Heading to the water today for the first time since it was completely updated, a 1998 Sunseeker Superhawk will be the Florida Powerboat Club’s first charter boat. The 48-footer will be available to club members for all but its Orange Beach, Ala., and Destin, Fla., events. Including a captain and a steward, the stylish offering—no longer in the Sunseeker line—can accommodate six passengers. It also will be offered for non-event-related charters.
For Stu Jones, the president of the Pompano Beach, Fla.-based outfit, the project is byproduct of observation he’s made in almost 30 years of producing go-fast boating events. Not every member of the club, Jones said, agrees on what constitutes “a fun day of boating,” and that gave him an idea.
“So many times during the years, I’ve seen the guys enjoying a windy, 100-mph adrenaline rush while the ladies would rather be cruising at 45 mph and sipping cold beverages,” he explained. “The Sunseeker Superhawk was the perfect answer to this dilemma, giving families and would-be poker run enthusiasts the opportunity to keep up with the pack—albeit in a more civilized setting—with cushy air-conditioned cabin cabin, a full bathroom and lots of lounge seating.
“And for those who still want plenty of wind and sun, the sunbed on the engine hatch or and the foredeck lounge are plenty comfortable,” he added.
After an extensive search, Jones found the boat he wanted in Michigan. The 48-footer belonged to longtime go-fast boating enthusiast and club member John Frohlich, who also owns a 47-foot Apache V-bottom and a 46-foot Skater Powerboats catamaran. Given the owner’s penchant for speed on the water, the Sunseeker wasn’t getting much use during Michigan’s short boating season. The boat spent most of its time in a climate-controlled warehouse and—as such—had logged 500 operating hours on its triple MerCruiser 502 EFI engines during its 20-year lifespan.
Jones purchased the boat with partners Tony and Mona Mondazze, his longtime friends, in July 2021. Once active in the club, the Mondazzes owned several Cigarette Racing Team sportboats, including the famed American Muscle 46-footer before exiting the go-fast boating scene to raise their family.
“After getting out of the boating scene for more than a decade, they took a renewed interest in powerboating,” Jones said. “Their four daughters moved into adulthood, giving them more leisure time. This Sunseeker partnership was the ideal project for them to pursue, because we are all good friends and liked the fact that I would take on the entire task of buying, refitting, storing and managing the boat. All they have to do is show up, use the boat and park it back at the Jones residence in Pompano Beach.”
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Original article published on speedonthewater.com.