Barefoot Sanger?

[tlarocque]

Just soliciting opinions....

 

I have a nice 2007 SN 206 that I keep up at my lake home in WA. I get about 4 weeks/summer up there each year. I live in San Diego the rest of the year but rarely get to ski down here. Have been exploring my options and its basically either a salt water lagoon, fresh water reservoir about 40 minutes away, or a trip to the Colorado River (which I haven't done but I hear is a lot of fun). We just enjoy being on the water and free skiing, nothing too serious.

 

1989 Barefoot Sanger came up for sale locally. Original owner and he has 2 of them. Appeared to be in good shape but would obviously have to have it looked over carefully given it has wood all over the place. The wood I could see looked dry but not rotted. Has original Suzuki oil-injected 2-stroke outboard with 1300 hours, recently serviced. Fired right up with I went to look at it yesterday. Thinking maybe something like this would be a cheap/fun option that would allow for use around here and in shallower river waters.

 

I know this is a pretty hard core group of skiers but wondering if anyone has any thoughts about these boats for my intended purposes? I prefer direct drive boats but they are a recipe for disaster on the river. I have never owned an outboard.

[LoopSki]

Im not sure or when ,but I think Sanger wraps their stringers in fiberglass.

[Ski_Dad]

i have a Malibu direct drive, but I'm a big fan of outboard boats for open water skiing. I think it would be great as long as you are not shortening the line too much.

 

I would think one thing you would need to keep an eye on is catching some waves over the bow - those things sit really low.

[SkiSlipper67]

There are couple of BOS outboard types who ski on Shuswap Lake in B.C. We both have Glastron with open bows; one a 17' and the other a 18'. This lake can get rough in a hurry and yet I have never had waves over the bow because I can adjust the trim and there is enough free board. These are great for free skiing and you can still run the course at longer lines but lack the DD tracking fins. Excellent to learn on.

Two stoke oil injected Outboards if they have been run at higher rpms ie 4,000-5,000 (they are engineered for this) are long lasting and are relatively easy and inexpensive to maintain. The E-tech series from Evinrude are unbelievable engines. Many of the Coast Guard units around the lower mainland and Vancouver Island have switched from Yamaha 4 stroke to these because of better power and much less ongoing maintenance. Every 50 hours for oil services for the Yamahas.

Good luck on your search.

 

 

 

 

 

[6balls]

Nice boat, wood stringers/floor etc, rides better in rough than Centurion outboards of the day, but banks a little in the corners the Centurions corner flat.

 

Sanger has tracking fins and tracks nice. Wake is really non-existent. When we test skied one long ago when the slalom skier was giving quite a bit of tension at the wake the nose would lift every so slightly with each pull.

 

My nephew is running my former Centurion Falcon Barefoot on a river chain and living it. It's got more space and higher freeboard than the Sanger, which is pretty low to the water. Should be pretty fast with the right power and wake.

[jjackkrash]

A barefoot Sanger is probably my favorite outboard to slalom behind. That would be a very fun salt/rec boat, IMO.

[Jordan]

back in the day, when Waterski Magazine did real boat reviews in the early 1990's the Barefoot Sanger was one of the highest rated boats in the entire test. They are beautiful boats.

[VONMAN]

Still rocken a 1992 Ski Centurion Bare Foot Warrior Outboard and have skied behind a Barefoot Sanger outboard great boat. Wood stringers drive it, ski it, check it out good.

[tlarocque]

Great feedback, thank you.

 

Next question.. assuming passes a survey without uncovering any major issues with stringers, motor, etc... any ideas on value for one of these? Really hard for me to pin down.

[6balls]

I sold a showroom condition 1991 Centurion Falcon Barefoot with a '99 225 EFI 3.1 Vmax, hydraulic steering, hydraulic jack plate to my nephew for $7500.

 

That was a bit of a good guy discount in my view--I saw others listing lesser but similar for $9K...but no way to know if they got it. I think the $7500 for mine was a fair, low market price. I also threw in about 10 vests, a couple of barefoot suits, a kevlar barefoot line, two standard ski ropes, an old EP GX3 slalom ski, and a B.I. barefoot boom.

 

Not sure where that leaves it for you--I would think same $7500 to less given older, less powerful motor and 2 years older hull for that Sanger. $6K?

