just bought my first ski boat!

[haulnazz15]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

I grouped direct drive/v drive in as straight inboards... Outside of barefooting, which isn't technically skiing!, there are really no I/O based 'ski' boats. (barefooting boats are basically bass boats minus the metalflake) Yes, the mfg markets them as ski boats, or they are called fish-n-ski, but they serve that purpose poorly.

A wake tower doesn't make an I/O into a wake boat. True wake boats have large platforms that are level with the water, ballast tanks that can be filled up, cruise control (perfect pass), and usually a wake plate for adjusting the size/shape of the wake. I/O's lack all of those, and as far as I know, there is no I/O on the market that comes with all those features. Also, wake surfing behind an I/O is a really easy way to meet Darwin. Simply put, an I/O will make a mushy, rough wake with lots of turbulence. No way around that with a big chunk of metal in the water.

Sorry, but there are several I/O's out there that meet your qualifications on the wake boat (aside from the wake plate which only some wakeboats have). The Cobalt 232/242WSS boats have the tower, ballast, and perfect pass systems as well as a wake as big as anything a v-drive will put out. The shape of the wake is purely preference, so the wedge is somewhat controversial in the aspect of being a requirement. On a side note, there are some older (80's) ski boats that dabbled with I/O models as well as mfgs like Dyna-Ski that use O/B's. The drive platform doesn't denote a "ski boat" from a non-ski boat. Now, if he had said "tournament ski boat", then you might have an argument.

99% of people who use the term "ski boat" are referring to a runabout of one sort or another, because most people who have water-skied, wake boarded, tubed, etc have done so behind an I/O or O/B.

 

[littlerayray]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

hey chadyboy dont get discouraged the boat will do what you want and if not the 190hp motor in the q4 is very desirable
but dont get discouraged by all these naysayers

 

[ezmobee]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

No one is likely to get discouraged over this silly argument over semantics. For the layperson, the term "ski boat" commonly distinguishes a fiberglass bowrider from fishing boats.

 

[jestor68]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

Lets just start calling them Water Sports Boats.

 

[chadyboy]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

Nah its all good. The boat will do everything I want it to. Ski, fish, tube, lay out, etc.

How to remove the stupid trolling motor. on the far end it as a large "Screw" that you unlock, and the trolling motor is suppose to swivel out, then left up. I tried last night but could not get it undone. I'll mess with it more this weekend.

It has a hand controlled trolling motor. I am a foot controller guy, and have never used the hand control. But I'm not going to knock it till I try it. thoughts?

This thing barley fits in the garage. At least it fits!

 

[D1vemaster]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

You'll have a blast, those guys with 5.7s are crying about fuel cost these days . I can go 5 hours of pulling tubes skis wakeboards etc. on a half a tank of gas with my 4.3 (17gal) . Plenty of money left over for lunch and truck fuel. I've had (2) 5.7's with 60 to 80 gallon tanks and hated them when it was fill up time. It's funny how no-one wants to go sking when they have to pay for fuel. NOw it's no big deal and we run it every chance we get . I don't charge anyone for gas who comes along.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

You'll have a blast, those guys with 5.7s are crying about fuel cost these days .

Sorry, but the fuel cost between a 4.3L and a 5.7L isn't really that significant.

 

[jkust]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

Well at least he didn't call it a 'speed' boat. Should be a great first I/O for you. As to the carb vs the MPI, that particular boat is probably one of the lightest constructed I/O, bowriders for its length i've ever seen. That 190hp/260tq will have you flying over the water.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

Ah you have the F&S version. That is awesome. Even if you dont fish, I think the fact that all the cushions unsnap is awesome. All boat manufactorers should do that. The rear deck is fiberglass with a snapped pad on it. I love it. That is one thing I wish my new boat had. THen I could put the cushions in my garage, or in a spare room for that matter, when not in use to keep them nice.

