs to Apache.
905 953 6324
Derek ellis





