Mastercraft X9 opinions

[Daddyodaman]

Hi all, I still haven't found THE boat for me and my family yet. I've looked at several but I'm surprised how poorly some are kept and "prepared" for sale. At the moment I'm considering a 2003 Mastercraft X9, for a mix of recreational slalom (no coarse work) and wakeboarding, and family use. I'd love to hear from anyone with experience with this model, and if there is a better suggestion for the above duties. I'm also considering a 2004 malibu sunscape 21lsv, in case anyone has opinions on this boat too. I recently bought a HO TX and want to get better at skiing as well as wakeboarding, but it has to be a family friendly boat. (Average 3-4 adults and 3-4 kids)

[6balls]

Sunsetter Lxi same vintage or an early Lxi would be better.

 

http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&category=Comp_Boat&postid=33814

 

http://www.onlyinboards.com/Malibu-Sunsetter--for-sale-West-Dundee-Illinois-50677.aspx

 

Friend has one like the above...I was pretty impressed by it with wake and handling for a bigger boat this summer driving it.

 

http://www.onlyinboards.com/used-ski-boats/?MakerName=3&YearFrom=&YearTo=&PriceFrom=&PriceTo=&Model=59&ZIP=&Distance=

 

 

[rodltg2]

my buddy has one, and for your described use , it sounds perfect.it has tons of room, decent slalom wake and plenty of wake for boarding. if you do however decide that semi to real serious slalom course skiing maybe in your future, the x9 will need to go.

[Daddyodaman]

I have to say, the one I'm planning to look at certainly looks the part

 

[6balls]

Sharp boat!

[msuws]

My family had a 2001 X9 for 15 years before we recently bought a '14 prostar. Great wake for beginner wakeboarders, good for surfing, and average wake for slaloming. The wake at 15off is a little scary but 22off is more than skiable. The wake is not very forgiving, but it worked well for freeskiing. Our family of four used to spend all day on the Illinois river. Overall loved the boat.

[Fatroll]

My '03 Nautique 206 does it all. I do not have a tower but have a wakeboard rack for my extended pylon. It slaloms well in the course (soft wake but a little bigger than 196) or open water, and with a little weight has a solid wake for wakeboarding. This last year, I plumbed two reversible pumps. One to fill a belly sac under the floor and a much larger one that was custom made for the rear step/backseat. This creates a "juicy" wake for the higher end wakeboarders.

It holds two families pretty easy, but I do need to get a jump seat. It also barefoots well.

[mikegile]

One of the guys in our group has one. Wake doesn't bother me for free skiing at -28 and -32. Longer and shorter get a bit nutty.

 

Lots of room and very versatile.

[SkiKolb]

We have 2002 MC 209 which is the about the same as x9 without a tower. We love this boat for all around rec skiing and just spending time on the water. Our boat has capacity for 12 passengers! You wound find that on too many boats that are 21ft long! We dont take the boat in the course to much anymore. I would highly recommend the mcx9 for your family. We have about 600hrs and have not needed much repair other ther regular maintenance

[Daddyodaman]

How does the x9 go handling other boat wakes etc? My only concern is there doesn't appear to be a lot of freeboard, especially at the bow. I know driving technique can avoid water over the bow usually, but I'd prefer not to be constantly worried about it when picking up skiers etc. The river I'm on can get pretty washy in parts when it's busy. This is where the malibu sunscape I'm also considering is at an advantage. Also, does the x9 observers seat fit two people? I know the Sunsetter and responses do. This is fairly important to the wife, and the main reason I've had to pass on an air Nautique. I'd rather not block the walkway with a jump seat if possible

[Daddyodaman]

Ok here's another angle:

what has the better ski wake; an X9, or a Sunscape 21 lsv? Ski speed approx 32mph. Both 04 models. Not looking for tournament wakes, I'll never go in a course. Just for family use and a mix of board/ski. These are the only two boats I'm interested in that are available at the moment. The malibu needs a tower added and has no wake inhancement, and the Mastercraft Has that stuff standard of course.

Which boat would you buy and why?

[mellig]

I have a 2004 X9 and considering your needs, which are similar to mine, it is a great all around boat. Wakeboarding is good, can make it surf, and for free skiing find the wake to be great especially 28 off or shorter, 30+ mph. Concerning how it handles open water it actually handles well and you do need to watch the bow at very slow speeds (less than 6 mph) on a rough day otherwise you might take one over the bow. It is definitely better at handling the water than the 197 and Response. As far as the interior, you can easily get two in the observer seat and they offer an removable seat next to it to sit 3 to 4 in the observer position. In general has been a great boat for my family and living on a big lake.

[oldjeep]

@Daddyodaman - can't comment on the wake, but between those 2 boats the big decision is interior space. Can't beat a v-drive for passenger room, a dd while towing a skier is pretty space limited.

[Daddyodaman]

I'm glad it's better than a response or 197 in chop, as those things are damn near submarines! That's the main reason I don't just buy a response lx, as there are so many available. I want to put my kids up the front, but I'm not keen on any boat that sits only a few inches free of the water, neither is the wife of course!

[andjules]

As @oldjeep points out, X9 vs LSV isn't just a choice between two boats, it's a choice between two kinds of boats (V drive vs direct drive). If you want to ski (at 32mph and above) and your kids want to board, that's one thing; if the kids and others want to ski (slower speeds), it's another. Basically, the LSV is a V drive and typically that means the wake is going to be pretty massive/hard at beginner-intermediate skiing speeds (24-30mph). Buying a V drive means putting wakeboarding first. It also means a lot nicer experience if you've really got 5-8 people in the boat most of the time.

 

My 2¢: I found the X9 to be a real compromise of a boat. It's beautifully built, but in my mind it didn't really do anything particularly well. I didn't think much of the wakeboarding wake without a good amount of ballast, and I didn't think much of the slalom wake. On the other hand, if everyone is at a beginner/intermediate level, it's a pretty nice boat. And I was a fan of the optional middle seat.

 

[Daddyodaman]

Thanks, yeah I'm gathering from all my research that the x9 is not super popular, especially compared to say, a malibu Sunsetter lxi. Wakeboarding certainly is a big part of our intended usage, but I don't need a huge wake to have fun, hence where the diamond hull comes in on the sunscape. There is an x9 I'm still planning on looking at next weekend at a dealer anyway, although I'm beginning to think its gonna have to impress me a lot to get me over the line! My criteria has to be: 1. Family boat, 2. Skiable for intermediate level, 3. Capable of making an intermedite wakeboard wake (no surfing), 4. Reasonable amount of freeboard for when the river is busy.

[jpattigr]

Nautique 216 is a great all around boat and the SL wake is decent. Add that boat to your list!!

 

[6balls]

Go drive a Sunsetter Lxi with a tower and wedge. I'm a relatively serious slalom skier...but was mighty impressed with a buddies Sunsetter Lxi driving and skiing. It's got some reasonable size, higher freeboard, higher open bow (no submarines), but handles very similarly to a Response Lx and throws a great wake for a bigger boat. Given the size I was really impressed and I'm not an easy sell. Sleeper as a bigger boat for sure.

[Daddyodaman]

Thanks for the replies. There is only one 216 for sale in Australia at the moment, and I've driven a 2000 Sunsetter lxi, and I can see why they are so admired. The only problem was this one was in a bit poor condition, and there aren't many for sale yet. I'm really hoping a few more pop up now that the weather is warming here, as I really want a boat before summer hits. It seems any malibu with a diamond hull holds its value well, or people just keep them. I like the style and finish of nautiques but they definitely aren't as common here, at least not anywhere near my budget!