Re: Blue Fin Boat
I've owned my 1988 Spectrum 1700/85 hp Force for almost 20 years now. The rig has flied in the face of the old adage about the best two days in a boater's life (the day you buy it and the day you sell it).
It is certainly not a high end boat but it has been a great value. I bought it new for <$10K back in '88. Blue Fin could have used heavier grade hardware and guages. The seat upholstery thread came apart early on. The hull and engine have been solid over the years though.
I really fell in love with the brand and unfortunately no one these days makes a good aluminum fish/ski package with fold down back-to-back lounge seats. Aluminum boats are so slanted towards fishing packages these days.
Blue Fin got picked up by a parent company (Brunswick Marine?) in the mid 80s and sold as boat/trailer/engine package deals along with Bayliner. Mine bears a lot of the Bayliner "look" interior-wise since they used identical trim.
Best I have been able to determine, the Blue Fin name evolved into Spectrum in the late 80s, early 90s but remained the same boat. I believe the company was bought by Fisher Marine in 1994 and the brand discontinued. Perhaps Fisher just wanted the manufacturing space, not the boat itself.