21' Checkmate Starflite or 21' Superboat?

[Kirk]

Hey guys looking for your opinion on this how do these two boats compare? I'm not concerned with top end speed, i think the Checkmate will run somewhere around 60 with a 200 and i assume the superboat is faster. What is the deadrise on both? Which one will handle rough water better? Is the build quality similar? Guys i'm just looking for your opinions please don't turn this into one of those threads that gets out of hand. I'm just looking to get back on the water after not having a boat for 5 years.

Thanks, Kirk

[dnelson964]

The main differences I can think of is that the 21' Super boat has a steeper deadrise of 21 degree (compared to 18 degree I believe) so it will run smoother and handle better in rougher water. It is built from the same mold as the Original Challenger and these boats are also custom built so no two are exactly the same and less of them were built I would guess. I owned a 21' Superboat w/ 200 merc and 6"-8" setback plate it ran 70-72 w/ 24 chopper.

[JohnR]

Starflite set up right will run about 65 with a 200. I think it may have more cockpit room than the Superboat and it has no pad but does have a notch and a step.

[JUPITER PULSARE]

The Starflite is built with a fully end-grained balsa cored deck and hull. It measures 21'2" in length, has an 89" beam, weighs about 1300lbs, holds 30 gallons of gas and carries an 18 degree deadrise hull with stepped chines, stepped lifting strakes and a notch in the transom. There's also very usable space under the deck that is big enough for two adults to crawl into! I'll know more about the ride as soon as I get my Starflite on the water!

[Kirk]

What do you think a mint, like new starflite hull, no power is worth?

[JUPITER PULSARE]

What do you think a mint, like new starflite hull, no power is worth?

What year and does it include a trailer. Late 80's/early 90's clean Starflite on a trailer should bring about $5000.00...if the only thing missing is the motor.

[tres]

that,s like ice cream .... there both good....
But i,ll keep my old Superboat....

[Kirk]

What year and does it include a trailer. Late 80's/early 90's clean Starflite on a trailer should bring about $5000.00...if the only thing missing is the motor.

You think only around $5000 it is a 90 with a trailer and is in absolutely pristine condition.

[vnemous]

Are you thinking of selling? You could become a team member and ask anything you want for it.

[Kirk]

Are you thinking of selling? You could become a team member and ask anything you want for it.

Not selling it's one I'm looking at, just curious what you guys though is a fair price.

[JUPITER PULSARE]

You think only around $5000 it is a 90 with a trailer and is in absolutely pristine condition.
If it's rigged with good hardware (hyd. Jackplate, hyd. Steering, upgraded gages, etc.) Maybe as high as $6000.00if the gelcoat and interior is nice!I

[Checkmate1987]

What year and does it include a trailer. Late 80's/early 90's clean Starflite on a trailer should bring about $5000.00...if the only thing missing is the motor.

I bought my first Checkmate last spring,it is a 1987 21' Starflite, I found it in a snow bank and started restoring it right away. It was water worthy and mostly needed cosmetic work and a motor. I paid $700.00 for mine with a trailer.

[tb2054]

I bought a brand-new 89 21 foot star flight with a 89 200 black Maxs from Clearwater Marine in 1989 great boat runs about 63 set up with a prop that works well all around I sold the boat a few years ago I recently purchased a 21 foot checkmate pulsar with the 225 Mercury runs about 65 I believe the pulsar has a deeper dead rise more like the super boat very nice boat I enjoy it

[JUPITER PULSARE]

I bought a brand-new 89 21 foot star flight with a 89 200 black Maxs from Clearwater Marine in 1989 great boat runs about 63 set up with a prop that works well all around I sold the boat a few years ago I recently purchased a 21 foot checkmate pulsar with the 225 Mercury runs about 65 I believe the pulsar has a deeper dead rise more like the super boat very nice boat I enjoy it

A Pulsare 2100 rigged with a 3.0L 225, 13.5" of setback, Trophy Plus 26 will run 75+ mph gps..a 250 Pro XB or 250xs will put you at 80mph...

