GAJ0004

Like that blue!!

@Stevie Boy I have seen an option on some of the Nautiques where you have an extra control for the stereo on the back of the boat by the transom. That was my guess as to what it was.

Is the small black circle next to the gas fill controls for the stereo?

She's a beauty. It has one of the main colors I would pick. I would do a mix of red and blue, my platform would be silver cloud. Get some shrink wrap tape to protect the platform from scratches. The red on this boat is one of the colors I would pick.

I still like the gas cap where you use the key better. Its closed, and out of the way..

I check my fin at minimum every two weeks. I ski in rough water that keeps most of my fellow skiers on the dock. I don't overtighten it because I have stripped the heads of the screws a couple of times and had to take it to a shop to get them removed. I keep a log of my settings, and the date I made the change.

Lake Latonka has nine inches to come up before the association will allow boats on. Progress. Just need one good day of a downpour.

It has a foot and a half to go. One more good rain will do it I think along with the run-off.

I have driven a Moomba Outback pulling a slalom skier. Slow and sluggish pull out. I would look for a used Nautique. An older used Nautique, Master Craft, or Malibu would be a better choice than a new Outback.

We are getting rain, and it is starting to come up a little more..

Lake Latonka is coming up slowly. Fortunately it has several streams and lots of springs feeding water into it. It has 24 inches to go before boats can be launched. My boat may be on mothballs all season if we don't get rain soon.

I would rather have a teak platform. If properly maintained it can take more punishment from every day use from skiing. Mine is 20 years old and still looks as good as it did the day I brought it home, but it has required maintenance. I want to see what a fiberglass platform looks like after 1700 hours. If I did get a boat with a fiberglass platform I would get it in white, and I would cover all the fiberglass parts with shrink wrap tape to protect the finish, an idea I picked up from Randy Meny.

I bought 4 ropes in 2011, and I rotate them each day I go out skiing. The less bungee feel in a rop for me the better. I like a solid pull. My ropes had the bungee feel for the first couple of sets. I will keep them as long as they are on good condition.

I would get the 3 event version. It has wakeboard mode with it. It works the same as trick mode except the buttons advance the speed up or down by .2 or .3 MPH where trick mode does it by .1 MPH. I have the first version of Stargazer on my boat which has the paddle wheel and the magnets. I could set my baselines in the open water or in the course, but they recommended I set up my baselines using the slalom course. The new versions you can set it up in the open water with a capture mode. My brother has the newer version on his boat and it works great. If it was my boat I would set it up using the course if that mode is still available. The 3 event version gives you more bang for your buck.

Car wax is safe on a boat finish, the protection does not last as long. Nu Finish is good for a top coat after the finish is clean. The Meguiars flagship wax, or 3M protector wax are more effective for boats.

They had to do work on the spillway for the dam at Lake Latonka. The lake is still down by 4 feet. No way to put a boat in. If anyone around the northeast Ohio Akron/Cleveland/Youngstown needs a crew to ski, drop me a line. No rain in sight. Trying to salvage the season. I will always bring gas.

Get the factory parts. You will be better off in the long run. The nice thing about cantilever style lifts is you can change the cables without taking it out of the water. If it is easy to wind up then an electric motor is a waste of money. I have a 1985 Shorestation vertical which my dad and I rebuilt in 2006. All lifts other than mine are easy to crank up.

Bring a portable course..

Get a siphon pump. I got one at Wal-Mart for changing the tranny fluid. I have also used it to drain excess fuel from the tank during storage. I have a 1994 Ski Nautique.

Only sand a platform when there is an area that can splinter off. If you sand it too much you will expose the staples that hold it together. That can damage your ski or cut your feet. I use a two part teak cleaner called Teak A and Teak B. Amazon's golden teak oil is the best. For best results, clean at the end of the season, let it dry for a month, then apply the teak oil once a month during the off season. Let the last coat dry for a month before putting it in the water. Keep the platform covered when the boat is not in use. One year I found an improvement by accident. I did not have the Amazon's brand readily available, so I bought some Star Brite. I clean my platform at the end of October, and then during the winter months I apply a coat each month. The platform gets a coat of teak oil at the end of November, December, January, February, or March. One year the first two coats I did were Star Brite which is more watery, and then top it off the rest of the time with Amazon's(mdramazon.com). I did not have to clean it again for two seasons.

I am definitely in the no go zone on the Cute/Money matrix..

Finally got out with my brother on Aurora Lake. Lake Latonka is still down.

Hoping to get out next weekend for the first time this season.

I may not be able to ski until mid to late May now. Lake Latonka has some work being done on the dam. I may not even have to use my drysuit this spring depending on how late the start is.

I can't speak for a Sunsetter since I have never been behind one.