Daytona or Magic Cat

[NO4NBRI]

I am in the process of shopping around for a new boat. I have been looking closely at the 25' Eliminator Daytona, but recently saw the new Magic 28' cat. Has anyone heard good bad news about these 2 boats? I am looking at using the boat mostly at Havasu, Laughlin and Lake Mohave. I had a 22' ultra stealth. I got tired of getting beat to death on the lake. I want something that will motor over the chop, be somewhat fast, reliable and turn key. I don't want to go broke either.

[boatnam2]

american offshore.

[boatnam2]

thats kinda one way of me.well i can tell you if your not wanting to break the bank you might as well not even bother going to eliminator.there are a few cats out there that are very well priced and are of nice quality.i like american offshore myself at least you dont look like the other 500 cats a havasu.the magic looks pretty cool but that was a 100g if thats not breaking the back maybe you will be ok at eliminator.

[riverliver]

25 Daytona is a great boat I have one !
So are DCB'S
28 foot is even better!!
good luck

[boatnam2]

the bigger the better if you can afford it!

[ULTRA28]

You can't go wrong with the AO or the Eliminator. Of course I would suggest looking at the Ultra 27 Shadow or the DCB Mach 26 also, but thats because I'm slightly biased.

[riverliver]

Come on Mr Boatnam2 what's MONEY?
it grows on trees or so my kid thinks.

[FastCats]

Come on John, I wouldn't think of you as biased, that Shadow is a pretty cool boat, personally I think that the best value for the dollar is an American Offshore, 2600 or 2800 with a swim platform, more bang for the buck, but I might be biased as well.
NO4NBRI have you looked at the 26 AO? Give me a call.
Scott
[This message has been edited by FastCats (edited December 16, 2001).]

[RiverToysJas]

If Eliminator, why not the 26' with the cool "F-16" windshield? I've heard the distortion takes some getting used to, but they don't look like everything else on the lake.
RTJas.

[33daytona]

eliminator builds a great boat

[FastCats]

Riverliver
Our children must go to the same school!
But, but daaad! You just spent all that money on 2 new blower drives and all we want is some corn flakes for breakfast!

[sofaking]

Buy my 28 Daytona- Call me if you want the specs. 800-771-2854 x102 Todd

[Craig]

Todd isn't your cat the one with the twin Whippled small blocks? Why you selling it already after just getting it dialed in?
Craig

[MrHavasuCat]

I have been told that Eliminator is not using real "f-16" canopies on their 26, they are using formed lexan, and the distortion is very bad. My engine builder has a brand new one in storage waiting to be rigged and this is what he told me.
Fastcats,
I have yet to see one of your 28's. Are they true cats or do they have a center pod, and will they accept twins?
[This message has been edited by MrHavasuCat (edited December 17, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by MrHavasuCat (edited December 17, 2001).]

[CATMAN]

I have been lookin at the Foce Offshore cats and from what I have seen they have the nicest boat for the price.

[RiverDave2]

Mr.HavasuCat, I don't want to be the one to let the cat out of the bag, but I don't think any of them are using "REAL F-16" canopies.. If they claim they are I'd like to see an invoice from Lockheed (or was it Boeing I dunno) I Think there all Lexan, it's just the quality of the person there using to bend it...
RD

[RiverDave2]

Catman, Force does offer alot of Bells and whistles for the buck.. But there GelCoat work leaves a little to be desired as does there layup work.. I looked one over pretty closely at the long beach boat show and you could see where there was a couple of large indentations in the side of the boat..
RD

[MrHavasuCat]

Riverdave,
DCB is using real f-16 canopies on there mach 34. They are getting them from surpluss (sp). They are very thick as compared to lexan. I saw the full canopies before they were cut to fit the boat.
[This message has been edited by MrHavasuCat (edited December 17, 2001).]

[racingrascal]

The Magic is a nice boat but I did read in .....I think it was Hot Boat (not sure) it took a lot of power to get speed out of it. The 25 Daytona is a very nice boat as the same for the DCB. But I would probably look at the 27 Shadow from Ultra nice boat with a lot of free broad. (There again I may be biased to). Nothing rides like a cat though. Keep us posted on what you decide to get!
Andy

[RiverToysJas]

Don't cats/tunnels in general (or I guess you could say, by design) need a lot of power to plain?
I've heard it's due to having a huge amount more wetted surface when not on plain, compared to a v-bottom. Maybe that applies to tunnels more so than cats.
RTJas.

[Havasu Hangin']

Originally posted by RiverToysJas:
Don't cats/tunnels in general (or I guess you could say, by design) need a lot of power to plain?
I've got a friend of mine with an 22' Advantage Sport Cat (like Craig's) that pulls big on the top end.
The problem is that they are so efficient on the top end, you need a big prop to keep from hitting the limiter (we were around 100 MPH in his- very strange feeling- dancing on the water).
Well, that boat did not want to get on plane with the big prop- no ventilation. We had to get up to the front of the boat just to get it on plane.
I guess that's what you get when you have a boat with as little as 600 ft/lbs of torque capable of 100 MPH.
http://www.goldenplasma.f2s.com/forum/smilies/happy25.gif

[Craig]

Hey HH,
a couple of shops here in town were surprised that mine ran what it did, they all said "that hull isn't a fast design". Hell, I bet under perfect conditions and a little more trim I might be able to still get a couple of more mph out of it. I don't know what rpm I was running at 114, I was too damn busy watching the lake! But on the down side, without a bunch of power, the Sport Cat is very lazy coming out of the hole. Donnie had a 22 Daytona and we had essentially the same motors and while we were pretty much even on the top end, he'd dust me from the no-wake marker!
Craig