[tb2054]

I have a 225 3l I need to add some setback I have 26 p /with maybe 6" set back really haven't done much with it it runs 65 with that setup on gps I wish I could say it went 75 but it dosent and my starflite ran 63 brand new very well set up from Clearwater marine nice boat that stock 200 at 5800 its only going to push that at 63-65 they are heavy I want a 300 for it with 13 set maybe 83-85 we will see ,,,,spend more time with the euro ,,, 650 lbs with my 2.5 at 7800 with my 4 blade at 104 yep ,,weight vrs hp !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tb2054]

I took the pulsar out Friday ,,,nice love it !!!

[Baja170]

The Starflite is built with a fully end-grained balsa cored deck and hull. It measures 21'2" in length, has an 89" beam, weighs about 1300lbs, holds 30 gallons of gas and carries an 18 degree deadrise hull with stepped chines, stepped lifting strakes and a notch in the transom. There's also very usable space under the deck that is big enough for two adults to crawl into! I'll know more about the ride as soon as I get my Starflite on the water!

If that is the Starflite that has completely been rebuilt that you bought about 6 months ago or so, if you decide to sell it please PM me.

[JUPITER PULSARE]

If that is the Starflite that has completely been rebuilt that you bought about 6 months ago or so, if you decide to sell it please PM me.

I sold that boat a while back to a guy on the west coast of Florida. He sold the boat to a guy who dragged it to Texas....

[Baja170]

Yea I missed it by not much. Are you the one who rebuilt it? If the Texas guy ever wants to sell it please let me know.

[Fr. Frank]

Fastest Checkmate 21' Starflite ever may have been back in '87.
In a failed attempt to set a new world record on tandem water skis, I rigged an '87 Starflite with a Mercury racing 3.4L Merc big-block V6. (No, I was NOT the skier).
Sponsorship was by the Woodduck Grill and Bar in Ocean City, MD, and The Bayside Boatel, also in Ocean City (where I was the service manager).
We used an 11" setback hydraulic jackplate, above AV plate exhaust, and eventually ended up with a 15.25x32P over-hub chopper prop.
The motor was donated by Mercury, and then after it immediately blew the powerhead in testing, it was rebuilt and balanced and blueprinted locally by a machine shop outside of Fenwick Island (which shop's name I cannot remember). After the rebuild, we were getting about 338-340 hp at the prop-shaft on a hydro-dyno.
The black and red hull was purpose built for this attempt, having only the one seat, and the hull was hand-blueprinted by Checkmate in Bucyrus, OH before shipping it to us, and the weight edned up being just over 1100 lbs as I recall. Initial planning called for a hull weight of 875-900 lbs.
In testing, the top speed we achieved in Assawoman Bay and Chincoteague Bay touched 104 mph repeatedly, which was far less than the anticipated 118-120 mph we had expected out of the setup. As the then Guinness speed record on tandem water skis was 103 mph, we had calculated a need for 118 mph hull speed in order to achieve a new record of 110 mph.
After the female skier took a bad fall in practice at about 70 mph in a slingshot turn, the attempt was abandoned, and the boat returned to Checkmate. Interesting note: The yellow hull limitations decal affixed to the hull by Checkmate gave a Max HP rating of 400 hp. :)

[Checkmate1987]

Does anyone know were to find a good 200 HP outboard? I burned mine up over 4th of July weekend.

[joshuah40]

Its is so comical to read these posts. People who don't do any R&D and have no clue on what they are really doing. Wildman is the best of the best when it comes to making go fast. Setback on a Ck mate can be 14 inches with hydraulic jack plate. Prop shaft can be up to 2 inches above the pad. Most of you. No all of you would not be able to drive the boat at above 80. It gets pretty hairy. All rec boaters would freak out when they start chine walking and wind walking. Plus it can blow out. Not fun at all. So keep posting stuff you know nothing about. That is how Millennials roll. If you do know what you are doing put it on you tube that way we can all admire and enjoy. If not STFU... False information is worse than no information. Please stop if you don't know.

[altamate]

What’s funny is you responding to a thread that is over three years old and off topic.

[Dave S]

Some of us tell storys ..... that some of the new ones don't believe........Neat story Fr.Frank........

[joshuah40]

I can't get on here as often as i like... LOL