Anyone know the history of Checkmate boats?

[dragonwolfe]

This board has been a vital link for boating info for me since I joined. I was wondering if anyone knows the history of Checkmate boats, founder, original designer etc.
Their website doesn't offer much as far as historical information goes and my searches of the web have ended in disappointment.
Anyone?
Thanks

[Instigator]

I think first year was '65
Started and still owned by the original owner, Bill Combs.
Been in Bucyrus Ohio from day 1.
Spent the first 15 or so years concentrating almost entirely on O/B's.
Went to I/O's in around mid 70's after plating with jets too.
Built a 25' cat for a few years too.
Used to hold a bunch of OPC endurance records as well as some OffShore.
I give Combs a lot of credit for sticking to his guns. Never got caught up in the design of the week like a lot of builders.
Some of them are definately dated, but still a killer, bullet proof boat and a lot for the money.
I know there are a lot of detracters on this board, but mostly because thet don't know what the hell they're talking about!
They will take as many HP's as you can afford.
There is a dealer about an hour from the factory, that has been a dealer since the early 70's used to make the O/B's fly but has changed with the times to I/O's.
Any how, he has taken one of every model 22' or bigger and made 100 MPH boats out of them. Box stock boats too, not one off light lay ups.
I restored, re-rigged a '69 16' that sat out side un covered every day of its life untill I bought it. The boat was 100% balsa core.
All I did was paint it and replace the interior.
No rot, no delamination anywhere.
Was one of my favorite boats.
I am 43 yrs old and have passed the factory alnmost every weekend every Summer on my way to Lake Erie the entire time.
Even back to when the were running factory OPC tunnel boats.
Hope this helps, and if you need to know more, let me know. I might be able to help.
Gary

[HowieDean]

Hell for the first ten years or so every Baja was a direct splash of the checkmate stuff... I had a 85 Intertainer with a 2.6 GT Johnson.. boat only ran 76 but it was the nicest rideing boat I've ever owned.... Kind of amazing that Baja passed them in the market in later years

[MTCM]

One of my first "hotrods"

79 Exciter, 18 footer, 1000lb hull. 150 'Rude. 65 mph. Picture taken in 1980. Put 82 200 (225) Merc and jackplate on her in 1982. Top speed 85 mph. A real handfull to drive at that speed. Fun boat, especially in the chop where the Hydrostreams got left behind.....................Stolen in 1983, never recovered. I know who stole it, but can't prove it. I remind that person when the urge strikes. I will get that SOB one day..............legally of course.

[dragonwolfe]

Thanks guys...

Gary, glad to hear from you. I thought you may offer some input on this subject. Did you ever find any pictures of that rig?
Would still enjoy seeing them

HowieDean...I had my suspicions about the Baja splashing action.

MTCM that was a nice rig...hope you get the S.O.B.

Thanks for filling in some of the blanks for me guys.

I have 62 pictures, going to do an article. Had a great tour (thanks SCT!!), then had lunch (thanks again SCT!!!), then went back and had the run of the place for a few more hours. Got to interview Bill Combs and several of the employees. Met SCT's dad. Got to smell fresh resin for a few hours. Saw my dream boat. What a day. I'll post a few 'teaser' pics here....

He's been at C'Mate for 27 years....
No SPLASHING here, just fine craftsmanship!

Not see-thru cheap & weak like my Hydrostream Valero was. NO CHOPPER GUN HERE EITHER!

Here's a shot of a 24' getting the balsa installed. They do the sides first, then work down towards the keel. Note the darker color of the resin on the bottom of the hull, they had JUST finished wetting this one out and tilted the mold up to start the other side.

