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rumors of checkmate history

C

chiefmate10

Member
I am somewhat new to the checkmate brand and Ive recently heard that checkmate was somehow involved with Wellcraft or scarab is this true or just rumor? What is the history of checkmate?
 
What is the history of Checkmate is kind of a broad question, don't ya think?

This history is that Bill Combs started it back in the early 60's.

The connection to Wellcraft...

I've never heard of it actually. If there was any connection, I would guess it would be limited to something like Mate building some hulls for them. But that's just a guess.

Mate have more connections to other manufacturers that have purchased molds from them like Baja, Panther, Fantasy, Paradise etc.
 
I have never heard of that, I bet kip could shed some light on the subject. I have heard that the guy that started baja was a supplier of fiberglass products to checkmate and decided to buy a mold from checkmate to start making his own boats. The first bajas are identical to checkmates except for the deck. -shane
 
Here is the rumor as I have heard it.

Doug Smith is looking into buying the Scarab molds and having Checkmate build the hulls. It seems Brunswick discontinued the Scarab line, because it would compete with there own Baja's.

It would be a good boost to Checkmates bottom line if this is true.

So this is not a HISTORY rumor, its a FUTURE of Checkmate rumor.



Here is an old rumor, supposedly Checkmate once built a boat for Tom Selleck.(sp)
 
chris your right it is a broad ? My reason for leaving it broad is to get as much feedback as possible see down here in the south the chekmate is not well known brand. People think its a old hunk of junk cuz its not a donzi or a baja. I love my mate and want to spread the word about a great boat and manufacturer. I have the biggest boat on my lake which is the third largest lake in the state of ga. I spend alot of time explaining the what kind is it ?. Maybe if we all push the name a little harder our kids wont have to. I think Tom and Chuck would be lucky to have one. I also heard pres. bush had an old persuader with a 200 merc. but that is just rumor also.
 
Which Pesident Bush? I know Bush senior used to run boats with Don Aronow until Don's drug conections became public and distanced himself from him.

In the book about Don the future President Bush did not know what the trim switches were for, he thought they were to raise the drives up when its on the trailer.
 
Bush Sr. owns a Fountain. I saw a picture of him getting the keys from Reggie Fountain couple of years ago. Before that he had a Cigarette.
 
I thought Baha and checkmate was the same until early 70's until a disagreement sparked and the two companys went there different ways? That's what I heard........... Who cares Checkmate kick Baha a** out of town. :)
 
I know that it's not true but I was told Baja was owned bye two brothers and they split because one brother was not happy with the other brother wanting to cut quality and so the one brother left to start checkmate and keep building a better quality boats! thanks
 
checkmate243 said:
I thought Baha and checkmate was the same until early 70's until a disagreement sparked and the two companys went there different ways? That's what I heard........... Who cares Checkmate kick Baha a** out of town. :)
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Nah man.

Basically the story goes like this if I've got it correct, which I might not. But whatever, here it goes.

A travelling salesman that used to visit Mate regularly selling supplies, made some inquires (numerous I heard) about buying some old out of date Check molds. Eventually Bill sold him some old hull molds (no decks) under the condition that he had to develop his own deck molds and that he wouldn't manufacture any flake boats. And from the sounds of things nobody took the guy too seriously. As in being a threat to business.

The guy went on to start Baja using the old Check hull moulds and new deck molds he developed for them. And I believe he eventually broke the agreement and started selling flake boats. That is why a number of the early Baja's look pretty identical to some early Checks. Because the hulls were produced using the same hull molds.

Later on, the guy sold Baja and now Brunswick obviously owns them and of course we know what most of us think of the quaility of the product.

As for Fountain, there are RUMOURS around that Reggie has made a few offers over the years to buy Checkmate but Bill has rejected the offers.

Please note, those are unsubstantiated rumours, not facts.
 
petersfield said:
I know that it's not true but I was told Baja was owned bye two brothers and they split because one brother was not happy with the other brother wanting to cut quality and so the one brother left to start checkmate and keep building a better quality boats! thanks
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Nah, man. Totally incorrect. Read my post. Coop has it right. Mate was around a decade or more before Baja started.
 
I agree with Chris............Coop is right.
...and seems to me, always right. That is why we read all of his comments. He is a Checkmate encyclopedia.
 
Brunswick? Do they own Mercury too? My Bowling ball is made by Brunswick. I wonder if bowling ball would float. Just kidding. I like chris's the best.
 
I think it would be great if someone from Checkmate would draft a "History of the Company". How the company got started, how its evolved over the years, etc. I know that many manufactures have this on their website, but checkmate does not. That would make for a good sticky!
 
Adam i do agree I believe anyone who owns there own company in the U.S. should brag about it because our federal govt. does not set the system to help out the common man. I have spent the last 10 years finding that out the hard way by experience.
 
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