re-birth of Rapid Craft

[jjanderson]

If the Rapid Craft hulls came back to life under new ownership with various improvements, do you think the demand for these boats would be there? Interested in your thoughts.

[KaptainKirk]

would buy one in a heartbeat!!

Now how you gonna do this ?
My understanding is the molds are trash...all but the twisters and it needs work and soon it will be trash also.
So what ya talking splash?
Also what would you improve...No wood construction,new types of materials and building methods, vacume bag ??
The designs ???

Have you talked to Curt or the Bakers on this subject?
What were there views?

my eyebrow is raised on this one...tell me more.....

[riot280]

second that.,,,,,,,tell us more.

[jjanderson]

Kaptain,
Thanks for the reply! Kirk Davis is a friend of mine. I have the business plan completed, investor stock purchase memorandum in progress(any-one interested ?), and many hours of consultation with Kirk as to how to make this project really fly. It's a big advantage knowing what not to do the next time around. As for the molds, they are not trash. It is true, some of them need re-tooling, but that is not the end of the world. As far as improvements, these boats really don't need much. A little more quality to the interiors, improving the manufacturing process, new decks to a few models,working capital, etc. All of these topics and more have been discussed at length. I am looking for positive feed-back from other performance boaters to include in my business plan. Thanks!
JJ.

[Father Steve]

It would be great to have more Crappers out there. Keep us all informed on what happens.

Steve:)

[jjanderson]

Father Steve, thanks for the reply.

[KaptainKirk]

be interested in your stock proposal!
Also look at your rigging, if its done at a dealer make sure you have some kind of quality control over the dealer on how they rig !! Can't speak enough about this...Use ancor stuff not automotive stuff!
Glad ta hear Kirk is on board:)
Most boats I have seen or driven can't take the abuse like his Riot !!:)

I have personally beat the snot outa his Riot and its still together!
Thats saying something cause I drive like an idiot through some serious stuff...Just ask Bill Gohr:)....
Have seen most other brands have problems in the local waterway I am in....if not right away within two years of being "New" and mines a 95' and been driven on the same waterway! And still goes out for more fun!
Would like to see the riot built with the same toughness as before but with newer graphics in the gel.
and keep with the snap in pull out interior!!

Have you talked to some of the Indiana crowd ? lot of Rapid Crafts out there.
K.K.

[KaptainKirk]

Lose that pop rivet rub rail it sucks.....have a choice either a solid through bolted one like the looks of an stv or finish the cap off like Barney is doing out west in Havasu....I like that look....no rub rail just glass!! just ideas for options....

[jjanderson]

K.K. Thanks for the reply and input. I appreciate it! Do you have a cell# or land line I can reach you on later on today to talk live about the proposal?
J.J.

[KaptainKirk]

its my b-day and I am leaving work in 5 minutes for a bar party at 2:30 then I have to be at another bar party at 5, then I have ta pick up my folks and be at the movies at 7 where they serve ya food and drinks during the movie....:)happy b-day to me:)
Tomorrow gonna be rough.....otherwise cell is 630.768.0058
its off at work from 6 a.m. until 330 p.m. talk to you thursday ?
K.K.

[jjanderson]

Kaptain,
happy b-day! have fun tonight. I'll try you tommorrow.
jj

[Ron V]

jj,

On the Hurricane, Typhoon, Gale, etc., find a better way of mounting the side mounted gas tanks. Real fire hazard because they were too easy to break loose (wonder how I knew that?). The rear storage compartment is great in the Hurricane but if the side tanks can't be mounted right it might be better to just put a single tank in the back. That's what I wound up doing anyway. The hole in the splashwell for the steering cables could also be moved up onto the deck for easier experimentation with setbacks. The interior quality was marginal, in my opinion. The humidity from Tropical Storm Isadore an Hurricane Lili alone did irreversable damage because of the intense humidity that lasted a couple of days--the mildew bled through from the foam underneath. Other mildew had already been present - again, bleeding through from the inside, I guess some mfr's wrap the foam in plastic to avoid this? Also, pass on the gelcoat blisters and plain steel hardware.

By the way, do you know offhand what the hull design on the Hurricane is a descendant of? I know a lot of boats have been made over the years with that basic design but nobody has ever said where that particular boat came from. Have heard Cole makes some version of it? Do you plan on making the V-bottoms? I don't know how many V-bottoms he made total, but I've heard something to the effect of approximately 30 Hurricanes like mine being made. I've never seen another around here. I think all but a couple of them are in and around northern MN. I know of one in Iowa with the identical color scheme as mine.

I agree with Kirk on the construction quality as far as strength is concerned. My boat has probably seen more hours of hard abuse than his has. Any number of times on the Fox Chain - at the busiest hours - and Lake Geneva, WI is no picnic either. Also, does Lake Pontchartrain, the Gulf of Mexico, and Lake Michigan mean anything to you? Mine's the same year as Kirk's and the transom and hull are as strong as ever. Granted it only has 90 hp on the back but it started life with a 150 ProMax and even with the 90 it has taken its share of torture in water that keeps most people at home.

Drop me an e-mail and I can give you a complete checklist of things I found on the boat over the last 5 years since I bought it that could be improved.

[jjanderson]

Ron V, Thanks for feed-back I'll send an e-mail later on this a.am
jj

[Brad Zastrow]

Are you Kirk's partner on the fiberglass cowling biz?

[jjanderson]

No

[KaptainKirk]

retooling costs money....where ya gonna get the capital in the climate our economy is in right now? For that much less everything else?

[jjanderson]

Kaptain, thanks for the reply! catch up to ya on your cell
jj

[Father Steve]

JJ
I have a few upgrades I think would be good on the Twister. If you would like to hear them shoot me a e-mail at home at [email protected]

Steve

[MODVP22]

I would be interested in at least seeing some ideas for a new Rapid Craft. I agree with what KaptinKirk said about the quality, strenght and the control of how the rigging is done by the dealer. I would also be interested in seeing different models available with different power, sterndrive, outboard, jet, etc. Keep us posted.

[BOTTOMS UP SERVICE]

I am not the smartest guy in the world. I have built a couple of custom boats . I know a few people that have been so successful people would wonder why they would sell a perfectly good running business and sell it? But no one that has the amount of money to buy a brand new 20 ft rocket,if they do they are buying alot larger boat.

I have always liked the Rapid Craft it is a very repairable boat. If you are planning to build these boats, build them your way and stay off this sight until the product is 100% done and 100% ready to be picked apart. Any name builder takes alot of money and experience, inivaton and style. Not old molds and an updated paint job is going to sell. I would be interested in investing $ and time in tooling and design to make this project become something to be proud of. Email me and I will send you a resume.

Bill Kosick

[jjanderson]

Bill,
Thanks for the input. I sent you an e-mail. Let me know if you didn't receive it.
Jim

[iusedtohaveanhst]

Given the cost of new two stroke high-perf outboards I think a model designed with 4 stroke engines in mind might be a good idea: this means the damn things must be LIGHT to attain speed! Don't build junk! Just my thoughts, :)