# Chittum Price Increase...



## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Not that I was ever considering one, but after watching their FB antics around the Miami boat show I wouldn't buy their boat regardless. Plus I personally think their boats are kind of ugly.


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## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

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## zlenart (Jan 30, 2016)

I think they were marketing the 2 degree skiff at 49,500, and the 12 degree is 53,500. Could be wrong though


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

tgjohnso said:


> I think they look good except the "wings" as viewed from the stern or aft of the boat...I don't like how they stay out in the wind and they're not brought back into the gunwales. Anyone with engineering/boat building experience know if there's a reason for this? Am assuming that's the best way to keep the boat dry...but at some point you still have to say "yeah, that looks dumb, let's make a slight sacrifice here in function to save grace on style."
> 
> That said, I think my eye has gotten accustomed to it the more I see their pictures...perhaps it's like any new technology when design drastically changes...it takes people a bit to get used to it. Who knows.
> 
> EL9surf - were you at the Miami Boat show? Curious what all was going down? I know they are pretty "gregarious" on instagram and social media, but curious as to what else was observed. I know people have debated this in other forums, so not trying to turn it into that... one thing is for sure, though: they definitely believe in their product. Hah!



Just referring to all the embarrassing crap they did on social media around the boat show. That displayed a complete lack of character. I don't want to do business with folks like that.


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## 994 (Apr 14, 2008)

Great here we go again...


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

tgjohnso said:


> I think they look good except the "wings" as viewed from the stern or aft of the boat...I don't like how they stay out in the wind and they're not brought back into the gunwales. Anyone with engineering/boat building experience know if there's a reason for this? Am assuming that's the best way to keep the boat dry...but at some point you still have to say "yeah, that looks dumb, let's make a slight sacrifice here in function to save grace on style."
> 
> That said, I think my eye has gotten accustomed to it the more I see their pictures...perhaps it's like any new technology when design drastically changes...it takes people a bit to get used to it. Who knows.
> 
> EL9surf - were you at the Miami Boat show? Curious what all was going down? I know they are pretty "gregarious" on instagram and social media, but curious as to what else was observed. I know people have debated this in other forums, so not trying to turn it into that... one thing is for sure, though: they definitely believe in their product. Hah!


I completely agree on the wings you are referencing. Taper them in starting around the rear bulkhead. I believe that overhang is there to knock spray down. Not sure what other function it serves. I don't know if they are still doing the convex deck but that was another thing I thought was strange and unecessary.


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## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

zlenart said:


> I think they were marketing the 2 degree skiff at 49,500, and the 12 degree is 53,500. Could be wrong though


actually shot them an e-mail because I was confused... he did in fact respond saying that "they have increased their price."


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## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

nativejax said:


> I think whether it is price increases or just their social media antics they are a PR Nightmare from end to end. Not taking away from their skiff building ability and I can understand some say that even bad press is good press but as a marketing/business person it makes me cringe.


I agree. I'm really pretty surprised since Hal was a very innovative marketer when he owned HT Chittum & Co. and Hells Bay. He must be getting some very bad advice from someone close to him...GS?

They still have not updated their website to include any information on the Snake Bight and this thing has been "in development" for the past 2 years. Obviously this model is the future of their company. 

It costs more to buy around of drinks at a small tournament than it costs to update a page on a website. They had a "coming soon" placeholder up on the site until recently. Go to the Snake Bight link and no pics, no video, no specs and no pricing...unreal.


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## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

tgjohnso said:


> Just 5 weeks ago Chittum was HEAVILY marketing their skiff for $49,500 "fully rigged"....now it's at $53,500..."fully rigged" which does not equal fully outfitted or extra options.
> 
> Obviously demand drives prices, but I was pretty surprised at how quickly that occurred after every single post by them was advertising a below $50k boat up until a few weeks ago...
> 
> ..Thoughts?


Last fall I received a response from George stating a base price of $49,500 with Tohatsu 50 power on a galvanized trailer, and was quoted $53,500 for a 12 degree with a F70 Yamaha on an aluminum trailer. George stated the price had exceeded their goal of >20% price reduction from the Legacy model.

I'm just guessing, but I think that new base price is for the F70 on an aluminum trailer because that's what people spending >$50k on a skiff expect.

