New interior for Skater from DCB

[conmax]

I noticed that this was a 30 Skater at DCB getting a new interior. The modern Alcanterra looked great compared with the old. The boat was white with some red. It had outboards, but can't tell the HP. Only room for 2 buckets in the rear vs 3 or 4 for DCB boats. Owner knows who to take it too in SoCal for interior work.

https://www.facebook.com/131415283578389/photos/pcb.1212175368835703/1212174675502439/?type=3&theater

[Rayzor]

That's Jimmy John's widened 308 w/ 300X motors. Dave has had his hands in several outboard Skaters - he rigged the first two 28 Skaters I owned. One was a '96, the other was a '97. The customers that bought the 28s from Pete originally were from California and they had them rigged by Dave. My third 28 was rigged by Al Stoker - the original buyer lived in Washington state. Many Skaters are rigged/re-rigged by other manufacturers. Pete is too busy to take on jobs such as this one, and Dave is known for his over-the-top interiors, so it makes perfect sense that Jimmy's 308 is there! That's one of my all-time favorite outboard Skaters.

[JPEROG]

I think that they are going to rig his new Doug Wright as well.

Joe

[conmax]

Does anyone know how much this boat weighs? My guess would be 5100 with just a splash of gas. Since it must be an older boat as well as wide, it should be a good candidate for 400's unless the owner thinks it is fast enough. Then, we all know that the early 2 strokes don't last all that long, so may make sense rather than rebuilding. Should run 120+ in all kinds of water.

[Mr. Demeanor]

Cant imagine a black interior in a boat.

[mikesufka]

Beautiful boat.

MDS

[Flightplan]

Hmm. I thought that was a 32.

[conmax]

If alcantera were used, Black would remain cool. It absorbs no UV. In my boat the black is much cooler than white vinyl.

[Rayzor]

Hmm. I thought that was a 32.

You can see it even has "308" painted on the rear hatch. I believe this was one of the first 30s that Pete widened 10".

[Rayzor]

If alcantera were used, Black would remain cool. It absorbs no UV. In my boat the black is much cooler than white vinyl.

Agreed. My seats were the first of the newer "sportscar style" bucket seats to be installed in a Skater. I went with black and gray ultrasuede and neither color ever even got warm in the direct sun. I'll never go back to vinyl......

[Flightplan]

I see that now. Is there a 32 painted almost like this?

So, I guess Steve's wasn't the first 318?

[Rayzor]

I see that now. Is there a 32 painted almost like this?

So, I guess Steve's wasn't the first 318?

The closest looking boat to that one is Mike D'Annibal's wife's (Connie's) 30 Skater inboard - it has a very similar paint job/same colors. As far as the 318 thing, yes, Steve Lane's was the first of what Skater started calling a 318. But there have been several widened 30s built before it. Pete actually built a separate mold for the 10" widened 30, so he has two molds now for the 30 - the original 30 mold (110" beam), and the 10" widened 30 mold that he builds all the 318s (outboard boats) and 338s (inboard boats) out of (120" beam). Don't even try and make sense of the numbers, as they don't make sense. Ever since Pete called the 8" widened 36 a 368, the next new model became the 388, then they started calling the 30 a 308, and so on. Almost every model now ends in an 8 after the 368 moniker came out over 10 years ago. Skater is still the only manufacturer truly building every boat as a one-of-a-kind with a custom deck, cockpit, windshield and bussel - so almost every Skater ends up being a different length. All the other manufacturers use a molded deck, which makes all the boats the identical. Pete causes himself lots of work by building his boats this way, but that's why Skaters are all so unique.

[conmax]

What is interesting to me is that Skater, MTI, Doug Wright and maybe other offshore CAT manufacturers have added to the overall length without increasing the centerline proportionately. I recognize that the pleasure boat industry does this for features like swim steps and style. Are they all trying to move their boats into another length class to justify increased prices? The typical 33' boat sells for 50k more than the 30' model.

Hopefully, this is more for performance than price and style, at least with the race guys.

Does anyone know the relative performance numbers between a given centerline length and a similar extended deck?

[Rayzor]

By "centerline length", I believe you are referring to the length from the transom to the front of the sponsons. This is what is truly the length of any boat. And no, the extended decks do nothing to add speed. The perfect example is the Performance Boat Center Skater 388 that is dominating the Super Cat class this year - it has a straight transom, with no tunnel or deck extensions. Billy Mauf's latest 40 Skater also went back to no tunnel or deck extensions. None of the X-Cats are running tunnel or deck extensions either. For Skater owners, the tunnel/deck extensions are a way to customize your boat like no other manufacture does. The extension can be any length, shape or form you want it. My 30 was one of the first Skaters to get the sides/deck/tunnel extended, and I had Pete do it for looks and convenience. It gave my 30 Skater the look of a longer boat (now 33' loa), and gave me a great place to store my bumpers (under a hatch, in the tunnel extension). I asked Pete at the time if he thought the tunnel extension would give the boat more lift/make the boat faster, and he quickly said no. I got the idea from Tom Abrams "Tomcat" 40' raceboat that was being built at the time (which I really liked the look of). Soon after, just about every Skater being built had an extended deck. And now, just about every boat being built has an extended deck.