# Fat Cat Boats



## Sleeper80 (Sep 3, 2012)

Does anyone have real world experience with Fat Cat Boats? I'm buying a new boat soon, and I have checked them out some. They seem very well built, excellent attention to detail, and they run very nice. I'm just curious if anyone else has input on them. Price wise, they are in the SCB world (or former SCB world). But I have to admit, I'm very hesitant to slap down close to six figures for a relatively new name, regardless what the warranty is. Warranties are no good if a company goes out of business.

For reference, I'm looking at a 21' Manta Ray Sport, or the 25' CB. Both "cat hulls".


----------



## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

I suscribe to this thread


----------



## boltmaster (Aug 16, 2011)

You might wait a bit and see what Shallow Sport does with the SCB rebrand.


----------



## CLIMAX (Oct 3, 2012)

Hello my name is Rick George. i would like to answer as much of your question as I can. I personally have been designing and Building boats since nineteen seventy six. Most all of my time has been spent in the racing world. From big offshore racing boats with turbines to now back in the Drag Boat world running both a Top Fuel and Top Alchohol hydros . Not to mention that I personally designed along with Dan Elison. Doug Wright and I are also working on several cutting edge big offshore race boats also. We are also about to go and make a run at the Outboard World Record which has not been attempted in thirty plus years. When I left after tooling on the Recon for Eric at SCB . They vast majority of employees followed me to Corpus and have been here since opening day. The rest did come after the closure. I think if we can play at the Top the game in all of these fields building a minimal powered fishing boat is pretty much a Cake Walk. Thanks for your interest in our product. Have A Great Weekend


----------



## DadSaid (Apr 4, 2006)

bigfishtx said:


> I suscribe to this thread


X2..


----------



## Sleeper80 (Sep 3, 2012)

CLIMAX said:


> Hello my name is Rick George. i would like to answer as much of your question as I can. I personally have been designing and Building boats since nineteen seventy six. Most all of my time has been spent in the racing world. From big offshore racing boats with turbines to now back in the Drag Boat world running both a Top Fuel and Top Alchohol hydros . Not to mention that I personally designed along with Dan Elison. Doug Wright and I are also working on several cutting edge big offshore race boats also. We are also about to go and make a run at the Outboard World Record which has not been attempted in thirty plus years. When I left after tooling on the Recon for Eric at SCB . They vast majority of employees followed me to Corpus and have been here since opening day. The rest did come after the closure. I think if we can play at the Top the game in all of these fields building a minimal powered fishing boat is pretty much a Cake Walk. Thanks for your interest in our product. Have A Great Weekend


I appreciate the background info. The boats I've seen look great, and seem to be constructed with a great attention to detail, which I can appreciate. My primary concern is, and with no offense intended, solely to make a large investment in a relatively new brand name. Basically determining how much of a premium a label is worth. I've seen great products fail for a lot of different, and sometimes uncontrollable, reasons. I suppose that can happen to any company, but with a more established company, I'd be much less concerned with resale value, worst case scenario.


----------



## Sleeper80 (Sep 3, 2012)

So basically, as a supplement, I'm trying to determine interest by other people, as well as any first hand experiences that are out there.


----------



## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

Hi Climax, thanks for posting. I would love to see some reports posted by owners about how your boats perform. Or have some third party post a review of your product. That is something that a lot of us would like to see.


----------



## CLIMAX (Oct 3, 2012)

Thanks guys. I fully understand. There are about four full time guides that may chime in or I can connect you with them personally all of which have been in our boats since day one. We also have a long list of tournament fisherman on the build list that would also be willing to talk to you and give you a ride if you would like. Or you can come down and go for a ride on any of the boats on any given day and get the feel first hand. Thanks for your time and consideration. Rick George


----------



## sotxks (Jul 10, 2011)

Maybe StoutTrout will chime in. He runs the V hull and the cat with lift console. Both are very nice boats. I wouldn't hesitate on buying if I could afford one right now. I'm sure Ryan would be more than willing to give you a ride in either boat. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

boltmaster said:


> You might wait a bit and see what Shallow Sport does with the SCB rebrand.


This. It's going to be a while till we take orders on them but they are getting all the attention they need.