If its not, then the payment terms would have to be 100% at delivery for anybody in their right mind to buy one.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Net 30 said:


> I agree. I'm really pretty surprised since Hal was a very innovative marketer when he owned HT Chittum & Co. and Hells Bay. He must be getting some very bad advice from someone close to him...GS?
> 
> They still have not updated their website to include any information on the Snake Bight and this thing has been "in development" for the past 2 years. Obviously this model is the future of their company.
> 
> It costs more to buy around of drinks at a small tournament than it costs to update a page on a website. They had a "coming soon" placeholder up on the site until recently. Go to the Snake Bight link and no pics, no video, no specs and no pricing...unreal.


They are too busy talking sh!t.


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## Dawhoo (Oct 27, 2015)

I don't know about y'all but I enjoy the antics. Y'all are probably the same people offended when NWO Hollywood uses to trash talk "the wolfpack" in days of WCW wrestling. It is really a lot more similar than you think. Good guys vs the renegades.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

I heard that the price increases are a direct result of sabotage by Flip Pallot, Hell's Bay, and the Illumaniti.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Dawhoo said:


> I don't know about y'all but I enjoy the antics. Y'all are probably the same people offended when NWO Hollywood uses to trash talk "the wolfpack" in days of WCW wrestling. It is really a lot more similar than you think. Good guys vs the renegades.



Not offended easily. Yes it can be entertaining, but we aren't talking about wrestling here. Hype and sh!t talking sells arena seats and pay per view. Metrics, build quality, service and performance sells boats. 

Chittum is trying to come across as the premier skiff on the market. They should do themselves a favor and act like they have the class to be in that spot. People's actions are very telling of who they truly are. They look like a bunch of clowns running their mouth constantly on social media.

Keep in mind there are quite a few other skiff companies that won't engage in bad-mouthing their competition. They don't need to because they have integrity and their products do the talking. I personally think chittum has shot himself in the foot. This is just a customers perspective though....


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## crc01 (Oct 28, 2016)

Because of their marketing strategy, I know more about the competitions skiffs than I do their own. That's usually indicative of someone who's claims are on the side of "stretching it".

If you build a superior product. You market your own product.


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## Chris Morejohn (May 12, 2014)

I have just this week made a cost sheet up of all materials needed to build a one off hull , deck and interior with console and bait well for my up coming 18' Lithium skiff design. Al materials are state of the art as they say using vynelester resin. Total cost wholesale today for everything except engine, trailer and steering.... $8,300.00. 
A Chittum skiff or a similar skiffs will spend the same or a bit less in costs. 
Now add your engine choice, trailer.
The rest is made up of labor and overhead. If like me you build your own skiff you will save over Chittums price $35,000.00 or more.
Or you just look at all the other great skiffs out there today.


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## Tankhead (Aug 28, 2015)

I don't own a Chittum or any other "elite" skiff, but if you don't like the price don't buy the boat. Why make a thread? A few boat builders haven't updated their pages with the newest model info, call the builder. Or take 10x the time that would make to write your post.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

Chris Morejohn said:


> I have just this week made a cost sheet up of all materials needed to build a one off hull , deck and interior with console and bait well for my up coming 18' Lithium skiff design. Al materials are state of the art as they say using vynelester resin. Total cost wholesale today for everything except engine, trailer and steering.... $8,300.00.
> A Chittum skiff or a similar skiffs will spend the same or a bit less in costs.
> Now add your engine choice, trailer.
> The rest is made up of labor and overhead. If like me you build your own skiff you will save over Chittums price $35,000.00 or more.
> Or you just look at all the other great skiffs out there today.


But if I tried to build my own skiff it would come out looking like the time Homer Simpson tried to build a doghouse in his backyard.


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## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

Tankhead said:


> I don't own a Chittum or any other "elite" skiff, but if you don't like the price don't buy the boat. Why make a thread? A few boat builders haven't updated their pages with the newest model info, call the builder. Or take 10x the time that would make to write your post.


Pretty sure no one in this thread, including the one that started it (me), was complaining about the price. Just an observation and some dialogue, brother.

I hope you accept my most sincere apology for starting a thread about a skiff in a skiff forum titled "general discussion."


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## Tankhead (Aug 28, 2015)

Fair enough, you asked for thoughts and I gave mine.


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## mtoddsolomon (Mar 25, 2015)

Wet blanket, anyone?

I think it's absurd to compare yourself with your former company for so long, while saying how much better your new product is than your old product. And during that whole time you say that you're better priced, then jack the price up. It's dumb but whatever, best of luck to them.


