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Getting the Bu wet !!!


TrickyNicky

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So after 3 years we finally got an 07 VTX. and This is how it's gone:

1- Boat is bought from the states and needs to be shipped to Canada. I am in disbelief and overly excited but nothing has set-in beyond a long waiting period.

2- We pick up boat at local marina where it was delivered. I see the boat, It looks HUGE (coming from a 17.5 ft o/b). I take the cover off and the interior looks smaller than expected. We bring the boat home and SQUEEZE it into the garage. I check every detail/feature, push every button and open every compartment. The interior still feels smaller than expected but storage is more than suffice for a cottage boat. I am very impressed with the quality and comfort especially the thought that has gone into the smaller but important details.

3- I get the stereo fixed, I turn it on and am VERY impressed. I am a bit afraid people on the lake will hate me. Well have to wait and see.

4- We bring boat up to the cottage but need to finish work before we play. My father has never seen me work so fast. We finish and launch the boat. I turn the key and the engine burbles into life. I am in heaven and I hear the angels singing. What a sound (and this is the LCR). I reverse and remember I have *NO* steering ability. I coast down the water front. Okay I'm impatient, I punch the throttle. My back sinks into the bucket seat and the boat takes off with absolutely no struggle. My grin extends to my ears. I test the handling by giving it a hard power turn, it responds with eagerness (its okay water was choppy). I return to the dock to pick up my 'test' passengers with a smile not seen since (well we won't go there)Biggrin.gif. I think about all the options and features I have looked at in so many ads and remember how the search all began for a boat 3x the value of a 'regular' replacement for our old o/b. Its the PERFORMANCE. I've driven an inboard many times but I've forgotten how well they perform. These boats are absolutely fantastic. The torque and agility of this sub 4000# boat can just boggle the mind. I get up to skiing speeds and am pleased with the wake I see. I fill the ballast, drop the wedge and am equally pleased with the wake I see. We tilt the boat and am impressed with the surf wake with just 3 ppl in the boat and just stock ballast. I can't wait to ride!Yahoo.gif

5- The next day I return to the cottage. Today is not a work day, today is play-day. We arrive at the cottage and realize the wakeboard is not there, looks like were just skiing. We cruise around for a couple hours. I come to the realization that the boat has shrunk on the water and the interior has grown. I am very satisfied with our family addition. We hit a glassy patch on the lake. <60 water temperatures, no wet suits, NEW BOAT I'm IN!Rockon.gif I strap up my ski and fall off the back of the boat (so much nicer then jumping OUT of the o/b). My buddy goes light on the throttle and I'm still up right away. The wake is bigger than expected (DD drivers going to chime inCry.gif) But I find it soft and I cut through without trouble. We play with the speed and people and we get a better wake (a little more work and we'll be very happy). My arms get tired immediately. This boat doesn't give-in like the o/b does. Oh ya and I'm out of shape. I hop back in and we cruise for a couple more hours. We sit on the tower and lie on the sunpad. We are loving this boat. 10 years with the old o/b and I have NEVER spent this much time just cruising in it. It was just not where I wanted to be. Going on 6 hours and I still don't want to return to shore, this boat is so comforting and relaxing. The music is at the right level and of quality worth listening to, the beer is plentiful and the sun is shining. Oh and every dock sitter rotates there head as we go by! We head home and I check out barefooting speed...WOT=40MPH via Malibu speed control. The spray doesn't worry me. The speed does. What if I want a crowd in the boat? Well have to see how she goes.

I return from a weekend to be remembered my entire life. And the summer has JUST begun! I love my Life! I love my Bu!Yahoo.gif

Happy Water days

Never forget the 'REAL' Value of your Bu.

Tricky

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Play with the rope length you may find a sweet spot for skiing. My old V drive had a very good wake at 41 off.

You just cant beat a DD for skiing.

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it's great to read a positive post.

y, malibu is a great ride but the nature of the bbs is to whine about problems.

takes me back to my first outing with the new ride.

i still have problems getting to sleep if i have crew on the dock at first light (and that can be a problem because i ski most days).

it's a sickness; enjoy the heck out of it.