[foxriverat]

waterski mag review on page 112 and 114 https://books.google.com/books?id=90AbChEzs5YC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

[foxriverat]

Sharp looking boat https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/boa/d/san-diego-1989-barefoot-sanger-ski-boat/7113595938.html Or one that needs a little work https://bellingham.craigslist.org/boa/d/everson-1989-barefoot-sanger-20/7105329385.html

[UWSkier]

Suzuki 200 is extremely rare. I don't think I've ever seen a Suzuki outboard bigger than 85HP or so. Seems durability isn't really an issue I guess!

[tlarocque]

The SD boat is the one I'm pursuing, obviously. Not my favorite colors but hull in pretty good shape. Great write-up from WS mag, thanks for the link. I was thinking start at $6-6.5k. Going to see if we can get it out on the water for a test drive.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

[Orlando76]

200 Suzuki of that vintage wasn’t all that rare.

How does the pylon mount in a Sanger? Did they use an aluminum cradle spanning the stringers? I don’t have such

a problem with wood stringers per se but if the pylon is mounted in wood crossmembers like ‘79 and earlier Ski Nautiques then I would have to say to pass on it.

[tlarocque]

Good question. I pulled on the pylon pretty good and it seemed solid. I will email Sanger about that.

[dvskier]

Likely has been run in Mission Bay it’s whole 31 year life. Likely could have some corrosion issues from salt water.

[UWSkier]

@Orlando76 maybe where I grew up is different. WI home to Merc and Mariner with OMC a few hours south in IL. Those motors were non existent by us.

[Brewski]

My favorite boat in the world~!

 

[TomH]

Those Suzukis back then were solid engines (and not that rare in certain areas). Dad has had a 150 since ~91, and all it's ever needed (beyond routine plugs/wires/fluids) was a high pressure fuel pump after 15 years.... still runs like a beast. As others have mentioned, that Sanger is a solid boat - great for barefoot, good for slalom, and tracks well. Pylons in the Sanger were much more solid than the Centurion barefoot warriors.

[ALPJr]

We had an ‘88 140hp Suzuki on a 16’ Checkmate cb. It was very strong, solid and smooth.

[Orlando76]

I’m curious as to what their reinforcement is for the pylon. If you hear anything back. The boat restoration-nut side of me is curious as to what their approach is/was.

[TomH]

These two photos show the pylon base and where it bolts through the stringers for those curious. My wife's cousin's hubby took one down to the core last year and should be wrapped up with the rehab and repower sometime soon here. He's tossing an Evinrude 200 hp G2 on it.

 

[tlarocque]

I'm going to try to do an on-the-water test in the next couple days. Relatively speaking, the cost of entry isn't all that large. I just don't want to end up with a money pit. I don't mind investing a little time and money.

 

@Brewski - that boat looks sweet! Not in love with the colors on the boat I'm looking at but would be tempted to do a wrap and reupholstery at some point. I like blues on boats.

 

@TomH - great info. Hope you'll post some pics of that when its done... I bet it's going to be killer. Looks similar to the other '89 owned by the seller of the boat I'm checking out.

 

@dvskier - definitely some time on Mission Bay but vast majority of hours on fresh water. I would plan to use in salt on occasion, that's what we have where I live. If I pursue, will have a marine survey.

 

I'm not an outboard guy but seems the Suzuki oil-injected motors are pretty stout. Bet it rips even with the 200.

 

Again, appreciate the input from the forum members.

 

-TL

 

 

[6balls]

Right on the pylon bit, the centurion was not great. If you look even at the Sanger there, it bolts though wood stringers.

 

I would recommend modifying the bracket slightly to allow for an aluminum plant on each side of the stringer (stringer sandwich), then through-bolt, double nut, powder coat. We re-did ours in two Centurions that way and never had to touch it again--was incredibly solid--pulled 16 skiers, 14 teens on each of two huge tubes (which took ALL she had just to get out of the hole)...and well...it survived my 2 and 4 ball regularly back in the day.

[Jetsetr]

I modified my Brendella pole mount in a similar way...after I made the new baseplate (that bolted to a guide skeg) I made backing plates for the out side of the stringers, used stainless hardware with Nylocks. Don’t need to double bolt with Nylocks but it would be an option. I didn’t powder coat but I like the idea, and would do it next time. Heavy primer and Rustoleum paint. Still looks good. Brendella also uses a saddle clamp thru a lateral rib to the stringers to tie in the pole just below the floor boards.