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## YnR (Feb 16, 2015)

I sort of get the beef if you were right about to pull the trigger but who else really cares and can you blame them? High demand warrants an increase in prices. Maybe not the smoothest marketing on their part but don't think they're really going to suffer because of it. I think it'd be far worse to be a no name builder to have the same pricing as a premium company without anything to back it up. At least Chittum has pedigree and quality (can't speak for their CS) behind them.


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

Chris Morejohn said:


> I have just this week made a cost sheet up of all materials needed to build a one off hull , deck and interior with console and bait well for my up coming 18' Lithium skiff design. Al materials are state of the art as they say using vynelester resin. Total cost wholesale today for everything except engine, trailer and steering.... $8,300.00.
> A Chittum skiff or a similar skiffs will spend the same or a bit less in costs.
> Now add your engine choice, trailer.
> The rest is made up of labor and overhead. If like me you build your own skiff you will save over Chittums price $35,000.00 or more.
> Or you just look at all the other great skiffs out there today.


Chris,

Here's a thought for you.

Back in the day there were some boat builders (Dusky for example) that spent zero on marketing, no sales staff, no boat shows etc. They just sold boats "factory direct" in different levels of finish.

Why don't you think about doing just that. Come up with a reasonable price with a couple of cap configurations, bare boat, no options, no power, no rigging, no nothing. Let people buy the bare boat and let them power it, rig it and finish it on their own schedule and budget. Some want a top quality skiff, but aren't able to throw down $40-$70k at one go; they can finish the boat over time assuming you could come up with a price point somewhere around $20k. When you think about it engines, rigging, platforms etc are low margin areas and very time consuming in relation to margin. This would afford you the focus and ability to get boats out the door at a good predictable rate. For buyers who have the wherewithal, they can contract the powering and rigging right away or DIY it from the outset.

So what if it takes weeks, months or a year for a buyer to get it done? They will know having great, purely custom boat in the end is worth the wait without having to compromise on a lesser skiff.

The most powerful marketing tool is "word of mouth" and your name speaks loudly. If I recall you built 8 or 10 skiffs back in the 90's pretty much based on this concept. It might be a good moment in the skiff market to do things differently and make Lithium the "worst-kept" secret.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

Good idea Blue Zone.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

el9surf said:


> Not offended easily. Yes it can be entertaining, but we aren't talking about wrestling here. Hype and sh!t talking sells arena seats and pay per view. Metrics, build quality, service and performance sells boats.
> 
> Chittum is trying to come across as the premier skiff on the market. They should do themselves a favor and act like they have the class to be in that spot. People's actions are very telling of who they truly are. They look like a bunch of clowns running their mouth constantly on social media.
> 
> Keep in mind there are quite a few other skiff companies that won't engage in bad-mouthing their competition. They don't need to because they have integrity and their products do the talking. I personally think chittum has shot himself in the foot. This is just a customers perspective though....


Well said.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

Blue Zone said:


> Chris,
> 
> Here's a thought for you.
> 
> ...


Amen brother this is an awesome idea. Could get an awesome rig for barebones price (relatively speaking) this is just such an awesome idea. I would have jumped all over this.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

Well thinking about all this I gotta say that my new Professional is still a pretty sweet ride... and personally I think Chittum is going about their advertising all wrong. Whatever. Most peeps are not gonna have the scratch to come up with their asking price anyway. But some guys could so is their advertising effort compelling enough?


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## Chris Morejohn (May 12, 2014)

