1995 Checkmate Playmate Barn Find?!

[JPerrault]

Hey Folks, new member here out of St Petersburg Florida! Came across a bit of an inheritance I'm not entirely sure I want to hold on to, sadly. Seems like quite a bit of a project but would be extremely useful if I had the right connections. Seems to be a 1995 Checkmate Playmate, covered front bow, rear weird inboard motor, but it's a PWC I believe, like a jet ski? It seems all very strange and new to me but it's a tiny little guy, 14' feet at most. I can't even seem to come across any pictures googling the heck out of it. Any and I mean ANY information would be helpful. We started gutting any bad wood and stripping the carpet out. Florida heat in a barn has not been overly kind to the ole girl. Didn't seem to see any residue from mice but we shall see. If anyone is familiar please help in any way. I'll try to get pictures once I'm home tonight. The lot of you have some seriously beautiful boats on these forums though! Excited & Terrified - Please & Thank You!

 

[Hack]

Sounds like a fun project. Mercury SportJet powered. Basically an outboard engine (different crankshaft) hooked to a jet pump. Welcome to the forum!

 

[RNGRDVE]

Where's OleJimway at? These boats are his favorite.

 

[Jimway]

Jimway here. Hi J and welcome. You are definitely in the right place. The enclosed bow model is relatively rare, I have heard. It's called the Playmate Jet. The open bow model is called Playmate Sport. Probably has a 4 cyl 120 hp Mercury Marine Sport Jet under the engine hatch. Could also be a 90 hp 3 cyl. Battery on the Starboard side? Oil injection tank hanging from rear bulkhead on same side as battery. Two cables heading into the front of the 'tunnel' that houses the jet pump directly underneath the engine? Steering wheel on Port side? Two cup holders on top of a speedometer, fuel, tachometer, and hour meter gauges. Floor compartment just under and forward of the dash? Is the carpet still purple? Is it still on a trailer? 22 gallon aluminum fuel tank under the seat? Fuel filler on port side just aft of seating area? She's about 14 foot 6 inches. Power plant is less than 300 lbs, hull is around 600, around 1100 or so all up. What color is the hull and any accentuating stripes?

 

[Hack]

Hopefully it's got the 120 SportJet. My son had a Donzi with the 120, and it was fun, but after driving it, I was Jonesing for the 175 or more.

 

[JPerrault]

Hey Jimway!
My goodness! I am again excited today to read this response! Is there any easier way of speaking to you then this forum? I'd love to get an insiders take on everything! Most everything you just asked is right where you're saying it is, except that carpet, that came out immediately! It was no Bueno for sure! Please let me know if there's a way I can get in touch with you! I need to have the motor looked at as soon as possible, I feel like that's our first big hurdle?!

 

[Jimway]

You can PM me or we can start a thread or just stay right here. If we stay here, everybody gets to check it out if they wish. No worries if you like to keep it on the down low. There are many outstanding very knowledgeable folks on here. There will be very little on the vessel that someone here doesn't have intricate knowledge of. Go to Brochure pages and see the original sales literature. Pretty cool stuff. Does the engine turn? (can you carefully turn the flywheel a small amount either way?) If vessel was put away with fuel drained from carbs and main tank, you may be surprised to get it fired up with not too much drama. What does the fuel tank smell like when you open the flip cap and get a whiff? Are the keys still with it? What color is the stripe across the seats?