Nortech Delamination
03-18-2025 | 08:17 AM
#51
Registered
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,296
Likes: 1,804
From: Merritt Island, FL
Question,
On most Skaters I have seen they have what I would call "print through". You can literally see the fiber lines. Is this because they are using just enough resin or what is that from?
On most Skaters I have seen they have what I would call "print through". You can literally see the fiber lines. Is this because they are using just enough resin or what is that from?
03-18-2025 | 08:22 AM
#52
Registered
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,363
Likes: 165
From: Providence,RI
03-18-2025 | 08:30 AM
#53
Driver-441
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 12,011
Likes: 1,511
From: Lake George
Peter builds raceboats. That's all he cares about. The fact that people put fancy paint jobs and 8 person cockpits in them means very little to him. Hes all about performance. Period. Skater's are extremely strong, yet quite fragile. The strakes are razor sharp, but chip easily. They have a TON of end grain balsa, and very little glass. Light, strong, STIFF, but fragile. Sort of like a Mclaren. We know this from being a Skater dealer for 20+ years and rigging every single one we sold. Everything from 21s to 170mph 32s to quite a few championship winning race boats. They were all built the same.
MTI, Nor Tech, etc etc build amazing boats but they are 100% more concerned about fit and finish, gel work, etc. They build pleasure boats. Corvettes or an AMG Benz. The "better" boat is the one that fits your needs the best. They're all great in their own ways.
Last edited by TeamSaris; 03-18-2025 at 08:43 AM.
03-18-2025 | 04:25 PM
#54
Registered
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 303
Likes: 69
From: southern NH
2004 36 Nortech solid core bottom fiberglass/Kevlar 9200 lbs $616,000
Different methods of building both have their pros and cons
Nortech was never a value-based builder, they cared more about quality, strength and fit and finish than speed.
Cigarette still does it old school as well and hand rolls everything.
IMO two of the top fit and finish companies in the business.
03-18-2025 | 06:12 PM
#55
Registered
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 399
Likes: 550
From: New Smyrna Beach FL/ LOTO MM 21
03-18-2025 | 06:15 PM
#56
Registered
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 399
Likes: 550
From: New Smyrna Beach FL/ LOTO MM 21
Very thin gel coat.
Peter builds raceboats. That's all he cares about. The fact that people put fancy paint jobs and 8 person cockpits in them means very little to him. Hes all about performance. Period. Skater's are extremely strong, yet quite fragile. The strakes are razor sharp, but chip easily. They have a TON of end grain balsa, and very little glass. Light, strong, STIFF, but fragile. Sort of like a Mclaren. We know this from being a Skater dealer for 20+ years and rigging every single one we sold. Everything from 21s to 170mph 32s to quite a few championship winning race boats. They were all built the same.
MTI, Nor Tech, etc etc build amazing boats but they are 100% more concerned about fit and finish, gel work, etc. They build pleasure boats. Corvettes or an AMG Benz. The "better" boat is the one that fits your needs the best. They're all great in their own ways.
Peter builds raceboats. That's all he cares about. The fact that people put fancy paint jobs and 8 person cockpits in them means very little to him. Hes all about performance. Period. Skater's are extremely strong, yet quite fragile. The strakes are razor sharp, but chip easily. They have a TON of end grain balsa, and very little glass. Light, strong, STIFF, but fragile. Sort of like a Mclaren. We know this from being a Skater dealer for 20+ years and rigging every single one we sold. Everything from 21s to 170mph 32s to quite a few championship winning race boats. They were all built the same.
MTI, Nor Tech, etc etc build amazing boats but they are 100% more concerned about fit and finish, gel work, etc. They build pleasure boats. Corvettes or an AMG Benz. The "better" boat is the one that fits your needs the best. They're all great in their own ways.
Its a thin outer skin that allows the print thru. Skaters are Epoxy and are painted not gel coated. I had my first skater (by luck) at 12 years old I got Pete's personal 18 footer because my dad took it on trade. I have had several Skaters since then and have one now. I have also watched them being built for 45 years now. I love Pete, love skaters, hate balsa core and what it takes to replace and or repair. These pictures crack me up when I look at them. Pete and my son are both F1 junkies so they were inside our condo watching the cars as the boats were running outside. Then my buddy has a Doug Wright shirt on sitting next to Pete. Pete says "hey you have some "**** on your shirt", Paul (who has also owned Skaters) says is it balsa dust? LOL...good times and the guy is a legend for sure.
Joe
Last edited by JPEROG; 03-18-2025 at 06:43 PM.
03-19-2025 | 12:20 PM
#57
Driver-441
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 12,011
Likes: 1,511
From: Lake George
Awesome pics and story!
Its interesting paint/gel with his boats. I think it depended on the era. Our old dealer packets have a ton of really cool info. Miss those days. For clarification, i certainly did not mean they had gel graphics like a Cali boat. Just the white base. Then again, we have plenty of progress pics from the factory back in the day of boats in raw fiberglass if you will. No gel there.
"Standard High Gloss White GelCoat"
Its interesting paint/gel with his boats. I think it depended on the era. Our old dealer packets have a ton of really cool info. Miss those days. For clarification, i certainly did not mean they had gel graphics like a Cali boat. Just the white base. Then again, we have plenty of progress pics from the factory back in the day of boats in raw fiberglass if you will. No gel there.
