baja or checkmate
 

i hope to be buying a new boat for next season. its come down to 2 boats. checkmate 25 convincor or 25 baja outlaw. if you guys have any info on which would be a better boat or if you have an idea of anther boat please let me know. im looking at spending under 30. you have to remember im only 23 i dont have alot of money. oh yea if anyone knows someone who would be interested in a 1990 201 four winns liberator with a 350 let me know. thanks.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

it depends on what you are going to do with the boat. Checkmate will have more cabin room. they both ride about the same in the rough. If you are from Jersey and plan on using it on the Deleware river....there are a ton of 24 and 25 Baja's out there, and not many checkmates. I had a 1997 253 Convincor and loved it. all my friends had Baja's. Both run close speeds with same power. Best mine ran was 80.9 Gps with 560+ hp.

send me some info on your boat....i know someone looking.

[email protected]

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I say the Baja....great looking and performing boat. This is my opinion only.....I think the Baja is a better looking boat. Some of the graphics are awesome......while there are some kinda hideous.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Are you looking at new or have you picked out two particular used boats? If the latter, what power?

I would recommend buying used. I bought a new Baja Outlaw 20 last year and I was ready to upgrade after my first ocean run even though I loved the Outlaw. I looked for a boat stretcher but couldn't find one :D so after only 25 hours I upgraded to a 28 Cig.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Go to the factories. They are a few minute walk from each other in Bucyrus Ohio. That will make your mind up in a second.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

With everything being equal ... the Baja looks cooler :cool:

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Both nice boats. Have you looked at the 24 Pantera? If not you might want to. They are harder to find but they're excellent boats and if you look hard enough and are patient you'll fin one in your price range. Don't rule out the Cigarette 28 either. I have one and I love it. Again, tougher to find but they're out there.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

hey dave, i never seen a 28 cig. what year is yours, what power. anything you could tell me about your boat.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I like the looks of the Outlaw better. Like it's dash better too... Monster gauges in most of them. If you look at a baja and a checkmate from the front, you will notice that the Baja carries it's beam nearly all the way to the water line. The Checkmate get's noticably narrower as it approaches the water line. I've ridden in both boats, and I own a 24 Outlaw, and the Checkmate seemed to have more side to side movement than the Baja's in rough water, that is, the Baja's seemed to ride flatter.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Can't go wrong with the Checkmate 251. I don't want to start a war here but the Checkmates seem to hold there value longer.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

This kinda depends on where you live. Around here, where both boats are very popular, they go for very similar prices.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

i boat boat in new york. about an hour north of the city. i am overrun by bajas. they are everywhere. but, the bajas all seem to be a bit more then the checkmates. but im liking this 28 cig idea. can someone give me more info on this boat.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Talk to the Cig guys there is a guy named Sean Stinson he restored one and it was beautiful he's in the New York area ( I think long island ) If your from NY check out SUPERBOAT 24's

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Everyone likes the "cig idea" :) , including Baja and Checkmate owners!

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Baja will hold it's value just fine............and yes they look better and are faster.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

ive heard bajas run better in rough water but the checkmate would run faster with same power

Re: baja or checkmate
 

My Active Thunder is right around the corner from you, although its out of your range there is another on this site that is close. If you want to get an idea on what they are about you can look at mine.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Wrong Sean, but you can see plenty of 28 Cig pics at Sean's site: http://www.thunderboatalley.com

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I did not read all the other posts but I have four friends who have had 25 Bajas and the not only take the water well but the resale is also VERY good... (in this area)

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Me too! :D

Baja Outlaw 20 to Cig 28 OS:

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Buy a used Baja 25. They are everywhere. I like the Checkmate better, but I think the Baja will be better come resale time.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I have a checkmate a its assume. Handles the rough and loves the flat water. Runs very fast. The cabin is very large for a true 25 ft boat. At the time when the boat was new they did not include the swim platform in the overall length. This may start something but I have only lost one time against a Baja. I say buy a checkmate trim it up and let it fly.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Yesrej,
Heres some pics of my Cigarette. I believe the last year they made them was '87 and good luck finding one of those. However these boats were built like tanks so any year is a good. Mine is an '85 with 350's and TRS drives, the boat handles rough water like nothing else in it's class. It feels like a bigger boat. It takes some power to get these boats moving fast and mine is no super speed demon but the ride in the rough is what I love most. Theres been one in CT for sale for a while with 400 hp small blocks and bravo drives, I don't know if it's still around but do a search on boattraderonline.com and you'll find some.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I think the checkmate convincor is a lot more boat now that they make it in the wider beam model.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I've seen a couple checkmates run triple digits. Never saw that out of a Baja. The checkmate is a very fast hull and handles big power well.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I say Baja.... loved mine..

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Here`s mine. It`s a 2000 with an HP 500.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I say find a Cig and be done with it. Keep it for as long as you want and sell it for what you payed for it (or more) instead of buying one of these newer boats and letting them depreciate to the point that there not worth all that much.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I think both are great but the Baja does ride better in the rough. My buddy has a zt280 and the 25 outlaw runs better in rougher water. Plus the Baja has more free board which is always nice. Drive both of them and take one home good luck!!

Re: baja or checkmate
 

P.S. be careful,,, Baja had problems with gel coat and blistering from 97 - 2000...

Re: baja or checkmate
 

The convincor hull is a much better ride than the ZT hull. Plus the Outlaws look like cheese wedges.....square and pointy, and the stern is as high as the bow.

this is mine old one that i sold a couple months ago.

http://home.comcast.net/~senior21/check_db.jpg

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I had a 93 Baja 272 w/502 and loved it. At the time I was very close to buying a Checkmate, but saw the Baja and thought it looked awesome.

I may be biased, but I'd say you can't go wrong with the Baja between the two.

Here's a pic when the boat was new. Had a lot of fun with that boat!

John

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I had 2 checkmates, a 25 convincer & a 281 maxxim,both boats were rock solid.
Some of the nicest gel in the boat biz. Best of all no blisters. We leave our boats
in the water in Lake George. Blisters a big problem on boats with poor laminate
schedules. The 25 convincer is alot of bang for the buck.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I'm with you,the Checkmate is alot cooler looking,classic style.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I like this one. :)

Re: baja or checkmate
 

My buddy is selling his 28 Checkmate with twin 550 hp engines and fresh bravos. Its a rocket. He already got a new 38 top gun so he's probably ready to let it go cheap.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

That sounds like me but I have a Sonic.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

talk to me about this 28 with twins. thats not the one in the pic is it. i think that one is a great boat but you cant ask 46 grand for a 1992 28 checkmate. let me know. thanks.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

I"ve seen quiet storm's checkmate..... you can't go wrong with that boat.

Re: baja or checkmate
 

Its in the OSO classifieds under Checkmate. I bet he'd let it go for about 40K with fresh motors and drives.

http://server1.offshoreonly.com/geoc...es/8181484.jpg

It runs in the 90s. Probably one of 5 28s with twin big blocks.