Going to Havasu to look at boats
 

As the title says, going to Havasu for the boat show and Desert Storm. I think that I am interested in a 28 Sceptor, but have never seen one in person. Is Magic is about out of business again? Has anyone trouble getting replacement parts or anything like that from the manufacturer? Are there any of the hulls left that did not get finished?

What about overall quality of the boat??

I am looking to run about 100MPH. How do these boats handle at that speed.

If anyone has one for sale, PM me your info and I will try to look at it while I am there.
Thanks, Joe

No, Magic is not out of business. Magic was bought by Cougar and I believe all of the hulls that were unfinished when they went out of business were sold or are now completed. The 28 Sceptor is a very nice boat. I have seen them in person and actually considered buying one, but with a family of five, I just wanted a bigger boat with an open bow. And I'm kinda partial to Vee's.

I have contacted Magic in Havasu (now CMS - Cougar, Magic, Sleek) for replacement parts. The only trouble I had was because they had just moved to their new facility and things were still in boxes so they had to go through the boxes to find them. But I haven't had any problems and they have been great.

I have a 2007, 34 Sorcerer and the quality of that boat is incredible. Unfortunately, the only Sceptor that I have been on is the 34. It handled 115 just fine, but I haven't been on the 28. I do have a neighbor that has a 28 Sceptor but I don't think he has the power to go 100+. I will talk to him tonight to find out. I will update tomorrow.

Jim Black

Thanks, I am looking to buy. Anyone looking to sell?

In regards to fit/finish, the Sceptor is good. It is def. not the best out there, but in its price range I have no serious complaints. It is however a little less refined than my Hallett 270 (but I do enjoy driving the Magic alot more than the Hallett). I had stopped in at the CMS shop last November and they were very helpful. They did have some more ups/downs since then so I have no idea if that would be different now.

At 100+ mine feels stable, but I have only taken up beyond 100mph a handful of times. I usually cruise in the 80-90mph range since most of the people I boat with have boats that top out around 70-75.

I'll be at Desert Storm. Although Im not selling (unless you give me a ridiculous price :) ) you are more than welcome to take a look at mine and see if you like the layout, especially if the dealer doesnt have any on the lot. They only had one in the service bay the last time I went by as well as a 34 Sceptor (which is only 6 feet longer, but makes the 28 look like a Smart car lol).

Not looking to spend TOO much. I have not seen one in person, just pictures, but it looks like it would suit us very well. i don't really need to run 100, I just would like to be able to get close. most of my cruising is in the 50mph range. How much power does it take to run 100 in a 28 sceptor?

I would imagine around 750-800hp.

Buy a Howard

why?

Im actually a fan of Howard also. Every one I have been in has been built very well and they look great. The only caviat is it will most likely be more $$

I never understood why people post statements like that with no additional reasoning behind it. Especially when the OP is curious to know information that would prove to be valuable! :confused:

agreed. Need something to back up the statement

Everything is subject to opinion. I guess it was a little short and to the point. I would recommend at least riding in one to compare the two before you buy the Magic. There has been plenty of written material published comparing these boats. I just own a Howard and I personally believe that the build quality and performance are much better than the Magic. That being said, I think the best thing a boat buyer can do is research and find the best fit for the current situation and need. We are all in different places and have different situations. I also would look at the Conquest deck boat. Take a walk on the channel desert storm weekend and compare all of these boats for yourself. Speak to the owners about them. I bet you could probably get some test rides. Good luck with your "hunt" and sorry for the short response. Just a Howard fan....

I agree! If I could have gotten a Howard in the same price range as the Magic, I probably would have gone the Howard route also. But then again, I wanted to buy the big F650 dually, but for my purposes the GMC Sierra fit me just well. I would def. take relaxalot's advice and walk down the channel and talk to different owners. There are alot of brands out there, and if I could afford it, I would go the DCB route, but my pockets dont go that deep :(. Like I said earlier, I have no real complaints about Magic at all and am very happy with my decision! I doubt you would see hardly any Magics in the Midwest (you will see ALOT in Havasu :lolhit:)

The Magics are designed nice and they have a good look. A word of warning regarding the trailers that they are on. I was next to a 2012 Scepter this past weekend and spoke to the owner. He told me that on its first tow the brand new trailer broke in half. He said they were repairing it. I guess it could have been a one time deal but I would check out the trailers they are putting the boats on. I did like the boat. It had black piping on the upholstery which I thought would get too hot. The cuddy cab was cool esp for the kids. It had a open bow playpen style. He said it had the 525 which I think is a good power package for that boat. We did not really talk about speeds or performance. You should also look at he lightly used market there are alot of options.

Yes, trailers are junk!!!! I think after the transition, Extreme supplies the trailers (not sure though) and they are ALOT better than the NAS trailers they were on. Mine is an 09 and had plenty of chips and rust inside the tubing and all over the fenders (boat only had 19 hours :eekdrop:) lol. I just had the entire trailer redone, so now it's much, much better!

Did you buy the one in Vegas that had the 1000hp Pfaff engine? I called about back in the fall or winter and they had just sold it 1 hour before i called. Yes, i plan to look at many boats while i am here. Drug my Advantage all the way from indiana to maybe make a trade if i find the right 1.

Thanks for the info

Wow!!! How long of a tow was that for you? Yeah, small world, it is the same one. Oh and I forgot to mention, on my way home one of the trailer tires almost came off (luckily a driver warned me). Had to pull over about 60 miles from civilization in 107 degree heat and take the tire off and limp about an hour and a half to a hotel to get it fixed the next morning (b/c of course I got to town at 5pm when the rv/trailer place was closing lol)! Good times :angry-smiley-038:

1769 miles. I have been looking at boats the last 2 days and think I am going to go a different direction. I believe my next boat will be an Advantage also.

Thanks everyone for the help. Magic's were certainly well represented at Havasu. It is hard to believe that as many as were there, there are surprisingly few for sale. The owners of the Magic's must really like them.

They are/ were extremely inexpensive for their length and Magic had a 2.9% for 10 year finance plan that got piles of guys into them.

I saw many of these boats being rigged after the bankruptcy.
some were rigged nicley- others were a joke.

I'd say its an average quality boat at best- thin spots in the hull. They are not vacuum bagged, and the few I saw weren't exactly straight but a bit wobbly.

Id say your relative happiness here will be based on what you expect vs what you pay.

Uncle Dave