Towing skiiers with T-Top

[jlcalbre]

I am thinking about selling my inboard ski boat and getting a center console for fishing. I like to do some wakeboarding, but I'm no pro so I don't need a fancy wakeboard boat and could ride behind the CC. I was curious if anyone knew of a T-Top that would be sturdy enough to pull a wakeboarder? I know most of them aren't designed for this, but I saw in MasterCraft's newest brochure one of their larger center console boats has a T-top that looks like like it has a little pylon on it for attaching a ski rope.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Towing skiiers with T-Top

attach a harness/traveller to the stern eye rings.

 

[iBrent]

Re: Towing skiiers with T-Top

attach a harness/traveller to the stern eye rings.

I don't like to wakeboard with those bridles. Some center consoles have a ski pylon, which would be more than sufficient for wakeboarding.

 

[jlcalbre]

Re: Towing skiiers with T-Top

I don't really like those things for skiing. Worst case, I could put a removable pylon on the rear of the boat, but I thought it might be cool to have something that functioned more like a regular wakeboard tower, if such a thing is actually available.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Towing skiiers with T-Top

Unless there is a pylon already on the t-top, I wouldn't trust that it was designed to withstand the forces of a full sized adult plus drag pulling on it. there's a good chance you'll bend the supports or rip something out of the deck.

 

[cranca]

Re: Towing skiiers with T-Top

Where I live there are a number of places that make custom T-Tops and Wkeboard towers. Tops-N-Towers are 2 of them Millinium Marine. If you look them up and give a call I am sure if they have the specs on your boat they could make you something. Or if there is a custom aluminum place near you they could do the same. Tops-N-Towers is high but get a ton of business. Milinium dose awesome work also and a lil better priced. There are other places in my area that do this type of marine application. I am S.E of Houston close to Clear Lake / Seabrook.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Towing skiiers with T-Top

Sorry; didn't realize you had to go above the stern eyes (my point being, it's perfectly fine to ski that way). But my sister just bought a used Grady 19 CC with a removable pylon; there is a plate on the deck that it hooks into. Haven't tried it yet, but the plate is not too bad when the pylon's out, giving the boat some veratility.

Note that some T-Tops are mounted to the console instead of the deck. I'd question the strength of that rig for wakeboarding (which pulls a lot more than just tubing). Hate to see the whole rig snatched out on a hard turn!

 

[ovrrdrive]

Re: Towing skiiers with T-Top

If the boat is made by mastercraft and has a place to hook a ski rope to anywhere on it I would be perfectly comfortable hooking a rope to it and pulling any single or combination of skiiers from it. Wondering if something on a mastercraft boat will work for a skiier is like asking if a ferrarri is fast.

They practically invented ski boats. (well not really but you get it)

 

[jlcalbre]

Re: Towing skiiers with T-Top

I'm not planning on getting a MasterCraft, WAY too much money. That was just an example of soemthing I had seen. I was hoping there might an aftermarket product that would do the job, but it doesn't sound like it. Maybe I'll think about the pylon as that may be the most economical option.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Towing skiiers with T-Top

A ski-tow eye is cheaper and easier to install if you have access to the transom wall and no outboard to worry about. Otherwise, it's back to the transom eyes and rope-pulley.