Pulsare 2100BR

[Instigator]

Howie, here is a good place for discussion on splashing.
Baja did not splash Cmate.
They "legally" leased the molds from Cmate to build boats from. For the first several years of Baja production, their boats were identical to (in design) several model year older Cmates.
Baja actually went into business originally building fiberglass storage containers for Cmate then struck a deal with Bill Combs (owner of Cmate) for his out dated molds.
DragonWolfe, I went through my entire collection of pictures for you and only found one of that rig. even looked for negatives??
Howie also made a good point at Baja passing them in the market place. That was kind of what I was reffering to when I said Cmate did'nt fall into the design of the week club.
Baja did. They also went bankrupt and were bought/bailed out and now owned by Mercruiser/Brunswick.
Combs does it his way, period!
Also good point about runnning in chop. Have read many times about the comparrisons between Cmates and Streams etc.
Not really an accurate comparo.
One really is a family performance boat and one is a light weight race boat. Construction wise, I can tell you first hand there is no comparrison!!
When I sold them back in the 80's you could still custom order a hull with light lay up, blue printed bottom, Kevlar construction.
I always thought it would be fun to pick through there field of old molds, buy one, up date the bottom, lighten it up by a few hundred pounds and go play!!
JW, now I'm jealous!! While you were doing that I was digging through bone yards for van parts.
Looks like Shannon really rolled out the red carpet for you, sorry I had to miss it!!
The picture bellow is of a 1969 16' Mate that I bought and re-habbed several years ago.
This boat sat outside uncovered for it's entire life until I bought it!!
The seats were toast and I threw them in a dumpster on my way home with the boat. It had the original windshield on it which was about 5' tall and looked like it was from a 1969 25' Starcraft!! I took it off and cut it up and re-assembled it about 10 times before giving up and **** canning it.
Made this one from plywood, glassed it and painted it to match the boat. It is on the original trailer.
This boat was 100% balsa core and structurally perfect.
Not bad for sitting out side its entire freaking life!!
I've got pictures of my Stream that is 8 yrs newer and did'nt fare quite so well if anyone doubts the difference??
This was one of my favorite boats. Bought and installed a '80 (I think) 140 flow that had been up-dated to the thick, low compression head gaskets.
Boat would launch hard w/a 24" Raker, run dead on 60, and make you think you could blow it over!!
We figured with the thin head gaskets and some testing we probably could have gotten 70 out of it with that motor.
My Stream on the other hand ran 75 w/a 150 Merc V-6 before I gutted it. 5 MPH difference with at least 20 extra HP's. Closer than you might guess!
That was always my favorite era of the O/B's though because they did'nt have **** for interiors and were the lightest/fastest boats they ever built!
Used to be a couple of guys around w/V-6's on these things that were running 85 - 90.
Was looking for a twin O/B 25' when I bought my Sonic but could'nt find one.
When I was selling them and customers would want me to compare strength/quality to other brands (including Baja which had a huge competeing dealer to us), I'd always respond the same.
You can put as much HP to a Cmate as you want (usually rated for more than the competitiors) w/o breaking it it, and I'll take the same size Cmate as any competitor you want to bring and we'll race across Lake erie and back and see which one breaks first!!
Gary

[Ron Hill]

I have Mike Downard's home phone number. I'm sure Mike could "Fill in" many blanks about Checkmate Boats...

[FCnLa]

I have got to get that one I found (yea, yea, in a barn)!!!!!

I had know idea. Great post!

PS. Gary, I love those fenders on that trailer....got an idea where I can get any....

[MTCM]

I have a Hydrostream and I like the boat, and I like my Mirage as well. A Checkmate is a different animal. In 20 knot winds and 2 foot chop I could run that Exciter at 60-70 mph. Hell I thought I was racing in Offshore (LOL). Good solid boat. I ran that boat hard. It never developed any stress cracks anywhere. It had a good finish. Overall the ole girl was tough as nails. Very durable. I would like to have her back. The girls drooled all over that thing back in 1980.....................

[Instigator]

Lives about a mile past the plant and still have the Merc O/B as a mail box.
Used to smear my nose on the inside of my dads car windows as we'd pass the tunnels in Downards front yard every weekend.
PS, was also a very small company named Cobra boats back in I believe the mid 70's that had some old molds.
So same as the very early Baja's, if you see a an old Cobra, it is from the same mold as my old 16.