Is Checkmate Boats for sale?

[cooperider]

everyone is wondering if checkmate is for sale. in my apinion i think they are trying to sale it to d.s. roomer has it waiting on the banks,ok! but you know how roomers are. but i believe something good is going to happen. i just hope they stick with some of the older boats. but it will be enteresting to see something new come along. i`m hoping for the best at checkmate. i also hope they keep building hand laminating, and not go chop gun like baja boats. i don`t own a checkmate boat. but i would not buy a baja. theres a big differents in the building of the boat. to hoping checkmate stays alive!

We need to find you a Checkmate.

 

[Chris E]

I knew this would go crazy eventually.......we ( Checkmate ownership ) were not openly looking to sell Checkmate. But.....we have been approached by a group lead by the person everone is talking about. Nothing is final yet ..that's about all that really needs to be said. But......if it does go through nothing in the construction side of the businesss will change with the exception of grahic's and some upgraded equipment ie windshields ...things of that nature.

keep us in the loop Kip (as much as you can anyway), i think everyone is just a little worried about their favorite boat! - what other boat company can say this? i think that speaks volumes about the work that your family has done over the years.

 

[Craig]

I’m probably jumping the gun here, since this company sale may not even happen, but just wanted to give my comments.

I think that if the company is sold, there is always a possibility of major changes, enough changes that none of us on this forum, or other hardcore Checkmate fans, will like. Graphics was mentioned as a possible area of change. That wouldn’t be a big deal. I like the graphics options currently, and I would also be open for changes, but if they are changed to the wacky type graphics that you find on Bajas, that would be hard for me to take. Some of you have mentioned that you’d like to see them change the construction and eliminate the balsa. Not me, I don’t want my Convincor weighing 800lbs more like an Outlaw does. I want a boat that’s hand-laid, balsa cored, and has top quality gelcoat with a hard shine. All the good ones use balsa coring,….Skater, Progression…ect. The only thing I’ve always thought Checkmate could change is glassing over the hull to deck connection….but their method of rivets, screws, AND thru-bolting exceeds that of most manufacturers and is more than enough. Maybe they could experiment with vacuum bagging, but I don’t really know if that’s an issue with Checkmate because they spend so much time rolling and working the fiberglass, it probably doesn’t really make a difference.

Beside construction, the other big thing for me is styling. If they eliminate the characteristic body lines with cocky look of the windscreen set back with the long deck, I would lose my interest in them. I don’t know if the windshields themselves are an issue, Checkmate has always offered the fiberglass windscreen if you don’t like the framed glass style, at least in the I/O models. I love the framed glass windshield they use, but I could probably live if they discontinue or change it.

Another thing I don’t like to see is all the hype out there and the attention that other manufacturers are giving to more cockpit room. I would hate to see Checkmate go that route. Have you seen the new 23 Outlaw and 26 Outlaw that Baja starting making. They are strange looking. They have the windscreen up past the center point of the deck. They are all cockpit. Not the way a speed boat is suppose to look, my opinion anyway.

Ultimately, we as the buyers/customers have the final say so. If we don’t like it, we don’t have to buy it. Checkmates have always been my favorite boats. I hope that if the company is sold, good things will follow. If not, there are other v-bottom boats out there that I like…Progression, Advantage, Eliminator, Sunsation….

-Craig

 

[janet]

in my opinion, i would not eliminate any balsa wood. there would not be much left to the boat. balsa wood makes it a much stronger boat. i don`t feel that any other material wood make up for the balsa wood. as for different graphics . checkmate has nice graphics, but it would be nice to see something esle come along. the horse`s head is awlsome! the flames are pretty neat also. oh yell! as for using vaccumn to build the boats. not a bad idea, but hand laminating is what i would perfer. if ,i was to buy a boat.