Blue Zone,
Since sailing back here to the Keys I have been doing lots of research on the skiff market. What's worked in the past what's not. I will never be in the actual building of skiffs again other than a 1 one off skiff I will build from the new Lithium mold this summer.I will do this on my own to get pictures of my process to use to show others my methods.
The truth is what you are suggesting has been a very good way for many people in the past to build a boat that is out of their means. You basically buy the hull which represents a small % of the over all cost of the project but is the most technical thing to build. From there you look for deals on what will finish off the boat and build as you can. It's like paying for your house but at your own pace. I have done this many times and always made my investment $ back when selling.
The problem as a top end company like when I was part of HBBWs is to let someone else rigg your skiff on their own. If not up to your standards this skiff can mar your company's image when at the boat ramp.
I let several guys buy bare bones skiffs once I got to know them and they did incredible jobs finishing out their skiffs. So the deal would be you would have to let the public know this is what you are doing to put a small wall out between your product and home builders.
Today finds us with lots of hype in this market with only a couple of builders clamoring for the limelight. They stand out just like Chickem Little did back in the day. In my first year building at HB I oversaw and helped build just over 50 skiffs going out the door. Chittum skiffs is on hull #26 today of their premium skiff since they started. The difference between a 2degree skiff bottom and a 12 degree bottom using the same amount or hatches is less than .03% in material cost at the most. Basically the keel line is a few inches more. Everything else is the same.
ALL SKIFFS today can weigh in the 450-600 lb range if the builders want to build to those specs. It's easy, you just need someone who cares to be on sight.
At present I am finishing up designs for 2 different skiff company's that will be introducing my hull shapes and engineering in their line up this winter as competitive price point skiffs.
Maybe they will sell packages, time will tell.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Chris Morejohn said:


> Blue Zone,
> Since sailing back here to the Keys I have been doing lots of research on the skiff market. What's worked in the past what's not. I will never be in the actual building of skiffs again other than a 1 one off skiff I will build from the new Lithium mold this summer.I will do this on my own to get pictures of my process to use to show others my methods.
> The truth is what you are suggesting has been a very good way for many people in the past to build a boat that is out of their means. You basically buy the hull which represents a small % of the over all cost of the project but is the most technical thing to build. From there you look for deals on what will finish off the boat and build as you can. It's like paying for your house but at your own pace. I have done this many times and always made my investment $ back when selling.
> The problem as a top end company like when I was part of HBBWs is to let someone else rigg your skiff on their own. If not up to your standards this skiff can mar your company's image when at the boat ramp.
> ...


I would have loved to have bought just a hull and trailer and rigged the boat my self but there is no one on the market that offers this that I know of. From what I have seen most of us could do a better job rigging and do what we want to suit our needs. These days it seems even "custom" is a lightly used term. There are still some companies out there that truly do custom work but many are just calling their work custom and losing business because they can't or won't do what the customer asks and lots of times the end product is not exactly what the buyer envisioned but they settle for what they get. It's pretty sad!


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## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

Chris Morejohn said:


> Chittum skiffs is on hull #26 today of their premium skiff since they started.


: ping: Sawley - Step up your social media troll game and guerrilla marketing tactics bro. That's about 4 boats a year by my math. That's not gonna pay for that super duper awesome lightweight Sportfish you guys were (are?) designing to break all those marlin records.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

el9surf said:


> Not offended easily. Yes it can be entertaining, but we aren't talking about wrestling here. Hype and sh!t talking sells arena seats and pay per view. Metrics, build quality, service and performance sells boats.
> 
> Chittum is trying to come across as the premier skiff on the market. They should do themselves a favor and act like they have the class to be in that spot. People's actions are very telling of who they truly are. They look like a bunch of clowns running their mouth constantly on social media.
> 
> Keep in mind there are quite a few other skiff companies that won't engage in bad-mouthing their competition. They don't need to because they have integrity and their products do the talking. I personally think chittum has shot himself in the foot. This is just a customers perspective though....


I don't have and most likely never will have that kind of money but the Facebook post where the guy picks the bow of the Chittum out of the water while standing on the dock then says "try that with your Hell's Bay" was the most arrogant and ignorant display of juvenile asshattery I have seen in regards to anything in the fishing industry and I've been around all kinds of rod builders, boat builders, lure makers etc. Time to grow up!


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## Guest (Apr 20, 2017)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I don't have and most likely never will have that kind of money but the Facebook post where the guy picks the bow of the Chittum out of the water while standing on the dock then says "try that with your Hell's Bay" was the most arrogant and ignorant display of juvenile asshattery I have seen in regards to anything in the fishing industry and I've been around all kinds of rod builders, boat builders, lure makers etc. Time to grow up!


The guy who picked up the Chittum is a fishing a guide and owns a couple Hell's Bay's. I thought it was funny and all in good fun. I think he recently purchased a new 2017 Hells Bay Professional, so I don't think he was being arrogant. Don't sweat the small stuff.


