Thomas Wayne

Yeah, I agree - both boat paths were astonishingly precise, especially considering CP's size and power! TW

Watching frame-by-frame, immediately following his wakecrossing, his ski track appears to be downcourse of the left-hand 3-ball gate (IMO), but obviously the boat and tower judges would have a better view than a video of a video screen... I was really just curious about what the ties of the record looked like, and if this was one of them. TW http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/ThomasWayne_2006/CPatthe3gate.jpg

Cool video! As it looks like he doesn't make it back to the wake prior to boat gates for the 3-ball, I assume the -43' footage (above) is one of the times he tied the record...? TW

I have a number of vivid memories from CB tournaments in the 70's. Most of them can't be repeated in a family-friendly forum, but the ones that can include Don Koppert's baby eating rocks, and the unique way the tournament organizers assembled the floating course full length on shore, and then pulled it straight sideways out into the channel. At least one year that course was built from electrical metal tubing (conduit), an idea that we ultimately found to be impractical in our own course-building efforts... TW

Yes. It appears to be Austrian, and is apparently without equivalent. TW

Lee, Your little hull-hole experiment is interesting, but not the wildest MC modification I've ever seen. Now, if you're looking for a lighter boat with a strong pull you might consider trying the wildest MC modification I HAVE seen: http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/ThomasWayne_2006/twinscrewMC.jpg Based on the inventor's results, the dual props add so much towing power I'll bet you could run your V6 and get as much oomph as the CC 200 6L (or more). TW

How can we be sure this is really you, Horton, and not your malware zombie clone? Have we established a "safe word"? TW

SHE (not "he"), not a newbie, and pushing 60 years old. TW

I have a friend who used to ski in excess of 75 mph... but not in a course. TW

Man, that has got to be the biggest handle opening I think I've ever seen - you could just about drive a small lawn tractor through that thing! I can almost hear it crying out for an arm or a head at high speed... TW

Never had the problem you describe, but a little research uncovered these guys. A careful reading of the ad reveals that they may specialize in fitting an... um, appliance for you that could help while you "attempt to delay thru summer". Good luck, TW http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/ThomasWayne_2006/Graphic1-1.jpg

Before you actually go buy your own Personal Weather Station you might want to run a search to see if there's one already in place near your site. These things are all over the place... In fact, we have one that is 1/4-mile away from my lake and has proven very reliable over the years. Not exactly the same as having one right on our dock, but damn close (and way cheaper). TW

Not mentioned here, but important (in my opinion) is the SS cotter key that prevents the Nyloc nut from unscrewing all the way off the shaft. Not every boat has this redundancy, but if yours does, make sure the cotter key is in good shape and is stainless-steel. TW

The 69" Senate-C really seemed too big for most guys skiing faster than 32 mph, in my opinion. At the same time, at 215 - 220 lbs, I kind of felt the 67" Senate-C was just a hair small for me. In any event, I talked to RD about lining up a 68" Strada (2010) to test ride when I'm down there in mid-May, so maybe that'll turn out to be all I could ever want... Obviously, if there's a 67" MegaStrada ("MS-1"?) on hand I'll definitely want to give that a ride too... TW

I guess I'm just waiting for you to have a silly little decimal point on the back side of the number 68 TW

I don't know about all that, but I like the graphics. TW

You left out Radar, which has a fin block that is very similar to the HO. There are also some guys building third-party fin blocks that are pretty good - Les Bender comes to mind... TW

I would recommend a polyurethane glue - "Gorilla Glue" is the best knowbrand of this genre. However, the particular glue I prefer is:http://www.buy.com/prod/ultimate-polyurethane-glue/q/listingid/46078419/loc/66357/208056028.html Most WalMart branches carry it, so don't waste shipping expensesordering it online. Pay attention to the directions, and be aware thatit does tend to expand and flow out of a glued area. For these reasonsyou should: 1) carefully mask off any areas where you don't want this stuff sticking forever, and 2) use a masked-off surface caul to clamp the fabric down untilthe adhesive cures (24 hrs typically) -http://www.newwoodworker.com/cauls.html Good luck with your project. If you use it correctly I'm sure this glue will do the job. TW

