388SLW Special Edition Cat Coming Soon!!!!
 

After 35+ years of building Hi-Performance Catamaran's Peter Hledin is building a personal boat for himself. It will have all the bells and whistles he has learned through the years building them for other people. It will be an amazing work of art. Motors By Sterling and Paint by Taod and the Special SLW.

http://www.skaterpowerboats.com/skater388rp.html

Here's a link to the 388, Pete's new boat is a SLW model.

Whats an SLW model mean???

super light weight

Congratz Pete :drink:


ITS A SKATER NATION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These boats are the best! Peter is a great guy. He is truly a talented man.

What's the target weight? That should be an awesome boat.

classified
 

totally classified.

After 35 years, I believe Peter deserves something of his own to go out and play. Congratulations on finally finding the time to honor yourself!

+1! :ernaehrung004:

Understood!

:drink:

I thought Pete didn't like boats. :eek: :lolhit: :party-smiley-004:

Way over due, congrats! :drink:

Pete , has a family boat that he use's and that is a Slick Craft . In Pete's earlier years before he started Douglas Marine he had a major boating accident which just might have kept him from ever climbing into a high performance boat for so many years .

Awesome can't wait to see it!

Good hand shake to ink the Deal :: :drink:

Bruce, HP, our dad and crazy as* blume

Great photo Keith; I sent a copy to Bruce.

We have a winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

We have a winner but there is a 388SLW and it is for sale.

Thanks bro!!

TTT

Any updates?

Comment:

The above sounds like a great company boat add some Arnesons for drives and let Steve at Skater paint the boat.

Note: I know TAOD has the reputation and ability---but that is not the idea---it would be like building an anniversary boat for someone and trying to use all the in house builders strengths to highlight their years of accomplishments.

Hence, the use of Steve will reflect more on the complete in house aspects of building a Skater ie...100% Skater product right down to the trailer:). In my limited opinion the painting at Skater is the most underrated aspect of the business. I love all the in house paint schemes and designs classy and no doubt eye catching.

Hope to see what this boat looks like and a list of features which were done by the owner on a specification sheet. Who knows maybe a potential future customer might want some of those innovative ideas:ernaehrung004:.

Photos would be nice if any insiders are reading.

KAP

I agree! Steve at skater painted my last 2 skaters , and did an awesome job at a very reasonable price! :ernaehrung004:

Comment:

That is great to hear from a two time owner. If I were having a Skater built Steve would be painting it. Hell! I would have him paint any boat I purchased----time permitting:).

I think if the powers that be at Skater put up his paint designs and works on their website it would rival anyone in the industry and would be a nice showcase/display of workmanship.

Skater is up there on my list of choices with respect to our next boat with only one other contender standing in the way. I just might take a flight over in the summer and visit the factory---problem is I might not want to come home without doing a deal on a new boat:drink:.

KAP

This is actually my 4th skater 2 28's a 328 outboard and my current 32 i/o. I also raced a 36 trip outboard (Snakeman) with john robinson for a while.
My favorite skater story is this:
I was heading back from a chicago race, and while pulling into a gas station ( while talking on the phone) i sideswiped the left side of the boat on one of those cement posts around the gas pump. Put about a 8' x 2' crease down the side of the boat. I called Pete ,( On a saturday night) and he said drop it off and he'd see what he could do. (Our next race was in about 3 weeks)
I came back out 2 weeks later to pick up the boat, and not only was the fiberglass repaired perfectly, but he had repainted the entire boat! It looked like a brand new boat!
Now for the best part- when I asked Pete what I owed him he said-
NO CHARGE! How's that for customer service?!
Needless to say I think Pete and Skater are the Best out there!:ernaehrung004:

Stainless:

The boat that I am interested in is either the 30 flat deck or 32 with Outboards twins not triples.

It would be mainly for the ocean but some lake use is inevitable---size matters in the ocean but I do not want to regret getting a 32 with twins and going damn I wish I had the 30 for more speed.

