MasterCraft Wake (again this year)

[LeonL]

I recently (June 9) skied behind a new MC at a tournament and everything was great (I start at -22). I skied behind the same boat yesterday (July 15) at a tournament and felt a serious bump at every wake crossing. Got somewhat better at -28 , but I could still feel it. OK at -32. I watched as some lighter skiers, mostly women just got launched. Owner said no changes to boat (prop, etc). What was different was a considerably heavier boat judge and to balance the light driver weight was added to driver side. Question 1 is, are MCs much more sensitive to crew weight, with a detrimental effect if you get a 275 lb guy in the boat? Question 2 is, should there a be a weight limit on boat crew if this is the result of big guys in the boat?

[A_B]

Buy a Ferrari 200!

[ForrestGump]

@LeonL Was it at the same site? The 11 and 12 MC's around here have a horrendous wake. No offense to MC promo owners meant, because the metalflake blue '10 MC was my all time favorite boat to ski behind(including my own 200s). At shallow sites, like ours, it's acceptable. But at the deeper sites, I've seen even a 36mph skier capable of running 38 off complain about the wake on his opener at 28.

[Horton]

I really HATE to say this because I think so much of the brand but yes it seems that some of this years boats have a really stiff wake. I have also skied behind other 2012 MCs that are like butter. One of the Promos in my area is a bummer and one is really freak'n beautiful to ski behind.

 

I know MC is working on a new boat for 2013 or 2014 so I can only hope this issue is temporary.

 

My guess is that some molds are better than others. Word on the street has is that there are 4 molds. If I was going to buy one I would ski behind it first.

[RichardDoane]

my promo is a closed bow this season, so a little lighter and the wake is better at speed, but still is quite substantial at the slower speeds for juniors/women, the upside is the excellent Trick wake, but in slalom you really need to keep your ski on edge through the middle

[ForrestGump]

@Horton I wonder if the butter boat you have out there has the Will Bush hook added to it?

[jipster43]

I loved skiing behind Richard's boat - even at 30 & 32 mph - and my position is not the most leveraged.

[Wish]

First ride behind the TXi this weekend. @28 off I was snapped to attention by a small bump. A non issue (very very small bump) for the pass as a whole after going to ball one and then knowing it was there for the rest of the pass. With all the positive talk about the TXi, the expectation was 0 ski disturbance @34mph. Gone @32 off and beyond. I feel like I shouldn't even say this but it was there for me and did not have that occur behind a MC, 200 or my 196. Am I crazy.....?.....don't answer that.

[Horton]

@ShaneH

No I talked to the owner and he was shocked that I even asked. The "Butter" boat seems to have come off the truck perfect.

[Ilivetoski]

@LeonL This is Nick, when I was down in Coble I always had pretty much same driver/coach. I did have 1 set with a diffrent driver/coach who were each a little bigger then the other 2 and I felt the diffrence. Overall after skiing with them for a week I began to really like the MC and the bump helped me on my timing with my edge change. I did not ski behind Sam's MC and didnt see anyone ski on it b/c we werent there yet when they used it, I am starting to believe that boats are similar to skis in the aspect that you can get used to anything if you use it long enough.

[Not_The_Pug]

I skied behind Mateo's MC this weekend and thought the pull was great. My wife skied it too and said the wake was better than last year. Still not her all time favorite, but she said it was fine for 30 - 34 15 off.

 

I finally got to ski behind the TXI for the first time yesterday. I felt the same as @Wish. There was definitly something there at 28 off, not big, but felt mostly prop wash. I was thinking the same thing as far as expectations, as all the posts were positive about the TXI's soft wake. Not bad, just suprised me a little. For 30 - 34 mph, my wife said the 200 & Centurion were still the best. She said the TXI & MC were about the same for her.

[LeonL]

@ShaneH, yea the lake was much deeper. Dumb a** me, but I can't really see how that can have an effect. Guys, I know boats vary by mold etc., but this was the same boat. My real question was, does increased crew weight have a significantly greater impact on MCs and should there be a crew weight limit?

[eleeski]

My 2011 MC has a 15off bump that Lisa is not happy with. The boat is out of the same mold as the 2004 MC it replaced that Lisa loved for slalom. I think that the 2011 is much easier at 32off than the 04 (or Stan's 08). There are tradeoffs in balance and setup to favor one end of the rope or the other - not everybody will be happy with the performance level that is targeted.

 

Neither of my boats is critically sensitive to loading. I tried loading the bow of the 11 for Lisa but it didn't help. As a tricker we always have some weights in the boat so the side to side balance is usually pretty good. Even imbalanced, I don't notice an effect on my slalom wake. Lisa hasn't been slalom happy no matter what the balance has been. Of course maybe it is the ZO. It could be the new Radar boots that we have moved forward 4cm over her torn rubber boots that she switched to when we switched boats. Lisa loves the trick wake enough to love the boat despite her slalom performance.

 

At least both years of MC have great trick wakes and reasonable fuel burns!

 

Eric

[Texas6]

Like the rest of you, I've ski'd behind just about every boat, most years of every boat, different cruise controls, etc. There are certainly variances from boat to boat, and I agree that MC's wake is more noticeable than others (and I own one), definitely more noticeable than my neighbors SN196. But it doesn't stop me or anybody else from gettin behind the darned thing and skiing. The boat has seen many shortline skiers, and very few wake complaints. Sometimes I think we overanalyze some of these things when we should just be enjoying the pull, they make a heck of a boat.

[Drago]

As a chief judge, I would save the 275 lbs for a different group regardless of the boat.