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"I turn the key and the engine burbles into life. I am in heaven and I hear the angels singing."

Thanks for putting into words how I feel EVERY time! :thumbup:

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Nice post. As mentioned, shorten the line, I assume you might have gone with a full length rope. In case you do not have a sectioned ski rope, tournament slalom ski ropes are sold so that they can be shortened as the skier progresses through the ski course. If you notice the wake, it is different in height and width as to the distance behind the boat. By shortening the rope, or hooking a different color loop on the pylon, it will put you in a different spot behind the boat. Experiment with this to find the sweet spot, every boat has one and it is usually at a shorter length, typical DD's are in the 28' off and shorter range . Another element that changes the wake is speed, more usually flattens the wake, so play with that as you noted. 36 mph is considered the "top speed" for slalom skiing. These boat's are not forgiving, your I/O was as you most likely used the rope attachment off the transom with the roller coupling which allowed the attachment point to go from side to side. You will quickly realize that was a "lazy man's" pull and this boat will tire you out quicker! The other option for wake effects would be ballast at the front, which will tend to simply pitch the boat the opposite of what the ballast tanks or wedge does to improve the boarding wake.

You might check the top speed w/o the cruise control and also check speed with a GPS unit. Will you be footing long line or boom?

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Sounds like a great day, hope you have many many more of them!

Others may chime in here, but I don't think you need to worry about less speed with extra passengers. In my old I/O you could feel the difference of adding 1 passenger, then 2, then shifting weight around with 3 when pulling someone, etc. With the horsepower and torque of the engine on your boat any reduction will be negligible, at least that's how it is in my Echelon. And I'm sure if you find it slow for footing you can re-prop and be right where you need.

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Thanks for the insight guys. It's So nice o share this stuff with people that have the same passion. It's hard to find those people up here in the cold north.

As far as the slalom wake, I've ALWAYS free skied 32 @ 15 off. I'll probabaly try more front ballast and drop down to 28' off (22' off is the rooster) while bringing speed up to 34 mph. I've skied a tourney boat many times (used to be apart of a ski club with course) and I know the 'unforgiving' pull. I'm just not used to having it at my disposal at my own Cottage!!!Yahoo.gif As for barefooting, I'll be boom, shortline, and longline. And I'll see how it goes when the boom arrives.

As far as the import to Canada goes, any dealership will let you know what has to be done. We had a shipper pick ours up and it got delivered to a marina to be unloaded from the flatbed. You just need papers and you can pay all your import taxes beforehand so the shipper can roll right through the border (more or less). We've imported many cars before and always come out ahead in the savings department. This 2007 boat cost us exactly HALF of what a NEW VTX in Canada would have cost. The savings are worth it and the headaches are minimal. Go for it!

Oh ya and its sunny ALL WEEK and the LONG WEEKEND!!!!!!!Yahoo.gif

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Thanks for the insight guys. It's So nice o share this stuff with people that have the same passion. It's hard to find those people up here in the cold north.

As far as the slalom wake, I've ALWAYS free skied 32 @ 15 off. I'll probabaly try more front ballast and drop down to 28' off (22' off is the rooster) while bringing speed up to 34 mph. I've skied a tourney boat many times (used to be apart of a ski club with course) and I know the 'unforgiving' pull. I'm just not used to having it at my disposal at my own Cottage!!!Yahoo.gif As for barefooting, I'll be boom, shortline, and longline. And I'll see how it goes when the boom arrives.

As far as the import to Canada goes, any dealership will let you know what has to be done. We had a shipper pick ours up and it got delivered to a marina to be unloaded from the flatbed. You just need papers and you can pay all your import taxes beforehand so the shipper can roll right through the border (more or less). We've imported many cars before and always come out ahead in the savings department. This 2007 boat cost us exactly HALF of what a NEW VTX in Canada would have cost. The savings are worth it and the headaches are minimal. Go for it!

Oh ya and its sunny ALL WEEK and the LONG WEEKEND!!!!!!!Yahoo.gif

Awesome, I might pick your brain on the subject, its probably my only option to import at the moment!

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