A pleasure version with stock 300XS motors is really a hard platform to beat ie...still be able to hit 100+ in the boat on demand along with unreal fuel efficiency. I am tired of blower motors and the cost of fuel eating me out of house and home especially when you boat 100+hours a year.

There was a boat at the Miami Show this year which was a 30 Flatdeck with outboards would love to talk to that owner about his choices. It was a beautiful boat but only caught glimpses of it in distant photos.

KAP
P.S. I agree the Skater line is very impressive:)

Heres some pics of the one in the Miami show.

My 328 was a flat deck very cut down 32 widened 8" (race boat-single canopy) it ran rt around 110 with 2 2.5 outboards with 15" shafts - great bang for the buck!
For the record, the Ilmor 710's with #6's are awesome!

here's a vid with a clip of the 328 twin outboard running
http://www.skaterpowerboats.com/2007nycprvideo.html

steve painted this boat as well

I think the 30 is only 2-3 mph faster than the 32 with 300xs's. For the ocean, the 32 may be the ticket.

Hello blume:

That is the boat I was talking about a gorgeous boat with a full windscreen---nice stuff, a dynamite package all around, and hard to find anything that good in it's class.

Stainless:
I do not want to run 2.5's you can get them easily in Dubai with the 15inch lowers but I honestly do not want to become an outboard mechanic in my spare time:).

Hence, the 300XS option which comes with a 2 year factory warranty and you can get another 4 from Empire Marine---total 6 years of warranty.

Damn, hard to beat if you ask me and when I come off the water it takes minutes to flush and clean the outboards and you cover it put it away versus an all night production cleaning the boat with inboards.

Funny you posted this I have seen that boat video several times and it is very impressive--- sweet boat but for the canopy. Smokin fast boat too for it's size.

Comment:
That may be true but the 30 will obtain the speed much quicker and 2-3 is a lot when you don't have it i.e... if your going 98MPH versus 101MPH. On the flip side your right the 32 in the ocean would be much more pleasant to ride in---let's face it--- even a 32 foot boat is a dinghy in the Pacific Ocean.

To keep it thread related anything going on with this boat photos, design, layout anything at all or is it merely rumor. Mr. Hledin's personal boat would be a really interesting thread to follow and view with accompanying photos.

KAP

P.S. Stainless your right about the Ilmors a great option as well---closed cooled N/A motors easy to like that kinda stuff. Knowing me I'd be the first one to put them in and slap Whipples on them in no time:eek:.

Funny you posted this I have seen that boat video several times and it is very impressive--- sweet boat but for the canopy.


The canopy and tunnel hatch(if it has one) would seal the deal for me, I like the security and there's no telling what could happen to a 32' boat in the ocean.

letes hear from a 30 owner not just a 32 i think you will find the 30 handles real close to a 32 i have been in both and owned two 30s

I agree! The 30 with the wrap around windshield is a beautiful boat!
Great Bang for the buck, plus great fuel economy. Def the way to go for outboards. I don't think gas prices will be gong down anytime soon!:ernaehrung004: I think ocean outboard has one without a windshield ready for rigging. :ernaehrung004:

Here is a professional video (FFV) of my 30 running in last months FMO event, out in the Gulf of Mexico. I finished the Gulf leg of the event, first.

According to my Garmin GPS, max-speed, we peaked at 93.9mph, about 5500rmp. My boat with the T300XS, has about 10mph more in it, and goes to 6200 or so.

Th sound starts at 12 seconds, and the entire 3 minutes has my boat in it, and the closeup on me starts about half way in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT2Xe4C2qHc

Reply:

Stainless does anyone know who owns that 30 with the wrap around windshield. Blume do you know who owns it I would like to speak with him/her absolutely love that boat.

AppySysCons:

Really nice video of your boat running A+ footage. I need a windscreen if I were building that style of boat--- it makes it so much more pleasant to run.

KAP

KAP,

Next boat will have a wrap around wind screen; however, the wind screen flaps on my 30, which are power actuated up and down, work great for the front seat occupants.

any updates....sounds like its going to be awesome:hitit::evilb:

:party-smiley-004: pp3

Oh no u dinnit.... :lolhit:

Congrats......................