posted 02-15-2007 09:47 PM ET (US)            

They are looking less and less like a Whaler all the time...Sad. I think they missed the boat on this one (ALL PUNS INTENDED). Sure it is a decent looking boat, it just does not look like a whaler. It may as well say PURSUIT down the side.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/whalerforsale/whaler. jpg?t=1171593918

Then again I like the real thing better..
http://www.pursuitboats.com/products/offshore/largeImage/3370/ OS335Running_1.jpg

Actually this is more fitting
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/whalerforsale/trophy. jpg?t=1171593787

posted 02-16-2007 08:08 AM ET (US)            

Erik

posted 02-16-2007 11:38 AM ET (US)            

I'm thinking $500,000. The Defiants were 300K and that was years ago.

posted 02-16-2007 12:01 PM ET (US)            

By the way ..... center cockpit window opens at the bottom.

posted 02-16-2007 02:52 PM ET (US)            

Tony

posted 02-16-2007 03:29 PM ET (US)            

http://www.whaler.tv/

Erik

posted 02-16-2007 08:49 PM ET (US)            

An electric tilting bed/matress! That's the sort of thing you get on a custom European yacht--not an American production boat.

V-P of Engineering Ron Berman did a great job on the video showing the boat's features.

The stunner for this boat will be:
--the performance; you are not going 50-MPH in an inboard boat;
--the interior space; without big inboard motors the cabin has much more room.

posted 02-16-2007 10:40 PM ET (US)            

I really like the design of the helm electronics space but most of all I like where they placed the batteries and battery switches and master power panel. Everything has easy accessiblity.

Nice boat.

posted 02-19-2007 09:02 AM ET (US)            

Based on the dimensions of this Conquest, it is not a competitor to the Grady White 360 Express. The GW 360 has a 13'4" beam versus only 11'8" on the Conquest. The GW has a 39'3" LOA (36'7" without pulpit) versus 35'11 LOA (34' w/o pulpit) for the Conquest. The only place where they are close is in weight -- GW 360 displaces 14,919 lbs versus the Conquest's 14,200 lbs. While the weight is close, the GW 360 is a much bigger boat.

Except for weight, the Conquest 345 is dimensionly similar to the GW 330 Express which has a LOA of 35'10" (33'6" w/o pulpit) and an 11'7" beam. The problem is that the Conquest weighs 4000 lbs more than the GW 330 Express (dry weight 10,000 lbs).

With a dry weight of 14,200 lbs, I wonder how well a Conquest 345 will perform with just two engines. Perhaps the GW 330 performance is a good substitute for the Conquest 345. The GW performance report shows that the GW 330 with a pair of F250s and fuel/gear/people weighs 12,600 lbs and gets up to 42.9 MPH. A Conquest 345 will be close to 17,000 lbs with two Verados and the same fuel/gear/people loading. According to Crouch's formula, a GW 330 weighing 17,000 lbs instead of 12,600 would require 660 HP instead of 500 HP to reach the same 42.9 MPH.

Given the significant weight of this new Conquest and that its minimum HP requirement is 550 HP, I think it would be a mistake to rig the Conquest 345 with a pair of 300 Verados -- just 50 HP over the minimum. Put four guys/gals, and enough ice, fuel and gear in it for a day fishing trip and I think the twin power will be inadequate.

posted 02-19-2007 02:59 PM ET (US)            

but if your gonna sell a 34 foot whaler for 400K...break down and get an actor to do the sales pitch for a few bucks... GEEEZE!

This Ron Berman may be the best thing as Vice pres. for development for this boat, better than swiss cheese, ....

but he sucks big mooses as a public speaker, pitchman, or publicist for this new and whats looks like an incredible boat:)

You spent all this money on a new product, the biggest one they sell and you cheese it with the marketing and leave it to a novice public speaker, with no pizzaze for selling????????

posted 02-19-2007 09:00 PM ET (US)            

I like the skylight hatches to bring fresh air into the helm, along with the opening center window. However, it is fortunate that they equipped this thing with dedicated A/C for the Helm, because I can see it getting rather warm running this in the sub-tropics in the summer.

posted 02-19-2007 11:18 PM ET (US)            

--editing
--sound recording
--camera work
--lighting

I am much happier having had the chance to see it, with its little production flaws included, than NOT having had a chance to see it.

No, it is not going to win any award for best industrial video. However, I can tell you from first hand experience, I have sat in a full studio production for five days, 8-hours a day, shooting the same sort of thing for big-three automotive clients, and that was just the production shoot. Two weeks in an edit suite and all kinds of tweaks, voice overs, re-tracking, etc., and you get a more finished product, all five minutes of it. And the client will have spent more than a 345 CONQUEST.

posted 02-20-2007 12:21 AM ET (US)            

"Sure, it could have used some better:
--editing
--sound recording
--camera work
--lighting"

absolutely!!!

"I am much happier having had the chance to see it, with its little production flaws included, than NOT having had a chance to see it." Yes, absolutely also...

NO questions on these comments, and it served the purpose of getting us to see it which I guess is the most important thing.........no doubt about it...

But I still think if your going to sell something new and exciting, polished and very expensive, I think the production flaws and the amaturish way the video was presented takes away from the product.

posted 02-20-2007 02:56 PM ET (US)            

They had test #'s for tripple 250's and twin 275's. Top end with trips hit 50. Top end with twins hit 45. Besides this top end difference, the cruise was almost identicle, 28 knots. Fuel consumption was worse with the twins by about 1/10 mpg. Their thought was that twin 300's should have a solid 30 knot cruise.

Chuck - Sorry. I meant 1.2mpg

posted 02-20-2007 07:44 PM ET (US)            

Case in point. Ron Berman from Whaler says the boat will hit 50mph with triple 250 hp. With twin 275's it will supposedly hit 45mph. The 345 Conquest weighs 14,200 lbs.

Why is the top end of Whaler's 305 Conquest with twin 250's only 44.9 mph when the boat only weighs 8,500 lbs?

posted 03-09-2007 10:25 AM ET (US)            

Triple 250 Verado's, ****421 Gallon fuel tank

4000RPM 24.7knots 28.4MPH 25.6GPH 1.11MPG 420 NM range
4500RPM 29.8knots 34.3MPH 32.7GPH 1.05MPG 397 NM range

6300RPM 44.1knots 50.8MPH 86GPH .59MPH 224 NM range

Twin 275 Verado's, ****347 gallon fuel tank

4000RPM 18.8knots 21.7MPH 22GPH .99MPG 311 NM range
4500RPM 24knots 27.6MPH 28GPH .99MPG 311 NM range
5000RPM 28.2knots 32.6MPH 35GPH .93MPG 293 NM range

posted 03-09-2007 11:19 AM ET (US)            

What propellers were the motors on each boat turning?