Creeker

Thx for the help. Think I am going to replace the cable and helm tilt assembly as they are both a wear item. Those two parts are going cost a few $, but that just part of the fun of owning a boat. On the new cable, should I first take the cable out of the sheath out and add extra grease (like Mobile One red synthetic grease)?

On our CC 200, with ~700 hours on it, there is some play in the steering wheel (i.e., the wheel can be turned, maybe 5 Degrees and rudder does not turn. The play seems to be related to the rack that mates up with the gear at the end of the steering wheel shaft. I've not found a lot of info on this issue. Can one buy a new rack from DIM, or just from correct craft? Does one need to by just the cable and it comes with the rack? Does one need to grease the new cable with something like the red mobile one synthetic grease? Has anyone done a similar repair? Any other tips? Thx

More snow today... about 4 inches... In the 60's by the weekend.

As an engineer who has restored numerous Porsches and other vehicles, there is no way that I would ever put a K&N filter on any vehicle that I owned. IMHO, a good quality OE or OEM type filter is the way to go (e.g., Mahle, Wix, etc.) Just my $0.015 worth

At our Ski lake in NC, the other day, a two inch thick layer of ice covered the lake. Crazy stuff...

Has anyone tried a couple of plastic chains (may be 5/16") strung along the lake?

For some thing inexpensive and easy, what about using corrugated black french drain pipe with holes and then string it along the shore line?

Obviously, I am biased... Here is my pitch. Here in Western NC, in the winter months, one can snow ski in the morning, water ski in the afternoon at the lakes that Clay & Eddie built. About 6 months out of the year, you don't need a warm top. A dry suit is needed for 5 months of the year. Also, there is amazing mountain biking trails, road biking (e.g., blueridge parkway, Hwy 181), hiking, and white water kayaking (e.g., Narrows of the Green, Chattooga, Wautaga, etc.). There are bigger lakes too for those who like to wakeboard or surf as well as ski. Just my $0.015 worth.

Here in Western NC, in the winter months, one can snow ski on the Mountains of NC in the morning and then drive down the mountain to water ski in the afternoon.

With regards to the pull vehicle. IMHO, a 1999 - 2003 Ford F250 or F350 with a 7.3L diesel engine is the best choice. We bought a F250 back in 2001 and still have it. We needed a 2nd big truck, so last year we found a F350 dually with ~50K on the clock. These trucks last forever, no emissions junk, ~500 Ft-Lbs of Torque, get decent MPG, parts are readily available. They can be found with a manual or automatic gear box. All sorts of upgrades are available etc. Just my $0.015 worth

LoopSki, May your ski buddy can come back from the dark side. There is still time. If not slalom, maybe trick skiing? Great that he is on the water. No matter what sport. Time on the water together is priceless. Enjoy.

Stevie, Good points, I guess it is hard to compete with the ability to bicycle a mile from his dorm room to the boat dock and then ski with a bunch of new friends on a nearly new boat.

The lake is a little south of Hickory NC, about 20 miles east of Morganton.

What to do when your ski buddy finds another lake? Sorry for the long post… Need some help… I had the best ski buddy a person could ever find. Though true, I did start skiing (recreational) before he did, the bug hit him much harder. Of course now he is much better than I ever will be. He went to Coble’s and not knowing much about boats we bought one. The MC X2 is truly great boat, but he just would not ski behind it. The next summer, we all skied at Coble’s and figured out the boat oversite and picked up a MC 190 that following winter. That spring we became a member of one of Eddy’s & Clay’s lakes. Through some very generous help from members at our home lake, great local coaching, great support from members of another local ski lake, and help from many other skiers, my ski buddy really excelled and started competing. I on the other hand, still could not run the course. I did, however, learn a few new terms (e.g., “yard sale,” “out-the-front,” “55’s,” etc.). That fall and winter we started skiing all year around in NC. Even had a few ski-ski days (snow ski in the morning, water ski in the afternoon). The following spring and summer he really excelled. We spent many hours at the lake, learning how to drive the boat better and learning how to ski better. He did so well that summer, he competed at Nationals and finished with a spot on the podium. We spent the next four years skiing as much as we could together. In the evenings, we usually had the lake to ourselves. Now for the somewhat happy/sad part of this story. There are not a lot of skiers at our home lake. This spring, he tried another ski lake. Kind of my fault, I introduced him to this lake. I knew of the lake from when I was in college, though I never skied that course or any other course. He was reluctant to try this lake, but one visit convinced him that this was the lake for him. Around the middle of August, he just up and left for that new lake. Needless to say, I’m not skiing much without my ski buddy. Some of y’all might know this new lake where he is skiing. It is called Lake Hartwell and the course is close to Clemson SC. He (my son, Martin) skis for Clemson now and is having a great time skiing with so many new friends. Now for the question/help/recommendation part. Has something like this ever happened to you? Has your ski buddy found a new lake? Or maybe one day, your ski buddy will grow up and find that new lake? Did you find another skier to drive the boat for you? Or maybe you convinced a recreational skier or friend to join you in this crazy sport called water skiing? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Maybe after a few years in college, he’ll find something local and we will be skiing together all summer long. Until then, if you ever find yourself visiting Western NC and need a pull, we have a boat (CC 200) and a great lake I think you might like.

Most places that sell marine batteries, the warranty is for 1 year. Most Regular car batteries have a 3 year warranty. There is only about three companies that manufacture batteries, then its a matter of labeling and marketing. Been using Sam's Club car batteries. Be sure to keep the receipt (or take a picture of it) as their records only go back two years. Just my $0.015 worth