View Full Version : Story Behind Playmate, Vyper, F-13 etc
Here is the story told by one of your own, Barry Cooperider http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
Thanks Barry
Here Z is an add from a guy I met in Erie PA he was making these back in 1993. Don't know if he still does. The story he told me was that he was a former Fantasy dealer that got screwed out of a lot of money and was left with some junk boats. He said the Fantasy's were pretty much falling apart. So he spent a lot of time making one right and made his own molds.
I talked to the Guy that owned Paradise and he got his from Fantasy because they were friends or something and the owner of Fantasy passed away. The guy from Paradise changed several things on the boat and claims he filed copyright protection.
I checked the coast guard website and Vyper boats is still in business.
Vyper
http://www3.sympatico.ca/christine.ellard/CheckmateBoats/Playmatecopy.jpg
F-13
http://www3.sympatico.ca/christine.ellard/CheckmateBoats/F22.jpg
The Playmate
http://www.checkmate-boats.com/6/ws/,s,8626072361/The%20Showroom/Playmate.jpg
If ya ask me any of these boats would be an awesome candidate for my Mariner 40 http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
http://www3.sympatico.ca/christine.ellard/CheckmateBoats/mymotor.jpg
cooperider
08-06-2004, 10:21 PM
Z have you called Vyper yet to see if they still make these boats? http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
cooperider
09-13-2004, 01:33 PM
Hey Z here's a Fantasy for you from January 1993 or '94 (I can't remember) at the Cleveland IX center. http://realityboatcompany.photosite.com/~photos/tn/1168_1024.ts1094363978000.jpg
cooperider
09-13-2004, 01:34 PM
Here's another, same place. http://realityboatcompany.photosite.com/~photos/tn/1169_1024.ts1094364104000.jpg
cooperider
03-15-2005, 10:52 PM
Hey Z, I found two more companies that have produced this little boat. Both of them are out of business. But I'm gonna get some info on who they were.
That makes about six companies so far. This little boat gets around.
P.S. Z, where did the pix go?
The pictures are; on my hard drive. I'll load em up tomorrow and post them again. http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
My personal favorite:
http://checkmate-boats.com/images/showroom/1987/1987-03.jpg
cooperider
03-18-2005, 02:40 AM
JW,
I'm on the trail of a set of these molds if you are still interested in one.
Coop
Coop, you track down the Paradise people then? I thought about contacting them after they stopped building year before last to see if I could get the molds.
I've been hoping to find a nice used hull with a 65 or 85 Merc for a while, no luck. Then I found two of them new/never rigged down in Georgia that I could have had for $2,000 on a trailer. It was just too far to drive............
If I get one, I'll put a 115 on it and have some REAL fun.................
cooperider
03-18-2005, 08:42 PM
Trying to track down an original style version. I ran across an anouncement in a Trailerboats magazine from the mid 90's that had a picture of one made in PA found the company but the molds were sold to another company in PA and both of these companies are out of business. So there has been at least six companies that I have found that have built them. One of them I believe is still in business, but I don't know if they are still building these boats.
Here's a link to the last company that was building the style of Playmate that I like. Of the what, 4? styles over the years, only the one above interests me. The mini-offshore look http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
http://www.f13.does.it/
cooperider
03-18-2005, 09:08 PM
Thats the version only the Paradise was modified from original.
cooperider
03-18-2005, 09:12 PM
Do you have an old web address for them? I could look in www.archive.org (http://www.archive.org) for the old site.
cooperider
03-18-2005, 10:05 PM
The first company I have listed is
Fantasy Boats INC
out of Glasport PA
MIC is FBN sold their molds to another company after the Coast Guard got on them about some problems. That company was:
Fantasy Island Boats
Pittsburg PA
They had a factory in Winterhaven FL
The next company was:
Vyperboats Inc
Erie PA MIC is CAJ
(I met this guy and he is still in business)
He was a former Fantasy dealer whose boats were falling apart and he made his own molds.
Also
Central Illinois powerboats.
Also:
Caribe Industries
Latrobe PA MIC is NCP
Sold molds to;
Team Caribe
Whitney PA MIC is IUC
The only one in business is Vyper.
No, I don't have the old web addy for them. Are you going to contact that name on the web site I posted, to see if you can get molds from them?
I had heard about the Fantasy quality problems. I think Paradise is the guy that was a dealer with junk Fantasy hulls that rebuilt them and made his own after that?
cooperider
03-19-2005, 09:40 AM
Oh yea I forgot to put Pardise in that list with the others. But there are at least 10 differnt Paradises listed on the coast guard web site so I couldn't figure out which one it was. I think one of the two listed for Elyria OH.
