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New Member

Fastboat

Fastboat

New member
Hello All, I'm new to the group, but a proud Checkmate owner since 1978. I own a 1978 Tri-Mate II powered by a 200 HP Black Max.
I could use some help navigating the site. I'ld like to post a picture of my "baby", how do I do that?
What a great winter refreshment to have found this site! It's great to hear other people are as passionate about Checkmate as I am. I look forward to discussing and learning more about these boats and how to make them go faster and look even better...
 
Hey Fastboat!

I'm glad you like the site.

We'd love to see your baby.

If you have some pics already up on the net somewhere, you can simply link to them by clicking on the picture icon on the your reply screen and putting in the url location.

If you don't have them on the net somewhere, then email them to me at

Chris@Checkmate-Boats.com
 
Welcome Fastboat.
I am in fats city now, a fellow tri-mate owner.
I have a 75 tri-mate with a 200hp+ merc.
You have GOT to give us some details. Speed, prop, jackplate?
 
Some of the details about my Tri-II:
I bought it new in '78 with an in line Merc 140. The colors I ordered were silver with black trim, after 1 year the silver/gray faded and Checkmate built me a new boat (black w/silver trim) in '80 to replace it, thus making me loyal to Checkmate for life. I think it's kind of special since Checkmate sold the tri-hull mold in '79, if the info I received is correct, so there shouldn't be any 1980 Tri-II's. The serial number on it is actually a 1980. The 140 was replaced in '83 with a rebuilt '81 200 Merc. A manual jack plate, foot throttle, steering mounted trim buttons were also added. Speeds are in the low 70's with the 23 pitch prop I have on it now. I use the 23 because it still has enough low end to pull me out of the water on a ski. I'm turning around 7,000 rpm with it jacked up and only myself in the boat.
 
Hey fastboat...cut and paste that info! I put up your pics in the "Picture This" forum. I also put a pic up in the showroom with Gus'. :thumb:
 
Fastboat, Boat looks great. What 23p prop are you running. I am running a 25p laser2 turning it 5800 at 68.9 gps.
The boat flys real well. You don't happen to have a picture of the bottom in the rear do you?
 
175 checkmate, No readily available pics of the bottom of the boat. Not sure what Mercury called the prop I'm using when I bought it, but I did send it out to be balanced and cupped slightly. I do know for sure, it's not a laser tho. I was talked out of the laser when I bought the motor. I run the motor at 3" above the bottom of the hull for the best top end. I also have a nose cone w/ low water pick up in it. The top 3 holes in the factory water pick up are plugged. I also bondo over the drain plug in the lower unit after I fill it.
 
3" above the bottom. Wow I can go up a bunch. Is there a pad on the bottom of your boat? I had a hyd jackplate on mine. I could go all the way up and still have water pressure. No cone or low water pickup, Yet. When the rigging goes back on I have a new jackplate, manual type as the hyd one was shot. It will give me about 5" of set back and alot more lift.
Forgive me if it seems I have a bunch of questions but we have the same boat and motor combo and you are faster. I wnat to be faster also. :thumb:
 
175, Does your boat "walk" at all? At first I was afraid to raise the motor up that high because mine "walked" so much it was out of control and I thought raising it higher would make it worse. Wrong!! I did loose water pressure real fast on the slightest turn before the nose cone and low water pick-up.I can't say there is a pad on the bottom of the boat, pretty much a "v" all the way back. I don't mind the questions, because I would like to hear and learn more about setback and if there is some formula to figure what is right. What I've been reading on the board makes me curious.
 
With the plate all the way down it walks, more like a wiggle. The 1st prop (the one that came with the boat 28p cleaver. Ugly prop. I could turn it 6500 and ran slow, could not get it one plane. The 2nd prop ( did not know any better) A 27p 4 blade ballistic. Good hole shot and rpm but the wiggle was there regaurdless of where I had the plate. The 3rd prop was like driving a different boat. Good holeshot and good top end. The laser doesent like to run on the surface but I found that with the plate all the way up and neutral trim I ran the fasest on GPS. I am going to plug the top holes on the lower unit to get higher.
The gereral thought on set back is that checkmates need a bunch. I am going to start with 5" and go from there. Some of the larger c'mates are using 10-14".
 
Just got done looking at the pics of your resoration work, again. WOW!! What are you plans for the finish on the hull??
I'm wondering if setback counters the need to lift the engine as much. How did your boat sit in the water before? The water line on mine is about 1" below the seam at the back of the boat. Isn't setting the motor back the same as adding weight to the back of the boat making it sit even lower?
 
For this year the finish will be the same. I am going to add an aluminum plate for added support. I am also planning on fliping the boat and blueprinting the bottom, adding a 9" pad and painting the bottom to match. Next winter I am giving the boat a new paint job.
Setback changes the piviot point of the boat. It allows the prop more leverage to decrease the wetted surface. Since checkmates are not air intrapment hulls they need all the help they can get. The general rule of thumb is for every inch you can go back in setback. You can go up 1/2". This is not law, and you still have to play with the setup for each boat
 
Do you have a hot foot in yours? I istalled one, along with trim buttons on the wheel. Made a ton of differerance in the control dept.
 
Yes, I do have a hot foot in mine and yes it does help a lot when things get a little rough.
How do you "play" with setback? Are you making different mounts for the motor and bolting them to the transom?? I have thought about a hydo lift mostly to get the added setback however most people I talk to that have them have a lot of problems with them not working after a while. Any insight on that?? What's good??
 
Adding a hi-jacker manual plate with 5" set back and about 6" lift. If I want to try more later there are spacers you can buy that are cheaper.
 
Just a helpful hint... As you raise the motor, you take away some of the lift provided by the prop because more of the prop is breaking the surface and getting less bite.
 
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