Puma Hybrid Demo After Action Report

Ok boys (and girls) heres the scoop on the Puma Hybrid hull. First, Im not a boat expert but will try and do the best I can at describing what was explained, observed, saw and done. Second, I have no hand in this, meaning nothing was promised, paid under the table or wink winked by BCB. Third, Im not a writer or journalist so if youre going to be an English teacher cut me some slack. Fourth, this is going to be a long post.Lets get her started……. My dear friend Tom Blakemore and I went down to fish the BCB OI on Bull Sholes this past weekend. We got into town and headed for BCB to register, tour the plant and visit (plus a secret mission of finding the hybrid). The second we pull up I begin scanning for a wedge hull rig (no joy). We take the plant tour and I looked over every rig and mold I could see for a wedge hull. No joy. During the tour I asked the rep if we could see the Hybrid hull. No we cant. After the tour we run into Rick and begin to visit. I asked him about the Hybrid hull and said I couldnt find it. Rick: “Its right under your nose.” He then said “Lets take a walk” and took us over showing how the Hybrid came about by using PART of a 203 Champ hull and meshing it with a Puma hull. How much of the hull? From what I saw, imagine cutting the bottom 1/4 part of the 203 hull from the transom to the top of the strakes (no transom). BCB then used that mold and meshed (hybrid) it to the top portion of the Puma hull and tuned them both accordingly to BCB liking as one brand new hull. Im not sure of exact measurements but you get the jest of it. Ricks explanation was starting to put a better picture in my head other than what I thought it was going to be. I was thinking/picturing Puma top cap on just the old 203 hull. This was obviously not the case.Rick had to step away for a minute to take care of business and here comes Ivan walking by. We stop and chat for a few minutes and I ask “Hey Ivan can we take a look at the Hybrid?”…..(We were expecting a NO!).Ivan replies “Sure its right there.” Pointing directly across from me.Me: “Son of a…..” Yes, I had been standing by it for over a 1/2 hour.Tom and I briskly walk over without running (which was difficult) to what appears to be a “regular” blue and white single console Puma (I love single consoles). We walk directly to the back of the boat and squat down and take a gander. A wedge hull can CLEARLY be seen sitting under a Puma hull, (Just to be clear, a complete hull not one stacked on top of another), perfectly meshed in. Coooooooool. We walk around to the front of the rig. Again, Puma hull sitting on the bottom part of a Champ hull. Tom and I are now dancing around like 6 year olds on a sugar high. I personally have a case of the big eye on the new girl and I see that Rick has busted us and walked back over to chat. He smiles and asks what we think but I think Toms and my smiles answer him before we open our mouths. He confirmed what I suspected, that while running on plane it was all Champ but when at rest its all Cat. I asked about performance – 78GPS, the hulls not finished yet and they havent even started playing with props. Beam? 93. Length 20-05. I asked to take pictures of it and he respectfully declined and explained that its just not finished yet and he has about 25 hours to do on the hull to meet the performance standards hes wanting. Hey, I can respect that, at least we got to see it and Ive literally been waiting 5 YEARS to see this rig.Rick: Demo rides tomorrow at 10-3 by request.Me: Well be there. Count on it.I was so excited I couldnt sleep that night. Tom and I head out that Thursday morning for some pre fishing and all I can think about is that demo ride. It was a long 4 hours. We fish for a few hours and he asks if I was ready. Yup, lets go.We meet Rick and the BCB fellas at the docks. I bypass the Jag/400Vrod and head right to the Hybrid.We say our hellos and Rick says “Matt the keys are in it.” I looked at him confused.Me: Wait you mean I can take it out without one of you (BCB) guys driving?Rick: Yup just dont do the high speed breach turn please.Me: Tom get in!I purposely slowed/calmed myself down. Got in the front of the boat, walk up to the front deck and began rocking the boat side to side (remember Im built like a brick $hit house). Rick