Big Red
Well-known member
We need to help you with your engine because it sounds like the baja's on your lake keep blowing by you. I have never been out run by a baja. I know their are baja's that can out run me but I have not been beside one yet.
-
Welcome to the Checkmate Community Forums forums.
» Interact with over 10,000 Checkmate Fanatics from around the world!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions, articles and access to our other FREE features.
By joining our free community you will be able to:
» Post topics and messages
» Post and view photos
» Communicate privately with other members
» Access our extensive gallery of old Checkmate brochures located in our Media Gallery
» Browse the various pictures in our Checkmate photo gallery
Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact support by clicking here or by using the"contact us" link at the bottom of the page.
Checkmate Vs. Baja question
- Thread starter winter
- Start date
We need to help you with your engine because it sounds like the baja's on your lake keep blowing by you. I have never been out run by a baja. I know their are baja's that can out run me but I have not been beside one yet.
winter
Active member
All good info. I should have prefaced my question with "i'm sure this has been covered before' 
Being new to the forums, i sometimes type before i search. But anyway, the worst part of buying a checkmate this time of year is that i have look at it in the garage and sometimes sit in it and make childish engine noises as though i'm actually running it 
Being new to the forums, i sometimes type before i search. But anyway, the worst part of buying a checkmate this time of year is that i have look at it in the garage and sometimes sit in it and make childish engine noises as though i'm actually running it Old Hickory
Active member
Well, thats not so bad at least ya got a buddy helpin out;
however, if yer in one one of these...........
......don't forget the quarter or yer SOL
winter
Active member
stclairriverblaster
Member
to the comment wave as you go past.. every baja i encountered came back for seconds.. but then again. they were smaller bajas
HobieHernandez
Active member
I WAS LOOKING AT A older BAJA 24 THE OTHER DAY,I figured there would be alot of room up in the bow,but they gave you a tiny hole to crawl threw,and I do not know it it was original,,but it had a cheesy,plex glass window...
wizard8575
Active member
Last summer one of the neighbors at my grandpas cabin owns a baja around 1990. Got a good deal on it really clean low hours. Well anyways he came over to see if I needed any help since I was having some trouble with the inline. We ended up talking for quite a while and he made the comment that my boat would more than likely be faster than his. He has the merc 454 thru hull exhaust and the summer before his cam went so he went through the motor and put in a bigger cam. Well lets just see what happens this summer now that I have my jackplate on its way.
Dave Dendekker
Member
Did you make that up? It's GENIUS. I've NEVER heard that before. You should try to patent that before it's too late
remlinger
Active member
For S's and G's
Has anyone tried to count the number of checkmate boats still afloat and come up with a percentage compaired to production numbers? This would be interesting to see and a great bragging stat. to throw out at some one talking trash about our boats.
Just wondering, looking at the members of this site there are definately boats still running well over 30 years old.
Has anyone tried to count the number of checkmate boats still afloat and come up with a percentage compaired to production numbers? This would be interesting to see and a great bragging stat. to throw out at some one talking trash about our boats.
Just wondering, looking at the members of this site there are definately boats still running well over 30 years old.
Jeez it's like walking into the lions den here but since it's been awhile since I've been over here I feel the urge to defend my brethren. I am part of the Baja tribe, but mines an old one, an 88 240 (same as a 24 outlaw).
First off obviously there is going to be a very biased opinion toward Checkmate's given this is a Checkmate forum. I would say different boats shine in different areas. Yes my boat is heavy, its 5200 lbs with a full tank and all my junk on board, and yes it is probably slower than say a 24 foot Checkmate and in smooth water I would probably get spanked. But I can run high 50's in glass and run high 50's in 4-6 footers and have done so on many occasions. It may not be as comfortable as a 35 footer in those same conditions but I've always felt safe and never came close to stuffing, it just gets on top of the waves and skips right along.
Honestly before I bought the Baja I was set on buying a Checkmate and looked at few Checkmates and even went and rode in a 22 vision and I felt unsafe in that boat running around one of the little lakes in Michigan, I couldn't imagine being out in the lake in that thing on a rough day. When I rode in the Baja I decided that was the ideal boat (in my budget) for the kind of boating I planned on doing, with the high-freeboard and the deep V.
