Growing Out Of Our Boat - Need Advice

[Dark Shadows]

We've got a 2002 Glastron SX 175, basically a 17 foot 135 hp I/O. It'll pull up a skier on one ski (if you can hold your breath long enough) and easily pulls up a boarder but the wake is only about a foot tall, it really struggles to pull around a big tube, and I'd like to be able to haul more people and stuff when going camping on Lake Powell. I'm not desperate to buy a boat, since the one I have does about 80% of what I'd like to do, but we've got the money and think it would worth it to get something a lot nicer sometime between now and next summer. Here's what I'd like out of the new one:

1) The ability to haul more people and stuff. I'm going to get this out of just about anything larger that we buy.
2) A better wake for wakeboarding (none of us are probably even intermediate wakeboarders, but can jump the wake, don't fall unless we're trying to do a trick etc)
3) The ability to wakesurf (never done it but looks fun and is appealing to do when water is choppy)
4) The ability to ski (but not purists by any means)
5) The ability to pull a large tube
6) Can handle a reasonable amount of chop without beating the snot out of us. It is not unusual for us to motor 30-50 miles to a campsite on Lake Powell, which often sees a fair amount of chop on the main channel in the afternoons. I don't know, maybe 2 foot swells at most with 1 foot not being unusual. A higher cruising speed is a bonus when getting around and not towing.
7) I need to be able to tie it down on a sandy beach for the night.
8) It would be nice to be able to still maneuver it through tight canyons, although I know I'm going to lose a lot of that ability by going to a V-drive in order to be able to surf and get a better wake.
9) I'd like to be able to haul it with our Sequoia. If I need to buy a bigger truck to haul it, it's too big.
10) Tower, sound system, swim deck, cruise control, ballast system etc etc all required
11) I was initially going to try to store it in the garage (20 footers only) but I think we've given up on that and will just pay for storage 7 months a year and leave it in the driveway the other 5.

Money isn't so much a huge object. If we don't have enough for the boat now, we'll buy one a few years older or save up longer. I'm willing to buy used, but want it no older than 8 years old or so since those seem about half price for V drive boats.

I'm totally overwhelmed by all the choices out there. Used options in my area seem to be mostly Malibu Wakesetters (23 LSV seems particularly popular around here) but there are a few Tiges, Mastercrafts and Moombas as well and dealers for each of these brands close by. I'd like to get some kind of surf tabs (I think) but am willing to do them as an add-on if necessary in order to buy a little older boat.

Any tips on what models/years would work well for us?

 

[rallyart]

The tow capacity of a Sequoia is pretty good so you should be able to tow most tournament style boats. If you get into a 23' boat you are going to be in a boat that makes skiing tougher as the weight of the boat is going to produce a big wake for skiing regardless of what you do. It may be smooth but it's likely to be a bit intimidating to cross on a slalom ski. Under that size and you are often good. The adjustable wake tab is basically a center mounted trim tab and is a really useful feature on any boat. They can be added to most hulls and many come with them standard. I added the factory one to my Sanger after it was bought.

Almost any inboard can be beached on sand is it is not too shallow a drop off. The center tracking fins can get bent if they are in contact with the bottom and you get side loading waves. Many people use a shore spike and an anchor with bungee lines to let the boat float out some (bow out). Then they pull the line in to get back into the boat. I would not hesitate to leave mine on a sandy beach if the fins are above the sand mostly and there is not a lot of traffic to create wakes. An inboard is easier to manoeuver in tight channels once you are practiced at operating it. You can spin them in their own length, if needed, and the normal turn radius is tighter than a sterndrive.

Cruising speed on any tournament boat is going to be best from 25-35 mph. Faster than that and your economy goes down. Most top out at 42-47 mph. The economy up to 35 mph is pretty good as the hulls are designed for smooth water flow so there is not much drag. Chop is where different manufacturers or hull designs start to show up as better or worse. Any 20-23' boat is going to be fairly good compared to a 17' boat but some have a deeper V. Brands that handle chop well include Centurion and Sanger. Basically, if most of the hull looks flat, you might not like it as the water gets bigger. My Sanger 215 is much better in chop or a storm than a 20' Glastron is, but a Malibu V-ride of the same year and size is not. That is due to hull design and construction techniques, not the quality of the boat.

Most wake boats in the age you are looking at are very good boats. Try to test drive some and see what you want. If you can narrow down the size range you will help your search. There is a huge difference between a 20' inboard and a 23' as far as space and how they drive. Moomba and Supra use the same hull but the Supra is much better riding through chop because the seats are of better quality, as an example. Almost all can be surfed behind and it is a lot of fun. Just know ahead of time that your are going to need over 1000# of ballast and some of that is probably sitting on one side of interior. The newest boats can come with wake surf devices on the transom but you still need the weight in the boat.

The Wakesetter 23 LSV has a good reputation and is a nice boat but there are others that can be great also. Take the time to measure your garage size and door clearance. You may find a good boat that can fit it. It is easier if you don't have to take off the swim deck but it's not the end of the world either.

 

[jafo9]

it sounds like you know what you want out of a boat so thats a good start. i'm sure you know that to get some of everything you want, you'll have to make some compromises. i.e., a great wake boarding boat will likely not have a great slalom wake. a 23' may be your max size if you want any type of slalom-ability. even this size in a v-drive will have a significant wake to cross at 30+. i ski at 30 behind my X30, its not impossible, buts it not a 19ft flat hull direct drive either. i'm personally not a fan of the layout of the malibu's. we prefer to have a more traditional bow with real seating vs. the playpen bow of the bu's. this lets us separate kids and adults to some degree. not dissing the bu's, my neighbor has a pretty new 247 and its a beast with a killer surf wave with surf gate. a traditional "pointy" bow may also be better for you than a pickle fork if you are boating on rough waters. typically, the flatter the hull, the better the ski wake and the worse the rough water handling. the deeper the v- the better the surf wake and better rough water handling. there are lots of ways to add ballast so i wouldn't get too hung up on that. thats probably one of the cheapest upgrades for most inboards. i'd focus more on the right motor/prop/tower/perfect pass/seating layout/brand/stereo. i don't want to start a brand war, but just like with any other type of toy, there are high end, mid and low end boats. for resale, i'd stick with a mid to high end brand. for newish, i'd probably pay more attention to the local dealer. you may be able to get more specific feedback from inboard specific sites, be warned however, some of them can be pretty hostile. good luck.

 

[Dark Shadows]

Thank you both for your input. I think we've decided on a 14 or 15 Axis T22 or 23.

 

[rallyart]

You will enjoy those. The space difference inside the boat is HUGE compared to what you have been in. Take the time to learn to maneuver the boat. Practice bringing the nose up to a buoy, then the stern. Learning how it handles at slow speed will really help you. On an inboard, the rudder is sized to work when there is prop flow across it so it is much less effective when you are in neutral or reverse. That is something you have to learn.
Also, when a person you are towing drops, cut throttle and turn slowly and tightly to face them. Then you can cruise back to them. Power turns to get back to them just make big wakes everywhere. (Sorry, that's a little preaching)

You'll have an exciting summer next year.