Hustler Powerboats Excited About First 29 Shotgun Build

When I received an email on Thursday from Paul LoGiudice of Hustler Powerboats about the first 29 Shotgun the company was in the process of building, I immediately thought the concept of a smaller outboard-powerboat sportboat with the same spacious cockpit idea of the 39 Shotgun the company introduced at the 2018 Miami International Boat Show had potential. How much potential, I’m not sure, but the new build at least gives Hustler another product in the popular outboard-powered segment, which has to be positive.

Hustler Powerboats is getting its first 29 Shotgun ready for the Miami International Boat Show. All photos courtesy Hustler Powerboats

As the two 39-footers Hustler has built so far were triple-outboard applications with Mercury Racing Verado 400R engines, the 29-footer, which utilizes the same hull as the Calverton, N.Y., company’s 29 Rockit but features a new deck that takes full advantage of the extra cockpit space with the engine compartment essentially eliminated, is designed for a pair of outboards. The first one, which LoGiudice said should be on display at the 2020 Miami International Boat Show in February, is also going to be equipped with Verado 400R engines.

“The setup on the 29 Shotgun will be very similar to how we built the 39 Shotgun,” LoGiudice said. “This should be a fun build. The boat should run really well with 800 horsepower readily available.”

One thing’s for certain, if you’ve seen either of the 39 Shotguns (the first one was built with a gunwale-to-gunwale hardtop and the second one without), the 29 Shotgun is going to be a pretty cool sportboat with plenty of trick features and creature comforts.

Check out the slideshow above for images of the 29-foot sportboat in progress.

Time will tell if there’s a market for the boat—but surely there should be, right? That’s exactly what Hustler is thinking. Obviously there is going to be a definite price point advantage over the company’s 39-foot Shotgun, but then again the company has yet to sell its demo boat—the second one, which is running in today’s Rock The Bay Poker Run in North East, Md., which is produced by Poker Runs America.

Of note, as LoGiudice pointed out, is that Hustler’s sister company, Checkmate Powerboats in Bucyrus, Ohio, provided some good assistance in the rigging and setup process of the outboard engines since Checkmate has been building outboard-powered sportboats for decades. LoGiudice also credited the team at Mercury Racing for its support preparing the new Shotgun models.

Hustler Powerboats Excited About First 29 Shotgun Build

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