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## mtoddsolomon (Mar 25, 2015)

Asshatery is my new favorite word


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

mtoddsolomon said:


> Asshatery is my new favorite word


apparently its been around for longer than you might think

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Asshatery

who knew?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

FlyCoast said:


> The guy who picked up the Chittum is a fishing a guide and owns a couple Hell's Bay's. I thought it was funny and all in good fun. I think he recently purchased a new 2017 Hells Bay Professional, so I don't think he was being arrogant. Don't sweat the small stuff.


When it's plastered all over social media it's hard to distinguish who has what and who's just joking. I build custom rods and would not bend one of my rods in half and say "try that with a Waterloo" and not expect people to know I was joking.


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

Chris Morejohn said:


> Blue Zone,
> Since sailing back here to the Keys I have been doing lots of research on the skiff market. What's worked in the past what's not. I will never be in the actual building of skiffs again other than a 1 one off skiff I will build from the new Lithium mold this summer.I will do this on my own to get pictures of my process to use to show others my methods.
> The truth is what you are suggesting has been a very good way for many people in the past to build a boat that is out of their means. You basically buy the hull which represents a small % of the over all cost of the project but is the most technical thing to build. From there you look for deals on what will finish off the boat and build as you can. It's like paying for your house but at your own pace. I have done this many times and always made my investment $ back when selling.
> The problem as a top end company like when I was part of HBBWs is to let someone else rigg your skiff on their own. If not up to your standards this skiff can mar your company's image when at the boat ramp.
> ...


Chris,,

Never say never.

I understand your thinking. Just to be clear , I was not suggesting to target only "home builders", but also those who would end up contracting the whole final fit-out on their own. I really doubt that anyone plunking down $20k for a bare 18' hull is going to mount a stripper pole and strobe lights just to hang out at the sand bar. There just aren't that many things to screw up. The pedigree, quality build, and price point will eliminate the riffraff all by itself.

I think you run a greater risk but putting design and your name on these two other skiffs you mentioned. It's not only a question of monitoring build quality but also ensuring your name won't be sullied by some *asshatery* unmarketing strategy down the road. If you get my drift.

If you want something done right, do it yourself; that eliminates a lot of unpleasant variables.

Again, never say never. All the best.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I don't have and most likely never will have that kind of money but the Facebook post where the guy picks the bow of the Chittum out of the water while standing on the dock then says "try that with your Hell's Bay" was the most arrogant and ignorant display of juvenile asshattery I have seen in regards to anything in the fishing industry and I've been around all kinds of rod builders, boat builders, lure makers etc. Time to grow up!





FlyCoast said:


> The guy who picked up the Chittum is a fishing a guide and owns a couple Hell's Bay's. I thought it was funny and all in good fun. I think he recently purchased a new 2017 Hells Bay Professional, so I don't think he was being arrogant. Don't sweat the small stuff.


Correct. He is also a very good and experienced guide and stand up human being. Careful Smack.


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## George Sawley (Nov 7, 2015)

Hello Gent, I will try to cover a few of your concerns about our company and its current situation. Yes we have had a little tit for tat going with HB for a while. It goes back to when we were building our first skiffs/ Islamorada 18s in Titusville where they, Chris and Wendy Petterson came to our shop to demand how we had the nerve to build skiffs and not buy back the company from the bank. Brian B the person Hal sold the company to stole deposits and sucked the company dry, the bank did try to sell company back to Hal but he declined. 
Not to long after that very awkward encounter we had fire marshals and others chasing us due to anonymous complaints that we had to deal with that went no where but cost us time to sort out. Also had few letters from their attorneys about logos and other petty issues. 
We explained to Chris and Wendy P that we were not building a skiff to compete with them as our skiff was at $75K and built with very high end materials and process. We, Hal and I wanted to build larger boats but our buyer flamed out as the economy was crashing. Truth be known as we were understanding the process of building advanced composite boats the HB designs were not going to be able to handle the weight changes in our opinion. The molds were not built for the process of high heat so there really was no value in our long term plans. We figure it would be better to start with a prototype and not end up with a building with high overhead and a bunch of old molds. We wanted a better boat and less overhead. Truth be known Hal and I did not want to build the boats ourselves, we wanted someone experienced in the process to do it for us, but thats another story.
Recently we tried to enter the Florida Skiff Challenge. We heard it was going to happen and HB and Maverick were in it so we wanted in. After many attempts we could not get anyone to come back to us in our requests, emails or phone calls. So we kicked a little dirt at them. I like to call it educating the public, some in the social media world called it bashing. We were ready to go head to head. Posting skiffs with over sized engines in over weight heavy glass only fired us up knowing we could easily out run them. We already passed them easily in the Keys show so knew there latest and greatest was going to be easy to over take. Their rules as we saw them at the time were less then 18" and no more then 22 gallons of fuel and max HP at 70. Our 12 degree demo was perfect for it and ready to go.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

sjrobin said:


> Correct. He is also a very good and experienced guide and stand up human being. Careful Smack.


