288 Skater (you read it right) - todays ride

[RiverDave]

So my friend Mike Lapaglia ended up with the one of one Skater that Roy Schrader built (hull and trailer). Before I get started with my preview of what will be an upcoming “feature boat”. I’d like to say that I’m very happy it ended up in the right hands.

He did this boat Justice (not 100% finished yet I might add) and he has the passion / heart & soul of a true boater same as Roy did.

Talking to him today.. riding in it today.. I would tell you it put a tear in my eye, if I didn’t have such a smile on my face.

This boat Fucking RIPS.

It’s the kind of thing you can show up with and nobody has.. and it pulls so god damn hard you can saw off just about anyone you want too in the process.

Had I known it was gonna run the way it does I woulda brought one of my kids along.

Smooth predictable and enjoyable.

 

[SJP]

That boat is awesome.

 

[RiverDave]

It comes out of the hole hard enough you could pull a skier..

 

[RiverDave]

And it cruises at 125 with three people / camera gear and fuel with an ultra conservative setup and short propped..

If they put some tall props on this thing it’s low to mid 130’s before ya start gettin into the “fun stuff”. (Raising the motors / upping the pitch / Channelling the bottom etc / raising the motors again after the channels,).. if you were motivated upper 130’s.

From 40-50 mph to 110’ish, this thing is a ROCKET. I have never been in a decent sized boat with outboards that literally throws you in the seat like supercharged or turbocharged big blocks.. this thing made a believer out of me.

I wouldn’t touch it from where it’s at.

The mid range in this boat is . He isn’t gonna lose to many quick races on the lake in this thing.

 

[Orange Juice]

It comes out of the hole hard enough you could pull a skier..

View attachment 1177005

I’d still need two more engine.

 

[Nanu/Nanu]

Thats awesome!!

 

[wallnutz]

Love that boat! It's a perfect lake boat for any where.

 

[JFMFG]

That thing is badass

 

[BingerFang]

Does he have a son that races dirtbikes? I grew up racing a kid named Mike LaPaglia.

 

[RiverDave]

Does he have a son that races dirtbikes? I grew up racing a kid named Mike LaPaglia.

His kids are always racing something.. lol

 

[satellitemike]

Does he have a son that races dirtbikes? I grew up racing a kid named Mike LaPaglia.

If from the Murrieta/Temecula area, then yes.

 

[BingerFang]

If from the Murrieta/Temecula area, then yes.

Yea that’s them, too cool.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I took this at my first DS a few years back. I'd seen the thread of the build, and read how's and why's. It seemed such a great concept, all the attributes of the massive boats, but not the massive size.

I didn't know Roy personally. He answered any question I asked here though. When he passed, I thought of this pic. Having come from the old car world, I'd feared it would collect dust, or worse, someone with a different vision would take hold of it.

Thankfully, neither happened. It also seems as though it works as well as planned, and was completed by an owner and shop that know what they are doing.

 

[retaocleg]

what an awesome ride! is it going to be a new model, or a one off? very sellable boat.......
was the tilt trailer for width issues, that must be$$$$

 

[Badchoices03]

Didnt he get in fight with Ryan Hughes at the track once?

 

[lake p.a.l.]

Incredible, awesome, impeccable, one of a kind machine. Thrilled it got finished properly. Thanks for the great write up & vids

 

[RiverDave]

what an awesome ride! is it going to be a new model, or a one off? very sellable boat.......
was the tilt trailer for width issues, that must be$$$$

Yeah this thing isn’t for the faint of heart.. lol. To build it new would choke an elephant. The trailer is 125’ish.

 

[RiverDave]

Incredible, awesome, impeccable, one of a kind machine. Thrilled it got finished properly. Thanks for the great write up & vids

The official feature is coming around new years.. I Just wanted to share a great day

 

[RiverDave]

Didnt he get in fight with Ryan Hughes at the track once?

Don’t know don’t care.. don’t derail my thread lol

 

[Badchoices03]

Don’t know don’t care.. don’t derail my thread lol

My bad...lol...

 

[DWC]

How much wider is Roy’s version than a standard 28’? I like the bench in the back much better.

The 450’s are no joke. It’s crazy how much water they move with a flick of the wrist.

 

[RiverDave]

How much wider is Roy’s version than a standard 28’? I like the bench in the back much better.

The 450’s are no joke. It’s crazy how much water they move with a flick of the wrist.

View attachment 1177081 View attachment 1177082

I’m with the big boats when they say 388 it is a 38 widened 8 inches.. I called it a 288 because it looks like a 28’ 388..

I think this one is widened more than 8 inches from a 28…. It does have a 10’ beam

 

[last1]

Dave your a Lucky man, getting a ride in that, OMG. i have a friend that used to race 28' skaters with 2.5s in the ocean. They are very capable boats in just about any water. I would have been happy with the 300s that were suppose to go on that.

 

[HydroSkreamin]

Very cool, Dave! I was afraid they were going to set this up for top speed, glad they made an acceleration monster out of it.

My guess is that they put some Merc 35 Pitch Cleavers on it, even though it’ll pull 38’s. That’s a safe and fun combo at 125. Badass…

I can tell you my 23’ StressEliminator pulled good with a single 400R, and the single 450R makes it look like child’s play.

Looking forward to the full write-up.

 

[Tony DCB Boats]

Yeah this thing isn’t for the faint of heart.. lol. To build it new would choke an elephant. The trailer is 125’ish.

