Baller ski4xtc Posted July 16, 2019 Baller Share Posted July 16, 2019 After owning 15 other boats starting with a Ski Brendella when in college, this year we purchased our first MasterCraft Prostar. There are so many good things we have noticed that makes me just love the boat. I get excited to use it. I am not promo person and do not have any reason to write this post except to say how great I think the boat is. After using the boat for a few months, here is a list of what I have noticed and like: The driver’s seat rocks. It easily adjusts to where you want it and it reclines. A big bonus is the ski rope never gets caught on the seat when pulling out a skier. The middle seat is engineered into the boat and part of the boat. You can fold the back down as a step or to get it out of the way. The passenger’s seat lifts completely up to make it easy to get to storage. It is also heated with the heated seats option. The fiberglass bow cover makes the boat like a closed bow. The large notches in the swim platform make is easier to get into the boat after a ski ride. The boat drives great. The steering wheel is weighted just right and is comfortable. The drain plug location is so easy to get to. Best of all is it is not in the engine compartment. The bimini is one of my favorite things. I can put it up and take it down myself. It easily stores folded down and protected under the travel cover. Engineering = 10+ out of 10 The base engine has plenty of power getting out of the water and up to speed for the average skier, even at high altitude of 5,000 feet. The oil filter location makes changing the oil simple and less messy. The fan in the engine compartment helps move hot air out of the compartment which is a bonus at high altitude. The ski racks are terrific. They are out of the way which works for our use. Yet, they would be great for skiers that do not ski off a dock. A big plus is how the rope rarely gets caught anywhere on the boat when picking up a fallen skier or pulling out at the ends of the lake. The touch display is easy to use and very intuitive. You do not have to read the manual to figure anything out. The quality of the gelcoat is very good. We have not found any little bubbles or air voids and it looks really nice. Water temperature gauge is accurate. It is always very close to our weather station and mercury thermometer readings. Best of all is the wake. It is great at all speeds…. Especially -22 off. No surprises and it seems to be consistent from Prostar to Prostar. Really the only thing that we miss even a little is being able to fuel from either side of the boat. Not a big deal. Just need to think ahead. In summary, big kudos to @MarcusBrown and all the other engineers at MasterCraft who thought of everything to make the Prostar such a great ski boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller_ MarcusBrown Posted July 16, 2019 Baller_ Share Posted July 16, 2019 @ski4xtc so stoked you found yourself in a ProStar! The whole team put their heart and soul into the development of that boat, so its nice to hear people out there are enjoying the thought and effort that went into the design process! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller LoopSki Posted July 16, 2019 Baller Share Posted July 16, 2019 im in the same boat as you are , litetally! my first boat was a ski brendella in college. made it thru 3 spring breaks in lake havasu that my next boat was an MB Sports. Have had many ski boats since and my 17 Prostar has been my favorite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller usaski1 Posted July 17, 2019 Baller Share Posted July 17, 2019 I'm lovin' my '16 Prostar! It is possible to love an inanimate object. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller teammalibu Posted July 17, 2019 Baller Share Posted July 17, 2019 Top 3 in the history of the sport! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller hemlock Posted July 17, 2019 Baller Share Posted July 17, 2019 @ski4xtc Where's the pic? :smiley: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ski4xtc Posted July 17, 2019 Author Baller Share Posted July 17, 2019 @hemlock here is a photo. Thanks for asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Lars Posted July 17, 2019 Baller Share Posted July 17, 2019 @ski4xtc where is the drain plug then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ScottScott Posted July 17, 2019 Baller Share Posted July 17, 2019 @Lars Its under the middle seat. Easy to reach over while in the drivers seat, lift off the middle seat and reach down to the hull to put in or pull out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Golfguy Posted July 17, 2019 Baller Share Posted July 17, 2019 +1 for the Pro Star! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Andre Posted July 17, 2019 Baller Share Posted July 17, 2019 Agree with almost everything @ski4xtc posted ...except for the engine fan part.No one is gonna convince me that the fan is a plus... It's noisy and it's a Band-Aid on a design flaw. Love the rest of the boat. My ski finish in 16.95 but my ass is out of tolerance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller_ The_MS Posted July 17, 2019 Baller_ Share Posted July 17, 2019 Do not buy a Prostar without the ballast system to balance the boat. Boat drives like crap if not level. Love the floor, pull, cockpit and everything else. If you are on public water, put the top on and don’t risk dumping a lot of water into the bow area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller swc5150 Posted July 17, 2019 Baller Share Posted July 17, 2019 After owning a '15, my suggestion would be please add a tune-able rudder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skimtb Posted September 13, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 13, 2019 Love the prostar. We had 5 skis (3 skis and pair of combos), a wakeboard, 2 adults and two kids in the boat a while back. The roominess and ski racks are simply awesome, boat still felt huge. Ski Wake of course is fantastic as well. Pretty crummy for wakeboarding, but that’s the point.... I’ve only used a few times but the simplicity of the Bimini is amazing as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller dnewton Posted September 13, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 13, 2019 I started skiing the course at a club with a provided 200, absolutely loved the boat. Started skiing tournaments and getting behind an MC and wasn’t in love. I bought a 14’ and joined another club that I take it to. Now we ski about 125 sets a year behind a combination of both the 200 and my prostar. My brother and I have both really enjoyed my prostar more and more every set. It is an absolutely fantastic boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller powbmps Posted September 13, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 13, 2019 Awesome boat with great wake. Base motor on the '15 has more than enough power at 1,000', with a very strong hole shot. Very roomy inside. Subjective, but I think it's the best looking of the new ski boats. Super easy to winterize. Seems like there may be some slight variances between boats though..... @ScottScott (and others) - the only way to reach the drain plug in my buddies '15, is to lay down on the floor and reach your arm all the way back towards the motor. Total pain in the a$$ to get to. @The_MS - no issues