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Wiltok

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Posts posted by Wiltok

    Urgent Waterway Alert: Please Take Action

    in News & Other Stuff

    Posted

    3 hours ago, swbca said:

    Regarding the phrase:

    "Wake sport mode" refers to operation of a wake boat with wake-enhancing equipment engaged.

    Aren't the hulls of wake boats designed to create a large wake even without the "Wake-enhancing equipment engaged"  ???   

    I agree the language in the bill is very good, but these boats operated without the operator's consideration of his wake can cause more damage than a ski boat or most other recreational boats.   Obviously Boat speed is a wake enhancing factor but not a feature unique to wake boats.   Not sure how that can be addressed in the bill.

     

     

    I was thinking same. To the observer familiar with surfing you can tell when a boat is ballasted, but it sounds like surfing could still happen without ballast. I don't even know if that is possible but the boat would have to be boarded to prove whether they are using it or not. 

    Malibu no longer making ski boats?

    in Boat Talk

    Posted

    1 hour ago, buechsr said:

    MBUU stock popped 5% this am.  Malibu is going nowhere.  Heck we're thinking about "Malibu" boats....Malibu Boats the company owns numerous other manufacturers including Pursuit, Cobalt, Pathfinder, etc.  Discussion about the big 3 "killing" the ski boat market by "pushing" wake boats is not sound logic, any more so than saying Mastercraft is killing its sales with Bennington pontoons.  One has nothing to do with the other.  Malibu will try to make money however it can efficiently.  Heck they pioneered the "budget" wakeboat alternative in Axis with far less in margin for them than Malibus.  Simply put, the market has or will dictate the viability of continued txi builds.

    MC was up almost 5% as well. Trading off the highs now but still a pretty big move. 

    Malibu no longer making ski boats?

    in Boat Talk

    Posted

    I have been hesitant to jump into this one but here goes. I have no concrete info on the demographics of the posters here, but I am guessing we are doing pretty well financially. People that can afford a boat (any boat), need a decent amount of disposable income just to keep it running (gas, maint, storage, water toys, etc). I am going to assume as relatively well off people many also invest in the stock market. And its in our best interests for the stock market to keep going up (woo-hoo SPX > 5000!) so we can continue to afford these lifestyles. MC and Malibu are publicly traded companies, and while I am guessing many are not investing directly, the companies are making decisions in the best interests of their shareholders. Therein lies the problem - many of us are part of the machine since we are shareholders of many companies ourselves. Higher margin products, focusing on profitable markets, etc is what we expect companies we invest in to do to be successful. So it's difficult for me, as a person who wants to see the market to keep climbing (overall), to be critical of business decisions that quite frankly make sense for profitability. Don't get me wrong, I hate the huge wake barges on my lake, sending rollers that stuff my Prostar bow, but it is what it is. Just my .02.  

    • Like 5

    Urgent Waterway Alert: Please Take Action

    in News & Other Stuff

    Posted

    On 12/12/2023 at 3:39 PM, Hucklefin said:

    LRB 5069 proposal apparently, at least for WI. Has not been released yet, not surprised about any of this. Makes me nervous that skiing is associated with them despite wakesurf heavy language used in the proposal.

    I 'smelled a rat' when I received the email from MC. It was too broad, too general with the call to arms. I reviewed the Wisconsin legislation, and while I am not a fan of restrictions, my ProStar is not affected and this bill would actually benefit me as a skier (I don't live in Wisc btw). 

    • Like 5
    • Thanks 1

    Leave Lift and Dock in over Winter?

    in News & Other Stuff

    Posted

    A few years ago I was sailing in the spring and came across a pontoon shore station laying on its side smack dab in the middle of the lake. It was really dangerous - a few inches below the water. If someone hit it at speed (or even slow) it could have caused some serious damage. it was obviously dropped there by the ice. I called the sheriff, waited around forever and they sent someone out to remove it. 

    As a post script to the story - a few months later I came in hot on my stand up jet ski right in front of the marine deputies (rode in and stepped off in the shallows). Was ticketed on the spot, called the sheriff and asked him if he could do anything for my good deed, and he administratively dismissed the citation 🙂 Karma!

    siphon daddy--coolest shit ever

    in Boat Talk

    Posted

    11 hours ago, Ufda said:

    I had two tera pumps fail in two months. Their quality is not good. But then i found the cheap knockoff at Walmart for $20 and it’s worked great. 

    Odd - I am going on year 3 with mine - running strong. I even accidentally hit the on button in the garage and let it run dry for about 20 mins :0

    SLALOM IS DYING and this is why.

    in News & Other Stuff

    Posted

    36 minutes ago, tjs1295 said:

    I can't comment on course or competitive skiing, but I have thoughts about recreational skiing at least in my small part of the world. I do think the sport is very expensive, but for arguments sake, let's say money is not a barrier. My wife and I both work part time, and live on a lake with our boat on a lift in northern Wisconsin where it's hard not to live on a lake. It doesn't get any easier for us to water ski. There are basically zero course skiing opportunities up here, but that's an entirely different issue. However, the biggest thing preventing me from skiing as much as I want is that this goofy sport always needs at least one other person to do it. No matter what, there has to be a driver. We're lucky in Wisconsin to no longer need a spotter, but in how many other states is that a requirement? So now you need one, if not two other people to go along with you.

    I participate in a lot of different activities year round. Water skiing is the only one I can't do by myself. I no longer participate in team sports, but even a lot of those can be worked on by yourself (at least technique/fundamentals). I think slalom skiing is very difficult, and needs a lot of time spent doing it even to be a good free skier. I only get better when I'm behind the boat. It's very hard to do drills or work on fundamentals without being behind the boat. That's not the case with many other sports/activities. 

    I guess what I'm trying to say is that is comes down to access in a certain way. Even if you are the most driven skier alive, have a brand new tournament ski boat on a private lake with a course, and 24 hours of daylight with 85 degree temps, you can't do anything without a driver. And the weather/wind is another variable that really impacts this sport especially when dealing with public water. I won't even try to address the topic of other boats sharing the water. Lots of things need to align in this sport. Not so with many others. 

    Well said. I too struggle - I am in Michigan and live on a lake with a boat waiting and ready on a lift. The spotter requirement is tough one, I can usually find a driver but a third? Often when I do go out (dawn patrol) I am battling a number of other skiers (public water), not to mention the wake surfer who wants glass (???).  So I am doing more SUP, e-foiling, kayaking, cycling, sailing, etc pretty anything I can do solo and in many cases without regard to water conditions.  

    • Like 2

    Is there an Ultraviolet blocker for Gel Coat ?

    in Boat Talk

    Posted

    1 hour ago, swbca said:

    Thanks for the photo . . . That product would protect the wood platform and the transom, but it doesn't protect the rear 4 feet of the boat sides.

    with our boat wound up tight to the top of the lift the sun still comes in the through the rear opeing of the canopy as the sun goes from east to west during the day.  I need the rear cover to cover the sides of the boat for the last 4 feet.

    This photo shows how the canopy protects the sides of the boat except for the last few feet because of the sun coming in from the East and West through the full rear opening in canopy.  I need a rear cover to cover the sides and transom at the back of the boat.

    4feet.png

    My 2001 looked exactly the same. I hear you - fading on the rear portion of the boat. 

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