Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix
John Tomlinson knows what he is talking about when it comes to performance boats. Tomlinson took a ride on a Skater Powerboat and reported his comments on the specs and the ride of the boat. Read more below about the boat and what he had to say.
Ron Szolack, a well-known member of the performance-boating community and de facto Skater Powerboats dealer who splits his time between Michigan and Florida, estimates he has owned a dozen Skater 368 catamarans with a variety of engine packages. But with a reported achieved top speed of 170 mph, his new 36-footer, which is powered by twin Mercury Racing 1100 engines and is still currently for sale—as are all the boats he orders—could be his favorite.
“The acceleration is incredible,” said Szolack, who ran the six-seat catamaran in last week’s Florida Powerboat Club Miami Boat Show Poker Run. “It throws you back in your seat. John Tomlinson of TNT Custom Marine ran it before the Miami Boat Show and he was really impressed with it. And he’s the best throttleman in the world.
“It’s a great boat with the 1100s,” he added. “And the two-year warranty and 89-octane fuel requirement make it even better.”
Said Tomlinson, “It was good with 36-inch-pitch props and accelerated like a rocket. I had people on board and choppy water so I only ran it up to like 144 mph or so, and then dropped it off at the show. But it was a fun boat to run.”
Szolack had the Douglas, Mich., custom high-performance boat builder widen the 368’s cockpit by six inches. (The Skater 368 has the same cockpit dimensions and 65-inch tunnel width as the 388 model, though its sponsons are narrower.) Szolack said the 368 remains his favorite hull for a number of reasons.
Original full article posted by Speedonthewater.com.
