MC mods

[eleeski]

The bubbler. It worked well to soften the slalom wake. 

[PatM]

¿Que?

[ReallyGottaSki]

Looks like trial 1 didn't work so well

[Mastercrafter]

...that prop 🫣

[eleeski]

The hole allows air to be sucked into the prop. This affects the prop wash and rooster tail. Offshore boat racers use the surface piercing Arneson drive to aerate the prop and improve the efficiency and speed. This was the inspiration for the mod. 
 

I used the boat for a few years with the mod. I can’t remember what was wrong with the front hole (it’s plugged) but the back hole noticeably softened the slalom wake. So I kept it in service.  
 

When I got my new boat, we gave the boat to the UCLA ski team to use. They used it for a few years - with the bubbler. I’m not sure what happened to the prop but the engine died (cracked block from freezing). 

Waiting for the time and money to convert it to electric. Will probably leave the bubbler in. 
 

Eric

[Broussard]

Here is the full write up from Dr. Victor Frankenstein on his science experiment: LINK

Edited March 14 by Broussard

[BraceMaker]

Almost seems like you should be forcing exhaust into the tube.

[markn]

Would not sucking (actually educting) air into the prop potentially cause some cavitation?  

[BraceMaker]

If it's behind the prop I wouldn't think so.

[BKistler]

Only Eric would drill a hole through the bottom of his boat. Sucking wind again. 
🙃

[03RLXi]

I suspect fixing the prop might have worked better

[eleeski]

Read @Broussard ‘s link. A new prop was part of the project.  The boat has a LOT of use (abuse?) since the experiment. 
 

Eric

[eleeski]

The Prostar 197 was a victim of a PR campaign against its slalom wake - despite many phenomenal slalom performances and development of slalom skiers behind the boat. 
It was also the trick boat of choice. 
 

I was trying hard to “improve” the slalom wake and preserve the hull for tricks. 
 

Inspired by the Malibu wedge I tried another crazy experiment. See attached photo. No complaints about the rust as it’s been sitting in the mud for several years. The welds were always ugly but they held together. 
 

This mod massively improved the slow speed wake. It was a plate set deeper in the water below the back of the hull. The idea was to lift the back of the boat and flatten the wake. It did that! Except at 34 or 36mph it lifted the rooster tail right into the skier’s path - at those speeds it was unskiable. 
 

By this time, Mastercraft was developing the new hull so designing and building the needed mechanism to easily add or remove this tab (plate or wedge) was probably going to be in vain. So this mod failed. 
 

Eric 

[RAWSki]

@eleeski looks reminiscent of many boats before 2000 that had ride plates off the back with manual threaded adjustment.  These were 'legal' by AWSA rules although a driver could tweak their boat to their liking.

Then Tige came out with TAPs and that was deemed illegal because it was variable.  

Now Nautique has multiple hull adjustments that are more consistent-controllable in theory.

[EFW]

@eleeski Eric have you ever given any thought to solving world hunger and peace? (The world loves a thinker)