The 340 isnt a great comparison to a 368 or your 36. But I would definitely say a 390/450 MTI or 360/450 Victory would be tough competition for either a 368/36 Skater w/700s.

And, I know the 400 OB boats had long runs to get to top speed, but the 450 acceleration is much better. Even above 100. Our recall is 131mph.

Here is a short video of us at LOTO where the Fountain TC34 cat snuck up and slingshotted past us as we literally taking our last run of the fall at LOTO. I decided to play a bit and we got it on video. The 340 would have easily kept climbing. I think 128-130 were possible with another 1/2-3/4 mile but we had to turn into PBC and the OL to our left was coming with us ready or not.

I can only speak as a fan. But from what I’ve heard about 450 prop shafts, you can’t beat a 700/6 boat.

plus the sound guys. Still has that grunt. I get the 8 year warranty , but it has it price does it not? To each is own, but for me it would be a 700 boat.

Dale- I was told that the standard 36 would lose a foot on flat deck, but not the 368 or 388. My source was Pete himself.

Skater30, Id think the 700’s/6’s are 300 or so more lbs each?
Times two.

On a smallish cat, I’d think that’s huge no?

I’m interested in what Peters view was????

Great thread BTW.

The 368/388 were designed as flatdeck builds so there is no loss of length. My 3212 was also a true 32 PLUS the bustle/tunnel ext.

I have heard of shafts snapping. But more with the heavy V boats than in the sport cats.

I loved my Skater. And I had only two small service issues. But the clock was ticking, and the sterndrive market was struggling with a hull size and speed already equal to the OB boats.

In a fantasy world where I could write the checks, Rockette would be mine for PR days and a 390x MTI would live on a lift at the lake for everyday use.

My take on the o/b vs i/o comparison. I have owned a dozen o/b cats and maybe 6 i/o cats, my last one had twin 1300's. The new 4 stroke outboards have changed the market in a big way. Lighter, easier to maintain, easier on fuel, higher resale value right now and acceleration is hard to beat. One good thing about the I/O cats is they tend to ride better in the rough water with the extra weight. A good driver can make an outboard cat run in the rough water very well, but they will fly a little more and tends to un-nerve some riders. I personally am not a fan of the 700sci. They tend to be real dogs when propped for top speed to keep up with a 450 powered cat. Also the transmission on the 700's is a weak link. I grew weary of the high maintenance on the I/O boats. My o/b cat is not as fast as my twin 1300 MTI I used to own but the maintenance is much lower and cheaper to fix when it does break.

Great thread ! Dale my head hurts after reading your "super paragraph" - LOL. J/K.

MDS

My dream boat is a 388 with 1100's, but I think my reality will be a 450 powered version of something slightly smaller. This a a great thread but I would really like to hear what Peter Hledin had to say about it.

My Skater had BAM trannys with M6 drives. Not the NXT trans or drives. It was as close to bulletproof as you can get an I/O I think.

I've only had the privilege one time to meet Peter and have lunch with him. He was very generous with his time and allowed us to tour his facility. He doesn't strike me as a big outboard fan. I will always remember my one day in Douglas, Michigan at the Skater factory.

We have a 368 with 450's and love it. It's very forgiving and has a solid ride. I don't really care about top speed and the 8 year warranty speaks for itself. The insurance on the outboards is downright cheap as compared to the inboard cats. Our boat was made for inboards but the transom was never drilled for outdrives. We always have the option to switch to inboards and the storage room is incredible.
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