Challenger Boats
 

Any one know anything about these guys. Some different stuff, the 44HT looks somewhat like a Dragon with a wider beam. Their sport boats look cool, somewhat outdated, but with this DDC bottom. Is this Harry Schoel, same bottom configurer on the 37 AT's. Just curious, neat website. :cool: Jeff

http://www.challengeroffshore.com/

Hit Sportfish, scroll down to 44HT, looks like the Dragon.

Re: Challenger Boats
 

Never heard of them. They say they have been around 20 years? The 44HT and the 50HT look very nice. I wonder how much power they can handle.

Re: Challenger Boats
 

I know Harry from my 37AT. Just was wondering if he was associated or just designed the bottom. Some of the pics on the boats look real nice, went through the website, thought it was cool and some of you might know info or just wanted to check it out.

Re: Challenger Boats
 

I dont know about the 42 to 50 but the Z series is the old Mariah Co. he bought. and he sold alot of the 28' to the state of Mo. as the LOTO patrol boat. I have been luck enough to never get to ride in one though :drink:

Re: Challenger Boats
 

I had a 1999 SV-24. The boat had classic lines and was nice looking, but the cockpit was very, very small and cramped. The workmanship, quality of vinal, dash pannel and rigging was below average, along with the overall design and layout of the interior. Smashed knuckles between shifter and steering wheel when boat was shifted into drive, hurt like a sob. Need a 6 ft. long ape arm just to reach drink holder on driver side, very impractical. It rode and handled nicely, but took forever to get on to plane with a 496 ho. Maybe things have changed and are different with their bigger models, but I would never buy another one. Also whenever I called the factory in St. Louis nobody ever seemed to know much about the boats they built except the owner Ron. Strange company.

Re: Challenger Boats
 

The 42's are the old Axioms, the 398 is the old Arronow then Magic, the DDC bottom boats are Harry designed for what was then Areo-Tech Challenger.
He bought some of the Mariah molds. The big boats are some Italian molds that reside in Brazil.

Re: Challenger Boats
 

This company was at the Chicago boat show. From the brochure, it looks like they pick up old molds and begin production, as none of the boats have a similar 'look' and 'feel'. I talked to the guy about their 42', but he really did not know much about the hull or its history.