Lanier Custom Boats effectively out of business!

**zamguy** · 11-30-2014, 02:17 PM

I have one in the mold right now…..I have no issues that my boat will be of the class that Errol professes…very high in caliber. I did not try to school Errol on how to build my boat, or ask him to use any products that he was not used to using- in short, I am letting the boat builder build the boat without micro-management. I do not have the expectation that he will deliver it 1000 miles to me. I did request how i wanted it set up as far as being a bass boat. I did not ask him to change the weight distribution of the boat or try to out think him on his business. This is a good person who makes boats, and makes them above industry bench marks.

**hound329** · 06-02-2015, 04:42 PM

Hi, new guy here... Been building, repairing and hot rodding boats, outboard motors, motorcycles, drag cars, dirt modifieds, sprint cars and airplanes for half a century. Vee bottoms have their place, but deep cat's are in a different league when it comes to speed, comfort, safety and stability in rough water.

The God's of bad weather recently dropped a single 30" pine tree across my 201 Pro XL, aluminum boat and my corvette. Such is life! Spent a lot of time scouring the internet and talking to current owners and checking out local LCB's. I'm sold on Lanier's LCB for bay/lake fishing and rough water. My 275 Verado survived the pine tree so I'm putting it on the LCB. I sent Errol the first half of the price of a new LCB about two weeks ago. My hull is tentatively going in the mold this week. White over black with a poling platform to mount a 4G radar.

I've been around the block and not easy to BS, just sayin. I've followed up on a lot of things I have read posted here and other places both good and bad. I think I'll just sit out the flame wars. Errol is a VERY knowledgeable guy on boats, boat design/building and rigging. I think a previous poster in this thread hit the nail on the head about having someone do a custom build. Tell them what you want, don't switch horses in the middle of the stream and let them do what they do best... I told Errol what I wanted to end up with and now I'm going to stay out of his hair and let him and his guys take their time and perform their magic. Errol has forgot more than most will ever know when it comes to building and rigging boats. I am impressed to say the least at the integrated strength without weight that he builds into his hulls.

I would love to have had the boat yesterday, but I'm NOT going to rush Errol because I don't want a production schedule dictating attention to detail. After many long phone conversations it is obvious he is very attentive to details, engineering and build quality to ensure that the end product will perform as stated. I had an operational problem that appeared unsolvable but, he solved that problem long ago using a $150 part and adaptive engineering from aviation. Why didn't I think of that??? Awesome! My kind of guy.

Since the LCB's seem to be a topic of discussion on this forum I will post updates and pics as they develop.

Mick

**zamguy** · 06-02-2015, 07:45 PM

Good Luck with your boat Mick. If you were at Errol's, then you saw my boat. I am on the road working and intend to pick it up when I get back home sometime in July. Look forward to seeing your pictures.

**hound329** · 06-02-2015, 09:58 PM

I've been working and haven't made it to Errol's yet. Unless the roof caves in I am hauling my Verado, electronics, trolling motor, etc. to him in in a couple of weeks. Really excited to get the boat. Can't wait to be able to run rough chop and not have bleeding kidneys.

**scawd the dog** · 06-03-2015, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by hound329

I've been working and haven't made it to Errol's yet. Unless the roof caves in I am hauling my Verado, electronics, trolling motor, etc. to him in in a couple of weeks. Really excited to get the boat. Can't wait to be able to run rough chop and not have bleeding kidneys.

Your 275 will be a nice motor on your LCB. No better people than Errol Lanier. Let me know if I can help you with your set up. Beware of those Pine trees.

**hound329** · 06-27-2015, 01:10 PM

Made a trip to Sebring. Dropped the Verado and stuff off Wednesday. Errol is a helluva nice guy and vastly knowledgeable. He was finishing up a white/gray boat when I was there. Innovation and attention to detail is beyond what I could have imagined. He uses only the best of the best in materials and components when it comes to rigging a boat out. He keeps most of the components in stock.

Little things like embedding 1/4" aluminum plate in the deck during the fiberglass/mold process for the trolling motor mount. Then mounting the trolling motor with drilled and tapped mounting holes into the prepositioned plate for the fasteners. NOBODY that I know of would ever go that far to do it "right" the first time. No screws, no holes drilled through and through the hull or deck... NOTHING is half a$$ed!!! Lot's of folks talk the talk, but Errol walks the walk...

If you need your boat next week I suggest you hit the local boat lots and drive away with one of the many cookie cutter a mass production rigs. If you want a state of the art boat built light but hell for stout with the finest materials and workmanship that I have ever seen, you should include Lanier Custom Boats as one of your options. Errol Lanier is a master boat builder with a few decades of experience and has forgot more than most will ever know. If I've learned only one thing in 57 years, it's this - there's NO substitute for experience... If you need a rough water Cat that will bass fish, bay fish or run you out to the 35 mile rigs and get you back when the chips are down give Errol a shout, you won't be disappointed.

As a side note... I stripped my boat after the 36" pine tree took a nap across it. Everything on it that wasn't damaged, which was nearly everything, I brought to Errol for my new boat. He culled quite a bit of my stuff that didn't meet quality requirements for his boats. He showed me what he uses in place of culled items and I have to say my production cookie cutter bass boat was indeed rigged out with junk compared to the top end stuff that is out there and readily available. Errol only uses the highest quality parts and components money can buy in his boats.

Mick

**zamguy** · 06-27-2015, 01:38 PM

Mick, I look forward to seeing your boat. That white and grey one is mine. Hope to puck it up when I get done with my current pipeline project up in kansas. Everything you said is very accurate. Especially that Error is a helluva nice guy.