catches on to what Im doing and jumps on the back deck rocking it back and forth. Then stands on corner to corner of the back deck. I do the same thing in the back. STABLE no “Tippys” unlike my current 96 202.Conclusion. Very stable platform. A+ for that.I jump behind the wheel and fire the ol (brand new broke in) 2fitty and see it has a hotfoot, blinker trim, blinker hydro jackplate and hydro steering. All things Im not familiar with using. Yup, Im still old skool with cables and trim on the throttle type of guy. I asked Rick if this was BCB trim or Champ trim. He says BCB, .ie dont over trim.Weather: Breezy, Chop on the water, Air Temp mid 60s, Water Temp 57-59.Prop: 25P FuryProp to Pad: Unknown (I forgot to ask, my bad).2 Big ol country boysFull of fuelLivewells wetPerformance (Top Speed GPS).We head out to the no wake and I start looking over the gauges which is pretty straight forward BCB. My first hole shot I trimmed her down, drop the hammer and giver her hell. It was a slower hole shot than expected but I contributed that to my short learning curve. We start to head out and Im getting a feel for her. It doesnt ride on top the waves like a Cat. Its ALLLLLL Champ ride baby. I left it trimmed down purposely then started bump trimming her up, all the way up (on purpose). I know, I know Rick told me not to over trim but I wanted to see how the rig would act. As expected squirrely. I found my trim sweet spot and opened her up to 70 GPS and I had some chine, BUT remember Im not familiar with hydro steering. I do several more passes getting a feel for her, the trim and steering 71,72. A few more 73. Getting comfortable now, 73, 73.Conclusion: B. Ok ok respectable speed from a unfamiliar rookie. I definitely need more seat time. The BCB boys are running her 78 GPS which is pretty darned good for a 203 hull.Time to turn.Ease into a gentle mid speed turn. No prob.Make it a little harder turn. Yup.Make it a little harder. Now shes getting familiar.Make a turn as hard as I can with out scaring Tom any worse than I could. It was a nice HARD bite with ZERO slip, no hook.As promised no breach turn, with Tom as my witness and hand on my heart.Conclusion: A++. Champ performance all the way.Time to make waves.I proceeded to stir up some of the nastiest meanest cruiser wakes as I could. I would say it was so many “foot high” but will spare you my over zealous mind. So as big as I could make em. Straight line run into them big old bath tub rollers from 50-70 and it ate em up with a dash of salt.Did it again.And again.And again.Last time I took my hands off the wheel.No problem.Conclusion: A++. Champ……sorta. The one thing I noticed is anyone who has been in rough water with a Champ will see that when hitting a wave the spray comes UP and OUT. Since the Hybrid is a true meshing of hulls it blows the spray up like a Champ to the Cat hull portion then out to the side. I found this interesting and really liked it.Hole shot time.5 to 6 “One-OneThousands”6 different attemptsProp blew out some, it needed to have the plugs or plate played with. (Remember Ricks still not finished with it yet and hasnt played with set up yet.)Conclusion: CMPH to keep on plane.19-22 MPH GPS depending on trim setting.Conclusion: A+. Did very well. Anxious to see what it will do once its set up.I gave the wheel over to Tom and he mirrored my demo. Im sure hell chime in. We “kinda” lost track of time and see a Jag/400 with Rick at the wheel looking for us. We both kinda felt like teenagers getting busted by dad for being late for curfew but Rick just smiled and asked how we liked it. We sat there and talked it over for a while then he switched boats with Tom, told him to be careful and took off in the Hybrid for a short run.I was allowed to take pics on the water only and cleared to post them by Rick along with my OPINION of Hybrid via the web.My thoughts: This truly is a Hybrid of the 203 Champ and the Puma Hull. Its the best of both worlds and when completed has the potential to be the greatest 20 foot bass boat ever made. Runs like a Champ, Fishes like a Cat. Dont like the hull? Then you can choose the traditional Puma hull. Tom and I sure did have a great time. It was a great weekend in Mt. Home on Bull Sholes. Thanks to BCB and Rick for letting us burn some of his fuel.Tight Lines- Matt