Got a taste of the darkside today

[slonezp]

and I liked it. My daughters boyfriend invited us out on his boat for the 4th of July. A 22ft Malibu Wakesetter. My very first time in "not a fishing boat". The helm station had touch screen electronics with depth read out, engine performance and diagnostics, ballast tank levels and God knows what else. The stereo was over the top, speakers all over the boat and crisp clear sound. SeaDek flooring. My favorite part was the electronic throttle. Took some getting used to but it was smooth as butter. Storage like you wouldn't believe. The hull on that boat was so deep, in the stern storage, there's a 13 gallon garbage can.   

 

I also decided today that I want a bigger boat. I've been leaning towards a 22ft but now I'm thinking 25ft for the next go around.  

[GRiver]

Ohhhh!!!!!…… you’ve got the boat glimmer twinkle in your eyes…. There’s no turning back now ……. Many of men have have been beckoned by sirens.

 

[slonezp]

4 hours ago, GRiver said:

Ohhhh!!!!!…… you’ve got the boat glimmer twinkle in your eyes…. There’s no turning back now ……. Many of men have have been beckoned by sirens.

 

I'm no stranger to boat ownership. Sold a 20 foot Lund in March, looking to get into something bigger. Just impressed with the technology in this 2017 ski boat. I wonder how much further they have come in the last 5 years since this boat was new.

[gim]

Definitely a taste of the dark side in reference to a wake boat.  Not many things worse on the water than one of those things going by creating waves the size of a tsunami blasting loud rap music.

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Definitely a taste of the dark side in reference to a wake boat.  Not many things worse on the water than one of those things going by creating waves the size of a tsunami blasting loud rap music.

Now think of that - while in a canoe...that's what I have to put up with when on the water.

[slonezp]

31 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Definitely a taste of the dark side in reference to a wake boat.  Not many things worse on the water than one of those things going by creating waves the size of a tsunami blasting loud rap music.

I agree, hence the title of this thread. 

[gim]

What did you think of the sea deck flooring? It’s pretty good stuff if you ask me. A nice middle ground between marine carpet and a completely hard surface.

[slonezp]

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

What did you think of the sea deck flooring? It’s pretty good stuff if you ask me. A nice middle ground between marine carpet and a completely hard surface.

It was fantastic. Cool to walk on barefoot. We took a few waves over the bow while screwing around. Didn't have to worry about wet carpet although there was carpet in all the storage compartments. I've crawled thru boats with vinyl floor and it doesn't even come close to the SeaDek.

 

I'm guessing the boat was probably $100k new give or take. Compared to a $100k Ranger, the ski boat wins. Attention in the details. From the trailer on up, nothing was missed. My only beef, and not even sure it was valid, it rides bow high. We cruised all day with the ballast tanks empty. The boat doesn't plane like a bass boat does. It is an inboard with a shaft drive. Maybe bow high is normal. Unless you're sitting at the helm or the bow, you can't see what's happening in front of the boat. 

[gim]

8 hours ago, slonezp said:

I'm guessing the boat was probably $100k new give or take.

I go to the Minneapolis Boat Show every January (not this past one, it was cancelled) and look at a variety of boats.  Not just fishing boats either.  I don't spend as much time looking at wake boats or pontoons or jet skis or cruisers but I still like to see them in person...and the price tag.  Many of those wake boats are $150k and the space they take up is enormous.  A guy would need a 10 foot high garage door and 30 foot deep garage to store one.

[KYRANGERMAN]

8 hours ago, slonezp said:

It was fantastic. Cool to walk on barefoot. We took a few waves over the bow while screwing around. Didn't have to worry about wet carpet although there was carpet in all the storage compartments. I've crawled thru boats with vinyl floor and it doesn't even come close to the SeaDek.

 

I'm guessing the boat was probably $100k new give or take. Compared to a $100k Ranger, the ski boat wins. Attention in the details. From the trailer on up, nothing was missed. My only beef, and not even sure it was valid, it rides bow high. We cruised all day with the ballast tanks empty. The boat doesn't plane like a bass boat does. It is an inboard with a shaft drive. Maybe bow high is normal. Unless you're sitting at the helm or the bow, you can't see what's happening in front of the boat. 

Wouldn't surprise me if that Malibu was closer to $160K - $180K.  Those things are EX PEN SIVE.  My brother bought a 1993 Mastercraft 205 Pro two years ago and still paid $10K for it.  It was in pristine condition but $10K for a 27 year old boat  . . . 

