BrennanKMN

I agree, I don't think there is a right and wrong per-say. I just prefer one over the other for the reasons I listed. I'll take my data with the downsides of potential sensor failure. I have 8 extra gauges in my truck over what the factory dashboard provides. I have identified several issues before they were a true problem because of them. I like data, I understand how things are operating and can better notice a deviation from normal.

I prefer electronic controls and standard communication protocols on all my engines/vehicles. I find them much easier to troubleshoot. I simply plug my laptop in and I can watch 100's of sensors and data points in real time, graph them, log them during issues, ect. That is a very powerful diagnostic tool to me - especially when issues go beyond just the engine. That doesn't mean I want electronic everything. I still think screens and proprietary communications are going to kill us one day. One of the reasons I am a huge CAN bus fan is because I can openly read and interact with it in anyway I want. For everyone that says they like using a carb because it is an easy fix when something goes wrong, that is like saying you prefer solid tires on your car to eliminate flats. That is only ONE of the many many possible things to go wrong. I wouldn't run out and replace my carbureted boat with EFI, but if you are in the new market and are only looking at carbureted boats because of that 'feature' you are shorting yourself.

@rockdog prices seem very location dependent. I wouldn't pay more than $30k for a 196, but I would pay $25k-$27k for a ZO equipped 196 in the proper condition. 200's are not worth the $10k+ premium to me, so I'd take a 196 all day long. ZO equipped 196's are pretty rare on SIA. They go quick, they are often priced right and have a very hard-core following. If you can handle a closed bow there really isn't reason to spend anymore money. With that said, everything is subjective. Everything is worth something different to everyone else.

I saw that today and wanted to share it for fun, glad some others found humor in it as well.

This is cool concept and I love that someone is trying to make it happen. I do agree with @owennibley though on a few points. I don't think I could pay the costs outlined here for what you're offering. I don't think they're unreasonable - just not right for me. Probably has a lot to do with the fact that I can have my boat on 20 different lakes within a 45 min drive. If I am buying/renting a home on the water I either want a dedicated 3 event lake and nothing else or a full recreational lake. Furthermore if I live on that water I don't want to use a club boat or provided driver. There is no way I would ever pay to live somewhere on the water and not have my own boat. If it was a club I belong to, sure, but living there full time is a deal breaker for me. I understand why you would require a driver, but that takes away a lot of the fun for me any my ski partners. If you are going the route of a club boat and club driver it might almost be worth it to have one lake open to the public with fewer houses on it. The public can rent boat/driver time. Similar to some of the watersport complexes that exist today. This is great for people that don't have access to boats and lakes easily; which sounds like your target market.

You learn a lot more from an oil analysis than blindly changing oil. But I understand your point.

I wouldn't. If you really care, run a used oil analysis in the spring. Then you well get your answer backed by data vs. opinion and feeling.

I paid less than $20 bucks for 6 gallons of -50*f RV & marine antifreeze. Pretty cheap if you ask me...

I was given a GoPro Hero3 as a gift. Fist time I used it it fell in the lake. That was a hard thing to tell the guy who gifted me a $400 camera and I lost it a week later... I stuck it to the front of my ski and even used a rope to secure it just in case. The plastic mount that came with it snapped in half on a wake crossing. I watched it tumble across my ski and into the lake. Ever since than I haven't really been a fan. They're too expensive for their use case. There are so many alternatives now I don't think I could ever justify the cost for an original GoPro anymore.

I always disconnect my heater core hoses after draining the engine water and just blow the water out with my mouth. Then use a funnel to feed in about 1/2 gallon of antifreeze blowing it through between each 1/2 quart or so until you can see it run out into the bilge through the other hose. Then I replace the hoses and run the engine on antifreeze to refill the engine. Pretty simple and works for me.

You're making this all way more complicated than it really needs to be. Think of how many lifts are in use, probably 10% of those are setup really well. The others just get a boat parked on it and call it good. How many times have you heard of someone complaining about damage to their boat from a lift? Fiberglass is tough stuff.

