ETskier

A lot different from what you have been used to. Try replacing the front first, get used to it, then then try the rear, but rather loose. You may find you want a Leverage on the back. Have a great season!

Thank you Jody for completing this thread. I encourage everyone to stop by Ski Chaste sometime, say hi to Ann, maybe even ski a tournament. Tip an Old Milwaukee Lite in Jr's memory. He wanted nothing more than to share this special place. JR, farewell for now my friend. Terry

@Ufda, a 2007 - 2009 Zero Off SN196, MC197, Bu is cetainly in your wheelhouse for under $30K. Don't let hours worry you too much. A 1000 hrs is like 100,000 hrs on a car. That's nothing these days. All 3 are great ski tractors with good wakes to train with for many years of enjoyment. Keep looking, something good will show up this spring.

Woodies rule. Can't beat the 50s and early 60s ChrisCrafts Skiers, Century Resorters and Arabians, 50s Correct Crafts. The Italian Rivas wers cool too. @Cent you have that Century up in Alaska? My all time favorite fiberglass, 93 MC Stars & Stripes, red stripe.

It was built to be used. AWESOME?

440 big block, cool. It will have some giddyup. Looks like it was in the water and ruuning not too long ago.

Sorry, I looked at the pics more closely and realized the engine is a Chrysler, but again a small block easy to fid parts for and work on.

These boats are so very cool. Stringers not encased is not necessarily a bad thing, nor unusual. Early encasements often trapped water resulting in rot. There is probably wood backing to the deck gel coat, so be sure it's not rotted underneath. Engines are usually small block Chevys, with Borg Warner transmissions and easy to find parts and work on. Ignition systems may be Prestolite, but still easy to find points and condesers etc. You can also do some engine upgrades easily. Carbs are easy too. You can find lots info on the Century boat club site, Antique Boat Society, Classic Boating Magazine, etc. This boat would be considered a "Fiber Clasic". The wooden Arabians and Coronados were discontinued just a couple years earlier, but share a lot in common. $5K is not out of whack, trailer is worth a grand. Engine could cost a thou, so you have a lot if negotiation room. This could be a great rescue, and wish you success.

Water skiing has lost a fine gentleman in JR Henley. He passed away quietly Friday night and went home to our Father in Heaven. He skied 3 events, but his favorite was jumping. His passion was sharing our sport with others, teaching countless people to ski and coaching them to improve. He was instrumental in promoting tournament skiing in Mobile, AL, the Gulf Coast, the state of Alabama, and the Southern Region for over 40 years. He was a senior 3 event driver, senior saftey, Southern Region Council member, and a member of the Alabama Water Ski Hall of Fame. He built a beautiful 3 event facility called Ski Chaste near Mobile in Axis, not for privacy, but a place to share with others, a place my wife and I were privileged to call home for 18 years. JR was just a great friend who loved and put other people first is his life. Our prayers go out to Ann and the rest of his family. We will miss him dearly.

+1 to above, great boat for the money. Get PP Star Gazer w or w/o Z Box. We skied with our neighbors 2000 for 10 years well into 35 off. That boat is set up steering-neutral. Just do some patient rudder grinding and you can get it driving very well.

Great stories above, as it seems many of us were inspired by fathers, uncles etc. My dad taught me to ski when I was 6 behind an old wooden rowboat with Johnson 18hp. He taught me how to hop start on a slalom when I was 8. I grew up sking on Burt Lake in Northern Michigan and Lake Lemon near Bloomington, IN. But I inherited the boat bug from my grandfather. He taught me how drive that wooden rowboat age age 5 when it had an open flywheel 5hp Johnston on it. I had to turn the motor completely aroung to go backward to properly dock it. And he taught my buddies and me to pull each other with the 18hp. Grandfather had already owned several boats, a 24ft ChrisCraft Express in MI, a 22ft ChrisCraft Sportsman in OH, and a 42ft ChrisCraft Cabin Cruiser in FL. He also had 48 18ft Correct Craft, which I vaguely remember when I was 3 in MI. My dad skied with that one. He and his buddies built a ski jump on Crooked Lake the summer of 48. My favorite boat is the 1947 26ft ChrisCraft Super Cruiser, "The Big Boat", which I now own, restored in the 90s, and is parked outside the family cottage on Burt Lake each summer (my nephew takes meticulous care of it). Grandfather taught me to drive that one too, as well as the 17ft 1964 Thompson 75hp. It had a ski bar on the transom and we skied with that for many summers. In high school, Dad got a 15ft Scotty with a 70hp 6cyl Merc hanging on the back, and boy was it fast. In college I wanted to learn the course. A frat brother took me to Culver Academy Camp in the fall of 74 and there was not 1, but 4 boats docked with big letters SKI on the side. Wow, now we were really skiing. After graduation I bought a 71 Correct Craft 16ft Skier, predecessor to the Ski Tique. Then it was a 78 Ski Supreme in 81 and then 8 Ski Supreme promos, a 78 Mastercraft, 94 Ski Nautique, and currently a 2006 SN196 with Zero Off. Best ski tractor out there IMHO. I still think of my grandfather often. My best sking experience is having been able to share skiing with my wife of 43 years, Beverly. She's a great shortline driver by the way. We never had children, so skiers are our family and best friends. And boats are in my blood.

Unfortunately, the parts we are all having problems with are, sanctioning, events, rankings, member services, etc.

If I'm not mistaken, I think that is the first year Mastercraft had drive by wire throttle control. It is easily converted to new ECM and Zero Off, where you will have a great tournament ski boat for the cost for many years to come.

I tried switching to correct. Better offside pull, but lost my good on side pull. Also hurt my elbows. Switched back after 3 sets.

Stacked, across the wakes quickly and efficiently. Not stacked, little progression, OTF a lot.

Sonar, environmentally friendly, kills all the weeds. Dye, controls growth.

Back in the 90s Steve Schnitzer showed some of us a system of using the the course bouys for your pull out, set up, and gate turn. That's where I learned to use the gates and 5 ball to pull out. You could also use the gates and 3 ball to start to know you were wide and to glide. Then you used the gates and 1 ball to turn for the gate. You never looked at where the boat was. It was all about where the skier was in relationship to the course. The advantage was every course is the same and the angles are the same, even as you shorten the line. Of course, as many have said here, some cannot even see the 5 ball any more. So now you can use the 55s and 1 ball to pull out. It can help with consistency. However, their are many great skiers who do it all by feel. So, yes you can do without the 55s if you have to.

82 air, 64 water in Central FL. A little windy but still great to run some passes. No complaints.

Just PM'd you.