Big Red
Well-known member
The cat is out of the bag at Checkmate. The Ohio boat manufacturer, now owned by ex-Baja CEO Doug Smith has now constructed the largest boat they’ve ever produced. This boat, dubbed the Punisher 43, is the first hull out of the original Apache-derived Chief molds. As everyone remembers, Chief was intended to be the progression of the venerable Apache 41. That hull featured some groundbreaking innovations such as a reverse step and a negative chine design that ended up on many a boat soon after the Chief’s introduction.
Unlike the original Chief and the Nu-tech hulls that preceded it, this boat is of cored laminate construction. Those original hulls were laid up using the original Apache lamination schedule. That construction afforded great strength and provided the heft that helped Apache earn its wave-crushing reputation. This new schedule, developed by Checkmate with the assist of outside composites engineering services calls for Baltek coring, bi and tri-axial glass bonded in vinylester. The hull you see was hand laid by Checkmate’s lamination team in their Bucyrus, Ohio plant
The photos you see were snapped right after arrival from Mitcher-T’s paint shop. Due to inclement weather the boat was spirited inside Checkmates facility, hindering the ability to get well-lit shots from more desirable angles.
If you ask anyone that had the rare pleasure of riding in the Chief, the boat did amazing things. It was a simple proposition- take the world-class Apache 41, make it ten to fifteen mph faster with the equivalent power and make it corner like it was on rails. The Chief delivered on all fronts. Not only was the speed there, it did it without sacrificing stability. The reverse step, aerated from underneath, was free from the unexpected surprises that seem to plague some forward-step boats. The progressive down-turned chine locked the bottom to the water and allowed the boat to carve like a giant ski boat. One thing this hull left behind was the ever-present “Apache Lope” that caused the boat to mildly porpoise at that sweet-spot cruising speed in the 50-60 mph range. The Chief slid smoothly across the water at those speeds and we have no reason to believe the Checkmate won’t do the same.
While Checkmate retained the Chief bottom design, they invested quite a bit of energy redesigning the creature comforts of the boat. The original Chief design was a tight cockpit, traced back to the original Apache. Two areas have been reworked on this design that have modernized the look and freed up some much-needed elbow room. First, the rear bulkhead has been moved backwards, adding some much-needed cockpit length. Second, the dash is an all-new design that not only frees up cockpit space but also looks fantastic.
The original Chief design was a very long “race boat” style engine compartment. That was necessitated by the powerplants required to make those boats perform at the speeds their owner’s expected. With a new and substantially lighter layup, this boat will be able to achieve those speeds with smaller and much more compact powertrain components. The Mercury Racing 700 Sci engines slated for this hull are certainly shorter and lower than the thousand-horsepower blower motors of the original Chief. Not only does this allow for more cockpit space, it opens the door for a much more user-friendly engine hatch, which is still in development
Up front, more leg room was found in the dash redesign. The much more vertical dash modules not only update the look, they’re absolutely more ergonomically designed. Taking advantage of the newest technology, Checkmate’s redesign incorporates dual Garmin big-screens for the driver and front passenger as well as the Smartcraft display on the upper left. Not getting too far away from this boat’s intended purpose, twin monster tachs are situated top center for easy viewing when running in bigger water. Working downward, Checkmate again bridged the gap between a raceboat-born design and the creature comforts of a pleasure boat by integrating footrests into the bases of the dash modules. Capping off the design are some very cool flat-faced pushbuttons for all of the electrical functions. Engraved with each switch’s function, these futuristic replacements for the same toggle and rocker switches you see everywhere are engraved and back-lit. Everything on this dash is an arms-length reach away from the pilot, allowing easy undistracted use while running fast.
We look forward to seeing how the project progresses through rigging and on-water testing and will continue to keep you updated. With the wave crushing heritage of the Apache 41 in it’s genes and the efficiency of a stepped design and lighter lamination schedule, this new offering from Checkmate should be a strong performer
http://www.seriousoffshore.com/checkmate-now-running-with-the-big-boys/