And as far as quality goes I don't think there are very many manufacturers that are using the new processes that Baja is (well was) using, such as the vacuum forming and the stronger, lighter composites. They were still doing the in-gel graphics and to knock the quality of the newer boats is just ridiculous. Every manufacturer has complaints, yes they may have more but they sell more boats, I'm sure the ratio of complaints to boats sold is in line with any other manufacturer. There are still a lot of manufacturers doing hand-laid glass, its a tried and true process but the fact of the matter is there are better, stronger ways of doing it, the technology is there and I don't see how a manufacturer can be knocked just becuase the hulls aren't hand-laid. And maybe I have a biased opinion but dash and interior-wise Baja has the upper hand. The new bolsters in the Checks look awesome but the dash's still look outdated, require major glass work to change the layout and they still use that crappy aluminum edging around the bottom of the upper deck mold.
I'm sorry but it just seemed like some of the comments were pretty biased and I had to throw my .02 cents out there.
First off obviously there is going to be a very biased opinion toward Checkmate's given this is a Checkmate forum. I would say different boats shine in different areas. Yes my boat is heavy, its 5200 lbs with a full tank and all my junk on board, and yes it is probably slower than say a 24 foot Checkmate and in smooth water I would probably get spanked. But I can run high 50's in glass and run high 50's in 4-6 footers and have done so on many occasions. It may not be as comfortable as a 35 footer in those same conditions but I've always felt safe and never came close to stuffing, it just gets on top of the waves and skips right along.
Honestly before I bought the Baja I was set on buying a Checkmate and looked at few Checkmates and even went and rode in a 22 vision and I felt unsafe in that boat running around one of the little lakes in Michigan, I couldn't imagine being out in the lake in that thing on a rough day. When I rode in the Baja I decided that was the ideal boat (in my budget) for the kind of boating I planned on doing, with the high-freeboard and the deep V.
And as far as quality goes I don't think there are very many manufacturers that are using the new processes that Baja is (well was) using, such as the vacuum forming and the stronger, lighter composites. They were still doing the in-gel graphics and to knock the quality of the newer boats is just ridiculous. Every manufacturer has complaints, yes they may have more but they sell more boats, I'm sure the ratio of complaints to boats sold is in line with any other manufacturer. There are still a lot of manufacturers doing hand-laid glass, its a tried and true process but the fact of the matter is there are better, stronger ways of doing it, the technology is there and I don't see how a manufacturer can be knocked just becuase the hulls aren't hand-laid. And maybe I have a biased opinion but dash and interior-wise Baja has the upper hand. The new bolsters in the Checks look awesome but the dash's still look outdated, require major glass work to change the layout and they still use that crappy aluminum edging around the bottom of the upper deck mold.
I'm sorry but it just seemed like some of the comments were pretty biased and I had to throw my .02 cents out there.
Big Red
Well-known member
C Deezy
Come on man 4-6 footers in a 24 foot Baja at 50 mph Checkmates are tuff but I care enough about my boat not to stick it in that kind of chop. I have never owned a Baja but they are everywhere I boat. And from what I see is alot of stress cracks and broken hardware and trim work. I am just sick of looking at them like a fat lady in a thong. I like the classic look of my dash its better than stickers, but I am old school anyway. And if my boat would only run 50 I would sink it.
And yes your boat is slower than any production Checkmate made from 15 to 30 Foot
Come on man 4-6 footers in a 24 foot Baja at 50 mph Checkmates are tuff but I care enough about my boat not to stick it in that kind of chop. I have never owned a Baja but they are everywhere I boat. And from what I see is alot of stress cracks and broken hardware and trim work. I am just sick of looking at them like a fat lady in a thong. I like the classic look of my dash its better than stickers, but I am old school anyway. And if my boat would only run 50 I would sink it.
And yes your boat is slower than any production Checkmate made from 15 to 30 Foot
WILDMAN
Well-known member
Harsh man, You're really harsh! Pickin on them little ole chopped glass boats like that.