markchilcutt

thanks @jaypro but we are all set with our new 5.7!

Great news we tested our 2018 5.7 prostar on Saturday at about 4300ft 50 degree air 45 degree water! We started with the high elevation 3 blade OJ 713 prop and the boat was so strong! amazing hole shot and up to speed very quick 34 and 36. I wanted to see how it would do with a skier at 36 unfortunately I had never skied 36 but managed to run a pass at -22. Couldn't tell you how the zero off was cycling but it did get all good times. Switched to the 4 blade OJ 710 and figured it would lose a lot out of the hole but I was wrong. Boat was still very strong out of the hole and up to 20mph coming around the turn island. I did notice it took a few boat lengths longer to get up to speed but still locking in 3 to 4 boat lengths before the 55's. It was a cold day in Utah with 50 degree air which played into our favor on horsepower. I know on hot summer days it wont run as strong but not worried at all knowing how well the high altitude 3 blade prop worked. looking forward to testing again in the spring with the new ZO revision plus setting! All in all very impressed moving from our 2014 6.2 to the 2018 5.7

In case anyone is really wondering: unthread the giant hand knob which allows the tower to fold down. fold down tower disconnect electrical wire on the drivers side. Stand tower back up, with tower stood up you will notice it slides forward and aft. slide to the aft most position then quickly pull with some force forward and the base of the tower will disengage itself front the spring loaded base plate. Lift tower out of boat. Store tower and forget about it until you sell the boat. Go skiing. Very impressed with the engineering on this! MC all day long!

Accidentally figured it out today! The tower is easy to remove with the plates remaining in place. All good thanks guys. Loving our new Prostar first day on the water with her today!

model year 2014-present have you removed the tower off of your Prostar? Got my new/used boat yesterday and looks like the tower needs to be removed. It folds down really easy. Just a headache to fold it down every time I want to park it in the garage. Looking at it last night it looks like I will need to remove sea deck from the kick panel that is mounted from the gunnel to the floor in order to access the nuts underneath the tower plate mounts. looks like I will have to peel the sea deck from those kick panel in order to access the fasteners that holds the panel in place? Thank, Mark

Kalispell, Montana hands down

Thanks guys definitely looking like my next Prostar will be a 5.7!

@Horton did you find a driver so you could try it out?

@jpattigr thanks for responding! So you all felt like it did a good job at 36mph?

Obviously the older boats were awesome with the 5.7. My 06 LXI no problem. 196 no problem. Carbon Pro 6.0 no problem. I was told that a 200 with the 5.7 and a 3 blade prop worked at 4500ft (longer set up lake) with a light skier at 36mph and he skis into -41 but probably weighs 150-160. His thoughts are that the 5.7 PS at the other lake I mainly ski which is a shorter set up at 5000ft would be questionable for 36mph. I am confident we will have a great pull at 34 just trying to see if anyone has some real experience with it at elevation.

We are slalom skiing on man made ski lakes in Utah. One lake is a bit short maybe 1800ft but has turn islands on both ends. Looking for input from anyone running a 5.7 2015 or newer Prostar at higher elevation. I skied a 2018 5.7 this summer at 3000ft in Montana and was so impressed! This boat even had the 4 blade prop which got me thinking it would be awesome with the 3 blade (high altitude) prop in Utah. We are 4500-5000ft Above Sea Level. I really don't need to worry about 36mph as my daughter and I are 34mph skiers. We already know the prostar with the 6.2 is the answer here but those boats are hard to find used and will cost you. Going to be making a purchase this winter/early spring and might give the 5.7 a try in order to save on the motor upgrade cost. Just curious what your experience has been with these boats at higher elevations. Thanks,Mark

If you were skiing slower at 30 or 32mph on a longer line

@JimOfTheNorth you definitely want a 66"

@JimOfTheNorth what speed and line lengths are you skiing?