[Havasu Hangin']

Originally posted by Craig:
Hey HH...I was too damn busy watching the lake!
I gotta tell ya Craig, that was a strange dance. I'm not a cat guy (I own a v-pig), but that boat felt like it was literally flying. The back end seemed to make side-to-side movements (or at least felt that way).
We were making passes from the gorge down to the sandbar. Man, hearing that blower whine off the canyons- seems like everyone could hear us coming up ahead, cause they're mouths were open before we got to em!
I love to hook up with you & get a ride in yours some time.
http://www.goldenplasma.f2s.com/forum/smilies/happy25.gif
PS- You're boat's not a "splash", is it? I don't want to ride in a splash... http://www.goldenplasma.f2s.com/forum/smilies/happy06.gif
[This message has been edited by Havasu Hangin' (edited December 17, 2001).]

[Craig]

The ride is yours! I need to spend a little more time at Havasu this year since the boat was apart all of the Spring and 2/3 of the summer last year. That sucked. The cat does have a different ride, especially if your not driving! The blower whine is something else. I used to have a B&M 250 on a 454 in my boat. That is the loudest blower I've ever heard. It got to be down right annoying. The 420 I have now is so much nicer!
Craig

[sofaking]

Craig, the 28 Daytona I have is a single Whipplecharged 502 EFI. Its best speed is 91.6 GPS. The twin Whipplecharged small block Daytona belongs to Mike Pyle, his boat ran 131.6.,
Also on the cannopy discussion, I have driven boats with both types (lexan & F 16). They all have distortion, personally I don't care to look through either one. Give me clear vision and wind baby, that's why I'm at the river!!

[RiverDave2]

Originally posted by MrHavasuCat:
Riverdave,
DCB is using real f-16 canopies on there mach 34. They are getting them from surpluss (sp). They are very thick as compared to lexan. I saw the full canopies before they were cut to fit the boat.
Alot of Suplus F-16's laying around these days? http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif I'm not trying to call you out on this, it just seems kinda hard to swallow that there's a shit load of F-16's laying around that someone can just go "pick a part." Like an auto junk yard...
RD

[ULTRA28]

RD, he is using real canopies. I've seen them, they run about $3,600 a piece. He then modifies them to look good on his boat by cutting them to shape.

[Havasu Hangin']

Originally posted by Craig:
The blower whine is something else. I used to have a B&M 250 on a 454 in my boat. That is the loudest blower I've ever heard. It got to be down right annoying.
Yeah, Craig- my friend had a DCB 22' Extreme with a 525 package. I think they use a B&M on those- that thing was so loud, my ears would ring after a run in the back seat.
Sorry to hear about last summer- I guess you got some making up to do next year!
http://www.goldenplasma.f2s.com/forum/smilies/happy25.gif

[CATMAN]

Hey Riverdave, I seen the same thing at
Long beach show. I asked them about that
they said they comming out with a new mold.
So I went to there shop and saw the first
boat out of new mold straight as an arrow
NICE JOB FORCE

[MrHavasuCat]

Riverdave,
I think the canopies probably get replaced on the existing planes with new ones after they get worn, and the old ones go to surplus. I was in the army about 10 years ago and they would replace windscreens on the helicopters after they were scratched a little. Probaly the same case here. All I know is I have seen the full canopies at DCB before they were cut and they are definitely off a plane.

[RiverDave2]

Originally posted by CATMAN:
Hey Riverdave, I seen the same thing at
Long beach show. I asked them about that
they said they comming out with a new mold.
So I went to there shop and saw the first
boat out of new mold straight as an arrow
NICE JOB FORCE
From what I saw it didn't look like they needed a new mold, they just needed to stop lettin it get so hot.. Slow down a little take some time/pride in the boat and it would turn out alot nicer! Other then that it looked like a pretty nice ride, and alot of bang for the buck!
RD

[RiverDave2]

Originally posted by MrHavasuCat:
Riverdave,
I think the canopies probably get replaced on the existing planes with new ones after they get worn, and the old ones go to surplus. I was in the army about 10 years ago and they would replace windscreens on the helicopters after they were scratched a little. Probaly the same case here. All I know is I have seen the full canopies at DCB before they were cut and they are definitely off a plane.
True Dat...
I was skeptical but if everyone has seen it then I'm inclined to believe it..
RD

[rivercrazy]

I don't know anything specifically related to these canapies in boats.
However, I do know that windshields in aircraft do have to be replaced at specified intervals, especially if they have any damage or flaws. The FAA requires this of commercial aircraft. I would think the military would be even more strict.

[Jrocket]

RiverDave,I also stopped by and saw the new molds for the Force 29' cat.Seemed like they were really paying attention to the detail.Atleast I hope so I'm interested in getting one......JR

[racingrascal]

Originally posted by Havasu Hangin':
Well, that boat did not want to get on plane with the big prop- no ventilation. We had to get up to the front of the boat just to get it on plane.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by RiverToysJas:
[b]Don't cats/tunnels in general (or I guess you could say, by design) need a lot of power to plain?
HH will you get on the bow of mine when I plane?
RTJ I don't know but I hope I have enough.
Andy
[This message has been edited by racingrascal (edited December 18, 2001).]