I would have probably done the same thing joking around, I like to cut up and have fun, it just got on social media and could have been taken the wrong way. I did nothing but state what I saw and how it made me react.


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## George Sawley (Nov 7, 2015)

So after we saturated the market with $65 and $75K skiffs 30 in total the shop we had building for us in St Augustine went belly up due to some other projects not including ours went south. So that left us out in the bush, our molds were covered up in a friends house while we regrouped.
Along the way we went from wet preging to infusion, learning a lot along the way. Our boat is not a easy boat to build with these processes. So we needed to figure out how to bring the cost down and doing every aspect of the build ourselves so we could control the costs and insure the quality. Out sourcing as we were doing was hard to control all factors.
We needed to find a facility to build and a place were we wanted to live that could be centralized in Florida. We picked Staurt/Palm City.

We also needed to simplify the boats parts for faster construction and lower cost yet keeping with the high end materials and process. We now had a much better idea after building 30 Islamorada 18s so we made new parts/molds for this. Some we did in house and some we subbed out. So you know where we started all we had were our original molds. Hal and I did not even have a screw driver between the two of us. We literally started with nothing but the building and went to town with 3 employees.

I was for the last 13 years running a very nice sportfish in Central, South America and the Caribbean two weeks a month chasing billfish, as one on here said Gods gift to Marlin fishing, lol. The budget was anywhere from $350K to $550 depending on the schedule. But as much fun as I was having I wanted to see this skiff company take off because I know we have a great product and the world needs better boats of all kinds. Our process of advanced composites has been in a number of other boat types and are proving everyday to be the future.

I appreciate JHR for pointing out that we do want to build a larger boat. I did start out as a kid working on my fathers commercial fishing boats and worked my way out of that and into sport fishing as I grew up in the Keys in the 70s and 80s. I always had a passion for skiffs as I saw them ever morning lined up a Stout's restaurant. I had to ride my bike to the flats when I got the bug to catch a bone fish. I bought my first rod from Hall's Tackle shop with my earning from snapper fishing, even though my father like to call them rod and reels idiot sticks for tourists . He was a long line and hand liner...

So yes we have a client that wants to build it and we are working on it with a very good architect and engineer. At the same time we looking for a building or land to build the building all at the same time as building up a business and building skiffs.

As far as our cost increase of about 8%, our materials costs and adding more qualified employees has gone up. Clients want their skiffs faster and to meet that demand we have to increase the cost. The clients that have been in contact with us are getting the old price but those that have not have to pay extra and I don't believe that they have a problem. We have 15 employees now and they are all good qualified craftsman that make this their career and strive to make a better product with pride. We offer then great pay and full medical. We build our skiffs in a air conditioned building. This cost more as well, but the benefit in the quality of the build comes back in value in the product. The product is not shoe horned together by sweaty over heated employees. Plus lamination is far superior as there is no humidity in the cloth that reduces strength in layups and in bonds of all types.


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## George Sawley (Nov 7, 2015)

There are also a couple of guys on here with a bit of disinformation. The guide in question that supposedly has cracks in his hull and waited two years and got bumped to hull 15 from one is a false. I called the guide aft I read this today and he had no idea as to what he was talking about. The true story is the guide is a friend, I gave him a guide price and told him I would sell him the first boat but I did not know when I was going to have it done. The deck and a number of parts were going threw the changes to get his said price. Unfortunately there were delays that we had no control over. He was informed, it was taking longer then expected and he showed frustration as we all would. I offered to give his money back, or be patient and wait it out. His choice was to wait it out. He bought said boat without trailer as he thought he could get better price so then came back at the 12 hour to get a trailer from Ramlin. By the way, trailer prices went up too and ordering time went from 2 weeks to 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. Hal called the owner of Ramlin to see if it could be pushed up. The owner of Ramlin is expanding his company and there was new personnel that dropped the ball. Guide calls Ramlin just to make matters worse and confuses new employee. One big mess, and just so you know we had not taken the guides money for trailer so it was not a case of us sitting on his cash. Just one big mistake.... His boat does have two small gelcoat issues that I said I would fix if he waited a hour but he wanted to beat traffic so I told him to take it to Island Marine and have them fix it and I will take care of the bill. And for the guys that think we will not be around its 8 years and 45 boats out on the water now. If its our problem we have taken care of every issue. There are great shops out there that can handle whatever your problem is and will at our expense. I can't say that they have been 100 percent flawless but I am happy to say issues have been very minimal.


