Budget Boat

[YeloBlammo]

I'm looking to get my first budget wakeboard boat. I've been reading through most of the other threads and the Budget boast sticky.

Here's what I have found in my area recently. I am in no 'rush' to get anything since fall is fastly approaching and winter will be here soon.
I would like to keep this a far under $10k as possible. I included a few that are over that range in hops that "maybe" they can meet $10 given the time of the year and also just to get feedback on comparison of boats. Most of these will need towers and ballast.

On the DD's, is it necessary to put sacs on the floor next to the engine? I would really like to keep all of that hidden.

I also haven't seen much about Tige boats. So I assume that they are not for wakeboarding?



91 nautique excel. Blue. Closed bow. Unknown hours (guage was replaced by depth finder). Tower. Stereo w/ subs/amps/etc. Sacs, but they need to be filled with a pump you plug in. Upholstery OK condition. Will need replacement in the future. No cover. 2nd owner ~$8000

92 Nautique excel. Yellow. Open bow (pigpen). Upholstery has a few small cracks. ~700 hrs. Cover. Bimimi Cover. One owner~$12k

95 tige 2002 fslm. Open bow. Good condition. 800 hrs. ~$8500

98 Mastercraft prostar 205. open bow. 600 hrs. $13k

92 Mastercraft prostar 205. open bow. 500 hrs. $9k

Tige PRE2150. 400 hrs. $11.8

[anw7405]

From this list I would go with the 98 prostar 205. There are lots of great boats in this price range though. Tige' is a good boat and they have some models that are great for wakeboarding/surfing. Its pretty hard to hide all the ballast on direct drive boats but it can be done sometimes. Where do you live?

[YeloBlammo]

New Hampshire. There aren't a whole lot of wakeboard boats up here.

I haven't seen much info on what Tige boats would be good (that aren't already wakeboard specific)

[anw7405]

http://rochester.craigslist.org/boa/3161658718.html

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/boa/3282939213.html

http://rochester.craigslist.org/boa/3252242050.html

here is a few in your area to start with. These boats put out good wakeboarding wakes and surf wakes.

As far as the tige's look at the freeboard of the boat. If its tall then it would be ok to put ballast in. A lot of the old tige's (like you listed) are low freeboard boats which you don't want for wakeboarding.

[YeloBlammo]

I've seen 2 of list (not in person, just advertised)

If I understand correctly, to ballast a DD you would put 2 sacs next to the engine to properly weigh it. It seems that's what most suggest.
I would really like to not have to do that. Is there a budget DD that doesn't need to be sac'ed right on the floor (without compromising much wake) or is that pretty much necessary for all DD's?

[Ps205Rider]

DD's love weight beside the engine but it doesn't have to be there. A sac in place of the rear seat and some in the front would work great. A 750 lb bag is strong enough to be sat on so it works as the back seat.

[YeloBlammo]

So from what I've seen the PS205 and the Nat Excel are my top contenders (but I can be persuaded)

The excel is a V drive so that is a plus. Maybe open bow if I find one.

The PS205 is DD and open bow.


Is there a definite reason to pick either, or any other for that matter?Assuming that they will cost the same (lets say ~8K)
I've seen some sunsetters in the price range as well.

Like I said, I don't really want to be filling up the floor on a DD with sacs everywhere. If I can hide them, great. Or if the wake is plenty big without them, even better.

[rmaytee]

Prostars are excellent boats. I had one for several years. I loved it. They are built very well. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those 205s built on the same hull as the early x-stars? I consider the 205 to be a very good crossover boat. When you get old, you might actually like to throw on a ski every now and then. But it is big enough to put some wight in it. In order to get a respectable wake, I had to have a big sack in the back (between the seat and the motor) and skinny sacks on each side of the motor.

That open bow excel would do well too, but I will predict a much higher quality interior from the mastercraft of that age. Not bagging on nautiques, because they might be my favorite boats, but their older vinyl simply did not stack up to the MC and Malibu vinyl.

[anw7405]

No experience whatsoever on the exel but I dont think they throw a very good wakeboarding wake even though they are v-drive from what I've heard.

The 96 and up prostar 205's are the old x-star(205v) hull I think.

To get a good wake you will need weight period. So all you have to do is get crafty to eleminate bags on the floor. It is not advised but you can use weights(not water) to weight your boat down. i just wouldn't use that much to stay on the safe side. I have an older DD open bow. I have 400 lbs of non water weight in the back all hidden away. I always fill a 400 in the bow walkway(water weight). If we have no people we fill bags on the side of the engine also, but if we have people they are the weight needed. You can always rebuild your back seat so it will have ballast back there to be a little safer. I can vouch for the old malibu eurof3 sunsetter 201(open bow)to throw a great wakeboarding wake. In general, some exceptions, most boat makers made everything out of fiberglass and not wood after '93 ish. If you buy an older boat you will need to look at the stringers.

[YeloBlammo]

A maristar. I have read conflicting reviews on these so I would not want to put down that coin on something without solid evidence

http://hartford.craigslist.org/boa/3248925707.html

Also, I see that the '94+ MC 205 are recommended. No mention of the '92 and '93. I assume the hull is no good, but haven't seen any info on it.

[Ps205Rider]

I ride a '93 Ps205. About a 1000 lbs or more and the wake is money.

[buckthis]

"I can vouch for the old malibu eurof3 sunsetter 201"
I have a 05 VLX and do not like the wake WITHOUT the wakeplate, so I cannot see any malibu wake being a great wakeboarding wake boat that does not have the wedge and the wedge came out in 1998 but can be retrofitted on all sv23 hulls.

[anw7405]

thanks for the opinion on the sunsetter 201 but your vlx is a totaly different hull. the wedge is great but on the smaller older boats its not needed. The wedge is not going to determine a good or bad wake. I am not knocking the wedge at all. The axis we ride behind has one but its just equivilant to ~1000lbs. Its a great option to have on the newer boats though.

[Wheeler]

This is the wake my 93 Malibu Sunsetter produces.

[buckthis]

"Its a great option to have on the newer boats though."
Oh, I see, the older boats wakes were so much better than the newer boats, so they didn't need the wedge!

[anw7405]

No. I would take a new one over mine any day. The new ones are a much bigger boat than the old ones. All I'm saying is the old boat are so small they don't need a wedge. I would take your 05 vlx over mine hands down.

[YeloBlammo]

[Wheeler]

[YeloBlammo]

Ha! No thanks. That is what I'm trying to avoid. You can't fit anyone in there.

[Wheeler]

I know, if it wasn't a bowrider, only a couple people could be in the boat...

[STANG KILLA SS]

lol at the dog on the dog house.
no place to sleep!

[Ps205Rider]

Wheeler, do you haul down a dirt road? The boat looks super dusty inside like it was towed at a fast pace down a dirt road.

[Wheeler]

[flixmaster]

All the DDrive boats I have ever been in seem to work best with 2 on the side. If you want to hide weight then a V-drive with some side compartments will work but then you are going to need to get something in the front so make sure that you have some under the seat storage in the nose.

[Wheeler]

The fat sac on the rear seat in my picture is mainly for making the wake less rampy...I can get the same result with a couple guys sitting back there.