Sorry, but Windows XP was end of support in 2014 and Windows 7 will not be supported after January 2020. Probably wise to upgrade just for compatibility and security reasons. Because of that your web browsers are also likely not getting updates anymore and are slowly loosing support for various features. Which is something you can't really fix without getting a newer operating system.

Your trailer has movement going down the highway too - probably worse than a floating lift. Again, if the bunks are properly adjusted it will be just fine. The stringers are essentially the frame of the boat. If floating boat lifts truly damaged boats they wouldn't be still selling.

I couldn't agree with @markn more. Pull the permanent course and install a portable with some good anchors on each end. When the time comes for the 'slow and clean' restoration you will have a clean slate to start with a proper install.

I wouldn't worry about the pressure points from the lift as long as you have the supports properly adjusted. No different than sitting on a trailer for 6+ months. I understand lots of people store boats in the water, but there is no way I would keep my boat in the water without a lift. Heck, I get uneasy when we go on vacation and it is in the water for 6 days. Waves, wind, other boaters, lake scum, convenience all reasons to have a lift.

There is a large market for DD ski boats outside of tournaments skiers. Totally guessing, but I would be 80% of DD buyers (new and used) don't care about having the same boats that pull tournaments. Make a family oriented DD boat at a reasonable price and they will sell. The family oriented part is the biggest bit. That is why ProStars and TXi's are fling off the shelves in the used market. They are affordable because they are pre-owned and can handle a family well. Win win. An affordable dedicated tournament tow boat is a tiny market. A affordable direct drive family ski boat is a huge market.

https://www.method-boats.com/ Interesting concept. Looks like it is the same deck and hull, but they move the engine to a DD or a VD position. When it is in the DD configuration they just convert the VD engine compartment into storage. When in the VD configuration they just remove the doghouse.

As someone who is on a plane 2-5 times a month for work I wish I could swing something like this. I am envious of all those that can ski while traveling for work. It would certainly help my sets/year number that has gone way down the tube since changing jobs.

Agreed with -32. I love -32, especially at 36 MPH. When I am skiing well 36 MPH is significantly more fun than 34 as well. -35 is still too hard for me to really enjoy it.

So you can feel like a ninja behind the boat! I think it is neat, but I know a few of my boat partners would be absolutely lost without color loops and even then it's a struggle some days.

I would love to track my skiing, but I am just too forgetful (read lazy) to write it down after each set. If there was a simple way I might do it, but otherwise the juice isn't worth the squeeze. I am excited to hear what others do and how they benefit from it. Might be the kick in the pants I need.

@lpskier I believe the switch was the same length as the 41 or 43 off section and you just removed that section from your rope. This was before slide loop ropes when you could easily remove a section. As far as going out and buying/making a switch rope with a carabiener to fix an issue with a rope is laughable. Why not just solve the rope problem instead of adding more crap into the mix?

I have the original slide loop rope from ML and I agree with the other comments here. I will not buy it again. I expected the slide loops to be like In-Tow's where it easily fit over the pylon and made for a sleek look. The ML slide loop is much too difficult to change compared to the competition. I personally prefer the look, quality and feel of a ML rope, but prefer the operation and ease of loop identification from In-Tow.

One more thing that makes me happy I have my old trusty 196 with ZO. My ski partner has a 2014 Malibu with the touch screen, which sounded like a nice idea. But just doesn't work nearly as well as it should. Takes 5+ button pushes just to start the boat and turn off the blower each time.

Pretty depressing for me. Between taking a new job and traveling a bunch I have put 18 hours on my boat this year, down from 112 last year. The weather has been not helpful either as we're either getting rain or wind and rarely a nice day. I did however get a new course installed and it is been trouble free compared to the old course, so that is a plus. More time skiing and less time fiddling with the course. Thankfully my average hasn't suffered too much gotten into -35 a few times, so at least the season doesn't feel like a total waste. I attribute that to ZO. My consistency has gone WAY up since getting ZO. Off to winterize a buddies boat Saturday, hoping to get a few more sets in before I call it quits on my boat. We'll see if the weather wants to cooperate.