Looks like we need a ski boat. Something along the lines of a Ski Nautique. I know in the last few years there were some great deals to be had. Anyone have any leads as to where I should concentrate my efforts. Prefer Pacific Northwest area but open for the right deal. Price up to 15k. Thanks
Your in the right area anyway. Check Kijiji in southern BC and Alberta on a daily basis and have cash ready. I found a 5 year old Brendella c/w trailer, 200 Merc and only a bit over 100hrs in mint condition for $7,000 in your neck of the woods last year. Cash talks. Good luck.
If you're looking for a inboard, check out onlyinboards.com. Unfortunately they only have US boats listed. A pure ski boat will be a direct drive (motor in the middle), although the v-drive boats are quite capable. More expensive, since they're a more recent model. I bought an 88 Mastercraft Prostar 1 1/2 years ago for $3500. The vinyl on the back seat is rough, but the boat is solid. I figure I've got about $800 in to it, and most of that was $600 to replace the rear seal on the transmission. I found it on Craigslist. Deals are out there if you're patient and know what you're looking at. For myself, although the DD boats are smaller due to the engine location, they're much easier to work on than the v-drive boats. Might also check some of the forums. Mastercraft.com/teamtalk is one. Not sure what the other brand forums are, but a quick google should sort that out. One thought- we bought a closed bow- good starter boat, but after owning it for a year, I'm ready to upgrade to an open bow with a little more room. Depending on how many people you generally hang with, you might want to keep that in mind. Even with just the 4 of us, it gets crowded quickly. G
Open BOW! Say it ain't so. What's your use? You gonna be slaying bouys at 35 off? Or recreational skiing? Year ranges for Nautiques you want to come a bit newer with that, Prostars I'd go '93-'94 no problem. Nautiques I'd probably go '98ish. You want a speed control regardless, in the lower price ranges you're talking a perfect pass, which is made over in those maritime provinces.
Some thoughts on bows - in the lower cost boats, during those years, there weren't a ton of open bow models, they were the "sport nautiques" and the Prostar 205, and the Tristar (which I would not buy). Its only more recently that the open bow has been improved to be an approved towboat, the new Malibu's TXi LXi are awesome, the SN 200 - OB - also awesome. New Prostar 197's pretty slick good boat. In the area that you are I think Nautique is pretty popular, there's a cottage industry in waterskiing out on vancouver island
Its actually for one of my managers. He is renting a place on the lake and his teenage kids are staying with him most weekends. He has a bonus coming to him for his efforts last year and this is what he wants. Mostly for playing in the lake skiing, wake boarding and tubing. Nothing too hardcore. I thought a bow rider would be the better option as an all purpose boat but as PBG said if you go to the older ones they seem to be the closed bow. Good info here. Some lines I wasn't familiar with.
There's some nuance here. A "ski boat" can mean a few things, to many people this is a ski boat. In reality, while either can pull a skier, if the person is actually into waterskiing... They buy this. Note the ski boat is the lower one with the inboard engine, and the tow pylon. It was created for "three event skiing" That is the Three sports that compose the core of waterskiing. Slalom: Wherein skiers carve around bouys anchored to the bottom in a set pattern at set speeds and shorten the rope. Trick: A sport that is NOT WAKEBOARDING yet still involves flips and spins off the wake: And of course Jump: Again not wakeboarding:
My point being: I would only ever recommend purchasing a ski boat which is a Three Event towboat. If the person just wants to dick around on a lake, it is not necessary, and indeed a limited boat that holds few people, and costs real money. But, on the plus side great retail potential. I would probably want him to make more of a suggestion if its his bonus, as if it were me, and you gave me a "runabout" I would sell it asap and buy an inboard.
+1 I still believe the best boat for serious slalom skiers were the older Mastercrafts especially in the 35 off range, the wake was flat and soft and would not put you off your edge. They also were easy to drive and even the heaviest skiers could not pull them down.
Ski some of the new boats lately? I have an 88 Prostar, wakes are great you are right, but its like getting shot with BB's if you're going into a headwind.
An old Shamrock 20' inboard does a fine shop of imitating a dedicated ski boat. Good ones these days are $5000 to $10,000. If you trip over a nice one at a good price it might be worth a sea trial to see what you think. My serious skiing days are a couple of ankle surgeries in my past . But the wake my old inboard puts down sure looks perfect. Plus they have very low gunwales and a swim platform maybe two inches above the water at rest. She is easy to live with when you are tired. Same small block V8 and 1:1 Velvet Drive that you find in a lot of ski boats. Just a thought while you are looking.
Yep, you want be doing 45 in one but it does throw a beautiful smooth wake with enough grunt to not make you work. The only weird aspect of the keel when you are skiing is they turn flat without heeling. That took a little getting used to. That wake and the fact they are dirt cheap are the only reasons I pointed it out as an alternative. I wish I could still ski. That is really the only sport I miss now that I am half lame.
My wife and I bought our Ski Nautique new in '91. It has been one of the most reliable and enjoyable 'toys' that we own. When we bought the boat the dealer took us for a test drive. He asked if we had ever ridden in a tournament ski boat before? No. He demonstrated how the boat could turn 180° within it's length at full speed. It pulls like a freight train and handles like sports car. It's not about speed as it tops-out in the mid 40's. I've re-propped it with an ACME that provides more hole-shot with a 1mph drop in top speed. I've pulled 4 adult men on singles from deep water, with the factory prop. My boat has a 5.8 (351) Ford-based motor. Rock solid dependaple for 21 years. No regrets. [
I have a 95 Nautique, owned it since 96. Has the Ford 5.8 Lightning efi engine in it. Rock solid performance. All Fiberglass, still brings a smile to my face when I drive it, or ski behind it, too. Give the boys at Enzo's a call 604 270 6535. They probably have something coming in on trade, since the boat show starts tomorrow... Can't beat an inboard for safety, reliability and performance. Unlike an I/O or an O/B, all the expensive stuff's inside the boat. 95-99 are good years. Avoid the engines with holley projection (a carb with injectors). Exhaust is unbearable. Runs waaaay too rich!