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## George Sawley (Nov 7, 2015)

Im not going to get in a pissing contest with anyone on this forum, been there done that. I will answer any and all legitimate questions as it relates to the product. Im not bashing any company only giving legitimate information as it compares to their and our product. I know other companies have great employees with families and bills to pay like ours do. But if my product is better as I feel it is you don't have to like it or buy it if it does'nt fit you. You are all very welcome to come to our facility and get a tour of the shop and how we do things to make this a better poling skiff then you can buy anywhere else. Please for the very few on the forum please refrain from disinformation when you have not been to our shop or even ridden or poled our skiff. You can only learn so much from a web site or social media. We have been on the road every other weekend to show people what it can do. You don't even have to be a buyer with a check book in hand to come demo, we enjoy meeting skiff people. We are there to let you experience our product and answer your questions so you understand us and our product.


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## George Sawley (Nov 7, 2015)

And a little more about me, I grew up fishing for a living, I grew up on a boat at a fish house. If I wasn't at the docks I was biking around with my rods, bucket and a cast net.
Once I became a staple on the charter docks of Key Colony Beach and Duck Key I was handed the keys to about every skiff you could imagine. When I wasn't on the offshore boats doing charters I was in my skiff. At 17 I had a few charters and having a great time, but someone dropped a dime on me and the Marine Patrol had a talk with me about not having a lic. At 18 I was standing at the door of the Coast Guard test office in Miami.... took the test twice to pass. Hard to study and fish 250 plus days a year on a charter boat offshore out of Hawks Cay and tarpon fish the bridges every night but I pulled it off. For 6 years I mated on the charter boats by day and took tarpon trips at night. If I did not have a offshore trip I took the back country over flow in my own skiff..... I only say this because I was accused of growing up with a silver spoon in my mouth. So to say I know the value of hard work and the value of a dollar is a understatement. That's for the guy on here that said he would not trust me with his money.... I have been in the fishing business for a long time and trusted with the care of some very expensive vessels and the owner of the vessels family members, I may be know as a hard ass in my field but I get the job done on or below the budget, I am always protecting my clients investments. I never over spent what I was given or what I projected it to be. So you don't have to worry I'm not going anywhere and I will make sure you are taken care of. Regards, George Sawley


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## mtoddsolomon (Mar 25, 2015)

@George Sawley I'm happy you able to explain what, i'm sure, a lot of us thought was just being an ass. I personally think my skiff is the greatest skiff in the water for me and the way I fish, and I think anyone who doesn't think that, should buy a different boat. Having said that I wish you all the best, maybe just don't go talking shit about other boats and just focus on the positives of what your boat brings.


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

Good info wish yall the best. The industry NEEDS good hard competition to keep everyone honest. Thanks GS.


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## Chris Morejohn (May 12, 2014)

Blue Zone said:


> Chris,,
> 
> Never say never.
> 
> ...


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## Chris Morejohn (May 12, 2014)

Blue Zone said:


> Chris,,
> 
> Never say never.
> 
> ...


I can say for sure I will never run a boat shop again. but I still work on boats. I will be in the Keys for a few more months and I'am doing bid job contract work now at Isla Marine. My first 2 jobs were modifieing Chittum skiffs stern wells. I will build a one off skiff from the LITIHUM mold for picture documentation for future blogs and such this summer. It will be sold after I'am done. By next year I will be off sailing to the Pacific as our youngest daughter is graduating from UF next week. We don't plan on coming back to Florida. 
At present I am finishing up 5 different boat designs. I can do this work anywhere so it fits in with my lifestyle well. I like the challenge of putting someone else's vision to paper with my input added.ha that's why they hire me. But ultimately it's their project and you never have control once you hand over the design. Same thing when some one buys an existing company and then starts changing everything. Most times for the better.
I think today there would be a great market for kit boats. In the past I built one off decks for guys like Randy Towe and Carl Navverrae to put on their hulls. Was $ to keep things going along.


