Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

[scottmsmith131]

I have a 1996 16.5 foot Sunbird Bow rider, it has a 1979 Evenrude 75 hp outboard. The cylinders all have 120 per cylinder, carbs rebuilt by the local boat shop, power prop. I am about 210 lbs 6 foot 1. I have been skiing for years, I cannot get up behind my boat. Is this setup enough? Is there something else wrong with my motor? I learned behind a 40 hp. The local boat place said if I get a ski pylon would help. Does this make sense? It should give more lift. Thanks in advance, any help would be appreciated.

 

[electricjohn]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

Try bigger skis and better yet flatbottom skis. Concave and tunnel concave bottom skis don't like to go slow and create a lot of drag. Put your observer (spotter) as far forward in the boat as possible. If you can still ski decently start with your legs extented and hands close to your chest. After you hit it, let your arms out straight, then let your legs bend back to normal start position. Make this happen as the boat is taking off and the boat will travel a good 5 feet before it even starts pulling on you. You would be surprised what that 5 feet can do for an underpowered boat.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

You may also want to check into a vented prop, it made all the difference with my ob a while back.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

You should be able to get up behind that boat. First off, is the boat having trouble getting on plane with you attached? If so, then make sure the einge trim is all the way down, as much weight as possible is in the bow. You may need to look into a different prop to give you a better hole shot. I learned to ski behind a 16ft bass boat w/90HP Johnson and never had an issue. I still get up on slolam behind a 115HP Merc (which I think is weaker than the 90HP Johnson) 17ft bass boat and weigh close to the same as you.

Don't worry about flat-bottom versus concave skis. It won't make any noticable difference in getting out of the water, the drag is almost the same. What you DO need to do if you want to try to get up with the boat as-is: stay in the normal start position with knees to your chest and arms slightly bent. Have the boat operator add power slowly/smoothly so that the prop doesn't cavitate/ventilate while you stay crouched until the boat planes out. Once you are on top of the water with the boat planed out go ahead and stand up to let the boat pick up speed.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

Appears to be more of a set up and prop issue than what you have as the basic equipment.

 

[scottmsmith131]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

Thank you for the advice, I will try it again this weekend. Does anyone think that the ski pylon with the added height for the tow rop will make a difference? Guess the least expensive option would be to loose about 20 lbs, lol.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

The pylon won't make much difference. The angle of the rope may help you slightly in pulling up out of the water, but you have to get the boat moving fast enough to take advantage of it.

 

[electricjohn]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

Don't worry about flat-bottom versus concave skis. It won't make any noticable difference in getting out of the water, the drag is almost the same. QUOTE]

Then why do show skiers only use flat bottom skis?

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

Lol, because that's an entirely different style of skiing! It also does make a difference when you have 10 people behind one boat. Not real effect with one person. It also isn't a cost-effective solution to his problem as a new set of skis will cost $150+ when he can adjust some weight and his method of pulling out of the water for free. He can buy a new prop for less than a new pair of skis. Also, you won't find a performance ski in a flat-bottom. All of the top of the line skis down to the entry level use a concave tunnel. It helps with stability and tracking. This ain't trick skiing we're talking about here like in "The Great Outdoors", this is recreational.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

I agree that boat/motor is sufficient to pull a skiier up. If the motor is in good shapes (sounds like it is), it is likely the starting style of the skiier. In this case the skiier is big and strong enough to out muscle the boat, which is what I suspect. He should learn to stay in his crouch (two skiis) or learn to keep his salom ski under his butt and drag his back foot until he is up. Both of these reduce the water drag on the boat (and the human).

My wife is expert at resisting the boats pull when trying to get up deep water salom. She starts with two feet in the bindings, and wont believe that this creates the most drag. When she was 20, she was strong enough and light enough to fight the boat and still get up. Today she is not that strong, and has a real difficult time, and I cannot seem to get her to beleive that there is an easier way....

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

Today she is not that strong, and has a real difficult time, and I cannot seem to get her to beleive that there is an easier way....

The easier way is to do a dock start.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

Actually the easiest way is to do a jump start, but she is too chicken....

 

[hibbert6]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

By chance, are now using a wide ski? I bought one a few years ago and tried for 2 years to get up on it. (There's a long thread on here about it.) I have a 15' trihull with a 65hp Merc.

If so, you have to use a different method of getting up. You can't sit on your back foot; instead, you must get the ski almost flat, and preferably drag the rear foot instead of having it in the boot. Felt WEIRD, but when I finally tried it, it worked. Many thanks to the folks on this board who helped me.

Dave

 

[electricjohn]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

The easier way is to do a dock start.

Kind of hard to do with both feet in the bindings. Or are you talking about a sitting dock start.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

Was talking about sitting on the dock with both feet in the bindings. It pretty much puts you in skiing position from the get-go. Never tried the jump-starts myself.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

Less potential for splinters in the butt with a jump start. However, it only works for single plate salom skiis.

 

[npd4432]

Re: Skiing Behind a 16.5 boat with a 75 hp evenrude.

My former boat was a 16 footer with a 1983 75HP rude. First thing I did was get a SS 13 Pitch prop, added the ski pylon, and got a set of smart tabs. All of these things pulled me with no problem. I am 240 Lbs. and my boat driver is 350 LBS. plus the spotter. Set that boat up the right way and you will not have a problem.