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Post by HONDAM on Sept 22, 2015 21:03:42 GMT -5
Allison Boats has been in business since 1955 building quality boats by hand. They were the first to introduce things such as cupped propellers, power trim and tilt, lower unit nose cones with low water pickups. This is only a sample of the dozens of innovations first developed by the Allison family in Tennessee that has not only put them in the record books for speed and efficiency but also changed the entire boating industry as a whole.
This long history of providing quality innovative products is has caught the attention of Calumet Marine. Allison boats build by hand with each piece of fiberglass laid by one of their craftsmen and just enough resin applied. This tedious process has been honed over the last 60 years to create the fastest, most efficient, and probably one of the best riding bass or sport boats I’ve ever have rode in.
With the years of experience and technical knowledge of the guys at Calumet Marine it takes a lot to really impress up, and as the 3 of use exited the factory we were amazed the there was not one thing about these boats that we would change or that we though could be done better. We were truly impressed by the technology of these boats and I can honestly say this is the highest quality boat builder that I have even seen. At that point we decided to sign on to be an Allison dealer.
Allison mainly builds bass style boats but also build Fish and Ski, sport, and all out racing boats. This is a new type of boat for Calumet Marine and will be a little while before we can stock one but we’ll be answer questions and starting to take orders immediately.
While touring the factory we took lots of pictures, videos, and asked lots of questions so stay tuned that will be posted soon.
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Post by HONDAM on Sept 22, 2015 21:32:21 GMT -5
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Post by HONDAM on Sept 22, 2015 21:41:26 GMT -5
Some of the more unique Allison features include: Automotive style shift handle (foot throttle) Bow Electronics Pedestal - Looks like standard flush mount when stowed and will raise up and rotate for ease of use while fishing. Built in remote adjustable headlights
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Post by dayoff on Sept 24, 2015 18:32:23 GMT -5
WOW, THAT REALLY LOOKS NICE.
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Post by HONDAM on Sept 24, 2015 20:21:33 GMT -5
Here are some independent tests done by Yamaha. The Allison comes out on top for speed and fuel efficiency when tested with a Yamaha 4 stroke SHO 225. I picked the closest models i could find tested with the same engine. This Ranger is a little smaller then the Allison and about the same weight. The Allison is 15MPH faster and gets about 3/4 mpg better fuel economy at cruising speed. Some would say the value of the ranger is in the build quality and ride and i would agree both are excellent, but so is the Allison. One of the reasons Yamaha bought Skeeter boats was for the deleopement of the SHO 4 stroke engine. They wanted to tune the engine and the boat to provide the best package possible. So surely its going to be the best performing package right? This is not the case the Allison is still 14mph faster and over 1 mgp better economy. The next two are known to be performance oriented boats like the Allison. Bullet is the next closest competitor and it is still 5mph slower then the Allison with 1/4 mpg less fuel economy. Ultimately what has the biggest effect on the numbers in these tests is the design. Decades of the Allison family building boats pushing limits of what some thought to be impossible. Innovating in technology while maintaining a high standard of quality.
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Post by KICK'R on Sept 25, 2015 9:36:58 GMT -5
Awesome boats!
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Post by hondacat on Sept 25, 2015 9:41:44 GMT -5
top cap of the hull is glassed on the bottom no glue bond and rub rail like other boats makes the hull 30% stroner in most cases no one else i know of makes boat any thing like these
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Post by HONDAM on Sept 27, 2015 19:43:51 GMT -5
One of the biggest reason Calumet Marine has decided to take on Allison Boats is the ride. It is remarkable how many times i have heard "the best riding bass boat i have ever been in" This has come from Allison owners, Ranger owners, Triton owners, and owners of many other types of boats. Here is some feedback the Allison has received on the ride of their boats proving that just because it is a light weight boat doesn't mean it cant handle its own in rough water. MET (Atlanta, GA) - "This thing rides better than any bass boat I have been in, by a lot. My partner cant stop talking about it. (he has Z21 also). Every time someone says...."but how does it ride" with that look on their face like I must be sacrificing ride for speed, my response is always...."Go ask Scott." Maybe there are others that ride better, but you would have to show me to believe it." TB21 (Chillicothe, OH) - "I fish Lake Erie and St.Clair several times a year , but I have to be honest...I'm still not a rough water expert , I only go out if its a safe forecast and I typically don't travel far on the bigger waters , about 10-15 miles one way is pushing my limits of comfort. With that said I agree with the above "No bass boat is safe on a big lake that can get as rough as Erie will". But of all I've ridden in the 21' Allison is by far the best I've experienced . I have been caught out twice in changing conditions that weren't pleasant at all "I'd say easy 4-5'er's and it was no problem getting back in , had to slow down and took awhile but I never once took water over the nose sides or back , it was kind of funny the one time I got caught in the rough stuff " There were 2 guys fishing the same area in a Ranger Walleye boat that were headed in same time I was and we got back to the ramp at the same time , they came over to check out my boat after they got all tied down , they told me that they were betting they would have to give me a ride back in when we headed back to the ramp and they were shocked that I was able to stay ahead of them after we took off , what shocked them most was I was completely dry and wore no rain suit on the ride , they were soaked to the bone in rain suits "this was not a rainy day , they were wet from water coming over bow" . I hear some guys say they can run 3-4'ers on plane in the Allison.....well if that's true , which I doubt , I'd sure like to see how , because I can't. I can and have run 65-70 in true 2' chops for long runs and it's a very pleasant ride." Bass Commander - "Ive been running that hull for 7+ years. If you keep it long enough (some do not), you will find that it's as easy to drive as any other. It's funny how the rougher the water is, the slower everybody else seems to run!" 26 Chopper - "I have owned 3 xb2002's and 1 xtb 21. I've also had a 20xd bullet and ranger. I can honestly say the Allison bass boat has the finest ride of any boat I've ever owned including a champion too."
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Post by HONDAM on Sept 29, 2015 21:26:49 GMT -5
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Post by HONDAM on Sept 30, 2015 19:59:56 GMT -5
Another interesting aspect of the ride in this boat is the aerodynamics and seating position, its completely different than any other boat ive rode it. You sit much further down in the boat then what im used to. This does several things, one is you are protected much more by the console. You are out of the wind and weather going down the lake for a very dry ride. You also do not have nearly as much of the wind noise which take some getting used to because what you hear instead is the water on the bottom of the boat. Sitting down in the boat and the limited wind noise gives you a much stronger feel for the boat, it handles and gives you the feel more like a sports car. Its really an awesome experience and makes these boats easy to drive even at speed. Cant wait till Frank is able to put together a demo boat(no immediate plans for this yet).
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