Those in the know at the premier end of the powerboating world are aware there’s a unique upper echelon of boat riggers in this world. Sure lots of people work on boats, just as lots of people paint something but we all know the difference is the artistry in their finished products.
90% of the industry’s best riggers work for the Legendary brands; Skater, DCB, Cigarette and more that are recognized as the highest form of artwork in this market place. But there are a handful of guys, and I mean a handful, as in five or less that are spread across the nation building truly custom boats. These guys get the customers that feel that when the ultimate in machining and attention to custom detail is needed, you need to think outside the box.
In sunny Southern California you’ll find this level of craftsmanship from the Boostpower crew. One of the facts is the crew at Boostpower is full of veterans that have been building custom boats for over 30 years that cut their teeth building twin turbocharged water rockets like early Schiada’s.
Stumbling across a brand new Eliminator 36 speedster that had yet to be rigged being delivered to the Boostpower facility, we were curious what brought this project to light. Speaking with Alexi Sahagian, Boostpower’s owner, he pointed out that the customer was seeking show quality rigging on his boat where a majority of the components were to be hidden from plain view. This again is the type of quality and workmanship that would traditionally be found on million dollar DCB’s in the SO CAL market place.
Alexi pointed out that their builds start in a similar method akin to that of an architect building a custom home. The details are all designed prior to ever touching the boat. In this case, concealing much of the boats accessories behind the rear seat bulkhead and then making them easily accessible was chore in itself but the finished product shows of beauty.
The customer looked at OEM 700SCI supercharged packages but then realized he could have Boostpower build stage 1 800EFI engines loosely based on a 525 package with custom heads, camshaft, and screw style supercharger system.
From their the boat was finished with a massive array of billet hardware, custom crafted OEM Logo gauges, and the latest in LED indicators. Rounding the package out a monster stereo that should carry the tunes across a Havasu gorge.
Its exciting for us to see that customers are demanding top quality rigging, as this is like what top quality movies bring to the entertainment industry. It’s what ups the game for the entire industry and custom boats in particular are what makes powerboating such a passion.
