Sea of Dreams

Boat or waterborne rocket? Today's custom powerboats may have you wondering.

By Aaron Atwood

Imagine skimming across a glass highway at nearly 200 miles per hour - with no brakes. You've just entered the dream world of powerboating.

Sleek jet boats ride on trailers across the desert southwest like sultans in an ancient caravan. They are adorned with chrome and gloss. Coats of wax make them reflective while their bodies scream speed. For those who've never experienced the boating scene, powerboating is a subculture all its own.

"These are folks who love to go fast," says Billy Frenz, executive director of the National Powerboat Association based in Greenwich, Conn. "Some of these guys like to build their own boats. Others are wealthy and have boats built for them."

Roaring engines and electric paint jobs get people's attention. Take a closer look and you find that these are true muscle boats. Bob Leach, founder of Eliminator Boats in Perris, Calif., says that his custom-built manufacturing company has seen a lot of changes over the years.

"We've been doing this for 40 years," explains Leach. "We started with a flat-bottom boat and probably got 200 horsepower and 40 miles an hour out of it. Today we're putting in twin 1,200 horsepower engines and reaching speeds around 170 miles per hour."

Case in point: Eliminator's 36 Daytona Speedster, powered by two Teague Custom Marine engines that put out 1,200 horsepower each. The engines drive dual 39" propellers to give the boat some serious torque.

In the boating world, they don't clock 0-60 time. Rather, they measure how long it takes to get "on plane." When a boat is on plane, it's in position to reach its top speed with the nose down and engines working full steam ahead. The faster a boat gets on plane, the faster it reaches top speed. The Speedster takes just over five seconds to get there. This 36-footer gets off the line in a hurry and handles the waves with ease. Professional golfer Bob May is a proud owner of an Eliminator 36 Speedster. eliminatorboat.com

Cigarette Racing, out of Opa-locka, Fla., is another manufacturer of high-end, custom powerboats. Its name is virtually synonymous with the sport. As such, buyers expect nothing but the best and Cigarette rolls out some very hot models for its enthusiasts.

A recent upgrade to the Cigarette line is the result of collaboration with the Mercedes-Benz AMG division. The Cigarette 46' Rider shares components of the new hand-built, 563 horsepower AMG. Cigarette Racing President and CEO Skip Braver is a longtime Mercedes customer and he was looking for inspiration for his newest model.

"The boat isn't a 'copy-cat' boat; neither [of the companies] wanted that," says Braver. "The boat is truly inspired by what makes AMG the performance brand of Mercedes - it embodies perfection."

More than 30 coats of paint, the exact paint used by AMG, give the boat an iridescent sheen. Two-tone upholstery and instrumentation that model the AMG look and feel set the Cigarette 46 apart from your average cruiser. Redesigned twin turbo-charged engines utilize a framework that requires no headers. Instead, the air induction and water-cooled exhaust create a simple and sophisticated new marine technology.

The twin 1,350 horsepower engines required Mercury to create an entirely new drive to handle the torque put out by this sea monster. Yes, in case you just missed that, this is a boat with 2,700 horsepower. The M8 drive handles an all new propeller system as well to give the 46 a unique powerhouse. Retail starts at $900,000 and it takes about four months to complete a custom build. cigaretteracing.com

The boating world isn't all style and sexy. In fact, powerboating has a fun side too. Many enthusiasts participate in "poker runs" in which boats race from point to point. At each location, drivers receive a playing card. At the end of the run, whoever has the best five-card hand wins a prize. Of course, regattas and races of all kinds dot the national map wherever there's a body of water large enough to handle groups of rockets racing at lunatic speeds.

Both Eliminator and Cigarette customize boats that can cost owners well over $1 million. GPS navigation and speedometers, upholstery upgrades and cabin amenities can give buyers options they may have never expected to choose when thinking about a floating car. Features like high-end stereo systems quickly reach six figures when outfitted for life at sea.

Aaron Atwood is a contributing writer to Desert Golf Magazine

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