----------



## Sleeper80 (Sep 3, 2012)

I've been trying to find any info on what will become of SCB...can't seem to find anything other than everyone's friend of a friend told them they'll be back to business in no time. Doesn't seem likely to me.


----------



## theyallbreak (Jan 29, 2012)

CLIMAX said:


> Hello my name is Rick George. We are also about to go and make a run at the Outboard World Record which has not been attempted in thirty plus years.l


If you can't make the record maybe you can borrow the evinirude if it's still in Hitchcock. . That Evinirude was one bad motor.


----------



## FtBendHorn (Jan 31, 2005)

You might want to look at the Southshore Cat...


----------



## C.Hern5972 (Jul 17, 2009)

I ran the 21 and 25....


----------



## Sleeper80 (Sep 3, 2012)

C.Hern5972 said:


> I ran the 21 and 25....


What was your take?


----------



## D HOGG (Jul 2, 2012)

I've only seen pictures of the fat cats and from what I've seen I'm not impressed. The center consoles look like a complete waste of space. You wanna see with your own eyes ?? Look here in the boating forum and you can see all the pictures you want of the center consoles. 

But, if your a Ricky Bobby and you want to go fast, the fat cat might be for you. If you want to go fast and have a good fishing rig, well you might want to find a used SCB or order one from Shallow Sport. I can promise you this, the new SS SCB will not be anything less from what SCB was building.


----------



## TheRealFatCatBoats (Feb 12, 2015)

*Fat Cat Boats Console*

This console is used on our 21 and 25. No fuel tank under the console on the 25. behind the forward backrest is dry storage. under the seat base is a livewell.


----------



## Sleeper80 (Sep 3, 2012)

I don't find them ugly as some I suppose. But I'm having a very hard time justifying spending the money on one. I had a friend who bought a Titan boat up in Houston, upstart with racing and high end bay boat roots. Spent a big chunk of change, then the company went under, or stopped building bay boats, or changed their focus or something. He was left kinda high and dry. Ended up selling the boat for a fraction of what he paid. Like Fat Cat, the company didn't even show up in NADA or have enough presence to demand anywhere near what he paid. So even as well polished as they are, they make me nervous as hell.

I probably don't have as much money as some of the people on here, so 80k is a big investment for me. I like the cat hulls, but I guess it's a bad time for the market right now. SCB is in limbo, and Fat Cat is just too new to get the money they are asking (from me). My second choices are Haynie and Dargel. Two vastly different boats, but they are both solid with a great name and service record to boot. Just hard to make up my mind...I've read every single forum on here and ridden in both...Lol. Someone pick for me!!!


----------



## barronj (Sep 30, 2013)

Sleeper80 said:


> I've been trying to find any info on what will become of SCB...can't seem to find anything other than everyone's friend of a friend told them they'll be back to business in no time. Doesn't seem likely to me.


PM sent.


----------



## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

Sleeper80 said:


> I don't find them ugly as some I suppose. But I'm having a very hard time justifying spending the money on one. I had a friend who bought a Titan boat up in Houston, upstart with racing and high end bay boat roots. Spent a big chunk of change, then the company went under, or stopped building bay boats, or changed their focus or something. He was left kinda high and dry. Ended up selling the boat for a fraction of what he paid. Like Fat Cat, the company didn't even show up in NADA or have enough presence to demand anywhere near what he paid. So even as well polished as they are, they make me nervous as hell.
> 
> I probably don't have as much money as some of the people on here, so 80k is a big investment for me. I like the cat hulls, but I guess it's a bad time for the market right now. SCB is in limbo, and Fat Cat is just too new to get the money they are asking (from me). My second choices are Haynie and Dargel. Two vastly different boats, but they are both solid with a great name and service record to boot. Just hard to make up my mind...I've read every single forum on here and ridden in both...Lol. Someone pick for me!!!


My last two Haynie's weren't on NADA either.....just a comment.....I knew what they were worth.


----------



## Sleeper80 (Sep 3, 2012)

sgrem said:


> My last two Haynie's weren't on NADA either.....just a comment.....I knew what they were worth.


My last boat was a Haynie too. Loved the boat, was time to sell, now time for a new one. But for a good while, Haynie has been on NADA. They've also been around a long time, relatively, so I didn't hesitate when I had the opportunity.


