# Fat Cat Bay Boats - A Shallow Sport / catamaran knock off?



## RAR (Jun 30, 2005)

Anyone heard of these guys? They're located in Brownsville, TX. I saw one in person and it was very nice. I thought it was a Shallow Sport at first. The bow of the hull looks very similar to shallow sport, but it is a cat hull. The lids and layout of the deck remind me of mid 90's Shallow Sports. I've heard they're pretty good boats. I'm off this Friday and will stop by and check them out for more info. Here are some pics, http://www.fishingtowers.com/photos/


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

He builds a great boat. I saw one under construction a while back and it was being built the right way.It has some hook nuilt in at the rear for uplift.

A friend told me that they were going to be built with no wood soon. I saw one of his larger rigs get up on spit the other day. Truly amazing.


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## RAR (Jun 30, 2005)

Do you know their phone number? I keep trying their number list on the site and all I get is an answering machine and the other number is disconnected. I don't think it's the right number. I can't seem to find them in the phone book either.


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## Graydog328 (Mar 8, 2006)

Why not just get a real Shallowsport?


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## RAR (Jun 30, 2005)

Well... please don't shoot me but I don't think Shallow Sport quality is what it used to be. I have a couple of friends who have had problems with the newer one piece composite deck or cap. Spider cracks, large cracks from front to back, rusty screws left in from assembly (someone forgot to remove them before the gel coat was applied), showing up as brown spots on the deck after a year or two. I have a friend who builds boat towers and does not think very highly of the Nida Core used in SS when it comes to mounting the towers. Wood blocks need to be used to drill into or some customers choose to drill them straight into the stringers. Don't get me wrong... I would jump at the chance to buy a used 21' 90's SS hull with the marine plywood... solid boats! My buddy has been guiding out of his for almost 10 years and it is solid and still looks great. Have you ever seen a sample of the honeycomb Nida Core? It's strong and I can see it used in many different applications but it is really scary to think it would be used in boat hull applications. If used incorrectly it could result in excess weight; such as excess resin soaking through into the honey-comb, or the possibility of cracking and holding water. Have you seen the number of boats Shallow Sport is cranking out today? It's amazing because I remember there was a waiting list and now I can go buy one anytime I want. The dealer usually stocks them, but the boat and trailer alone for a 21' with sides is $18,500 plus TTL! More than I'm willing to pay. Also, the cosmetics of the boat look top notch because the deck is coming out of a mold&#8230; but if you start going through compartments and looking inside&#8230; you'll find some crappy fiberglass work compared to the older ones. Not premium work for the premium price tag. Time will tell if the new Shallow Sports will hold up to the abuse the older hulls have proven they can take, I just don't think I'm ready to take that chance on a new one, unless I win the Texas lottery. The best looking boat in my book&#8230; and one of the best performing shallow water boats too! Sorry for the long post&#8230; please don't hang me! One last thing&#8230; In the case of the problems I mentioned above&#8230; Shallow Sport did take care of them!


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## Graydog328 (Mar 8, 2006)

Good Points. I haven't had a up close and personal look at the new shallow sport yet. I hope they are not sacrificing quality for quanity. I think more than anything they wanted to jump on the bandwagon of No Wood No Rot. It seems to be a strong advertisement for many of the new boat builders. But as we all know wood has been used forever and lasts a long time. A testament to how many older shallowsports you see running around and still bringing big money on the used boat market.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Don't know the number. Ditto your thoughts on SS.

I have fished out oF three diff ones and I cannot say that I was Impressed.


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## shallowgal (Jun 11, 2004)

*oh...come on now*

What's with all the Shallow Sport bashing? I won't say anything bad about Fat Cat out of respect to Javier, the owner's brother. But yes, it is yet another cheap copy splashed directly from a Shallow Sport. Add it to the list.

As far as the screws in the new Nida-Core decks goes....I think you've got your info mixed up. The only boats that had the occasional screw work its way up were the wooden decks, primarily the 18' Sprint wooden decks from 2000-2002.
There have been a total of 3 out of about 1500 that this has happened to, and it was most likely the result of one employee using the wrong process. Those who have brought their boats to us have been fixed (easily). That is another thing I'm sure of. If the boat was brought directly to the factory, it would be fixed. We are very good about doing repair/warranty work, even to boats that are out of warranty. So, just tell your friend to bring his boat by and we'll gladly take care of him.

