sandydr

Initially, I saw the new to be released Venom cat's and simply thought I had to have one, but reading through the threads, it seems like a good deal of upgrading to do for more speed / ease e.g. cluth, bigger engine etc.. I still haven't written it off yet. I think the other thing that put me off was seeing it in FS One disguise on Ebay recently (which has now been removed). On the other hand, waiting for the Venom would probably ensure a longevity of the product / support, as well as used after parts.

I have come across the Bonzi 54" Fountain, but also like what I read about the 40" Blast Cat with it's ability to handle 'rough' water. I would be using it in water from 2" to 8" waves. Does anyone have direct experience of either of the before mentioned boats? In addition, are these hulls propriety (inc. the Venom) or are they modified individually by the retailers? The reason I ask is that I have come across a supplier of the stock Bonzi 54" Fountain in SE Asia

Look forward to your responses.

Justaddwata

My Feedback: (3)

Firstly - I would NOT ever be in a hurry to chase a deal in SE Asia - most of your online scam activity originates in a few countries in that area. Secondly - why would you consider buying an american boat from a SE Asian dealer in the first place - if price is your answer then you are 99.999% chance of loosing money on a scam.

Blast cat will tackle rough conditions quite well (when set up correctly). 2" - 8" chop is generally acceptable to most larger cats and vees.

Yes there are upgrades for ANYTHING out there - but consider running and enjoying it the way it is before throwing hard earned money away on performance upgrades - especially since you wont be needing more speed in 8" waves in the first place.

Catmandoo1

My Feedback: (23)

sanddr,

I have seen the pictures of the FS boat that you are referring to. What I have come to find is there are a lot of copies and copies of copies from China. It doesn't matter what product you are looking to purchase, there is a copy. As for Venom products and service, I have purchased their products before with great success. In addition their service is top notch. I have called them many times on their new boats. The boats are almost here from what I was told on Friday.

As for a RTR boat, if you are comparing to the others that are on the market, well they all seem to have about the same features, speed and so on. That is what makes them RTR. When talking to Venom on Friday, they commented that with their new KWA engine, the King or the Segad will reach speeds of 53+mph. The engine upgrade is about $270.00. A lot less that what you would pay for a comparable engine upgrade.

sandydr

Justaddwata - I'm taking your advise very clearly onboard. It just seems that a lot of base products are manufactured out there these days and value added back in Europe or USA with packaging / minor mods etc... I think I read on the forum that the Venom was manufactured out east as well. Do you know for a fact if the Bonzi is manufactured in the USA or just the engine mods? I had a peek at your collection. Very nice! This is all very new to me, do you have any recommendations for something else I should be looking at?

Catmandoo1 - I have had some email / pm's with the Venom team and they are very responsive. I do not intend to race the boat (no one else to race with...., unless I lend them my Arrow Shark), so I guess for after sales, it is going to be a better choice for a P/T tinkerer like me.

Justaddwata

My Feedback: (3)

99% sure that all Bonzi hulls are made in the US. They are assembled here and that would be where the cost savings would exist.

You might call Bonzi directly and ask them about any offshore dealers - I again think you will find they alone deal worldwide.

Dan S

as for the Blast Cat they are made by A.C. Model boats and are situated in British Colombia, Canada.

AC Boats are also very good hulls, no RTR.

Dan.

sandydr

I'm still open to suggestions on something else I should be looking at:
I have narrowed down the list to Enforcer Manta Ray, One of the new Venom Cat's (these boats look so good), Blast Cat (I am keen on this due to the size and what I hear about it's management of rough water), Bonzi Fountain or Aeromarine Avenger. If you know of anyone selling a good used, I am also open to suggestions.
I am ok with kits, as long as it only involves minor drilling and bolting (I left all my tools in England [] ), but do not know what 'laying cloth and resin is about........

sandydr

I spoke to Bonzi today and they confirmed that they did manufactuer a boat as in the photos that I sent them, but doubt that the owner would sell it as it was a one off (they were extremely helpful on the phone). They confirmed that their boats are put together and manufactured in the USA.

mauian

2 words, plumkrazyrcboats and expresscraft....err more than 2 words...lol.