Checkmate at Miami boat show

[jazzy]

Glad to see cm with some boats at the big show, also I'd like to see some pics of these new gel coat graphics.
http://speedonthewater.com/in-the-news/1746-new-boats-from-hustler-and-checkmate-ready-for-miami

 

[sim]

"Our main goal is to address the 19- to 29-year-old group," LoGiudice said. "When it comes to performance boats, our industry has kind of left those boaters by the wayside. Mainly we just want to get more people boating. And a Checkmate is a perfect place to start because it's an entry-level boat at an entry-level price.

Why does that make me feel so pathetic? Is it because I'm a 50+ yr. old man (am I really?) in his 6th or 7th "entry level" boat trying to convince himself he's done ok?

So, do I mortgage the house for a real toy ? Shoot myself in the head?
Or just accept my failure.

I'm just kidding. Prettymuch.

 

[2tonchevy]

"Our main goal is to address the 19- to 29-year-old group," LoGiudice said. "When it comes to performance boats, our industry has kind of left those boaters by the wayside. Mainly we just want to get more people boating. And a Checkmate is a perfect place to start because it's an entry-level boat at an entry-level price.

Why does that make me feel so pathetic? Is it because I'm a 50+ yr. old man (am I really?) in his 6th or 7th "entry level" boat trying to convince himself he's done ok?

So, do I mortgage the house for a real toy ? Shoot myself in the head?
Or just accept my failure.

I'm just kidding. Prettymuch.

lol yea I hear ya....maybe a poor choice of words perhaps,,,,,but i get what hes saying...I think....lol

checkmate has filled a certain role I the market in the past.....and has branched out at times....the question is if CM should and will strive to keep filling the role of its heritage: witch is in my opinion is making more affordable boats than many of its competitors in the small to midsize range that still offer competitive performance and great looks.

checkmate has always been knda looked down on by the major high end manufacturers....and in most cases rightfully so...checkmate is not on par with outerlimits....MTI....statement....Nortech...etc....but CM don't cost a million dollars either. I love to drool over the big boy toys at the poker runs and such...and im sure my lil boy toys get scoffed at by some...but oh well...it is what it is. I love boats...and boating...and for the most part all of the enthusiasts are pretty cool...regardless of the pricetag of their rig.

checkmate and checkmate owners should have no problem accepting their place .....whatever that is.

 

[illMATTic]

Turn the home into a cottage and live in the boat. Life solved.

 

[merc245]

I hear you SIM, I'm going on my 20th season with a $21,000 entry level boat!

 

[fox88gt]

I think Checkmate may want to tune that age range to the 26-36 year old group....in this economy, there are not very many people aged 21-29 that can afford even a $7K used Checkmate. I'm 32, and between my mortgage and getting married when I turned 30, I didn't have enough to plunk down on a brand new boat, so I purchased a used one. I have less than $6k tied up in my Starflite, granted its not a brand new boat, but after owning it for two years it is mechanically and cosmetically about as good as new at it can get. To replace my Starflite with a new Pulsare would cost $50k.

According to the ABYC, the average age of a recreational boat in the U.S. right now is like 23 years old. This would probably match up with the age of the boats that the majority of the Checkmate forum members own.

Home ownership right now is at the lowest percent recorded in the last 8 years. That sucks. It also shows that people either arent able, aren't willing, or aren't smart enough to save and invest in real property.

I can attest that alot of people in the 21-29 bracket don't give a damn about boats, fast cars, dirtbikes, atv's, quads, snowmobiles, or really anything cool. They live paycheck to paycheck so they can afford the latest gaming systems and newest smart phones and tablets, just so they can become obsolete within a year or two. It boggles the mind, you spend all week staring at a computer screen so you can afford to buy "toys" that are just, well, more computer screens.

Not trying to be all "doom and gloom." I'm 32, college educated, worked the last 10 years in engineering and technical fields, pay my taxes, pay my CC's every month, and am just reaching the age where I'm considering my first NEW boat. Unless that 21 year old is a trust fund baby, he isn't buying a new boat.

I wish Checkmate the best because I wanna buy a new one someday soon! Joe is right, the industry has forgotten about the "entry-level" performance enthusiast. But make no mistake, even the smallest, "entry-level" Checkmate isn't some entry level Bayliner. The boat business is tough, and profit margins on boats 20' and under are very slim. Checkmate is known for making a high-quality boat just a much as Bayliner is known for making cheap tubs. Keep the quality up to match the heritage, keep the costs down, and make big profits with the options list. Its how Ford made big$$$$ on the mustang decade after decade.

 

[linn]

I talk with my group of friends about this all the time. Boating is for those who have expendable incomes and most people 26-36 just don't have it. Most in that age group are starting a family and buying their first home, they are not dropping $20k+ on a boat.


I've also have never looked at Checkmate as an entry level boat manufacture. When someone says entry level boat to me, I think Bayliner or Rinker but certainly not Checkmate.

 

[karzrus]

I know that where I live is not as typical as most of you, so maybe what I say does not apply everywhere else, but lots of <35guys spend $40,000 to $80,000 and even a little more, on new and used wakeboard boats up here.

Big boats(i'll say 26 feet or more) don't go well on small lakes. We have some big lakes here(3-8 hours away), but a ton of smaller ones around 1 hour drive away, so I have a small boat. If I lived on or near a big lake, I might need two boats.

Lets face it, in the "Performance boat" industry Checkmate is entry level. So is whats left of Baja. If you want a 24' or larger performance boat, who sells a cheaper one or who gives you a better value?

 

[jjg]

Lets face it, in the "Performance boat" industry Checkmate is entry level. So is whats left of Baja. If you want a 24' or larger performance boat, who sells a cheaper one or who gives you a better value?

And I think that is the context in which Joe was speaking. Im sure the likes of bayliner, stingray etc. were not meant to be even considered in what his idea is of an entry level boat. And after the dust has settled Checkmate is the last one standing and poised to capture the market share of the fallen.
While baja is rebuilding their brand, Checkmate will be on the way to the top of their market.

 

[topgun]

Sounds like some of you guys have taken offense to what the guy said. To say that something is entry level is not the same as saying cheap. Sort of like saying a Porsche Boxter is entry level when it still is a Porsche, and none of them are cheap. I don't know any 19 to 29 year olds that can afford a brand new checkmate. To me he comes off like a rich guy talking about other rich people. Any kid that age that can plunk down 50 k and more on such a luxury as a boat sure does not live around here.
My checkmate is 23 years old. Will I ever own another? Maybe. Will it be brand new? Probably not. Do I love it ? Sure do. And that is all that matters.

 

[Kurtster]

And I think that is the context in which Joe was speaking. Im sure the likes of bayliner, stingray etc. were not meant to be even considered in what his idea is of an entry level boat.

I too have pondered quite a few times what people are really meaning when they say "entry level" in regards to boating.
A lot of the times when that phrase is used, it's actual definition is misinterpreted by the listener or misrepresented by the speaker.

Sometimes it's meant in regards to price..
Sometimes it's meant in regards to size..
Sometimes it's meant in regards to performance ability..
Sometimes it's meant in regards to the intended use..
Sometimes it's meant even in regards to quality..

Different people use the term for different reasons.

As far as Checkmates, I have always considered the term entry level for the reason of price and/or affordability---- not size or performance ability or quality.