I got to see the 2000BRX up close and personal at the GR boat show yesterday. Onthehammer was representing the Checkmates, good to see you Jeff!. The three 2000BRX boats, one in yellow with black, one in blue/black, and one in black/red, all looked pretty good compared to the hundreds of generic boats there! I've finally got to see the new controversial design up close and personal. He also had a beautiful 2400BRX with 300 Verado there.
My impressions:
The 2400BRX was of course IMPRESSIVE. Yes, I'd love to have one. The front playpen is huge with all the bow filler cushions installed. Tons of room in the cockpit. Still a low-profile sleek boat. Dream boat for sure.
2000BRX: I gotta say, I do like them overall. I could own this boat and know I've got the best looking boat on my lake.
Likes:
1. Fully lined. Who cares how much water the guests flood into the boat? Won't be worried about rebuilding the floor in 10 years. Store the boat bow-high and pull the plug between uses. Take the snap-in carpet out and store it in the garage. I've owned a few liner boats, and the ease of maintenance and the lack of moisture damage concerns increase the joy of ownership.
2. True 'Pulsare' transom beefing inside. The transom is built to handle twice what the boat is rated for. Easily hang huge setback and/or big block outboards on this boat with zero worries.
3. Traditional Checkmate fast/efficient bottom.
4. Lots MORE room inside this boat than a 2100BR. I never lacked for space inside my 2100BR, but this shorter boat has a lot more room freed up.
BOW: The bow doesn't have the 4' deck in front of the cushions, this one is more like 1.5'. There's a hatch in the top of the little forward deck, I'm guessing for an anchor locker. Didn't open it up. The front has much more 'length' room than the 2100BR with the shrinking of the forward deck. Better design up front.
COCKPIT: The cockpit is much wider with the elimination of the 10" wide gunnels. Seat bases are molded-in, so nothing to trap dirt/moisture. No long seat-base screws to pierce the core underneath. The dash is a bolted-on 'pod' like my other liner boats, easy to get underneath for mods.
5. Livorsi digital gauges. Three thumbs up
6. Standard setback bracket. Won't see any Four Winns or Larson with that. VERY easy to then bolt on a nice 6-10" adjustable plate behind
7. The 115 powered boat had dual-cable steering. That's a nice standard feature. Much easier to upgrade power.
Dislikes or Needs Improvement:
1. We've lost the padded armrest behind the throttle. Checkmate needs to design a small bolt-on padded armrest for the driver. There's room for it. Maybe one for the copilot too.
2. We've lost a little of the 'Checkmate' look to gain all the needed interior room. Standing next to the boat and sighting down the sides, it's still a good looking boat. Tinting the windshield would probably help get some of the 'look' back.
3. Standard radio is a nice unit, but there's no way for the driver to control the tunes without upgrading to a unit with remote control.
That's it. Overall, I give the new design a It's a good compromise design, blending the speed/coolness factor of a Checkmate with the no-worries practicality of a generic family bow-rider.
A few pictures to follow.
My impressions:
The 2400BRX was of course IMPRESSIVE. Yes, I'd love to have one. The front playpen is huge with all the bow filler cushions installed. Tons of room in the cockpit. Still a low-profile sleek boat. Dream boat for sure.
2000BRX: I gotta say, I do like them overall. I could own this boat and know I've got the best looking boat on my lake.
Likes:
1. Fully lined. Who cares how much water the guests flood into the boat? Won't be worried about rebuilding the floor in 10 years. Store the boat bow-high and pull the plug between uses. Take the snap-in carpet out and store it in the garage. I've owned a few liner boats, and the ease of maintenance and the lack of moisture damage concerns increase the joy of ownership.
2. True 'Pulsare' transom beefing inside. The transom is built to handle twice what the boat is rated for. Easily hang huge setback and/or big block outboards on this boat with zero worries.
3. Traditional Checkmate fast/efficient bottom.
4. Lots MORE room inside this boat than a 2100BR. I never lacked for space inside my 2100BR, but this shorter boat has a lot more room freed up.
BOW: The bow doesn't have the 4' deck in front of the cushions, this one is more like 1.5'. There's a hatch in the top of the little forward deck, I'm guessing for an anchor locker. Didn't open it up. The front has much more 'length' room than the 2100BR with the shrinking of the forward deck. Better design up front.
COCKPIT: The cockpit is much wider with the elimination of the 10" wide gunnels. Seat bases are molded-in, so nothing to trap dirt/moisture. No long seat-base screws to pierce the core underneath. The dash is a bolted-on 'pod' like my other liner boats, easy to get underneath for mods.
5. Livorsi digital gauges. Three thumbs up
6. Standard setback bracket. Won't see any Four Winns or Larson with that. VERY easy to then bolt on a nice 6-10" adjustable plate behind
7. The 115 powered boat had dual-cable steering. That's a nice standard feature. Much easier to upgrade power.
Dislikes or Needs Improvement:
1. We've lost the padded armrest behind the throttle. Checkmate needs to design a small bolt-on padded armrest for the driver. There's room for it. Maybe one for the copilot too.
2. We've lost a little of the 'Checkmate' look to gain all the needed interior room. Standing next to the boat and sighting down the sides, it's still a good looking boat. Tinting the windshield would probably help get some of the 'look' back.
3. Standard radio is a nice unit, but there's no way for the driver to control the tunes without upgrading to a unit with remote control.
That's it. Overall, I give the new design a It's a good compromise design, blending the speed/coolness factor of a Checkmate with the no-worries practicality of a generic family bow-rider.
A few pictures to follow.
Too bad my camera turned the red to burnt orange. Must be a flourescent light thing.
