TomH

Bilge is generally directly to the battery and bypasses the main switch.  I don't remember which nautiques, but some had the bilge on a timer versus just a float, so after a while it could run down the battery (especially an older/weaker battery).

A jobsite storage box would fit the bill and last just about forever, but they're not cheap.  I end up putting them out at a lot of jobsites, and don't know that I've ever had one leak, and the padlock pockets make them pretty hard to bust into.  The Rigid one from Home Depot, is probably the best bang for the buck, but it's still pushing $500 - buy once/cry once.

I've had a 94 for the past 10 years or so.  It's a really well built boat and really handles a multi-sport family (like mine) really well.  They have a little more freeboard than most of the boats of the era (not nearly as susceptible to dunking a bow like many others), and I really like their open bow layout.  Storage is piss poor, but mine's on a lift, so doesn't matter to me anymore.  Slalom wakes; it carries some V in the hull to the stern, so is more weight sensitive than something that's flat at the stern.  15-off is fine, 22 is pretty bad as to be expected, and 28 and shorter is pretty good.  It also puts out a nice rampy wake at slower speeds if you have kids that like to wakeboard or trick.

Engine-wise, I'd try to go with a 95/96 which should have the GT-40.  The 94's had the Protec TBI engine, which you'll have to swap back to a carb/dizzy when the Protec takes a crap (which it will), and the TBI is kind of a gas hog.

I have stainless inserts mounted in all of my snow skis to allow binding swaps and to be able to travel with multiple skis.  To keep screws from loosening, we use a drop of Vibra-tite VC3 on the screws.  You let it dry on the screw before installing and it just adds a little bit of friction to the threads and is really effective.  There are some binding plastics in the alpine world that Loctite doesn't play nice with, so I keep that stuff away from my skis (water and downhill).  That being said, checking/tightening the screws on a waterski takes about 2 seconds pre-ride....

For that little bit of dock and a lift, I'd be pulling it for peace of mind (or run some bubblers).  I've got 150+ feet of steel dock and two lifts - now that's a chore, but would be a twisted mess come spring if I left it in.

I do similar with a 4-wheeler for getting the boat into my one garage for winter storage (too tight to do it with a vehicle) and just generally moving any of the trailers, docks or lifts around the property.  We rigged up a hitch with a burly pneumatic caster wheel under it that takes most of the tongue weight off the wheeler so it doesn't squat the rear suspension so bad and keeps more weight over the front wheels (works great - basically like an industrial trailer jack).

When I'm going out of cans, I just use a clear 1" hose, wrap a rag around it to seal and squeeze the can until it flows, and pull the rag to let it fly.  Empties in less than a minute generally with the big hose.

You sure you have the model correct?  A 210 is a V-drive.  If it's a direct drive, it'd be the 206 or 216

 

1 minute ago, BraceMaker said:

Its not suppress but if you want to think about anything I would tell you to look at the back of the drivers head or stare at the top of the boat's window, grip with your hands "squeeze" the handle, and then as the boat pulls think about getting ready to stand up out of a squat tighten your core and butt and hip muscles and just hold while it pulls or maybe even think squeezing your butt cheeks up to the handle (no pulling in arms no straightening knees just squeeze your hips towards your hands through the pull up.

Similar to this, for those that get pulled out of position (over the front, etc.), once they're dragging steady at idle in the right position, I just tell them to flex/squeeze everything to freeze them in that position right before throttle comes on, and 9/10 times they'll pop right up over the water, often to the point that they get surprised they're up, yank in on the handle and then have their feet fly out from under them, but it at least sets the feeling of getting up, and the subsequent tries are usually successful.

Go on Facebook marketplace, there's dozens of combo skis on there right now in the TC metro.

You have to have a USCG vest for every person on board and accessible, but I don't believe you're required to wear it while skiing (haven't seen that requirement when searching). 

I wouldn't expect any USCG vest that you use for skiing to roll you over in a face down condition (they won't).  The only ones that may roll a person face up are Type I or Type II.  

For your use case though, it's not a bad idea to run a USCG, as you'll have a specific minimum amount of floatation.   If you do choose to stick with comp vests, it's always a good idea to check that they'll float you enough (blow all your air out and see if you're still on the surface).  The amount of floatation in comp vest varies wildly between brands and models.

I completely subscribe to Bracemaker's method, and is exactly how I teach slalom starts.  I will add that, while we all like to ski in thin comp vests, getting a more buoyant life jacket that keeps you up out of the water more can make the starts easier as well.

I know green's not for everyone, but that is a damn good looking boat.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/247673668614879/permalink/5883376968377826/?sale_post_id=5883376968377826  This guy has a bunch of 351 parts for sale including the part your looking for (as well as the upper housing and J tube) if you want a used one to put on the shelf as a spare.

Best bet would probably be to go on Etsy and find one of the laser engravers and do something custom through them.  Otherwise, get whatever art you want on the mirror cut on vinyl at a sign shop and apply it to a mirror.

10 minutes ago, Wish said:

Mostly overlooked but it shouldn’t be. Hydrodyne Grand Sport Elite. Great wakes, deep walk through open bow and sidewalls throughout with a  bullet proof fuel injected PCM GT-40. All glass no wood.

I run a Grand Sport and agree it's a great boat for it's age, and really versatile across a bunch of sports.  The GT-40 would have only been in the 95/96 model years though.  The 94's had the PCM TBI/Protec engine (as did some early 95's), which I'd probably avoid unless it's been swapped back to a carb/dizzy already.  .

I'm 99% certain they're not all glass though (stringers/floor are still wood), but they do have an aluminum box frame reinforcement where the engine mounts, and they're generally built like a tank.

I'd start with making sure you're not sucking air somewhere on the suction side of the raw water pump.  Check/tighten every connection, and clean the o-ring on the strainer and make sure it's sealed up (the tranny cooler ends can sometime get squished/out of round and also be a potential air leak).  The garden hose pressuring that line will hide/mask an air leak there.  Pulling your intake hose off the through-hull and throwing it in a 5 gallon bucket that you run the garden hose into will give you a better idea if it's drawing water as it should.

A pressure washer is really effective actually.  Otherwise, my FIL has a hot water extractor that works well, and we also now have a couple different carpet cleaners (upright vac and handheld spot vac) due to the dog that work pretty well.

The dog that drops into the notch to keep it in neutral can be a problem as well (pot metal that gets rounded and will ride right out of the slot).  You can flip the dog over and you'll have some squared off shoulders to lock into the slot again.

I really like my tower mount, but you'll likely have to play around with the mount location to get it high enough to not look at your own head, but not so high that it's way above your sight line. If you have to frequently fold your tower, you may have to pull the mirror to do so, so that may play into your decision.

I find tele easier on my knees (less prone to injury than alpine). Burns out the quads faster though. If you really want to go obscure, look up a tele-board - probably draws the most on-snow commonality to slalom skiing, but is generally pretty ridiculous otherwise (which says a lot coming from someone who also telemarks...).

Cool looking concept, but I would hate a center drive when docking.

Also looks to need or be using an extra pair of inserts on the toe

@BraceMaker My next door neighbor frequently skis behind his tri-toon with a 250 Yamaha on it. There's no wake to speak of, so crossings are effortless, but you can't get closer in than 15-off for spray, and there's a bit of 'tail-wagging the dog' as well. It's certainly fine for aggressive open water skiing.

The MC x14/214 would probably check most of your boxes, but the ski wake doesn't get half decent until you're above 32ish and get it planing on the lower running surface (it has a stepped hull). For lower speed slalom, I think you'd be happier with something else. Your budget will likely dictate what will be the best compromise.