Also, there is no Nida-Core in the hull, as you mentioned. The hull is 100% hand-laid fiberglass and carbon fiber board. There is a Nida Core deck on top of a Coosa (carbon fiber board) platform which sits on top of glassed in foam filled stringers.

It's kinda hard to accept a blanket statement like "the quality of shallow sport has gone down in the past couple of years" especially since I've seen every boat that has left this factory for the past four years, and honestly feel the complete opposite is true. I would, however, like to privately discuss any _specific_ issues anyone might be experiencing and address them. If there is anything I can do to make someone happier with their Shallow Sport, *please PM me and we'll work something out.*


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## fishnlab (Jul 10, 2004)

Don't sweat it Shallowgal...Just too many people drinking the new Shallow Sport flavored "Hater-ade". It's the one in the bright "jealousy green" bottle.


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## KarateCowboy (Jun 22, 2004)

Bwahahahaha! lol! 
Right one fishnlab.



fishnlab said:


> Don't sweat it Shallowgal...Just too many people drinking the new Shallow Sport flavored "Hater-ade". It's the one in the bright "jealousy green" bottle.


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## shallowgal (Jun 11, 2004)

*Okay, I've chilled out*

Awww, there's my homies! I was wondering why no one had our backs for a while there! Made me a bit grouchy for a bit (just ask the hubby).


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## RAR (Jun 30, 2005)

Sorry... I don't hate Shallow Sports.. Love them! I just don't think the new ones are built as well as the old and it's too hard for me to justify the price difference. And yes, technically there is no nida core used on the hull itself. I should have been more clear.. it's the deck that uses nida core. Also, I did say you guys took care of the issues. I would buy one if the price was right. I can buy a new Majek 21 RFL boat and trailer for $5000 less. This is only my opinion, and I'm sure it won't change anyone's mind. Shallow Sport is still considered the Cadillac of bay boats in the Lower Laguna Madre. Shallow gal, how do you come up with the weights on your boats. Are materiels weighed and then totaled, or do you actually weigh the finished boat with console? For instance, the 20 foot no sides with claimed weight of 850 lbs would seem too light once you stick a 500lb motor on the back. Reason I ask is because in converstion I had with a dealer and their Shoalwater 21 Cat, the claimed weight was about 400lbs more when the dealer actually weighed it boat with console.


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## Solid Action (May 21, 2004)

I have a '97 SS, 21', with sides and it is one tough dude. Awesome boats!


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## shallowgal (Jun 11, 2004)

We have a grain siloh with a drive-on scale about a mile from the shop. First we take the empty trailer and weight the truck/trailer combo. Then we put the boat on the trailer and go back. Subtract the former from the latter and there you have it. This weight is for stock boats without accessories like towers, and without motor.

No hard feelings, you're entitled to your opinion. It just sucks when you spend every waking moment (and often sleeping dreaming moments too) working on improving something, and people still rag on it. 

Can't please everyone all the time, huh?


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## RAR (Jun 30, 2005)

shallowgal said:


> Can't please everyone all the time, huh?


Sure you can... Get another dealer locally to help with the gouging going on you know where. These guys just charge way too much and I think they're hurting you more than helping. So many current SS owners I know can't believe what these guys are charging, but there are no other players in town. I mean really, do you think 25K for a 15' scooter with 90 hp is fair? Maybe the previous poster is right... I'm envious of anyone that blow that kind of money on a 15 foot scooter. It seems like people outside the Valley get a better deal than your locals... oh well. I tell you what, If I ever become a guide I'll look you up since that's the only way a local can get a fair price... locally that is.

If that's the actual weight then I'm impressed. That is a very light boat!


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## Spots and Dots (May 23, 2004)

I agree.
SSs are the sharpest looking shallow water boats out there. They are pricey, though. Heck, I looked (only looked) at one with a TRP, raised console, and towers.......priced at over 40 Grand. That is just too much! But, as long as they are selling, the price will stay up there.

boats are like everything else, you have to wonder what the cost to make is, versus the sales price.........hmmmmmm


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## TimOub007 (Jun 10, 2005)

See this post:

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=74079

This was discussed about 2 weeks ago on the "Boating" board.
I don't know the guy and have never seen one in person, but don't like they looks of the build process. That plywood looks cheap.