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## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

Do you have a buyer in mind for your Lithium?


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## TheFrequentFlier (Feb 17, 2016)

fjmaverick said:


> Do you have a buyer in mind for your Lithium?


was wondering who was gunna be the first one to ask!


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

I asked about a month ago, he has a laundry list of people.


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## Chris Morejohn (May 12, 2014)

makin moves said:


> I asked about a month ago, he has a laundry list of people.


Making moves, please email me again as I don't know your name here. If you emailed me you are on the list as first right of refusal. I have had one other inquiry.
I would like to build this skiff to mostly my design so it might not suit lots of people. I will post a full blog on its design soon. So you if you are who I think emailed me then you are the first on the list.The second guy wanted a console and wheel steered skiff and I want to build a tiller skiff with central bait well, console bow that tilts out of the way to get at batterys and bait well valves. This console design is totally watertight and makes access very quick and easy. Not like rigging and crawling into a crab hole.This skiff will have no fastenings through the deck and the entire deck and hull will be glassed as one so no leaks through these areas. All the hatches will use my new gutter , hinge and lid designs to be as dry as possible. All stern eyes and bow eyes will be my new design using Dyneema line instead of u- bolts. I will ask for a set price and it will be way below the top end skiff prices. It will be my last skiff as I will be off sailing and looking for new adventures next year.
Best way to contact me is via my [email protected]
Thanks for considering


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

Chris Morejohn said:


> All stern eyes and bow eyes will be my new design using Dyneema line instead of u- bolts.


Am I imagining this correctly; Instead of a stainless eye, it will be loop of dyneema? Like a tiny little rope handle?


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

or if you don't like the post don't read it. Or take 10 times the time to respond.


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## Chris Morejohn (May 12, 2014)

jmrodandgun said:


> Am I imagining this correctly; Instead of a stainless eye, it will be loop of dyneema? Like a tiny little rope handle?


I will be posting all my design details for this skiff including the use of Dynema to replace stainless steel. Very simple, super strong and I have been testing it on my sailboat and others for over 30 years. My goal is to have no through hulls and through deck bolts in all my future designs and builds.


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

Thanks for the response Chris. I'm very excited to be the first one on the list. I'll have to start saving my pennies. If not the next person in line will be very happy. Looking forward to following the build!


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## mwong61 (Jul 28, 2013)

mtoddsolomon said:


> Asshatery is my new favorite word


I'm partial to "douchebaggery". Lot's of application in my line of work.


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## RCR (Dec 8, 2016)

Chris, What Horsepower are you planning for on the lithium design?


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## jlindsley (Nov 24, 2015)

George Sawley said:


> Im not going to get in a pissing contest with anyone on this forum, been there done that. I will answer any and all legitimate questions as it relates to the product.


Here is a question for you. Why didn't you just do the skiff challenge anyway despite the lack of responses that you mentioned. Instead of trashing other companies on social media etc to try and get a point of across it would have been much more professional to show proof (ex. certified letters that were mailed showing intent to enter) and then just doing the challenge anyway. Waters in Florida are public.. Had you done this and won your publicity would have been so much better than the situation you all are in now.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Does anybody really care.............does it make any difference?


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

George Sawley said:


> Im not going to get in a pissing contest with anyone on this forum, been there done that. I will answer any and all legitimate questions as it relates to the product. Im not bashing any company only giving legitimate information as it compares to their and our product. I know other companies have great employees with families and bills to pay like ours do. But if my product is better as I feel it is you don't have to like it or buy it if it does'nt fit you. You are all very welcome to come to our facility and get a tour of the shop and how we do things to make this a better poling skiff then you can buy anywhere else. Please for the very few on the forum please refrain from disinformation when you have not been to our shop or even ridden or poled our skiff. You can only learn so much from a web site or social media. We have been on the road every other weekend to show people what it can do. You don't even have to be a buyer with a check book in hand to come demo, we enjoy meeting skiff people. We are there to let you experience our product and answer your questions so you understand us and our product.


You start off your first post pissing all over HB with highly questionable innuendo; then you write you don't want to get into a pissing contest? I don't get it.

Why don't you guys just zip it, "refrain from disinformation", put your heads down and build boats then let the end product speak for itself.


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