Ok, so I've found a 2007 Caravelle 217 LS with the Mercruiser 5.0 MPI and a 2004 Chaparral 204 SSI with the same engine. Looks like both boats weigh about the same. The Caravelle is much cleaner and has carpet but the Chaparral closer by about 8 hours.
Why do you prefer the 2 stroke over the 4 stroke? I learned to ski behind a 2 stroke from the 60s in our Scout troop back in '90. Then next time I was behind a boat was in 94 and my dad had a jetboat. I didn't have any issues with that one either. I'm told it is supposed to be rough, but at...
I'm seeing 200hp I/Os and only about 115 on the OBs, if I can find one. I prefer an OB from a maintenance perspective. Trying to find a 4-stroke has been equally difficult. I was thinking about an older Mastercraft or Ski Nautique as well.
NC. I'm not seeing any aluminum ski boats for sale within 500 miles. I'm not sure what brands fit that description. We're only going to be using it on lakes.
While I wait to rebuild the floor of my '81 Sea Nymph, I've been looking at something a bit more sporty. My kids are now 10 and 12 and like to go fast. I'm looking for a bowrider in the $3k to 9K range. Needs to pull a heavy skier - might have another shot at it, at 51. I want to avoid wood...
I fired up my engine this afternoon using muffs, just like I've done in the past. I let the engine idle for a minute until it was running smooth, and then tried to shut it off. I turned the key and the engine continued to run at a normal idle. The descriptions of a runaway that I've read here...
The wires running to the pins in my pole light bases are shot. I guess my options are to replace the entire base, the pin, or the socket. I'm not having any luck finding a matching base, nor one big enough to cover the existing holes. Does anyone know of a place that will sell just the socket...
I've got an 8' piece of plywood and a 2' piece to join together. Going to connect them with a small piece of plywood on the underside. Planning on glassing the whole thing. How many layers and what weight of cloth should I use to make it work? The joint is toward the stern, just forward of...
Two topics here. First off is where do I find sheet foam? I pulled out a bunch of this stuff from between the stringers under the deck:
It's about 2" thick and 12" wide. I walked around Lowes this morning with no luck.
Second, I found some screws this morning that were labeled for...
I have today off and from reading this forum, I've realized that removal of foam is one of the longest jobs so I decided to start removing the two large pockets of foam on each side of the stern. At the bottom of the first pocket, I found some super-saturated foam, which is the stuff under the...
I've finally saved up enough money (built up a large enough line of credit on my cards?) to undertake the restoration of my boat. It is a 1981 Sea Nymph model JB-161. This boat has a lot of meaning to me, as it's the one my grandfather bought in 1981 and the one in which I caught my first...
