Scalp Hunter Apache Project Moving Forward

Nobody involved with the complete update of the 1987 41-foot Apache Powerboats Scalp Hunter is calling the project “work” even though in actuality it has required a ton of labor and effort to get to this point. Just ask Justin Wagner of Waves and Wheels, Andy Imhof of Maryland Offshore Performance Marine Center, Chris Dilling of Grafik EFX or any of the others responsible for taking the boat from its old self into a modern marvel.

The design of the new Scalp Hunter 41-foot Apache owned by Missouri’s Todd Crossley is pretty unique looking (click to enlarge).

All of the industry veterans mentioned feel fortunate to have the opportunity to be associated with what they believe is one of the coolest projects any of them have ever gotten their hands on. Then again, each of them has a deep appreciation for performance boat history, and pretty much any Apache falls into that nostalgia category.

They are especially pumped for Scalp Hunter as the owner of the wave-crushing V-bottom—Missouri’s Todd Crossley, a longtime Waves and Wheels customer—gave them the green light to make the boat look like a new Apache while retaining its Apache heritage. And that’s exactly what they’ve done, getting the boat prepped for paint and everything else that’s going to be done in terms of seating, rigging and more.

A far cry from its original look, and judging by the paint design rendering above, the 41-footer is expected to be a serious head turner.

Check out the slideshow above for a few images of the Apache bodywork in progress.

“Our goal was to create a modern look that does justice to the Apache legends of the past,” said Imhof, whose team has been working hard to get the offshore V-bottom ready for paint, which was designed by Dilling with input from Crossley, Imhof and Wagner. “The boat has all of the Apache characteristics of old with a little added flair.

“I wouldn’t say there is any added pressure with the Apache than other projects we’ve done because we design every project to the customers’ tastes and specifications,” Imhof continued. “The only pressure we feel is giving Todd what he wants. It’s the same with every boat we do—it’s all about creating a custom boat for the owner.”

Wagner said Crossley, who has been a friend of his for years, has been great to work with on this project.

“We’ve done several projects for Todd and he provides his ideas and we run with it from there,” Wagner said. “We’re typically on the same wavelength so he lets us do our thing. With the Apache, it’s been a lot of fun and it’s gone pretty smooth because he’s been agreeable with most everything.”

The slideshow above includes several images of the Ford Excursion that was Graphix 1 Paint and Waves and Wheels redid to haul Scalp Hunter. Photos by Brad Glidewell/Brad Glidewell Photography

Wagner explained that while Maryland Offshore has been executing its portion of the project, his team at Waves and Wheels has been handling the cockpit interior design and building a new helm for the 41-footer. He also said that the team at Graphix 1 Paint, the shop he and Imhof opened in Osage Beach, Mo., earlier this year, painted the Ford Excursion and that the Waves and Wheels crew gutted the inside and redid the interior of the rig that is going to be used to haul Scalp Hunter.

Featuring a Kevlar layup and a staggered engine setup, the boat was in decent shape according to Imhof, who added, “We’ve been going over everything to get it all dialed in 100 percent—this project is a lot of fun.”

Imhof said the boat is going to feature twin JC Performance engines that have been completely refreshed. Of course it will include a top-notch audio systems from Waves and Wheels when all is said and done.

Until then, stay tuned for more updates on the 41-foot Apache as the project develops.

Scalp Hunter Apache Project Moving Forward

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