with the '15 riding level without a spotter, or weight on the passenger side. Chine spray looks to be pretty even, and the boat tracks the same with our without a spotter. Much more noticeable issue in my '03 RLXi. Agreed that the front blower fan is ridiculously loud. The interior is pretty loud overall with the bare fiberglass interior. Haven't been in one with carpet or other flooring material to see if there is a difference. I thought the new Nautique was pretty loud as well. Maybe they all are with the lack of carpet? Only a couple minor issues so far. Not a big fan of the raised letters. Boat doesn't even have 100 hours on it and the letters have all been peeling off one side, and starting to peel on the other (but at least they are being replaced under warranty). Bimini is very slick and easy to use (looks great as well), but both of the aluminum guides are worn to the point where the bimini can slip out. They can be replaced, but are ~$150 each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller swc5150 Posted September 14, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 14, 2019 Weird, the drain plug in my ‘15 was right under the mid observer seat. Easiest plug I’ve ever accessed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Horton Posted September 14, 2019 Administrators Share Posted September 14, 2019 Every ProStar I have had (5 so far) the plug is under the center seat. Easy. Your dealer and factory warranty may strongly disagree but you can disconnect the blower in the front of the engine box. Goode ★ HO Syndicate ★ KD Skis ★ MasterCraft ★ PerfSki Radar ★ Reflex ★ S Lines ★ Stokes ★ Baller Video Coaching System Drop a dime in the can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skihacker Posted September 14, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 14, 2019 Wife and I picked up an 18 promo last fall, really love this boat but the fan is kinda loud......especially if you're old....(deaf??). We're in western new york, getting pretty cool and I'm thinking no harm in running without that fan for the rest of the season?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ScottScott Posted September 14, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 14, 2019 I have it on (very) good authority that you can disconnect the blower. It MAY in extreme conditions effect performance, but those would be rare situations where there could be a minor loss of power. The drain plug is in the hull, by nature it must be. Regardless of where it is, it'll take a little reach to get down to the hull from the floor, but relative to many other boats this is a very user friendly location. The aluminum guides for the bimini are a weak point, we have had the corner piece on the windshield replaced replaced under warranty and new ones are already showing a little sign of wear....next time it wears through i'll be looking into a way to re-engineer that...those corner pieces won't be cheap to replace. There are a small number of gripes, but overall its a great boat. Best on the market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ski4xtc Posted September 14, 2019 Author Baller Share Posted September 14, 2019 Interesting that this thread resurfaced tonight. I have been skiing behind other boats for the last couple of weeks until tonight. It was so nice to come back home and ski behind our Prostar. I always thinks the other boats are fine but they are not the same. Nothing beats the wake on the Prostar which is huge when you struggle with the wake. The other thing I have noticed with the Prostar is you only hear small complaints about the boat like the fan is noisy. If there could only be one ski boat, this would be the one for me. I love this boat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Jerry44 Posted September 14, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 14, 2019 @powbmps Have you tried removing the seat bottom from the jump seat? I take my bimini down so I never have to remove from the guides. My biggest complaint is having to idle down each time you crank it even when the engine is warm. Haven't had to do that with other boats. I LOVE this boat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller powbmps Posted September 14, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 14, 2019 @ski4xtc - that is a great looking boat! This is embarrassing....I shouldn't post anything after a couple drinks. We ski a '17. I'm still convinced the drain plug is in an odd location though. I'll take a photo next time we are out. Temporarily naked... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skihacker Posted September 14, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 14, 2019 @powbmps, the plastic grates that keep your stuff off the floor of the bilge should have a cut-out at the back to get at the drain, any chance they're backwards or something? Should be able to remove the center seat lower piece and reach straight down to the plug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller_ The_MS Posted September 14, 2019 Baller_ Share Posted September 14, 2019 We just listed our 16 with 270 Hours on SIA. Pretty good deal compared to the 18s and 19s with over 400 hours for 20k more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skimtb Posted September 14, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 14, 2019 @powbmps What are you doing on the side? I’m debating pulling the raised letters and going naked or with a sticker like the 90’s boats had. Wipe down and detailing the raised letters is one of the few things I don’t like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Dacon62 Posted September 14, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 14, 2019 @powbmps yes grates are probably backwards. Mine (‘17) has the cut out so plug access is easy. Mine was all messed up when I purchased it and had to rearrange to get it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller powbmps Posted September 14, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 14, 2019 @skimtb - It's actually my friend's boat. We were thinking flat stickers (like something from Domed Numbers), but the dealer got back to him and is replacing them under warranty. I think it looks good on the water without the lettering though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller Dacon62 Posted September 15, 2019 Baller Share Posted September 15, 2019 Love my ‘17 PS. Some of my favorite things, 1) The soft and small wake. Have never skied behind a boat with a better wake at any line length, period. 2) Decadence floor. 3) Roominess. 4) Ski racks. 5) Bow cover. 6) Convertible passenger seat/walk through. 7) Super user friendly touch screen. 8) Great visibility. 9) Etc, Im sure I’ve missed a few. What a great season it’s been and everyone in the group has improved a lot. One weird thing...the way the bilge area is shaped it’s hard to drain all the water out of it when the plug is pulled. Part of the issue is a fiberglass mini ‘wall’ just in front of the pylon that doesn’t let all the water flow forward to the drain. There is a small hole drilled in it but it’s not big enough, might have to enlarge it. Pretty small negative vs the huge positive list I would say. @sullyski @brooks Gotta get out to our lake next year and go for a rip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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