Sad News for Checkmate boats

[Pulse186]

There was some chatter on the checkmate forum about guys ordering new ones and the prices were up there, way up there, like $150k for a 24 BRX. While that was fully rigged and complete with options they are probably not going to move many at that price.

A lot of builders thinks their boats are premium brands and can be priced accordingly, wonder if they will ever figure it out.

[Pulsare2400]

I saw a test where Caldwell Checkmate ran a 24 long deck with a 300R and the list price on it was around $125,000! If it is up to $150,000 now, I agree there will be very few sold. I own the 2nd last one built in Bucyrus (24 long deck / 300R) and if I was still buying, I would be hard pressed to even pay $100K for one, since there are better boats around for that price. The 24 / 300R they tested ran around 73 mph, (probably that slow due to the Sportsmaster LU) and a Velocity / 300R for about the same price ran well into the 80's, but both boats are overpriced from my perspective. If they are really closer to $150K, I think you can buy a Tuff 24 / 300R for less than that depending on the exchange rate.

[altamate]

Bill Combs, the original co-founder of Checkmate past away this past week at 94 yrs.

[Pulse186]

I saw a test where Caldwell Checkmate ran a 24 long deck with a 300R and the list price on it was around $125,000! If it is up to $150,000 now, I agree there will be very few sold. I own the 2nd last one built in Bucyrus (24 long deck / 300R) and if I was still buying, I would be hard pressed to even pay $100K for one, since there are better boats around for that price. The 24 / 300R they tested ran around 73 mph, (probably that slow due to the Sportsmaster LU) and a Velocity / 300R for about the same price ran well into the 80's, but both boats are overpriced from my perspective. If they are really closer to $150K, I think you can buy a Tuff 24 / 300R for less than that depending on the exchange rate.

Even at 125k fergit it. A few years ago Checkmate had their prices on the website, IIRC the 24 was 84k with a 250 and the 21 was 63k with a 200.

Velocity is over priced also, covid won't last forever and I think a lot of these manufacturers are going to find themselves priced out of the market.

$139,700 https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2023...isher-7916337/

[hellbents-10]

I don't think prices are too far out of line, go price a Tritoon or just a dumb 24ft SeaRay.

[Pulse186]

I don't think prices are too far out of line, go price a Tritoon or just a dumb 24ft SeaRay.

A lot of people are willing to pay for a stupid pontoon or a nameplate, to each his own I guess.

Personally I think boaters who frequent websites like this have a different perspective on boat pricing and what they feel is value for the money.


edit: Want to add that I remember when boat prices were not terrible when compared to wages and the economy, but that was late 80's early 90's. While not all manufacturers have super high prices most have increased exponentially.

My first boat was 12k new out the door, it was piece of junk with a 4 banger but it wasn't a lot of coin. The Regal I bought new in 2000 was 63k for a 2660 with twins! a similar boat now is 200k. People who are new to boating don't have the jaded eye of someone who remembers when boats were affordable, lol

[FUJIMO]

...buy a used wreckmate, clean it up, repower with new, your good to go for quite a few years...will save you some cheese...

[JasonRS]

What i thought was alot in 2017 for our used brx seems like a good deal now!

[SCT]

Is the new owner in NC still producing CMs? I was pretty impressed by the first few boats that they built but there has not been an update on their website since last summer.

[Greg G]

So what is the lasted news with Checkmate. Has everything been moved to the new owner? Is there full production on the smaller models or just one offs?

I ordered one last January. I don't think they even started it.

Wow, did not know that.

[282]

Local dealer near me in Jersey is advertising that they are a CM dealer. I don't see any on the lot yet. Call for pricing is listed in the ads, be interesting to see what the prices are.

[bbezok]

7 Lakes Marine in NH some months back had listed they were a Checkmate Dealer, I see their website doesn't mention them now....maybe they'll chime in on what happened or is up?

[SCT]

https://m.facebook.com/CheckmatePowerBoats/

[Instigator]

Yep.

He was the man.

RIP Mr Combs.

I was lucky enough to have met him a couple times.

Bill Combs, the original co-founder of Checkmate past away this past week at 94 yrs.

[Pulsare2400]

I don't think prices are too far out of line, go price a Tritoon or just a dumb 24ft SeaRay.

That is true for sure. I was at the Greenville, SC boat show yesterday. There was a Veranda Tri-Toon with a 300 Yammi, that my wife liked and it was around $95,000. You could find some for mid 70's, and you could find some in the $110K - $150K+ range as well with 400R, twin 300R, and one even had the V12 - 600HP Merc. The wake boats (if you like them) were in the $150K to $260K range. I got there 2 hours after they opened on the first day, on a Thursday around 2 pm. There were already many "SOLD" stickers on wake boats and Tri-Toons and many of them had June deliveries even though the dealers claimed that they ordered 40 - 60 boats and that was all they could get for the year. So people are paying the prices. My wife enjoys our 2400 Pulsare but thinks you get a lot more boat for the money with a TriToon. Of course we will slow down to 50 - 55 mph with a 300HP TriToon, but we rarely run WOT with the Checkmate. There are a lot of retired people with a lot of disposable income buying a lot of these boats.