[slonezp]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

I go to the Minneapolis Boat Show every January (not this past one, it was cancelled) and look at a variety of boats.  Not just fishing boats either.  I don't spend as much time looking at wake boats or pontoons or jet skis or cruisers but I still like to see them in person...and the price tag.  Many of those wake boats are $150k and the space they take up is enormous.  A guy would need a 10 foot high garage door and 30 foot deep garage to store one.

He's a general contractor and keeps the boat in his shop. Had maybe 8" total clearance on either side of the guide ons and about a foot above the tower with the tower in its stored position. I'd bet the door was 12ft. Getting it out of the shop was a project, I'd hate to have to back it in. 

[TnRiver46]

22 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Now think of that - while in a canoe...that's what I have to put up with when on the water.

We love surfing wakeboat remnants on the canoe. They sure aren’t going to quit driving by so we make the most of it. My buddy mike has a fast narrow kayak and he can almost keep up with people wake surfing and jump their waves like he’s on a jet ski 

[desmobob]

11 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

We love surfing wakeboat remnants on the canoe. They sure aren’t going to quit driving by so we make the most of it. My buddy mike has a fast narrow kayak and he can almost keep up with people wake surfing and jump their waves like he’s on a jet ski 

 

Wake-surfing with a canoe is a riot! 

 

I never knew it could be done until I was paddling my skinny little Bell Magic on the Champlain Barge Canal with a buddy who was in his racing canoe.  A big cabin cruiser came up behind us and I started getting nervous about what was going to happen to us as it passed us in the narrow canal.

 

Then I saw a big smile on my buddy's face and he started paddling like crazy.  He got up on the big boat's wake and surfed it for quite a long ways.  His lesson turned a nervous situation into a fun one for me in the future.

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, desmobob said:

 

Wake-surfing with a canoe is a riot! 

 

I never knew it could be done until I was paddling my skinny little Bell Magic on the Champlain Barge Canal with a buddy who was in his racing canoe.  A big cabin cruiser came up behind us and I started getting nervous about what was going to happen to us as it passed us in the narrow canal.

 

Then I saw a big smile on my buddy's face and he started paddling like crazy.  He got up on the big boat's wake and surfed it for quite a long ways.  His lesson turned a nervous situation into a fun one for me in the future.

Your buddy and my buddy are cut from the same cloth! My fiancé saw him doing it once and now she loves it. She has a big stable sit on top kayak that doesn’t get swamped and floats if capsized 

[Deephaven]

11 hours ago, slonezp said:

It was fantastic. Cool to walk on barefoot. We took a few waves over the bow while screwing around. Didn't have to worry about wet carpet although there was carpet in all the storage compartments. I've crawled thru boats with vinyl floor and it doesn't even come close to the SeaDek.

 

I'm guessing the boat was probably $100k new give or take. Compared to a $100k Ranger, the ski boat wins. Attention in the details. From the trailer on up, nothing was missed. My only beef, and not even sure it was valid, it rides bow high. We cruised all day with the ballast tanks empty. The boat doesn't plane like a bass boat does. It is an inboard with a shaft drive. Maybe bow high is normal. Unless you're sitting at the helm or the bow, you can't see what's happening in front of the boat. 

That 22' starts at $137 without any options.  Easy to get them to $180k here.  If you aren't serious about water sports they are stupid as well.  Terrible boats for rough water.  Fit and finish is nice, but tons of other things I'd buy if wakeboarding & surfing weren't a priority.

 

[Tennessee Boy]

I've always wondered what it's like to be on the water in one of those boats.  So did you ride around all day looking for bass fishermen to torment?  ?

[slonezp]

36 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I've always wondered what it's like to be on the water in one of those boats.  So did you ride around all day looking for bass fishermen to torment?  ?

It was 3pm when we got on the water. Lake Geneva is the busiest lake in Wisconsin on a normal day. It was insane on the 4th. No fisherman to be found. 

 

The lake has a good population of big smallies. This time of year they would be in 30-50fow. The lake is over 100 feet deep. A lot of guys will catch perch in the shallows and use them on jigs in the deep water for both smallies and lake trout. 

[12poundbass]

Now that a bigger boat is in the mix, go buy your Lund back. 

[slonezp]

43 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Now that a bigger boat is in the mix, go buy your Lund back. 

Nah, I'm going to hold out a year or 2.

[flyfisher]

Creature comforts sell on those types of boats....I am still a kayak guy but I have a motor on it this year and I should have done it a few years ago.  Now when I do get a boat I already know what is near the top of my list......https://www.hogislandboatworks.com/SW-16-Skiff-Specifications

 

60/40 jet motor, high powered TM and casting/poling platform and I will be set of the shallow rivers.