Nautique 200 spraying water up between platform and hull

[cullenskis]

My ski team recently purchased a new 2019 Nautique 200. Among other problems (another discussion - I've been disappointed with the quality control on this boat from the factory), our hydrogate stripped out of the back of the boat. We just had it replaced, but now the boat sprays water up between the platform and the hull of the boat. We have owned several 200s and have never had this happen before. Does anyone else have this problem on 200s or know what causes it? Is it harmful to the hydrogate, and is there a way to fix it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[acmx]

I think most all 200's I've seen do it.

[MISkier]

If you are talking about the "Bryant" 200 without the saddlebag storage, our club boat does that. It shoots water straight up at the transom. I initially thought there was something wrong with the Hydrogate, but it looks fine. Incidentally, this boat skis substantially better than the original 200 we had last year. Much better wake.

[Jordan]

Is this a Bryant built version?

[cullenskis]

This is the new 200, built at the Bryant factory in Tennessee

[Mateo_Vargas]

My 196 does that.

[dave2ball]

If I remember correctly the platform needs to be closer to the back of the hull. This will prevent spray from coming up.

[skierjp]

Dave is correct. Either use some weather stripping or remount the platform closer to the hull.

[RAWSki]

Ours shoots water up as well. Haven't looked at how easy if would be to adjust the platform. It does ski very well with no notice degradation. Another little issue is that the plastic side panels on the drivers seat like to pop off.

[MISkier]

@RAWSki, our panels on the sides of the seats are also popping off.

[vtjc]

My ‘08 196 does this as well.

[Drago]

@dave2ball ;)

[dave2ball]

@Drago if it was that obvious then the question would not of been asked.

 

[DW]

Sounds like 200 owners could do some data gathering. What is the gap between the hydrogate and the transom v. water spray and platform gap v. water spray.

[RAWSki]

There are 3-4 little things on the 200 that need to addressed the water 'rooster tail' is probably the most obvious.... But overall the boat skis and drives great. I am viewing this as a "first production year" boat by Correct Craft (doesn't matter to me where it is produced) I just hope to see some tweaks/improvement in 2020.

[Mzimmer75]

I have a 2020 200 and I just noticed the rooster tail. I haven't played with the hydrogate enough to notice if the rooster tail exists in both slalom and trick modes and at all speeds.

Any solutions other than moving the platform or installing a trim piece to close the gap between the stern and platform?

This problem isn't a big deal. Just an annoyance that shouldn't happen.

[jhughes]

My 16 does it, I see it on 200s all the time.

[teammalibu]

Raise up the boat and replace with a Malibu. End of story! All the new 200s i have seen do it!

[jhughes]

@teammalibu ridiculous comment, ha ha. Club boat is a new Malibu every year. A yearly reminder that I made the correct choice in every way.

[tru-jack]

Hey guys all kidding aside. I’m looking to upgrade to a newer txi. I recall @jhughes mentioning their 2019 club txi was much preferred over the 2018. Anything specific I should be looking for? Thanks

[Stevie Boy]

In the UK they are putting the propane tank under the passenger seat, so you have to weight the dirvers side to level the boat, if you have a observer onboard, it is impossible, it hasn,t been thought out at all, not impressed.

[Mzimmer75]

I was hoping for constructive info about 200's, not comments about buying a Malibu.

Since there are several comments in this thread about "all 200's do it", I guess it's just a design issue without a real fix. l'll move on to worrying about other things.

[skierjp]

Go to Lowes and look for weatherstipping with a adhesive back. All you need is something to close the gap between the hull and the platform. Moving the platform is also no big deal. Very easy.

[jayski]

@teammalibu just because you have the only Malibu that feels good to ski behind doesn't mean the rest of em are any good LOL ;)

[markn]

@cullenskis One of the 200s at Swiss does the EXACT same thing. First time I skied behind the boat I could not believe it. The platform is too far out from the stern. Do not think it has anything to do with the hydrogate. I agree with you...$75K+ boat and you have that issue. Whatever happened to the "every boat is water tested before it leaves the plant"? My 196 allows for 2 small rooster tails coming up AFTER the platform. It is due to the edges of the channel that runs down the middle of the boat. Have always hated it. The water rushing up between the platform and the hull is not usual and customary.

[Mzimmer75]

I'll look a little closer at the distance of the platform to stern, next time I'm on the boat. If the hydrogate isn't causing it, then something else is dragging in the water to push water vertically. Perhaps the hand grab pocket in the front of the platform, or the little drain hole tubes for the pocket.

I realize this is a cosmetic issue and not functional, but it just bothers me.

[storm34]

@MarkM my guess is they run test the boats without the platform.