----------



## Whipray (Mar 12, 2007)

D HOGG said:


> I've only seen pictures of the fat cats and from what I've seen I'm not impressed. The center consoles look like a complete waste of space. You wanna see with your own eyes ?? Look here in the boating forum and you can see all the pictures you want of the center consoles.
> 
> But, if your a Ricky Bobby and you want to go fast, the fat cat might be for you. If you want to go fast and have a good fishing rig, well you might want to find a used SCB or order one from Shallow Sport. I can promise you this, the new SS SCB will not be anything less from what SCB was building.


I'm not in the market for a fast bay boat, but I think they've come a long way since they were first introduced. The new 21s they've been posting are good looking fishing boats. They got rid of all the wraparound seating and angled consoles, and went with more functional leaning posts and a console that looks like it's got some storage and seating. I hope they are successful, as more choices are always a good thing and competition is good for the consumer. It's got to be tough in the boat business right now with $50 oil.


----------



## fattyflattie (May 20, 2008)

How many SCB's do you remember pre-2007/8? There were some out there but a few short years later there were 10 on Sunday beach any given weekend. I guess the difference is they were 50-60k back in '08, even 45k or so when the "sport" came out, and worked their way up to near triple digits by '12/'13. Had they not been bought out by such a large builder, who would be handling those warranties? 

I understand OP's concern, but if you are selling a well performing boat at an appropriate price, it's going to sell. It will be harder without the name recognition but that's half the Texas boats anyhow (if selling outside of Tx coast). 

Your Haynie and Dargel backups are more my type, but you likely aren't going to get the same type of performance, at least the speed anyhow.

Iirc, fatcat built Chris a very lightweight 24', which started out Eric's attempt at a Vhull, then sold to Haynie, and then made its way to Fatcat and stretched to a 26'. It's been a few years but I believe it was them. My point is I believe they are known in the boating community. See post #4, how involved was the "tooling" in the beloved Recon?


----------



## Lancebradley06 (Jun 1, 2016)

I have the 25 black and red boat that's on the Internet. It's a great boat. Fatcat backs their product. I am trading mine in on a new fatcat as we speak.


----------



## bcunningham68 (Nov 3, 2016)

I'm curious on all the stats


----------



## rwl1948 (Jun 27, 2009)

I saw a property for sale sign on the lot, r they going out of business or moving to new digs????


----------



## texasstyle (Aug 22, 2012)

I heard the owner or manager recently passed away and they are not building any more boats, just doing service now. Not saying it's true we all know how rumors are! Prayers out to em if that's the case... I will say i have done a walk through of their factory and went through a few of their rigs in the past and their fit and finish is some the best i have ever seen. I thought SCB was good until i saw theirs!

TS


----------



## acoastalbender (Jul 16, 2011)

texasstyle said:


> I heard the owner or manager recently passed away and they are not building any more boats, just doing service now. Not saying it's true we all know how rumors are! Prayers out to em if that's the case... I will say i have done a walk through of their factory and went through a few of their rigs in the past and their fit and finish is some the best i have ever seen. I thought SCB was good until i saw theirs!
> 
> TS


All that attention to detail comes at a price ... add to it that crazy hydraulic center console they were trying to develop and I think they ran themselves out of cash and business ...

.


----------



## texasstyle (Aug 22, 2012)

acoastalbender said:


> All that attention to detail comes at a price ... add to it that crazy hydraulic center console they were trying to develop and I think they ran themselves out of cash and business ...
> 
> .


No doubt they are expensive. But i thought price wise they were comparable to any high end ride out there. Hell 24' shallow sports are goin for +90k! I just know I've had a SS and an original SCB and the FC had better details than both. All boats in the same price range. Just my personal experience... i thought they were really busy since their deal with ron hoover? Like i said these are just what I've heard, i dont know anyone that works there or even runs their rigs. I wish all the Texas companies the best of luck!
TS

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk


----------



## ziggiey (Apr 6, 2010)

*Fat cats*

The manager did pass away and I don't know if they are going to build any more boats.