I talked to the guy who started Paradise years ago and he was a freind of the owner of Fantasy.
I was not real thrilled with the guy. But he probably has nothing to do with who owns those molds now. So I am starting my search with: Paradise, Central Illinios Powerboats, and Vyper.
I talked to Central Illinios Powerboats about two months ago and they gave me a price on the bare hull and deck that they had. 1,495 plus about 350 for delivery. But have been unable to pull up their site for about a month. They were never listed on the coast guard site so they were selling the boats as kits. I just have to find where I wrote there number. They were making a dead on copy of the Paradise.
Maybe they're ready to sell the molds for a grand http://www.checkmate-boats.com/graemlins/thumb.gif
Too bad CMate didn't keep some original molds for the Playmate (offshore edition? LOL). We're the newer hulls made by Paradise and others an improvement on the design?
I think I heard once that the Playmate style that I like were actually a product of Checkmate's designer that he did up in his garage, then sold the idea to Bill and they built them at the factory.
cooperider
03-19-2005, 10:01 AM
I think I remember the God and Kip argueing about that.
One of the mods that Paradise did was make the sides smooth so that there was no style line down the side. I thought about doing that myself, more room for graphics. Another that they did was round off the edges of the deck. I thought about that also. The only thing I don't like was the changes they did to the piece running up the middle of the deck. They may also have made some changes to the back, but I don't think they made any changes to the bottom.
cooperider
03-19-2005, 10:12 AM
Gary is very talented at what he does. And must enjoy it if he built that on the side in his garage. If anyone could build something like that knowing exactly what Bill would want, it would be him.
Paradise F-13 that I could of had for $2,000:
http://img160.exs.cx/img160/3382/paradise64wc.jpg
http://img160.exs.cx/img160/3289/paradise51dr.jpg
http://img160.exs.cx/img160/1999/paradise42km.jpg
http://img160.exs.cx/img160/4993/paradise36cr.jpg
http://img160.exs.cx/img160/7104/paradise27rv.jpg
http://img160.exs.cx/img160/158/paradise12rl.jpg
But they were down in Georgia, too far for me to drive for a hull.........
cooperider
03-19-2005, 10:25 AM
Cool new pix for my colection. Thanks.
Maybe we should just grab a hull and make our own molds for it.
cooperider
03-19-2005, 10:31 AM
Maybe we could look up DR. Phil
http://checkmate-boats.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/5606095561/m/5861017461
I thought you'd like those. And with your skills, you could repair whatever is wrong with that Fantasy and make some new molds! With a nice flat 10" wide pad http://www.checkmate-boats.com/graemlins/thumb.gif
And another foot in the length, with a beefed up transom for an inline 115!
cooperider
03-19-2005, 10:46 AM
Now your thinking. Maybe make it look like a mini Pulsare and sell it back to Bill.
cooperider
03-19-2005, 10:49 AM
or maybe NOT.
if gas keeps going up and up, the market for small small boats (11' - 17') may swing back into popularity with the fuel efficient 50hp - 115 hp motors. I'll bet the 1600 Pulsare that F&PB is building up with the 115 Opti gets great gas mileage.........
What kind of price do you think you could sell a Playmate/Paradise F-13 Coop?
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JW:
What kind of price do you think you could sell a Playmate/Paradise F-13 Coop? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Just speeking to Coop on the phone and Coop says he hasn't done the math on that yet, but depends on what you want - mild or WILD-.
Mild! One color only, I can stripe it with vinyl. No gauges, nothing. Just a hull. I have a trailer already.
Of course, all this is pointless if Coop can't track down the molds.........
cooperider
03-20-2005, 07:29 PM
http://web.archive.org/web/20010202054100/http://paradisepowerboats.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/20020602112206/http://www.paradisepowerboats.com/
cooperider
03-20-2005, 07:32 PM
Found the site in the archive thanks JW.
You saw my post in the play to win section?
cooperider
03-20-2005, 07:48 PM
Yep.
I don't mind the 'smooth-sided' Paradise edition, but I really prefer the original Playmate style (from the picture of the black/white/red one on the first page). Checkmate's version just seems sportier to me. More like a 'Checkmate'.
cooperider
03-30-2005, 02:15 PM
Vyper was out of business as of the end of last year. Number is disconected. http://checkmate-boats.com/graemlins/brickwall.gif
cooperider
03-30-2005, 02:21 PM
JW,
The phone # for the people in Atlanta with the Paradise boats doesn't work. http://checkmate-boats.com/graemlins/brickwall.gif
Talk about not having any luck.......... http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif
cooperider
03-31-2005, 04:26 AM
Jw,
I am working on a deal for a Fantasy F-13. If I get it early this summer I may play with it for the season. http://www.checkmate-boats.com/graemlins/thumb.gif
That's cool! Was it the one from this site with a Force motor? Or was that a Paradise?