Yummy! 1st set on the Blue 2019 Pro Build Vapor happened yesterday and it was so good! I know I should ski it more than one set before giving my thoughts but I am not sure I will have the chance to ski again this year so I felt it appropriate to chime in. Settings 30.125 2.45 0.775 6.98 10 degree So I get to the lake knowing I forgot my contacts. Had to find a boot lace and tie my glasses to my head. Weird skiing in glasses with all the water spots but I knew it would be better than skiing with everything blurry. So then the offer is thrown out "Hey you want to try the 19?" Uhm let me think.... hell yes! Went out at -28 and right away everything feels more connected to the water I am not feeling tip rise on my offside and my turns feel very symmetrical on both sides. This feeling of being connected seems to be putting me early and wide with more time to think about the spots on my glasses before the next buoy. Big big smile as I settle in. -32 slight tail wind no problem ski is working amazing and dang that offside turn!! -35 perfect set up with the slight head wind and Boom! Smoked it and -35 is my tuff pass really only run it 25% of the time in practice and cant tell you the last time it dropped in a tournament. -38 tail got way stretched out at one and barely held on to get back behind the boat. -38 head wind and I'm thinking about the spots on my glasses lol!! Got a really good gate and totally hammer one ball get over to two so early I am like dam and same thing coming off of two I am in such good position my brain says don't over pull going to three get off the edge son!! And well you know the rest of the story ski hits the 3 ball and I stand it up not wanting to risk blowing up an ankle. back to 35 tail for the last pass got a full 5 skiing just inside 6 ball. Overall coming from the 18 I found great benefit in the new ski and will be making a purchase! Balanced, Connected, Symmetrical, Early and Wide come to mind. Absolutely love this new ski! Definitely feeding my addiction and cannot wait to get back on the water! 35 just felt easy on this ski. I've said this before and will say it again material changes and material lay up can make a big difference in performance with the exact same mold.

Awesome @Joeprunc !!!!

skied it at western regionals and really liked it.

Congrats!! I still remember my first 35! Its a big deal for sure

I was thinking the weight in the bow was to help with tracking I never thought about wake size.

@swc5150 with the bow lid on plus put 80 lbs of weight in the bow 40 on each side and see how it feels

@scotchipman to answer your question on the 5.7 2014 Prostar. 1) MasterCraft didn't have the gear ratio right for the 5.7 in 2014. They fixed that for 2015. 2) that boat we demoed in 2014 also had the 4 blade prop which only made things worse that day. This summer I skied an 18 Prostar at 3000ft in Montana and the boat is amazing! Note this 18 was running the 4 blade and was still insanely strong on the holeshot. It actually felt stronger than my 14 6.2 granted 2000ft higher than Montana. Had a long talk with a local pro who is 100% sure the MC with 5.7 and 3 blade will kill 36mph at 4500ft at the longer set up lakes like Stillwater, Calls Fort, Bear Hollow, Last Chance, Utah Lake. I have to agree with him after the experience I had in Montana. We did however question how it would do at Sunten 5000ft on the short set up of LK 2. "To clarify it was a 2014 5.7 ProStar that would not pull a skier at 36mph at 4,500 ft in Utah when I tested it in 2014...can't remember the prop it had on it. Malibu is marinizing their own engines for 2019 in select boats, will be 2020 for the Response which I hear will also have the 6.2. My 2018 Response with the 6.0 has not problem pulling a skier at 36mph at 4,500 ft in Utah with the 13" x 11.5" three blade ACME, Nick Parsons tested. If you use the standard 13" x 12" three blade ACME at elevation with a short set up you will have problems. The 6.0 is not as strong as the 6.2 which and does not have the hole shot of the 6.2 but it is very strong once upto speed."

@Joeprunc Go with the 18. Both awesome skis. If buying used I would try to find something that has little use. Fresh is best!

@APB looks like you got all the goods! Glad to hear the new ski is awesome! looking forward to getting on one soon!

My daughter's first season driving a not so easy to drive 14 prostar gets me a couple at -35. It's more work for me skiing but I am super stoked any time she gets to drive me! Probably getting off topic???????

@igkya I am on a 67 2018 Vapor Pro @JC McCavit it’s prototype ski. Exact same ski different graphics