More like 150K+ my friend

 

[RichL]

Appears to be an incredible package to say the very least. Two thumbs up to the new owner.

 

[Swain]

More like 150K+ my friend

That trailer better fix its own flat tires for that price lol.

 

[clarence]

Love this boat.

Available as a standard width build or can also be built with up to a 12” wider tunnel.

28 – Skater Powerboats

skaterpowerboats.com

 

[DaveC]

Baller……if I was gonna upgrade to a 28’ I would look at the 28 skater with 450’s. Not as baller as that bad ass machine though..


A 10” beam as RD said is quite a bit wider than the regular 28 at 8’4”. It just looks wider in the pictures.

This thing must be a monster with a 10’ beam because the standard 28’ is a beast

 

[jesco]

After seeing Daves last few posts.....Im realizing I need new friends!!! Badass boat.

 

[mbrown2]

Very nice...

 

[BingerFang]

Didnt he get in fight with Ryan Hughes at the track once?

Yea it was bad ass!

Ryan Hughes and Michael Lapaglia fight after clashing during Mammoth Motocross

Professional Motocross Racers Ryan Hughes and Michael Lapaglia throw down after a good old fashioned 90's style 2-stroke race at Mammoth Motocross in Mammoth Lakes, CA in June 2011. Filmed by Ryan Walters

www.newsflare.com

 

[clarence]

Cut and widened 19"
It has a 64" tunnel.

 

[HB2LHC]

So bad ass!! Roy is smiling down on you boys!

 

[RiverDave]

More like 150K+ my friend

You need to go with Mike in this thing. Your name came up a lot in the interview.

 

[MissB]

I'm fairly certain I saw this guy/boat rig on the 15N through Deer Springs the other night! Please tell him I had a shit day, and seeing the tilt trailer and boat (because I think that's a new level of cool, I had no idea what the make/model was) made my night! I contemplated a small fender bender just to get to see the boat up close. LOL

 

[Sawtooth]

How much wider is Roy’s version than a standard 28’? I like the bench in the back much better.

The 450’s are no joke. It’s crazy how much water they move with a flick of the wrist.

View attachment 1177081 View attachment 1177082

Roy’s Skater was cut down the center and widened 19 inches, the overall tunnel width is 64 inches. This boat does exactly what Roy intended and designed it to do......pack a bunch of air and haul ass!!!

 

[Tony DCB Boats]

You need to go with Mike in this thing. Your name came up a lot in the interview.

Yes, I go way back with Mike and his family. Great guy and his family is top notch. I have some special props for him to try...

 

[riverroyal]

Can you finance the trailer? im a tad short of funds

 

[Cole Trickle]

Beautiful piece!!!

@RiverDave needs to machine him a custom window support that matches the steering wheel and powdercoat it black for xmas!!

 

[Tony DCB Boats]

I'm fairly certain I saw this guy/boat rig on the 15N through Deer Springs the other night! Please tell him I had a shit day, and seeing the tilt trailer and boat (because I think that's a new level of cool, I had no idea what the make/model was) made my night! I contemplated a small fender bender just to get to see the boat up close. LOL

That would've been me towing a new M-37R home to test it on Elsinore. Pics coming soon.

 

[throttle]

It looks fast just sitting on the trailer, wow! Sharp.

Did that glassy water feel sticky? I bet it really started singing when the surface tension let go a bit with some light chop.

 

[PlanB]

Killer boat! I would like to see what numbers it would put up with bigger props. My standard 28 with 300's ran 117 with weight in the boat. I would bet it could come close to touching 140.

 

[1tonfun]

Damn, I want one after seeing the pic's.

 

[braindead]

That would've been me towing a new M-37R home to test it on Elsinore. Pics coming soon.

I drug my boat all the way out to Elsinore 3 weeks ago only to find out it had been closed since august because of an algae bloom, might wanna call ahead.

 

[RiverDave]

Killer boat! I would like to see what numbers it would put up with bigger props. My standard 28 with 300's ran 117 with weight in the boat. I would bet it could come close to touching 140.

I’d bet somewhere around there or just shy of it, is completely attainable.. I have never understood taking a boat that does everything well though and making top speed the only priority.. usually when you squeeze that number everything else suffers.

 

[hallett21]

I’d bet somewhere around there or just shy of it is completely attainable.. I have never understood taking a boat that does everything well though and making top speed the only priority.. usually when you squeeze that number everything else suffers.

X2 the big number is only a fraction of the whole picture.

 

[Badchoices03]

That would've been me towing a new M-37R home to test it on Elsinore. Pics coming soon.

Isn't Elsinore still closed? Or do you have special privilege's??

 

[Tony DCB Boats]

Isn't Elsinore still closed? Or do you have special privilege's??

Yes, they let OEM's and manufacturers test and with zero human water contact. The lake is disgusting and green. It looks like you could literally walk on it. Thank goodness they let us manufacturers still test our boats there as there are not many choices in the area.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Yes, they let OEM's and manufacturers test and with zero human water contact. The lake is disgusting and green. It looks like you could literally walk on it. Thank goodness they let us manufacturers still test our boats there as there are not many choices in the area.

That has to seriously suck. It's not like you're wet testing a duck boat. Those are big boats, that have to be spotless when you deliver them. That's a whole lot of wiping down and green slimy rags