My biggest fear with that is, since merely putting on your Goode on while on a bare ski platform voids the warranty, how would they feel about bending it in a flex tester with a hydraulic jack? That's something a guy might want to keep secret... In any event, if I understand your argument correctly, it sounds like you're saying that a customer can rely on a Goode remaining very consistent (performance-wise) right up until the day it breaks - and then you're screwed. On the other hand, HOs / O'Briens / Radars/ Connellys may "break down" over years and years of use (we don't know for sure), but if they ever actual break the manufacturer is far more likely to replace them no questions asked...that about right? I guess I'm still comfortable with my decision to not buy a Goode. TW

I've watched Richard (and friends) using their cooler method. The cooler they use is huge, and the trick is to fill it to the very top and set their skis upside across the rim for at least a minute or so. The bindings hang down into the the hot water for as long as they need to get fully warmed up. They will also stand with both feet (and lower legs) in the water, and can immerse both gloves (with or without hands inside) for as long as necessary. It obviously works very well for them. TW

scotchipman wrote: "... HO, D3, O'brien, and Connelly skis after a lot of use which on AVERAGE break down quicker over time..." Whoa, hold there on a minute! We all know of your faithful loyalty to Goode, Scot, but you're not doing anyone a service by trash-talking other ski companies without solid evidence - apocryphal or otherwise - to support such claims. I can't speak directly to Connelly or D3 because I've never owned either, but I have owned many O'Briens and HOs - as have all my ski partners - and I have NEVER seen them "break down". I have an OB Pulse from the 90's that I still use for many lower-level guests, and I could ski on it today (well not today exactly, since the top 10 inches of our water is still kind of hard). We do have quite a few Kidder skis around [forerunner to the D3 brand] and they still appear to be solid as a rock after a couple of decades - one 80's Kidder Redline in particular is being skied on to this day. I've never owned a Goode, and it's very likely I never will. From what I read about them - and from the skiers I've seen using them -they are probably a great performing ski. But their customer service and warranty issues have earned them a very spotty reputation, and that is an undeniable fact. Having a 3 1/2- to 4-month ski season I can't afford the weeks of downtime commonly reported by disgruntled Goode customers waiting for them to evaluate whether or not they should honor their warranty - not to mention the shipping cost associated with said evaluation. And really, is it reasonable to declare that putting your ski on [on the platform] without a towel under it should be cause to void the warranty? Meanwhile, I know from personal experience if I break an HO or O'Brien - or RADAR (no point leaving them out) that I can email them a photo of the damaged ski and I'll have a brand-new replacement coming via Fed-Ex that week! Two summers ago one of my partners broke a 4-year-old O'Brien Sixam 2, and all it took was one email (with photos) to get a new one within a week. He didn't have to send it back for "evaluation"; he just threw it away (we salvaged the fin for our parts box). Based on everything I've read about Goode's warranty policies one could never expect that sort of service - NEVER. I wouldn't argue with the success rate of Goode owners as far as skiing goes, and I personally would love to try their skis out. But I can't afford their customer service policies, and for me that's the bottom line. TW

"If I were buying a new boat. I would get a single axle trailer, closedbow, 350 horsepower engine, bare bones stereo(preferably no stereo),ZeroOff, dripless packing gland, and a 12volt plug." And you can, you can... http://standardboats.com/default.aspx TW

I think if you're worried about it just buy a fistful of stainless set screws and install them in the unused inserts with removable Loctite. TW

Power it directly from the battery - using high-grade 10-gauge copper automotive stereo wire. You want to switch it on and off with the ignition key, through a relay... like so: http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/ThomasWayne_2006/PerfectPassmodifications.jpg TW

If you really want to do a good job of locating your holes in the new plate, forget center-punching - buy one of these instead: http://www.garrettwade.com/product.asp?pn=66K07.04&bhcd2=1271955289 Cheap, very effective, and you'll find uses for it that you never would have considered. I've got every size they make. TW