With your skills, any hull problems the Fantasy might have won't be a problem. Sounds great! Let me know how it ends up.
cooperider
03-31-2005, 10:56 AM
Dr. Phil and I are emailing back and forth. That Fantasy may become a Reality. http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
Good deal! Is he willing to separate that worthless Force 40? If not, I'll give you $400.00 for the motor and the controls and put that bad boy on my pontoon boat http://checkmate-boats.com/graemlins/xxrotflmao.gif
Gonna make some 'new' 13' Coop Specials?
cooperider
03-31-2005, 08:31 PM
I'd like to have it home by the cookout in July. I will consider the motor deal, but no promises yet. I'l probably just play with it until fall then who knows.
I'd like to use it to learn some more about resin infusion.
I'd like you to use it to make a new deck and hull mold http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
cooperider
03-31-2005, 09:20 PM
I would make a new deck and hull mold first.
cooperider
03-31-2005, 09:23 PM
I would make the boats with hand lamination but I would also learn more about resin infusion so that I can later make them stronger and lighter.
Resin infusion like VEC? Or more like vacuum bagging? I think C'Mate should get into vacuum bagging, even if it IS just a marketing hype thing................
cooperider
03-31-2005, 09:50 PM
I wouldn't even waste my time vacuum baging. Those girls out at Checkmate are faster and better. There is very little excess resin in a Checkmate. The bag would just be used as a clamping devise.
Besides by the time you got the bag on the resin would already be starting to kick.
resin infusion, you place all the fiberglass where you need it and you place intake and exhuast hoses on the part then you cover it with a bag apply a vacuum to remove air then after you know everything is ready you catalize your resin in a bucket put a hose in the bucket and release the valve. after the resin works its way through the laminate you close the valve and maintain the seal until its cured.
That is oversimplified but do you see the diference between infusion and bagging.
I have used vacuum bagging to make mahogany decks for Lyman. It was mainly used to hold the wood in place until the resin cured underneath.
cooperider
03-31-2005, 09:55 PM
VEC http://checkmate-boats.com/graemlins/brickwall.gif I wish he would have never come up with that process. The process is great its the goals that Irwin Jacobs has for the process. He want's to have backyard boat builders regulated out of existance.
Yep, the VEC technology has been getting good reviews. My wife's '03 Glastron is a VEC boat. The hull finish isn't half as smooth and nice as a hand-laid Checkmate hull, but they offer a lifetime warranty that can't be beat. And it looks to me like they can use very little labor to make a boat. I'll bet all boats will be built using VEC a hundred years from now. And we'll have maybe 4 styles to choose from http://www.checkmate-boats.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif
Chris
04-05-2005, 08:49 PM
Coop,
Have you tried asking Sharkey. He might know.
cooperider
04-07-2005, 12:23 AM
I didn't think of asking him. I was watching the molds he had for sale to see how long it took to sell those. Sooner or later one of those Playmate molds is gonna end up on ebay. But by then I may have my own set.
cooperider
05-21-2005, 07:18 PM
JW
It looks like Dr. Phil is gonna keep his Fantasy. Which is cool cause I'm still a little short on cash. So we need to help him realize that boats full potential.
Dr. Phil
Yes that boat could do better than 48mph but probobly not with the force motor on it. Look for a guy on this site that goes by addgasgofast, he has several motors for sale that would be better for that boat. Tell him I sent ya.
Also being a Fantasy I think they may have some inconsistancy in hull weight. Checkmates' weight was around 300pds.
That Fantasy that was just on ebay had a Brochure picture in the ebay ad, he emailed me some more pics of that boat and what he sent had different color stripes and interior. Posibly a dif. motor too. I'll try to get the pix posted here so you can see them.
Coop
sweetjeep3
07-05-2005, 09:47 PM
HI
I was wondering if their is anywhere i coulf pick up one of the paradise hulls? IF you would know could you please contact me. I could have bout one of these about a year ago for 1,200 but the problem was that it was in texas. so if anyone could help me out that would be great thanks.
brian s
07-14-2005, 06:53 PM
hot little boats i like em
cooperider
08-10-2005, 06:09 PM
Originally posted by brian s:
hot little boats i like em
I likem too.
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