33 cuddy
03-28-2012 | 03:38 PM
#3
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 46
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03-29-2012 | 09:16 PM
#4
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 10,833
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From: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
Nice Ad and this :
Here is a post made by a guy on a forum...
Quote:
The prices of premium, center console boats is borderline criminal. I believe this was mostly fueled by low interest rate, easy credit loans and the squandering of home equity. It will be interesting to see how many of these bass boats on steroids will survive the squeeze. For those CC builders gouging the public, I wish them a quick and speedy demise...
1. Jupiter - Although these boats are grossly overpriced, they have come into favor in recent years, sold on the premise of being an extremely strong, overbuilt boat and that's exactly what they are… overbuilt to the tune of 3,000 to 4,000 lbs. heavier than they need to be and overpriced to the tune of $50k to $100k, depending on length. There is no use of hi-performance, lamination technology to make them light or strong, just a heaping mound of resin that adds SO much weight, they now brag about being the best riding boat in their segment, of course failing to mention that it takes huge horsepower and your own personal oil reserve to keep them on plane. Consider yourself lucky to crack the 50 mph mark with a tail wind, down current, light on fuel and vapor escaping from your tanks. While speed isn’t everything, efficiency accounts for something. In that category, Jupiter's are a tug boat with a planning hull. Jupiter prides themselves on fit and finish, but that pride doesn't come through in their mold work. Eye the side of their new 29’, 34’ and 38’ hulls and you’ll see the same imperfections that caught my eye, a very inconsistent, wavey finish. In fact, I’ve seen better finishes from some of the Hialeah, warehouse-based boat builders (that’s not saying much!). You could attribute this to pulling the hull early and not properly supporting it before the superstructure was added, but I think these are just poorly maintained molds to begin with. Again, the sign of a builder with little care in building quality boats. To their credit, the ergonomics of Jupiter’s are among the best in the biz and the ride is exceptional, albeit a little wet compared to others due to weight.
2. Contender - A boat I never gave much attention to is the Contender. It’s a personal thing, I just don’t care for the lines of the boat and the accommodations & ergonomics are pretty basic. That said, I live in an area with a high concentration of center console boats, Palm Beach. Matter of fact, I live right next to a popular boat ramp and on weekends, I see 100’s of center consoles. A good number of them are Contenders. They are quite popular, but why? They are built much the same way as the Jupiter, but not quite as heavy, without any frills, at a price that leaves money left over for tackle and their mold work is excellent. They are simply a better value for the money, especially for guys that aren’t interested in making a statement, just getting to the fish and getting home.
3. Everglades - I haven’t spent any time on the water with an Everglades, but I’ve boarded them at boat shows. If I had the money to buy any of these boats, I would place it on my short list, sea trial pending. The sweep of the bow to the waterline, along the chine, makes me suspect these boats would slam in certain seas. Setting this aside, they are beautifully appointed boats with exceptional ergonomics. The protective, wrap windscreen is welcome, but the cut-outs in their t-tops, aft of the helm, is not. Don’t recall the reason for this, but prefer as much shade as I can get in the sun.
4. Intrepids - have been extremely popular as tenders over the past decade. As one of the original all foam, no wood boats, they quickly created a market that others have followed. I have no experience with them and have not looked at their specs because these boats remain so pricey, only a superyacht owner can afford them.
5. Donzi - Another popular CC, due to style, price point (and probably name recognition) is Donzi. For the inland, bay boater, I’m sure it will do just fine. But for those of us that run to the islands, I wouldn’t choose a production boat of this nature. I‘ve seen two of these boats return with broken bits, one with a center console lifted off the deck. I’ve heard this story from others as well.
6. Fountain - makes a fast center console because they are laid up light, have a ventilated hull and a step bottom. There’s a good selection of these boats in the used market as well. I’m not a fan of Reggie’s boats. I remember them all too well from the 90’s when people had to cut out interior liners to replace leaking gas tanks. I’m sure they’ve learned from past mistakes and taken corrective measures. Or have they?
7. Concept - I've looked closely at the hull and decks on the new Concept center console boats at the shows and can't find a straight line anywhere. Everything is crooked, with waves and inconsistency. They cover up this mess with fancy paint jobs. If the finish is a reflection on the laminate, I don't want to think about hitting a wave the wrong way. Your hull and deck are the foundation. Without a solid, well built base, no amount of paint, fancy bezels or pattern stitched interiors are enough to separate me from my better judgment. But, I regress… they recently built a 44’ center console that is an absolute stand-out in the market. I haven’t ridden in this boat, but I wouldn’t expect any surprises. The design, finish, ergonomics, amenities, rigging… are all present and accounted for. It’s an exceptional boat in the super-size, center console market.
8. Powerplay - There is one boat that stands out in my mind as the best center console ever built, however the company discontinued operations in 2005. If you can find one, it will serve you well for a lifetime. They are light, strong, very fast and super solid. The Powerplay 33’ Center Console. These boats were built by one of the most meticulous guys in boat building, using the same race boat methods and procedures that took him to national and world championships. The people that buy these boats are generally go fast guys that had Cigarettes, Apaches, Skaters, etc., but they grew up, slowed down and learned that a well-built boat without all the bells and whistles meant more time on the water.
Danny Weinstein, the builder of these boats, employed a number of the original lay-up guys from Apache. They carved the plugs by hand (long before automated CNC routers) and they remain the truest, straightest hulls and decks in the business. The layup and finish is flawless. More importantly, go jump any size wave and I promise you, you won’t have any cracks. Equally, you won’t hear a thing while charging hard offshore. They are solid and quiet. If you can find one - BUY IT!