 

[littlerayray]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

Ah you have the F&S version. That is awesome. Even if you dont fish, I think the fact that all the cushions unsnap is awesome. All boat manufactorers should do that. The rear deck is fiberglass with a snapped pad on it. I love it. That is one thing I wish my new boat had. THen I could put the cushions in my garage, or in a spare room for that matter, when not in use to keep them nice.

isnt that why they made upholstery cleaners

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

isnt that why they made upholstery cleaners

Upholstery cleaners do not keep them from getting filthy or moldy, and I would rather be using my boat than cleaning it all the time. When I let it sit at the marina with the cover on it, after a week or so I open it up and it is nasty. Nothing I have been able to do to keep this from happening. My buddy has the same issue. It is just so humid here there isnt much you can do but clean it every time before you use it. The couple cushions I can remove and leave in the garage stay perfectly clean. If I leave it uncovered for a day or so it is even worse. The other good thing about taking out the cushions is that the compartments stay open and can dry out.

 

[littlerayray]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

Upholstery cleaners do not keep them from getting filthy or moldy, and I would rather be using my boat than cleaning it all the time. When I let it sit at the marina with the cover on it, after a week or so I open it up and it is nasty. Nothing I have been able to do to keep this from happening. My buddy has the same issue. It is just so humid here there isnt much you can do but clean it every time before you use it. The couple cushions I can remove and leave in the garage stay perfectly clean. If I leave it uncovered for a day or so it is even worse. The other good thing about taking out the cushions is that the compartments stay open and can dry out.

living in florida and being able to boat all year the misery the horror .
now i have a product to invent
and market to all you warm humid climate dwellers and get rich muah ahahahaha

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

living in florida and being able to boat all year the misery the horror .
now i have a product to invent
and market to all you warm humid climate dwellers and get rich muah ahahahaha

When I do not drive my cars for months at a time I put in Damprid. I tried that in the boat and it was gone in a day. Just doesnt work like it does in the cars. It will go for about a month or more in the cars. Plus the fact that it is sitting right beside the river doesnt help. Probably because it isnt sealed, so moisture builds. I am going to try to lather on the 303 protectant and see how that goes.

Removable upholstery makes it easier to clean too. Plus you can leave the boat open to dry overnight before closing up the compartments and all with cushions. I have always thought that was the best idea in a boat.

 

[chadyboy]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

OK so I have finally used this boat a couple of times and here are my reviews.

The boat is awesomely fast, and will turn on a dime. I took a group of friends out last weekend, and I had fun just turning left right, and really digging into the water. we had a blast and laughed so hard.

This boat does not handle rough water AT ALL. I have never owned a ski boat, so this is fairly new to me. Its going to take some getting used to riding on rough waters. I was told if i get tabs on the back, this will help the ride. I really hope so!!

The fishing portion of the boat works very well. I have taken it out twice now and have caught a mess load of fish. I get alot of strange looks when I launch because people don't realize its a f/s until they do a double take. I don't like the hand controlled trolling motor so I will be looking into getting that swamped out. Will any foot control trolling motor work?

I don't like the way you have to step on the back cushion to get back into the boat. I am hoping that this doesn't cause issues later down the road from all the wear and tear.

 

[jkust]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

As to the back cushion, just keep your shoes off. Our sig boat doesn't get any shoes worn inside and so things stay looking new. I see a mess of sunpad cushions destroyed every year however. Presumably from poor storage/sun exposure and shoes. Handling rough water is really asking a lot of a small boat regardless. My little 18 foot sig boat is the heavist 18 foot bowrider you will probably ever come across at 2950lbs dry with the base engine, ie mine is heavier, and even it can only do so much in rollers on big water given it's loa.

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

Where is your trolling motor mounted? You may be able to find a foot controlled model that fits the mount you already have.
What's the make and model?

P.S. I just googled some pics. That is one sweet ride, brother!! And it looks like a ski boat to me!!

 

[littlerayray]

Re: just bought my first ski boat!

I was told if i get tabs on the back, this will help the ride. I really hope so!!
I don't like the way you have to step on the back cushion to get back into the boat. I am hoping that this doesn't cause issues later down the road from all the wear and tear.

trim tabs wont work on the tahoe due to the rounded stern. just play with your trim.
my mechanic where i bought the boat from, refuses to put them on because it is a waste of money. if they do get installed they would be so close together they wouldnt work properly.

also i do not allow shoes in my boat either. if people have sand on their feet they must rinse before entering.
also i use a product called starbrite black streak remover on all my interior to keep my upholstery looking new. i do this once every two weeks.