Holy Apache! Overhauled Scalp Hunter Exceeds Expectations
Missouri’s Todd Crossley hasn’t had a chance to put his completely overhauled 1987 41-foot Apache Powerboats V-bottom to the test on Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks just yet, but after the reaction the boat received last week in person and via social media, he’s pretty certain it’s the coolest boat he’s ever owned.
Scalp Hunter, a 41-foot Apache Powerboats V-bottom, was the talk of Lake of the Ozarks after it was on display last Wednesday and Thursday with Todd Crossley’s matching Ford GT and his Southern Country Custom-built Harley-Davidson. Photo courtesy Jeremy Cohen/Seabound Yachts
And, according to the teams at Maryland Offshore Performance Marine Center in Rockville, Md., and Waves and Wheels in Osage Beach, Mo., the project, which became more comprehensive and took more than two and a half years from initial concept discussion to the last-minute finishing touches, is easily the coolest and most all-encompassing boat they’ve collaborated on to date.
“The boat looks great—I’m ecstatic to have it done,” Crossley said after the 41-footer was unveiled at the Wednesday evening Shootout on the Strip presented by Waves and Wheels during the 33rd annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout and was on display the following day at an open house gathering at The Boardwalk at Waves and Wheels. “It’s by far the nicest Apache I’ve ever seen. What I like best about it is that it has that Apache heritage with the six-pack bolster seating but it has all the modern features to make it comfortable and enjoyable to drive.
“The people watching on the street party was awesome; it was cool to see how everyone reacted to the boat,” he continued. “There were all kinds of opinions—some negative but most positive—and a lot of people said it was the baddest boat on the strip. Several guys told me that they’d take it over any other boat on display because of the legacy. That Apache heritage is why I wanted this boat in the first place. I grew up seeing the classics and always wanted one of my own.”
Not only does he have one of his own, Crossley might have the most attention-getting Apache in the world. And while he has tackled his fair share of projects throughout the years from hot rods to motorcycles—in fact, he had both his 2020 Ford GT and his Southern Country Custom-built Harley-Davidson that were custom painted to match his boat in a custom color he calls “Todd Copper” on display with the Apache on Wednesday and Thursday—he said this is the most extensive one yet.
“The boat is tight, it’s exactly what I requested,” Crossley said, adding that he’s hoping to start testing it soon before dropping it back off at Waves and Wheels to finish the cabin interior during the winter season. “I can’t say enough about the teams at Maryland Offshore and Waves and Wheels. It is hard to take someone’s dream and translate it into reality, but they pulled it off. It’s incredible. I don’t know what else to say.”
Check out the slideshow above for more images of the Scalp Hunter Apache. Photos courtesy Andy Sievers
Crossley added that the attention to detail with the rigging of the boat’s refreshed JC Performance engines, the accompanying Mercury Racing No. 6 drives and everything else exceeded his expectations, as did the interior, the sound system and all of the controls, electronics and instrumentation.
“The interior in Scalp Hunter is probably the best interior I’ve ever had in a boat,” Crossley said. “I had a 2018 Cigarette 42X that was gorgeous and I think this one is better. But it could be because it has the six-pack seating. I mean that’s what gives it that OG feel. I heard that from a lot of the old-school boaters at the street party who noticed the two rows of three seats right away.”
He also said that Maryland Offshore owner Andy Imhof informed him that a gentleman came into Imhof’s shop a couple of weeks back before the boat left for Lake of the Ozarks and provided some backstory on the 41-footer. According to Imhof, the guy seemed to know a lot about Apache history and said that the boat was originally built for the notorious Apache Powerboats owner Ben Kramer’s father.
“I have no reason to doubt him,” Imhof said. “That said, this is basically a whole new boat so we’re making its own history now. I still can’t believe how amazing the boat turned out. I have to credit to Mitch and Jermain at our shop for handing all the fabrication, wiring and rigging. And, of course, our lead painter and designer, Chris Dilling, deserves a lot of credit, as does our other painters, Ricardo, Tony and Tony. Everyone on our team did a hell of a job putting it all together.
“I can’t wait to drive it,” Imhof added. “I’m going to get out there soon to start working with Todd on setup. I told him it could take close to a month for us to get it perfectly dialed in.”
During an interview at the airport on his way to a family vacation in Florida, Waves and Wheels owner Justin Wagner stopped mid-sentence when he was interrupted by a fellow traveler he knows from the lake. About 15 seconds later he returned to the conversation.
“This guy just told me that the Apache was the coolest boat at the Shootout on the Strip,” Wagner said then laughed. “Even at the airport people are bringing it up. We’ve never had a project get as much attention as this one. The boat is beautiful inside and out. It was an honor to work with the guys at Maryland Offshore to put together something so memorable.”
Editor’s note: A follow-up story detailing the boat’s setup and more will be available once the group starts testing.
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