I would believe that the 21' SS is what they say it weighs. It all depends on what you put in it.

Take care,
Tim


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## west bay chaser (May 3, 2005)

*Fat Cat*

You can contact the owner (Manny) at 956 546 2701, He's in Brownsville seems to be a nice fellow. I have had dealings with over half a dozen boatbuilder in Texas, and they have all had something bad to say about other builders. But few will get into the mudslinging on the internet.


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## TimOub007 (Jun 10, 2005)

shallowgal said:


> There is a Nida Core deck on top of a Coosa (carbon fiber board) platform which sits on top of glassed in foam filled stringers.


Shallowgal,

Not to get picky, but where in the Coosa board is the carbon? From what little I know and have found on the i-net about their products they are high-density, fiberglass-reinforced polyurethane foam. What type of Coosa board are you guys using? This seems to be a great product, and is lighter than plywood.

This is their website: http://www.coosacomposites.com/index.html


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## RAR (Jun 30, 2005)

Thanks west bay... spoke to Manny and he will stop by my friends ICW cabin on Saturday. We'll be there hanging out and he is gonna take us for a demo ride. It should be a good comparison... since my buddy will have his 21' SS to compare. FYI... he is no longer using wood in his boats and says the standard boat weighs around 1000 lbs.


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## TimOub007 (Jun 10, 2005)

If he's not using wood, he should get those pics off his website. It will make a lot of naysayers and he'll be answering the same questions over and over again.


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## Gamble (Oct 27, 2005)

........Shallow Sport.............he just wishes he owned one, That's what that's all about. Y'all refurbished ours and did a fine job. These truly are well-built machines.


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## fishin shallow (Jul 31, 2005)

There is a place on hwy 48 called Shallow Water Marine that sells his boat. You can save about 8 grand avoiding Ron Hoover. I talked to him about 2 years ago and he was building them in his back yard. How times change.


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## stew1tx (Oct 15, 2004)

rofl LAB! Good point! Anyone gonna be at the mansfield tournament next week? I will, 512-560-7660, heff's might be calling our names...


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## RAR (Jun 30, 2005)

I stopped by their shop today and checked out their boats. The new boats are all composite (well almost all composite; I'll get into that later, but it's a good thing) and the deck no longer looks like a Shallow Sport. The only resemblance to a Shallow Sport is the center bow of the hull; originally it did not have it and its only function now is to eliminate the hull slap common with cat hulls. The rest of the hull design shares nothing in common with a Shallow Sport. The front and rear deck come out of a mold with a non skid surface and with no webbing, of course; the rest of the floor and inside gunwales are gel coated with webbing. However, they are designing a new mold to make the entire deck non skid. The lids are different too and look real solid with heavy duty perko latches that seal real tight. The quality of the boat looks top notch. The transom of the hull is reinforced with Penske board. One cool thing they've thought of before going all composite is glassing in wood blocks underneath the front and rear decks in all their boats where you can drill towers into if you ever decide to add on later; a number one complaint with many composite boats when it comes to towers. Shallow Sport, are you listening? Perhaps you guys can do something similar on your decks and use Penske board or something to drill into. Their 21' standard cat boats weigh in at 1000 lbs with console. I noticed the boat looked really big&#8230; I found out the beam of the boat is 8' 4"&#8230; Nice!! You can order a boat with a TechSun Aluminum or Coastline aluminum trailer. The tech sun trailer looks a like a better bargain because they use those real thick 1 piece 3 or 4 inch bunks&#8230; twice the size of the Coastline. The frames look very similar and real heavy duty. Overall... I walked away extremely impressed and I don't think this boat is cheap imitation or copy of a Shallow Sport as Shallow Gal stated&#8230; they definitely have their own thing going on now. As I said, the only similarity to SS is the center of bow hull which does nothing for shallow water performance; only hull slap, that's it. Manny might not have a chance to give the demo ride tomorrow after all. He's not sure he has time but will try. I'm very anxious to ride in one of these now more than ever. Their towers look top notch too!! I wish I had my camera!


