Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I know this has been floating around peoples heads everynow and then, probably just mine though. What are the chances that Baja will eventually go stepped hull with there Outlaws being first , then maybe Performance? I read a while back they were going to try it out but I havent heard anything else.
Do you think this will happen in the near future as baja continues to compete with other offshore brands. I know a few other HP boats are traditional v, but as popular as baja is it seems they would go that route, atleast with there outlaw. Would it be a huge risk ? probably, but I am sure it would sell just as much as they do now granted the whole design process would take some time and money. I for one would love to see them with a stepped hull, mainly for the fact it gives it more of that badboy look of a cig and supposedly increase of speed. making the Performance 275 actually reach 70 without having to get a whipple or blue engines. Not a deep thought, but Im sure someone on hear knows or thinks they know if this could happen.
-chris

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Baja did design a stepped hull. It is now the Skater 399V.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I hope they stay away from it. After demoing a number of boats, there is nothing like the simple straight Baja outlaw hull for ride and handling in rough water conditions. You know its bad when you are demoing a boat and the guys says to take it easy in the turn or it may spin out.... I ran away fast and bought another Baja!

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Actually Baja did not design the Skater 399. Skater designed it, but used Baja's five point axis router to cut out the plug to make a mold. That is the only part Baja had in the making of the Skater v-hull. This info came from a Baja regional rep. that saw the process first hand. If you ever get a chance to see one of the routers in action, it is really impressive.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

you are correct but the router is actually at the searay factory in merrit island florida. i was their in november at a searay gathering. as you probably know brunswick owns searay,baja ,boston whaler and a number of other boat companys but the r & d is done at the searay factory. i asked them if they had a stepped baja in the works and they said no.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

[QUOTE=isabella]you are correct but the router is actually at the searay factory in merrit island florida. i was their in november at a searay gathering.

Your right, I guess I should have added more detail to my statement.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

are stepped hulls really that easy to spin out? thats all you see pretty much at the races. except a few. I don't think I would ever turn fast enough to make my boat spin out anyway but showing that huge ship spin, even though it did have what 3 rudders ? Im sure a lot of non-stepped hull boats could spin out if they go fast enough and turn sharp enough?

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I wouldn't say easy, but yes they do have a greater tendancyto spin. For the same reason that steps make a hull faster by aerating and reducing drag in the longitudinal direction, they do the same laterally.

I don't think Baja will ever make a stepped hull...it would be suicidal to abandon and contradict 10 years of anti-step marketing.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I could not agree with Daze more on this. Baja builds a very safe and user friendly boat. Yes if they went to a step they could find a few mph but top speed is not really what they are looking for.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

After paying the lawsuit on 272 shooter years ago for 1 crash(although it wasn't a stepped hull),i think they are gunshy. Do any of the "mass production" cookie cutter boat companys build stepped hull boats?

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I thought Sunsations were sorta mass produced.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Sunsation Isn't a True step hull. They call it a vortex hull


Lets take 2 boats for example here. Both are true 75 mph top speed hulls. Now in a straight run to top speed . what would be the HUGE difference? If both were running from 0 then say from 45 mph ? I'm not an expert but when I'm at all the boat races the only thing i see in the water are the props anyway.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Actually Sunsation now has a full step on their 288 model. They "just" started making it.

I don't think there are hardly any spin outs from recreational boaters with step hull boats. This mostly occurs in races or when the hull is pushed to its limits.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Good "find" Troutly!!

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

thats the 98 team baja pace boat. it was a plugged 420 hull with made up steps with big power. hawkeye has it. i saw it at loto last week. they want like 280k for it. way too high . baja will never build a step. they make a 24 deadrise v and are a very slow hull. they want to mass produce boats for lower end sales. would take them too long to generate stepprd, and they would cut their throats with there advertising. There are well manufactured stepped hulls that handle every bit as good as bajas and handle rough water well. try riding in a 43 or 50 nortech v and you'll feel the difference in a lighter , less expensive hull. I had 3 bajas and they always rattled, screws came loss and would jolt you in rough water. there is a big difference in baja and other hulls. but everyone has a budget. but bajas are hetting very high too. a 36 is appraoching 180k with 496ho's now.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I dunno but I see it at the gas dock across from my house a lot

