Offshoreonly.com - Outboard skater BS thread!

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan Beckley (Post 4218530)

our video from the final day in Key West....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8vgRdvVKdo

Great video Ryan! I felt like I was in the race, watching it. Thanks for posting

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan Beckley (Post 4218505)

I gotta say this, Skater builds some of the best boats in the world hands down. Peter and his crew have done everything I have ever asked and more on our race boats. Our first 30 in 2006 he took back and built us a new boat. We've run the Skaters every year since in about 10 races a year. In most conditions our boat is simply, SLOWER. YES, our team is less funded then many of the other teams, we don't have new motors on the boat twice a year either. We are also a little lacking in our propeller selection. Peter also admits that he won't cut corners to save weight therefor our canopy is bomb proof, and yes we've tested it on 2 occasions. As I said they have made every change we have every asked for, I believe the the shape of the bow area is the difference. Our boat is wider in the "hips" and in my eyes not as aerodynamically correct as the 32 DW. ALSO the newer DW's tunnels are 7-8" wider than our tunnel. That is about 25% more lift right there. As with anything the newest / latest/ greatest is usually fastest as was proven by Talbot in KW. I am sure with a little tweaking that something built out of the new, wide tunnel, 30 mold would be faster and if we could teak the forward entry area some it could really be made to haul the mail!

I agree with you Ryan 100 percent. You have done a great job for what you have. What I cannot believe is that one of those teams with all the money would not entertain building a Skater. I am sure Peter could come up with something that would take back what was once one of the best racing classes ever. I would personally would take the 28 hull and make it longer and wider. It is a proven design and is one of the best all around cats ever built in its size.
I sure hope in the coming years I make enough money to build one!
Some one needs to step up and get a new model done that would also be a good fit for the new outboards coming out. It will require a restructure of balance and tank locations etc to offset the heavier motors.

What I cannot believe is that one of those teams with all the money would not entertain building a Skater. I am sure Peter could come up with something that would take back what was once one of the best racing classes ever. I would personally would take the 28 hull and make it longer and wider. It is a proven design and is one of the best all around cats ever built in its size.
I sure hope in the coming years I make enough money to build one!
Some one needs to step up and get a new model done that would also be a good fit for the new outboards coming out. It will require a restructure of balance and tank locations etc to offset the heavier motors.[/QUOTE]

I really think you are on to something with the longer and wider 28 skater. The sponsons on the 30 are huge compared to the 28 and I know that's great for inboards but for outboards the narrow sponsons like the 28 and the Doug Wright seem to be the ticket for speed.

Now these new outboards you speak of. Do you know of something coming down the pipeline or just assuming that sooner or later we will get a new high performance outboard?

Ron, You are on the right track with the idea of a wider 28. At the start of my 28 purchase endeavor, I contacted Pete to do just that in a flat deck profile with carbon build-up. He was really pumped to do it. You are also right that it takes a lot of money - a lot of money! Too much for me at the time. It is in my dreams still.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lake rat Skater (Post 4218754)

I really think you are on to something with the longer and wider 28 skater. The sponsons on the 30 are huge compared to the 28 and I know that's great for inboards but for outboards the narrow sponsons like the 28 and the Doug Wright seem to be the ticket for speed.

Now these new outboards you speak of. Do you know of something coming down the pipeline or just assuming that sooner or later we will get a new high performance outboard?[/QUOTE]

He told me he built the 30 to haul people. That at the time that's where the demand was. He would entertain building a race boat hull again if the demand were there to justify the expense of tooling and molds. Considering the increase in poker run boats and diminishing race boat fleets Pete's not just a good boat builder but a good business man also. I could tell he was eating a him knowing he could be competitive if he chose to be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double Rigged (Post 4218694)

I've been saying this for years, both to Peter and anyone that would listen.

Someone needs to have an insert in the mold after the first step of the 30' to narrow the running surface (keep the nose wider for rough water as it's not in the water at speed anyways), add to to the width or take a 28' Widen and Stretch it to 31'. The DW is also a lot lower tunnel height boat than the 30' something a 28' could improve upon.

In the past when Pete made a 30' boat he took a 32' and shorten'd it. I want him to go the other way around. The beam and length will bring stability to the 28' that it needs in the rough.

[QUOTE=Taboma;4218809]Ron, You are on the right track with the idea of a wider 28. At the start of my 28 purchase endeavor, I contacted Pete to do just that in a flat deck profile with carbon build

It's amazing that nobody has ever had Pete build a flat-deck 28. After seeing the 24, I'm not certain a 28 would look that great flat-decked with either quarter canopies or a wrap windshield. The 30/338 is just big enough to handle the size of the quarter-canopies/wrap windshields and not look disproportionate. The quarter canopies on my 30 are the smallest he ever installed. I had him cut them down as much as possible and still be functional (my seats are also mounted VERY low in the boat) to keep the look of the bigger Skaters. There's way more to building these boats and keeping them looking cool than most people think.

Maybe I can get the guys from up north to head down that way David!!

[Quote Skater 30] It's amazing that nobody has ever had Pete build a flat-deck 28. After seeing the 24, I'm not certain a 28 would look that great flat-decked with either quarter canopies or a wrap windshield. The 30/338 is just big enough to handle the size of the quarter-canopies/wrap windshields and not look disproportionate. The quarter canopies on my 30 are the smallest he ever installed. I had him cut them down as much as possible and still be functional (my seats are also mounted VERY low in the boat) to keep the look of the bigger Skaters. There's way more to building these boats and keeping them looking cool than most people think.[/QUOTE]

Who did Rick's? Or are you just referring to a new build? Looking forward to seeing Steve's finished? Both flat deck with canopies.

[QUOTE=Onetime;4218882][Quote Skater 30] It's amazing that nobody has ever had Pete build a flat

Hey Rich, Rick's 28 was done at Skater - but it's not a "flat-deck" Skater. It's a standard deck that Pete cuts the brow off of and glasses in a section that has the canopy registers molded into which the canopies mount to. Steve is modifying his 28 in a similar fashion, but using a reverse register to mount the canopies. A true "flat-deck" Skater is one that starts with the hull only, and Pete builds the entire deck from a single large "flat" sheet of cored laminate - not a deck that has been built in a mold.