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## RAR (Jun 30, 2005)

*I stand corrected!*

Hey guys... I just wanted to let everyone know that I recently checked out some new Shallow Sports and was really impressed with the build quality. It seems I have put my foot in my mouth and wanted to let everyone know that after checking out their latest stuff, it looks really, really great! I am really impressed with the build quality of the boats I saw this week. Very nice! I also sent ShallowGal this PM to apologize for my statements; I hope there are no hard feelings.



> Originally Posted by *RAR*
> _I wanted to apologize about my comments on SS quality in the Fat Cat topic. While I do think it's somewhat true based on some of the boats I've seen and when I looked at them a few years ago, I recently checked out 3 of them at ********* and was really impressed with 2 of them. The V I looked at had some questionable fiberglass work in the compartments but the rest looked pretty solid. The 21 and 15 scooter really were impressive; especially the 15'&#8230; what an impressive little boat. I could not fault them, other than perhaps the drilling towers onto a nida core deck. I still think they are priced high but if people are willing to pay that then so be it; I guess Rex has earned it! I also saw the samples of the glassed nida core deck and it looked really good and looks like it will last a very long time&#8230; Nida core itself is looks weak but after seeing how SS utilizes it; I see how they make it work. I will make sure I post my comments on that thread and give credit where credit is due. Great job! I stand corrected._


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## KSims1868 (Jul 19, 2006)

fishnlab said:


> Don't sweat it Shallowgal...Just too many people drinking the new Shallow Sport flavored "Hater-ade". It's the one in the bright "jealousy green" bottle.


I don't know **** about SS or any "knock-offs", but this is the funniest reply I've read on here in my life...that was GREAT!!!


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## shallowgal (Jun 11, 2004)

*Very Impressed*

RAR,

It takes a lot of character to do what you did, and I appreciate it. As I mentioned in my reply PM, you did have some valid points that we are actively trying to correct, and there is always room for improvement. Thank you for publicly correcting your statements.


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## Hop (May 21, 2004)

west bay chaser said:


> You can contact the owner (Manny) at 956 546 2701, He's in Brownsville seems to be a nice fellow.


Manny, as in Manny that use to lay glass at the SS factory back in the late 80's early 90's? If it is i use to live down the street from him in PI. If it's the same guy he knows fiberglass. I use to watch him do repairs in his drivway.
--Hop


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## RAR (Jun 30, 2005)

Hop said:


> Manny, as in Manny that use to lay glass at the SS factory back in the late 80's early 90's? If it is i use to live down the street from him in PI. If it's the same guy he knows fiberglass. I use to watch him do repairs in his drivway.
> --Hop


No... I think I know who you are talking about. He used to live on Pompano St in PI. He now lives in Los Fresnos and works out of his house. Manny's Boat Repair. This is another Manny who does towers and builds boats too. The Manny you're talking about does reparis only.


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## Mansfield Bound (Feb 22, 2005)

Wow....some thread....

I bought an 18 footer SS in January of 2005....was told it was the first out of the new mold and got a nida-core deck.....a surprise for sure (some dealers should spend more time learning what they are selling). With batteries, trolling motor and 115 yamie it came in at $19,995. 

I still think I "stole" that boat for the price. A stripped down 18'-6" no sides at the 2006 boat show in San Antonio was priced at $26,000. I figured at the ripe old age of 45 I only wanted to buy one more boat, so instead of blowing my money, I invested it in a product that had 1) a great reputation for quality and service, and 2) a tremendous resale value. And to think the dealer tried to get me into a Blue Wave!!!! ROFL

Shallow Gal, I love mine. And ya'll did a great job of fixing the holes the dealer drilled into the hull while mounting my trolling motor (now you know who I am!!!!) 

I get some strange looks when trolling for redfish and stripers around San Antonio or flipping brush at Chole Canyon, but that shows the overall fishability of the boat. 

Now if I can just get that mean ol' woman I live with to let ya'll pull the console off and add a raised deck....and a power pole!!!

Thank you for a great boat.....


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