[6balls]

I recently skied a Bu LXi with heavy crew, some gas and a tower and the opener at 28 off 32 was a mountain. Still ran the pass no problem but geez. Have been behind a Response Lx recently as well with only a driver and light gas and it has a larger 28 off 34 mph wake than my 196 with heavy crew at same length. Skied a 197 this weekend with 1/2 tank of gas, driver and two observers and the 28 off wake was noticeable. It's the opener so no big deal but I was plenty happy to get in front of it at 32.

We can't seem to coax a bad wake out of the 196 at 34 mph regardless of load. All of the big 3 offerings seem great at 32 off and beyond.

At my lengths it's not that big of a deal, but for the 34 mph 15 off to 28 off skier...could be an issue.

[Nick Sullivan]

LeonL,

Yes, the boats wake does get quite a bit harder when you have 3 grown men in the boat. Its much better with just the judge and driver. I love my 2012 boat, I have been given alot of compliments on how this boat skis. Last years boat was a different story but it had the 6.0L

 

I have also been given a thumbs down but I hear complaints about every boat.

[Horton]

@6balls

Any time you have added a tower you have "jumped the shark"

[6balls]

@horton, no kidding. I understand the attraction in a family use boat to get the rope up and away for anything but slalom, but I'm not willing to pay that wake price. Maybe I'm into the cool aid, but I think if space not an issue a late model 196 w/ZO is the bomb. If need more space and have the dough a 200 w/the 6.0 propped right. Certainly fine skiing behind the MC's and Bu's as well and I have similar scores behind all, but if it's my money today I think it's a Nautique of some sort.

[thager]

@6balls There's a sweet 2002 196 for sale on CL in Andover with the 330. Add ZO and you'd really be set! I'd even help with the install. Also was a nice yellow 02 on SIA with 330excaliber.

 

[disland]

Did the MC with the wake problems have the monster tower. Those seem to make the wake worse

[6balls]

@thager thanks for the offer. Not in the cards right now.

[RichardDoane]

@disland - slalom boats should not have any sort of tower, IMO, the next owner of my boat can add one if they'd like

[disland]

I agree, they should make a rule that promo boats cant have them

 

[eleeski]

My 11 MC has a tower. The wake is better at my slalom range than the old boat with no tower. It may be worse for Lisa but there is the tuning tradeoff. I was told that Regina came close to the record behind my boat (it was used at Diablo Shores before I got it). Where is the performance penalty?

 

A promo boat with a tower is easier to sell. Plus if you do anything other than slalom, that tower will get used. Promo boats should be REQUIRED to have a tower.

 

Eric

[RichardDoane]

Eric - I think you must have smoked your breakfast again this morning.....

[eleeski]

Richard, you have skied well and enjoyed the pull from my towered boat. Of course your judgement is suspect because you think 70f is warm water!

 

Eric

[Nick Sullivan]

5K for a tower is why I won't be adding a tower to any of my boats. As Richard said, if the next owner would like a tower we can put one on at anytime.

[Jody_Seal]

Eric has been out in the sun to long plain and simple!

[BruceEmery]

First time I skiied behind my friends 2010 MC this year (-22@34) I almost went OTF at the gate. Three adults and a child in boat.Plus my friend is a tricker, so the tank is usually full. I have a -25 loop, so I now start there ( somewhat better). The thing is, -28 and down I simply love the way the boat pulls. I get an extra loop down the line, feels like the boat waits for me just at the right time.

[BruceEmery]

Tried putting extra weight in the bow. This lowered the roostertail.

[Horton]

Please disregard anything @eleeski says.

[Skoot1123]

@6balls - I have skied behind a couple MC's, some SN, one Bu, and our boat (moomba mobius LS). Everything according to me has skied well, except a MC (not sure of the year). Of course my perspective is probably somewhat skewed in that our moomba has a big roster tail at 22 and somehwat of a rooster tail at 28. I just look at it this way: If I can ski 22, 28, and get a couple buoys at 32 and run around 10-12 passes on a boat with a bigger wake it does a couple things for me. My leg strength increase's as I have to go over a larger wake and it also requires me to maintain VERY GOOD form (which is a work in progress). Anytime I go to another wake...it's like slicing butter and I'm EARLY for everything. Until I get a new boat.......I'm still skiin'!

[6balls]

@skoot, ski what you got! I'll ski any of 'em.

[Razorskier1]

I have never experienced these wake issues with any of the boats, but I am skiing 28 off and shorter. One thing I did notice this year was that when you ski a 2012 MC 197 and there are two big guys (180-200 each) plus a driver in the boat, you get quite a bit of spray off the sides. I was getting hit at 32 off. At 35 it was annoying -- couldn't really stand in the whitewash before pulling out without eating it. Dang good thing there wasn't a headwind! Now, the good news is that I rarely ski with a boat that full of people, so this usually isn't an issue. Nevertheless, as the owner of a 2005 MC 197TT that I love to ski behind, I think it is still safe to say that MC is ready for a refresh.

 

Skied a TXI last fall -- didn't seem much different from the LXI to me. Love the 200, haven't been behind the Centurion.

[Triplett]

Plain and simple, every boat is different. I know one of the promo guys in Michigan goes the MC factory and hand picks his boats. One of the best MC's I have skied behind. According to him there are 7 different molds, and obviously some are more tired, used, than others. I will say the CC I ski behind most of the time is a funny one. Super hard wake at 28, if you have a 190 lb driver and 120 lb passenger you have to put at least 50 lbs behind the driver to balance. The other two CC's in the state are better, with one being better than the other.

 

Now talking about the TXi, it is as good as the 200. The wakes are similar, drives awesome, skis awesome. There is no trough behind the boat like there is on the MC. I must say, Malibu has built a solid boat.

 

And I think towers help boats, puts some weight on the front of the boat and lifts the back of the boat. But that is also my opinion.