[markn]

@storm34 Then there is room in the quest for improved quality. Quality is "conformance to requirements". No rooster tail is the requirement here. I do not think a customer, having purchased a boat, should be expected to "run to Lowes" or personally adjust a component to make it right. What would your response be if the Mercedes dealer "told you to run to AutoZone" to pick up a part to correct a flaw in your new S-Class? And @Mzimmer75 I do not think it is cosmestic at all...it is VERY destracting the closer you get to it...35,38 and 39!

[teammalibu]

Man y’all are a bit touchy today I was just kidding!

[DW]

I believe my friends 2014 200 does not spray water up between the platform and hull. I'll check next time behind it and only posting this as an additional data point.

[Mzimmer75]

I agree with Markn that I shouldn't have to correct this problem. However, I do feel a little better knowing that my hydrogate is probably not wildly out of adjustment. Just poor design.

[jjackkrash]

My 2016 200 did not do this as far as I know.

[jerrym]

We have the issue with our “new to us” 2019 200. In consulting with the Nautique engineering department, we have learned that the hydro gate is not tight enough to the support plate. The small gap allows water to shoot up between the two plates. Moving the platform forward may not resolve the issue, but a strip of foam insulation will stop this water fountain. I will dig up the instructions for tightening the gate and post them here. The dealer can handle this work but we are a long way from our dealer so we,ll DYI it.

[skierjp]

@Mzimmer75 Poor design??

[Jody_Seal]

Do you all want me to splain the history of the hydrogate?

[igkya]

Anyone have pics of this occurring?

[ScarletArrow]

@Jody_Seal yes

[jetpilotg4]

@Jody_Seal Splain the hydro gate history please

[rockdog]

1000 slalom skiers were happy and two influential trickers complained and Nautique caved?

[KRoundy]

I love the hydro gate in my 200, no weird spray issues that I have noticed. But if Jody is telling a story I’m going to get some popcorn and settle in. ?

[VONMAN]

Please do, because I remember when boats were tested and certified no changes or moving modifications could be made for competition. Then the 200 comes along and hydro gate!?

[MISkier]

The folks at Tige will be interested in this story as well.

[DavidN]

I disabled the hydrogate on my 200.

Didn’t need it and never will. We don’t trick and none of our ski friends do.

Boat is used solely for slaloming.

 

I had no spray from the gate, but an annoying rattling sound from under the swim step when backing out of my lift.

First I disconnected the shifter cable underneath the armrest then I removed the 6 spacers back at the gate and used slightly bigger washers to hold the sliding part safely and tightly in place. I also tightened all the nyloc nuts that connects the sliding part to the vertical aluminum piece that engages the gate.

No more rattling. :)

 

 

[jhughes]

I seem to recall some seaweed jammed in my hydrogate plates last time I looked at it, maybe that's causing spacing that's allowing the water to spray up. Will investigate.

[teammalibu]

@Jody_Seal come on I double dog dare ya!

[DanE]

@VONMAN

Hydrogate came with the 196 TSC 3 hull.

[Jody_Seal]

In 2010 when the 200 debut i was a bit shocked to see a hydrogate as a integral part of the then new boat.

The hydrogate initially was a idea and implementation to address the short comings of the 02 - 09 196 trick wake.

By mid year 2003 Correct Craft bought back nearly 30 196's because of the very poor extreemly rough trick table.

 

On the 02 196 Because of the extreme hook built into the trailing edge behind the rudder and the usage of the acme prop the trick table became nearly unskiable though made for an unbelievable slalom wake.

 

We were still in the days of ski flying in the early years of the 196 and running supercharged 6 liters in the 196. 2003 at the master's Less Todd came to me and said he needed more acceleration to get the boat up to 45mph on the short end of Robin lake jump course. I wound up grinding out that Extreeme hook and lip out of the trailing edge behind the rudder. We were also running a Johnson stainless prop on the boat. The boat gained almost 7 mph overall turning the boat into a mid 60 mph

Ski boat. Some may remember Less has a daughter that is a real good tricker. I asked her to evaluate the trick table on this ski fly boat. The feedback was very positive.

The next week the chief engineer and I were grinding out our r&d boat and testing it with many different blade profiles. Bottom line was a adjustable blade in a slide quickly came into being. It was not the cure all for the trick table but the adaptation of the gate on the boat was definatly an enhancement for the overall /3event usage of the boat.

So yes the answer to why the hydrogate? is because of a poor bottom design that effected trick skiing.

 

Trick skiing rules!

[RAWSki]

Did Nautique​ then have to lobby the AWSA boat committee? Thought there was some language at the time about a fixed static hull? No trim adjustable-moving plates? (Like TAPs)

[Jordan]

Nautique has enough influence to do whatever it wants to do.

[Mzimmer75]

@skierjp. Yes, a piece of hardware causing a vertical water spray between the platform and stern is a poor design. I didn’t buy a 1995 Yamaha Wave Runner.