Here is a post made by a guy on a forum...
Quote:
The prices of premium, center console boats is borderline criminal. I believe this was mostly fueled by low interest rate, easy credit loans and the squandering of home equity. It will be interesting to see how many of these bass boats on steroids will survive the squeeze. For those CC builders gouging the public, I wish them a quick and speedy demise...
1. Jupiter - Although these boats are grossly overpriced, they have come into favor in recent years, sold on the premise of being an extremely strong, overbuilt boat and that's exactly what they are… overbuilt to the tune of 3,000 to 4,000 lbs. heavier than they need to be and overpriced to the tune of $50k to $100k, depending on length. There is no use of hi-performance, lamination technology to make them light or strong, just a heaping mound of resin that adds SO much weight, they now brag about being the best riding boat in their segment, of course failing to mention that it takes huge horsepower and your own personal oil reserve to keep them on plane. Consider yourself lucky to crack the 50 mph mark with a tail wind, down current, light on fuel and vapor escaping from your tanks. While speed isn’t everything, efficiency accounts for something. In that category, Jupiter's are a tug boat with a planning hull. Jupiter prides themselves on fit and finish, but that pride doesn't come through in their mold work. Eye the side of their new 29’, 34’ and 38’ hulls and you’ll see the same imperfections that caught my eye, a very inconsistent, wavey finish. In fact, I’ve seen better finishes from some of the Hialeah, warehouse-based boat builders (that’s not saying much!). You could attribute this to pulling the hull early and not properly supporting it before the superstructure was added, but I think these are just poorly maintained molds to begin with. Again, the sign of a builder with little care in building quality boats. To their credit, the ergonomics of Jupiter’s are among the best in the biz and the ride is exceptional, albeit a little wet compared to others due to weight.
2. Contender - A boat I never gave much attention to is the Contender. It’s a personal thing, I just don’t care for the lines of the boat and the accommodations & ergonomics are pretty basic. That said, I live in an area with a high concentration of center console boats, Palm Beach. Matter of fact, I live right next to a popular boat ramp and on weekends, I see 100’s of center consoles. A good number of them are Contenders. They are quite popular, but why? They are built much the same way as the Jupiter, but not quite as heavy, without any frills, at a price that leaves money left over for tackle and their mold work is excellent. They are simply a better value for the money, especially for guys that aren’t interested in making a statement, just getting to the fish and getting home.
3. Everglades - I haven’t spent any time on the water with an Everglades, but I’ve boarded them at boat shows. If I had the money to buy any of these boats, I would place it on my short list, sea trial pending. The sweep of the bow to the waterline, along the chine, makes me suspect these boats would slam in certain seas. Setting this aside, they are beautifully appointed boats with exceptional ergonomics. The protective, wrap windscreen is welcome, but the cut-outs in their t-tops, aft of the helm, is not. Don’t recall the reason for this, but prefer as much shade as I can get in the sun.
4. Intrepids - have been extremely popular as tenders over the past decade. As one of the original all foam, no wood boats, they quickly created a market that others have followed. I have no experience with them and have not looked at their specs because these boats remain so pricey, only a superyacht owner can afford them.
5. Donzi - Another popular CC, due to style, price point (and probably name recognition) is Donzi. For the inland, bay boater, I’m sure it will do just fine. But for those of us that run to the islands, I wouldn’t choose a production boat of this nature. I‘ve seen two of these boats return with broken bits, one with a center console lifted off the deck. I’ve heard this story from others as well.
6. Fountain - makes a fast center console because they are laid up light, have a ventilated hull and a step bottom. There’s a good selection of these boats in the used market as well. I’m not a fan of Reggie’s boats. I remember them all too well from the 90’s when people had to cut out interior liners to replace leaking gas tanks. I’m sure they’ve learned from past mistakes and taken corrective measures. Or have they?
7. Concept - I've looked closely at the hull and decks on the new Concept center console boats at the shows and can't find a straight line anywhere. Everything is crooked, with waves and inconsistency. They cover up this mess with fancy paint jobs. If the finish is a reflection on the laminate, I don't want to think about hitting a wave the wrong way. Your hull and deck are the foundation. Without a solid, well built base, no amount of paint, fancy bezels or pattern stitched interiors are enough to separate me from my better judgment. But, I regress… they recently built a 44’ center console that is an absolute stand-out in the market. I haven’t ridden in this boat, but I wouldn’t expect any surprises. The design, finish, ergonomics, amenities, rigging… are all present and accounted for. It’s an exceptional boat in the super-size, center console market.
8. Powerplay - There is one boat that stands out in my mind as the best center console ever built, however the company discontinued operations in 2005. If you can find one, it will serve you well for a lifetime. They are light, strong, very fast and super solid. The Powerplay 33’ Center Console. These boats were built by one of the most meticulous guys in boat building, using the same race boat methods and procedures that took him to national and world championships. The people that buy these boats are generally go fast guys that had Cigarettes, Apaches, Skaters, etc., but they grew up, slowed down and learned that a well-built boat without all the bells and whistles meant more time on the water.
Danny Weinstein, the builder of these boats, employed a number of the original lay-up guys from Apache. They carved the plugs by hand (long before automated CNC routers) and they remain the truest, straightest hulls and decks in the business. The layup and finish is flawless. More importantly, go jump any size wave and I promise you, you won’t have any cracks. Equally, you won’t hear a thing while charging hard offshore. They are solid and quiet. If you can find one - BUY IT!