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I agree 100% and yet when I said that in a post a year ago everyone ripped my head off. My buddy use to carry a screw driver with him at all times it would loosen up in rough water everytime and rattle apart

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

It's no secret that they did make one stepped hull, a 420 used for APBA pace boat duties back near 2000. It was a one-off and you won't be seeing any more any time soon.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Lost me with that one

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

If you look real close at the picture you can see the steps on the Baja

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Durr :drool:

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I think a better question would be "Why do you need to turn a boat in such a mannor, and at such a speed that having steps or not would ever be an issue?" Hmmm?
Other than in a race, why would you turn a large offshore style boat at over 35mph into a steep turn?
Everyone is so concerned about steps vs. safety. How about not whipping a large boat around in the first place? That seems to add a bit more safety to the equation than cutting out steps in the hull.
I have been running these boats for long enough to pose this question. And I honestly mean it as a question. When I sold boats in the past I taught people to slow down and re-trim before turning. So fallowing that theory, do steps even matter?

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I got a chance earlier this season to put a used 42' Fountain with 575's through the paces. Drives out, taper off the throttle in the apex of the turn back on the throttles; 45 mph sharp turns are a no brainer in that boat if you can get comfy with leaving the drives out during the turn. I played and tried a rather fast turn while tucking the drives in and the boat tends to nose dive and start pulling out in the back, pulled the drives back out and scooted through the rest of the turn. Very safe boat easy fast and sharp turns if you know what you are doing. I never turn sharp at speeds above 45 mph anyways unless of an emergency.

Reggie's website offers a "win a sea-trial" to Cancun on his 42' boat now. I would take him up on the offer if you "win" he wins! Reggie makes a great performance hull.

So my opinion on steps is they are a good thing on a Baja or any well designed boat; if you take a moment to learn boat handling 101 over again. It's worth it.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

OHHHH!! here i thought it was going to be a picture of a Baja in Troutly's collection

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Does anyone know why the Baja/Skater stepped hull deal fell apart? It was my understanding that Baja was considering racing F2, but realized they wouldn't be competitive with any of their current hulls in that size range, and commissioned Skater to build them a racing prototype.
It looks like Baja's loss is Skater's gain. Spiderman is smokin' fast.
Could the king of tunnels be the future king of vees too?
Regards,
Steve

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Answer to why you would make a tight turn at speed... not sure what it is like where you boat, here on LI, Great South Bay is shallow and the channels have some tight turns, the main channel from the mainland to Fire Island where all the bars are and such has a 150 degree turn around the end of a sand bar. Not sure how you guys like to drive, but I'm not going to slow down to 30 so I can make the turn. We also have tons of crab traps (lobster pots) out here and with 2' chop they can be hard to see until you are nearly on top of them and you do not want to catch the line in your props. Steps are by design running on ball bearings, they run fast and loose. Therefore they are more likely to spin.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Why turn a large offshore boat in such a manner??? Because you see some big waves you want to go trash on,because you see a boat way over there you want to get and and run him down,because you just ran someone then you gotta turn around and get the dude runnin the other way ,the list goes on...mainly cause you have to FEED YOUR BRAIN. I wish i had steps,by the way we do not endanger other boaters...just ourselves!

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I'm sorry, but both of you sound like accidents waiting to happen ... steps or not.

G

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

What a ridiculous, idiotic, steaming pile of crap. Maybe THE singular dumbest piece of crap I've ever read on this site. . . and that's saying something.

Wait a minute . . . anybody remember "Dirty Curt" ? . . .

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I edited my post..oh with a heading under your name like In front of you! you would be right there with me thrashin and bashin yup! And rouxsterre after reading some of your posts like the one on the boating beverage poll post number 68 and the one where you worried about safety HMMMMMMMMM you got alot of nerve, i am sorry i offended you now somebody get this back on the proper thread posting ,SORRY!

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

I dunno,

I kinda like turning the boat on a dime at speed. BTW - no body else around for the lurking one with brainless comments.

I have a 302 with deep drives and regular bottom. It's a hoot to bank it over and get pulled by the g-forces. My friend has a 33 Scarab and would never do this manuever.

Anyway, woopdeedoo, have fun with what you got.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

Do any of the "mass production" cookie cutter boat companys build stepped hull boats?

fountain, formula, powerquest to name a few.

Re: Opinions on stepped hull Baja's
 

i second that.....