Skiing behind a 25hp

[dachyk22]

i have a 1968 14ft starcraft alum boat extermely light, with a 1985 mercury 25xd motor on it do you think i could pull a 160 pound man up on skis who is a fairly good skier just curious

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

If you can get to about 20-25mph you may be able to, but he will have to drag in the water a while until the boat can get on plane and up to speed. Difficult to do slolam, but two-skis is much more doable.

 

[brian_mcwhirter]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

I vote, No, but good luck trying!

 

[skibrain]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

In '68 my dad bought a 14' Mirrocraft with a 20 hp Merc. That WAS our ski boat. A spotter wasn't required, so we put the gas tank forward for a little better weight distribution. My dad was about 165 lb and I used to pull him frequently. The boat with driver-only would go 30 mph.

I say yes, and have fun.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

Yup. You can do it. Double skis, though. If you want to pull him on a slalom ski, he's going to have to get up on two and drop one.

I learned to ski behind a 13' plywood boat with a 50's Johnson 25 hp on it, and there were two people in the boat plus the skier behind. We could pull my dad, who was about 185.

So get out there and try it.

 

[electricjohn]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

Perhaps on a pair of old wooden skis, the larger and wider, the better.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

My first time on skis was behind a 14' Aluminum boat with a 25hp and 3 people in the boat.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

It can be done, easier if you know how to start right off the dock. If not go for large surface area skis.

 

[ebry710]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

i have a 1968 14ft starcraft alum boat extermely light, with a 1985 mercury 25xd motor on it do you think i could pull a 160 pound man up on skis who is a fairly good skier just curious

I think it depends on the skill of the skier, prop and condition of the engine.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

I have skied behind a 25 hp, but I was much lighter then and much stronger. As noted get up on two skis and drop one to ski on one. You will find a skier on one when he goes out across the wake and cuts will be able to steer that small a boat so keep your hands on the wheel.

 

[superjay]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

If this is something that you want or will do frequently you could also get a lower pitched prop to help out with hole shot, and maybe get the smart tabs as well, should help you a ton getting on plane quicker.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

I hope you are good at holding your breath! Make sure all the occupants of the boat are sitting in the front seat. I'll be interested in hearing the results of your 'experiment'.

 

[truckermatt]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

the first time i skied was on my uncles 15' aluminum fishing boat with a 28hp evinrude. Worked quite well...

 

[ebry710]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

the first time i skied was on my uncles 15' aluminum fishing boat with a 28hp evinrude. Worked quite well...

I tried to ski behind a fiberglass boat with a 45hp Attwater engine. I plowed the water for a long time before I had to give up. I feel you just have to try it.

 

[dachyk22]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

well i tried this out last weekend with me about 180 lbs on the skis, my girlfriend spotting, and my buddy also about 180 lbs driving, yanked me out of the water just fine on two skis didnt hardly drag me at all just tightened up the rope and stood on it, then he said he was able to run a little less than 3/4 throttle, im havnt checked what pitch prop, but ill check this week and post it on here, as far as the motor it runs awesome has a lot of power so now im a believer im gonna try dropping a ski one of these weekends behind the boat

 

[drrpm]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

That should be pretty easy. Mythbusters had a segment where Jamie skied behind a 8 man racing shell.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

Congrats! Thanks for the report.

 

[Nico2112]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

Good job!

I came in late, and was going to share my thoughts

I will anyways LOL

Wife and Inlaw (280 lbs) on a 70's 13' Gregor alum boat with a '89 Rude 25HP + Skier (me 185 lbs) = Awesome fun

I used a pair of Cypress Gardens **** Koepke (SP) wooden skiis those days.

Glad you succeeded mate!

 

[tawood]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

I love this topic!

I just sold a 16' boat with a 135 hp i/o and the number 1 question I got from nearly every potential buyer was, "Will it pull a skier?"!!! I couldn't believe it. I guess the modern boat buyers are victims of some sales marketing hype or something, I don't know.

My brother and I used to ski behind my dad's 19 footer with a 40 hp (big heavy boat with little motor) and it was fantastic. Of course, we were 140 lbs teenagers at the time.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Skiing behind a 25hp

Good deal! It worked. Lots of people can't conceive of skiing behind a small boat with a modest outboard, but that's how water-skiing got started and got popular, back in the 1950s. Everyone with a 25 horse outboard on their boat took up skiing. It was great family fun, and they didn't know you couldn't do it.

Today, the younger boaters don't understand that the boats of those days were designed with the smaller outboards in mind. They were light, planed easily, and did just find with skiers behind them.

In 1958, you could buy a 35 hp outboard or a 50 hp...they were the largest outboards available. Mercury and OMC had them, and even the Sears and Roebuck stores had them, in Gale format. I bought my first dedicated slalom ski in 1962 from a Sears store. It was on sale. That afternoon, I got up on it behind my dad's 13' plywood boat with a Johnson 25 on the back. No starting out on two skis, either. Mom and Dad and my sister were in the boat, too.

All those late 50s and early 60s 14' runabouts were designed for family boating with a 35 or 40 hp outboard hanging off the back. Everyone who could afford them skiied behind them.