Hi Guys,
Just got back from a week in Muskoka. Thought I would post a few pictures and videos of our trip with our V-Mate I. My boat is not a genuine Checkmate. (hopefully this doesn't offend anyone on here). When I was a kid about 12 years old I used to stand on the shores of the Muskoka River and just stare at this blue Checkmate going up and down the river and drool. I looked on boat trader as a kid and searched for V-Mates and begged my dad to buy one. He thought they were too old and was concerned about problems, but finally i was able to convince him to buy this Panther V-Mate I because they made the V-Mates a lot longer than Checkmate did. As a kid I was just happy to have one of these boats, genuine checkmate or not. I bought this boat off of my dad when I was in my low 20's and had it ever since. I'm hooked on Checkmates, and even thought I will never get rid of my Panther for nostagia reasons, someday I hope to buy a nice mate as well. So basically my boat was built here in canada with Checkmate moulds. A Checkmate dealer named Quins Marine back in the late 70's and 80's started building Checkmates here in canada and called them Panthers. Their staff were fully trained by Checkmate to build these boats. They sent their staff to checkmate manufacturing facilities for training and had Checkmate staff come up here to canada to help with the building of these boats. These boats are built identical to the Checkmates.
So, that is the story of my Panther V-Mate I. My signature on this forum used to appropriately say Wannabe, but I guess I made a few too many posts as now it sais Playmate.
Here she is on the beach on the Muskoka River.
She has a 1981 Mercury 90 Tower of Power which just happens to be the year of my birth, so we are the same age.
Going for a rip up the river with my wife and children.
My son and junior Checkmate enthusiast.
Probably belongs in the boat babe section but here is my daughter on the boat.
I'm training her from a very young age to love boats. I bought her this MX-2. Yes I am greviously aware of how terrible the leafs are.
On our way home we saw this boat. Not sure what it is but my son wants one.
Back at home
drying out in the sun.
I also had my brother shoot some vids for your viewing enjoyment.
Fly by at 45 MPH the absolute best I can get it to do. I know pretty lame compared to what others on this forum can do. I does have hydrofoils on which slows it down a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqGfwr7I8Gg
Hole shot video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IEuWWDaBeg
Sorry I had to corner at around 36 MPH so its not a straight acceleration.
Speed has been verified with GPS. Special thanks to groundloop, bigredinohio and jimaway for helping me get the tach working, helped make my week great.
Rick
Just got back from a week in Muskoka. Thought I would post a few pictures and videos of our trip with our V-Mate I. My boat is not a genuine Checkmate. (hopefully this doesn't offend anyone on here). When I was a kid about 12 years old I used to stand on the shores of the Muskoka River and just stare at this blue Checkmate going up and down the river and drool. I looked on boat trader as a kid and searched for V-Mates and begged my dad to buy one. He thought they were too old and was concerned about problems, but finally i was able to convince him to buy this Panther V-Mate I because they made the V-Mates a lot longer than Checkmate did. As a kid I was just happy to have one of these boats, genuine checkmate or not. I bought this boat off of my dad when I was in my low 20's and had it ever since. I'm hooked on Checkmates, and even thought I will never get rid of my Panther for nostagia reasons, someday I hope to buy a nice mate as well. So basically my boat was built here in canada with Checkmate moulds. A Checkmate dealer named Quins Marine back in the late 70's and 80's started building Checkmates here in canada and called them Panthers. Their staff were fully trained by Checkmate to build these boats. They sent their staff to checkmate manufacturing facilities for training and had Checkmate staff come up here to canada to help with the building of these boats. These boats are built identical to the Checkmates.
So, that is the story of my Panther V-Mate I. My signature on this forum used to appropriately say Wannabe, but I guess I made a few too many posts as now it sais Playmate.
Here she is on the beach on the Muskoka River.
She has a 1981 Mercury 90 Tower of Power which just happens to be the year of my birth, so we are the same age.
Going for a rip up the river with my wife and children.
My son and junior Checkmate enthusiast.
Probably belongs in the boat babe section but here is my daughter on the boat.
I'm training her from a very young age to love boats. I bought her this MX-2. Yes I am greviously aware of how terrible the leafs are.
On our way home we saw this boat. Not sure what it is but my son wants one.
Back at home
drying out in the sun.I also had my brother shoot some vids for your viewing enjoyment.
Fly by at 45 MPH the absolute best I can get it to do. I know pretty lame compared to what others on this forum can do. I does have hydrofoils on which slows it down a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqGfwr7I8Gg
Hole shot video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IEuWWDaBeg
Sorry I had to corner at around 36 MPH so its not a straight acceleration.
Speed has been verified with GPS. Special thanks to groundloop, bigredinohio and jimaway for helping me get the tach working, helped make my week great.
Rick
