43 Punisher....what happened?

[Hellbent]

A couple weeks ago I was going through some of the old articles at the site and saw the one on the Checkmate 43 Punisher. I was going to ask what ended up happening with that boat but got distracted by some life stuff for the last week or so. Today I came across it for sale on the Seelye Wright site. What the heck happened? 700sci's??? Judging from the pics, it doesn't look like it got finished to a very high level of detail....

2013 Checkmate 43 Punisher

[Ratickle]

On the finish detail, what are you questioning?

[SVL66]

last I heard

Checkmate 43 Punisher Tops 85 mph

[Hellbent]

Well....you asked....lol. The cabin interior....edging, pattern alignment, etc. It all just looks very 80's. Not sure what that design on the bulkhead between the galley and forward berth is supposed to be? Looks like boobs? Cabin headliner panels are sagging. The cockpit rear seat doesn't blend into the sides very well along the top edge...just a butt joint into the corner which doesn't match the radiused cushion area directly beneath it at all. The wiring in the pic with the relays looks like I did it in my garage (I hate wiring). The paint looks great. The galley looks good. Front half of cockpit looks good. The swim platform looks as dated as the cabin. The fire suppression bottle is falling out of it's bracket and about to end up in the bilge. It's severely under-powered. lol...need more? Maybe I'm being too picky with my 1/2 million?

[Hellbent]

Oh...and putting the small external hatch hinges right next to each other rather than using a bigger hinge is screaming 'this is what we had left on the shelf'.

[old377guy]

I rather think its beautiful - hinges notwithstanding

[Hellbent]

Beautiful? Sure. $450k beautiful? You decide.

[Ratickle]

Well, I'll try to take these easy first

[Ratickle]

last I heard

Checkmate 43 Punisher Tops 85 mph

There is a lot going on since then. The boat was shipped to a performance shop here in West Michigan, they fixed a checklist of items, worked on the props and setup. When they were done the boat had hit 92 and planned off faster and handled better. Thye felt it could possibly hit 100 if they set it up for top speed only.

[Ratickle]

Well....you asked....lol. The cabin interior....edging, pattern alignment, etc. It all just looks very 80's.
Much of the boat was designed to be old school, because of its Apache heritage. Alignment and such, I'll talk with them.

Not sure what that pattern on the bulkhead between the galley and forward berth is supposed to be? Looks like boobs?

You're looking at an optical illusion. Those are the floodlights.

Cabin headliner panels are sagging. Well, don't know.

The cockpit rear seat doesn't blend into the sides very well along the top edge...just a butt joint into the corner which doesn't match the radiused cushion area directly beneath it at all. Again, don't know.

The wiring in the pic with the relays looks like I did it in my garage (I hate wiring). I agree it certainly is not the neatest.

The paint looks great. The galley looks good. Front half of cockpit looks good.

The swim platform looks as dated as the cabin. Old school, true.

The fire suppression bottle is falling out of it's bracket and about to end up in the bilge.

It's severely under-powered.
I'm not sure I'd agree with that. A 92mph 43 footer, first one made, isn't all that bad with warranteed 700 hp engines and drives. I'm not aware of many others any faster with the same power.

lol...need more? Maybe I'm being too picky with my 1/2 million?

Believe it or not, that is fairly low to average on the prices of new boats in that size with that power.

[Ratickle]

Oh...and putting the small external hatch hinges right next to each other rather than using a bigger hinge is screaming 'this is what we had left on the shelf'.

Yeah, I wondered about that. Don't forget though, this is the biggest boat Checkmate has ever built, and is hull #1.

[Ratickle]

The boat is for sale because it is the first of a possible 5 total that Checkmate has given the dealership owner exclusive sales rights on for their presale/payment of hull #1.

[Ratickle]

Did you read the Inside story we did on the release of the boat?

[Hellbent]

Did you read the Inside story we did on the release of the boat?

Yeah...that's why I was anxious to find out what happened with it.

As far as the old school look goes...nothing on the boat matches the look of the forward berth. It just doesn't work. I'm pretty sure a different guy did that interior than the rest of the interior on the boat. The boobs isn't an optical illusion:



What is that?

While those performance numbers out of a boat that size with those engines may be impressive...this is the first completed 'flagship', right? Isn't that the one you go all out on? It should have at least 1100's in it. Heck...even 850's. Maybe I'm being too hard on it but with the market the way it is right now I predict that boat will be for sale for a while.

[fund razor]

There is no defense for the hinges.
There is no defense for electrical connections swinging in the breeze.

I like patriotic paint schemes, I like Mitcher T designs, but the statue of liberty doesn't work for me.
The boat should be called "Spirit of Ellis Island."

That old silver flat deck cig is amazing, and the silver Pantera looked really good.
But I hate silver/grey vinyl with bright colors. It makes boats look like they were designed by Reebok.
I imagine that the designer of the bolsters had an epiphany while staring at his child's car seat.

[fund razor]

I do like that fact that this new $500,000 stepped boat can't outrun some flat bottom old 28s.

[fund razor]

I don't see a problem with the swim platform. Classic.

[SVL66]

There is a lot going on since then. The boat was shipped to a performance shop here in West Michigan, they fixed a checklist of items, worked on the props and setup. When they were done the boat had hit 92 and planned off faster and handled better. Thye felt it could possibly hit 100 if they set it up for top speed only.

I guess i have some catchin up to do. I'll tell you this though. If i was spending a half mill on a boat, it wouldn't be a checkmate. I'de buy a 2 or 3 year old OL or Cig

[Ratickle]

There is no defense for the hinges.
There is no defense for electrical connections swinging in the breeze.

I like patriotic paint schemes, I like Mitcher T designs, but the statue of liberty doesn't work for me.
The boat should be called "Spirit of Ellis Island."

That old silver flat deck cig is amazing, and the silver Pantera looked really good.
But I hate silver/grey vinyl with bright colors. It makes boats look like they were designed by Reebok.
I imagine that the designer of the bolsters had an epiphany while staring at his child's car seat.

Hey, Reebok designers make Big Big money!!!!!! They're all probably running towards your house right now!!!!

[Ratickle]

I guess i have some catchin up to do. I'll tell you this though. If i was spending a half mill on a boat, it wouldn't be a checkmate. I'de buy a 2 or 3 year old OL or Cig

Well, probably me too, just not one of those two choices. But, compare it to prices on other, similar, new boats (like the new OL or the new Cig of similar size and power). In that group, it is very, very competitive price wise.