"Standard High Gloss White GelCoat"
Last edited by TeamSaris; 03-19-2025 at 03:52 PM.
03-19-2025 | 02:41 PM
#58
Registered
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 59
Likes: 38
“I love Pete, love skaters, hate balsa core and what it takes to replace and or repair. These pictures crack me up when I look at them. Pete and my son are both F1 junkies so they were inside our condo watching the cars as the boats were running outside. Then my buddy has a Doug Wright shirt on sitting next to Pete. Pete says "hey you have some "**** on your shirt", Paul (who has also owned Skaters) says is it balsa dust? LOL...good times and the guy is a legend for sure.
Joe “
Ha - That’s priceless.
The reality is whilst many of balsa’s ASTM properties look unbeatable, it’s shear elongation (shear is the critical force for core) is terrible. In an earlier post, it was mentioned that the failure mode of foam core is within the core itself. However, all cores are not equal and I suspect they were using a cross-linked foam which cannot handle dynamic loading. For running surfaces, a linear foam such as Airex R63 or a higher spec Sans foam (Corecell) will endure elastic deformation and in the process absorb the energy which would otherwise fracture balsa. Save for the two Shaun’s Doug Wright (which either hit the bottom or was built too light -depending on who you speak with), those cats have taken the same or more abuse that the equivalent Skater without any of the rotting balsa issues. MTI used to build in Balsa but I believe they have moved on as well. Of course, these advanced foam cores cost a lot more than balsa but look at the price of a new Skater? A fast light race boat doesn’t have to turn to dust….
ND1
Joe “
Ha - That’s priceless.
The reality is whilst many of balsa’s ASTM properties look unbeatable, it’s shear elongation (shear is the critical force for core) is terrible. In an earlier post, it was mentioned that the failure mode of foam core is within the core itself. However, all cores are not equal and I suspect they were using a cross-linked foam which cannot handle dynamic loading. For running surfaces, a linear foam such as Airex R63 or a higher spec Sans foam (Corecell) will endure elastic deformation and in the process absorb the energy which would otherwise fracture balsa. Save for the two Shaun’s Doug Wright (which either hit the bottom or was built too light -depending on who you speak with), those cats have taken the same or more abuse that the equivalent Skater without any of the rotting balsa issues. MTI used to build in Balsa but I believe they have moved on as well. Of course, these advanced foam cores cost a lot more than balsa but look at the price of a new Skater? A fast light race boat doesn’t have to turn to dust….
ND1
03-19-2025 | 05:30 PM
#59
Registered
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 399
Likes: 550
From: New Smyrna Beach FL/ LOTO MM 21
“I love Pete, love skaters, hate balsa core and what it takes to replace and or repair. These pictures crack me up when I look at them. Pete and my son are both F1 junkies so they were inside our condo watching the cars as the boats were running outside. Then my buddy has a Doug Wright shirt on sitting next to Pete. Pete says "hey you have some "**** on your shirt", Paul (who has also owned Skaters) says is it balsa dust? LOL...good times and the guy is a legend for sure.
Joe “
Ha - That’s priceless.
The reality is whilst many of balsa’s ASTM properties look unbeatable, it’s shear elongation (shear is the critical force for core) is terrible. In an earlier post, it was mentioned that the failure mode of foam core is within the core itself. However, all cores are not equal and I suspect they were using a cross-linked foam which cannot handle dynamic loading. For running surfaces, a linear foam such as Airex R63 or a higher spec Sans foam (Corecell) will endure elastic deformation and in the process absorb the energy which would otherwise fracture balsa. Save for the two Shaun’s Doug Wright (which either hit the bottom or was built too light -depending on who you speak with), those cats have taken the same or more abuse that the equivalent Skater without any of the rotting balsa issues. MTI used to build in Balsa but I believe they have moved on as well. Of course, these advanced foam cores cost a lot more than balsa but look at the price of a new Skater? A fast light race boat doesn’t have to turn to dust….
ND1
Joe “
Ha - That’s priceless.
The reality is whilst many of balsa’s ASTM properties look unbeatable, it’s shear elongation (shear is the critical force for core) is terrible. In an earlier post, it was mentioned that the failure mode of foam core is within the core itself. However, all cores are not equal and I suspect they were using a cross-linked foam which cannot handle dynamic loading. For running surfaces, a linear foam such as Airex R63 or a higher spec Sans foam (Corecell) will endure elastic deformation and in the process absorb the energy which would otherwise fracture balsa. Save for the two Shaun’s Doug Wright (which either hit the bottom or was built too light -depending on who you speak with), those cats have taken the same or more abuse that the equivalent Skater without any of the rotting balsa issues. MTI used to build in Balsa but I believe they have moved on as well. Of course, these advanced foam cores cost a lot more than balsa but look at the price of a new Skater? A fast light race boat doesn’t have to turn to dust….
ND1
This a running surface that had been modified for extra support (the foam pyramid you see was added fore to aft for additional support). I remember doing the mallet knock and it didn't sound right. This is out of one of the 24s.
Last edited by JPEROG; 03-19-2025 at 05:35 PM.