----------



## acoastalbender (Jul 16, 2011)

texasstyle said:


> i thought they were really busy since their deal with ron hoover? Like i said these are just what I've heard, i dont know anyone that works there or even runs their rigs. I wish all the Texas companies the best of luck!
> TS
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk


Same here ... I drive by their location from time to time heading into town and if I remember their business has been shut down (gates locked) for a couple of months now ... the lot is full of boats though so if they're not bought out I would imagine some sort of future estate sale ... hopefully they find a buyer ...

.


----------



## Fuelin (Jun 21, 2005)

ziggiey said:


> The manager did pass away and I don't know if they are going to build any more boats.


Climax is the handle he used here. Didn't realize he passed. I met him a few times and he was alway very nice. Hate to hear.


----------



## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

Sad deal that guy knew crazy amounts about hull design


----------



## bjmillet (Apr 9, 2012)

It's sad that knowledge was not passed down. In some companies it's all built around one guys knowledge. In other companies it's a shared knowledge that exist. I've worked in both. Shared knowledge is better for the consumer and the company in the long haul.

I can name several other Texas boat companies that are built around one guy. I won't name them because it's too early for popcorn.


----------



## BigbadMarine (Sep 12, 2016)

Update on the status of Fat Cat Boats. I recently (4 months ago) purchased a CB-21 from Master Marine in San Antonio. So seeing this thread and the recent post had me concerned. So I put a call into Fat Cat Boats yesterday. I got a answering machine saying they were unavailable, but to leave my number and they would get back to me. Today I received a call from the owner, I believe he said his name was John Hern. He told me about the death of his manager, but assured me that Fat Cat boats was moving forward and not going out of business anytime soon. Matter of fact, he said that they were going to be at both the San Antonio and Corpus boat shows.


----------



## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

Good to hear hopefully all the design and molds were done and they can continue. The quality is great on the ones I have seen


----------



## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

So the dude posting here was Rick George (climax on 2cool) apparently he was a big player in the go fast boat world. Sad deal

http://www.riverdavesplace.com/foru...eorge-Racing-(Climax-Race-Boats)-28-foot-cat&

http://www.screamandfly.com/showthr...o-Climax-Race-Boats-based-out-of-Corpus-Chris


----------



## BigbadMarine (Sep 12, 2016)

I love mine. It handles chop extremely well. The Suzuki 250 SS had it up to 67 mph and still had some throttle left (67 was enough pucker factor for me...lol) I purchased it through Master Marine in San Antonio. Tried to deal with Ron Hoover here locally, but they were just plain peckerheads. Master Marine did me right and rigged it perfect. I couldn't be more satisfied.


----------



## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

BigbadMarine said:


> I love mine. It handles chop extremely well. The Suzuki 250 SS had it up to 67 mph and still had some throttle left (67 was enough pucker factor for me...lol) I purchased it through Master Marine in San Antonio. Tried to deal with Ron Hoover here locally, but they were just plain peckerheads. Master Marine did me right and rigged it perfect. I couldn't be more satisfied.


Sweet looking boat. Did you ask them about warranty stuff? I was just thinking about that today. They looked to be very well built the few I looked at.


----------



## BigbadMarine (Sep 12, 2016)

*Fat Cat*

I didn't specifically ask him about warranty issues, since he assured me that they weren't planning on going out of business anytime soon. The boat is one of the best made boats I have seen. I compare it to a SCB in quality. I looked at a couple well maintained used SBC's prior to settling on the Fat Cat CB-21. Base price on mine was $52k with a 200. I upgraded to the 250 SS and a bunch of other goodies. It's not the base price that gets ya in the end...it's all the add on's that drive the price up.


----------



## texasstyle (Aug 22, 2012)

BigbadMarine said:


> I didn't specifically ask him about warranty issues, since he assured me that they weren't planning on going out of business anytime soon. The boat is one of the best made boats I have seen. I compare it to a SCB in quality. I looked at a couple well maintained used SBC's prior to settling on the Fat Cat CB-21. Base price on mine was $52k with a 200. I upgraded to the 250 SS and a bunch of other goodies. It's not the base price that gets ya in the end...it's all the add on's that drive the price up.


The guy that ran their rigging shop and glass shop told me they all used to work for eric. If you look closer at your boat you will notice the little details like every phillips head screw is facing the same way on the whole rig! Those little things plus the wiring is what stood out to me

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk


----------



## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

Glad they are going to be building more boats. They really had a top notch product, second to none in Texas.


----------



## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

In my personal comparisons fat cat and scb (originals) were similar quality both looked awesome


----------



## ziggiey (Apr 6, 2010)

*Fat Cat 21*

I am happy with mine, have added rod holders and cooler with cushion since picture was taken. With a 300 Merc it runs 80 with 2 guys and 20 gallons of gas on a hot day. It rides and handles great.







[/URL][/IMG]


----------



## acoastalbender (Jul 16, 2011)

It was Mark Twain who once stated "rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated" ... Fat Cat boats is alive and well and doing business, incredible boats ... the 24ft shallow 'v' with a 300 on it touches 80 and is reported to be one of the driest and most stable rides on the water ... beautiful boats for sure ... 
.


----------



## Im Headed South (Jun 28, 2006)

Know John is selling them, have a buddy that just got his last week, 25' mid tower cat with a 400 on it. Have a couple other friends that run different hulls including 24v with a 300xs on it, its never been near 80, low 70's tournament loaded, mid 70's at best lite.


----------



## TXBoatWhisperer (Feb 1, 2017)

(Long time reader, first time poster..sort of)
I worked at Fat Cat Boats since the beginning. I hand made every windshield for 3 years, hired and fired dozens, worked every boat show, and shook every hand that walked into the building. 
I had lunch with John this week. Fat Cat is the realization of his dream and is here to stay. We were all saddened by Rick's death but the show rolls on. Rick designed some fantastic boats and had a keen eye for sexy lines. FC will be at both the San Antonio and Corpus Christi boat shows this weekend. I will be representing at the SA show. 


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


----------



## bcunningham68 (Nov 3, 2016)

Boat whisperer what days will y'all be at the sa boat show


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## TXBoatWhisperer (Feb 1, 2017)

bcunningham68 said:


> Boat whisperer what days will y'all be at the sa boat show
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I will be there Saturday and Sunday with George Knolls @ Master Marine.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


----------



## Blast-n-cast (May 7, 2010)

Glad to hear they are still at it. Sad to hear about the death. 

I remember seeing them water testing a camo one with a tower and it was a really nice looking rig.


----------



## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

Gonna try to stop in tomorrow while out new boat shopping.


----------



## TXBoatWhisperer (Feb 1, 2017)

Final day at San Antonio boat show. Come by and check us out with Master Marine!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


----------



## lurker (Feb 26, 2015)

Is that a 300 20" zuke?


----------



## TXBoatWhisperer (Feb 1, 2017)

lurker said:


> Is that a 300 20" zuke?


Yes and a two way water intake.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


----------



## BigFishes (Feb 15, 2017)

*Fat Cat Boats Corpus Show*

Fat Cat had some great boats at the Corpus show with some really strong price breaks on 2016 models. These are at Ron Hoover after the show. Look for some new 2017's rolling out soon!


----------



## pwrstrkr (Oct 5, 2010)

I bought the Fat Cat CB21 Manta Ray about 2 weeks ago. Absolutely love the boat. I have gotten it up to 72 bumping 73 by myself. I have had it in some pretty spicy waters and haven't gotten a drop on me. But at the same time it will get SKINNY!!! Pretty much if you can have the trolling motor prop in the water it will go.


----------



## hanson696 (May 23, 2011)

I noticed master marine no longer is carrying them when I stopped in today to by to pick something up.


----------



## Sleeper80 (Sep 3, 2012)

I heard that Ron Hoover dropped them too...Is that true? I know I saw some old ones sitting on the CC lot, but Rockport and others have none. FWIW, I bought an X3 way back when. It's an amazing boat, and I have no regrets. But it's time for me to get something a little smaller. 26 X 9 is way too much boat to sneak out for a quick trip. I know I'm going to be missing plenty of little things moving on from it, but oh well...


----------



## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

I think they are still building and selling direct. I spoke to them a while back. `


----------



## Deer30 (Feb 25, 2014)

master marine still has a few Fat Cats. don't know if they are getting anymore.


----------



## Big Bay (May 14, 2013)

Looks like theyâ€™re still open. Lots of boats on their lot in corpus. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

