Coming from I/O boat - What to expect, advice, etc

April 15, 2011

So what do they want to do when in reverse?

It will pretty much turn over the drivers RT sholder. When you approach a dock use a 30* or so angle when you put it in reverse it will again go over the drivers rt sholder and park it self. This is assuming you can get to the correct side of the dock. When you cant and the wind is against you..... weelll you will pretty much look like a wally.

April 15, 2011

Well I just join team Malibu and purchased a 2004 VLX, looking forward to a test drive with the dealer in a few weeks. I am also coming from 20yrs of having I/O boating. So this is all great info. I know the first time in the lift and loading the boat will be a little scary.

My biggest fear is loading at the ramps on our lake as they are not real deep and weeds by the boat lift.. So thanks for all the input.

Thanks

Hilltop

April 15, 2011

Alert: Thread Hijack

Sundance Club has a ski tourney at their course on Lake Billy Chinook the 3 rd weekend in July. Recently it has not been well attended. July 2010 3 of us were floating in my old Spyder / Bimini top up, anchored with another 20-30 or so boats that were spectators on wakeboard day (Saturday). Some of the spectator boats were locals but most were Portland type vacationers just out having a good time watching the wakeboard tournament.

We were in the oldest ( but still cherry ) boat there just hanging out under the shade of my Bimini top in the ever present Lake Billy sunshine. Many of the boats were the high dollar V-Drive tower speakered up $ 60,000 + jobs. As we were hanging there I spot a nice family in a high dollar new Malibu V-Drive idling slow through the viewing line up. Two young girls were "teak surfing" from the swim platform on this beautiful family boat. About that time I spied one of the 6 sheriff patrol boats following behind also at a slow pace.

I said to my crew members "Watch this those folks are going to get a ticket ".

What happened next was very cool, I thought. There sheriff Idled up to the fancy Malibu and just said a few words to the boat driver and then the sheriff pulled away from the crowd and exited the cove where the spectators and tournament were being held. A minute or two later the family Malibu also exited the cove and went around the corner out of sight.

A half hour later I asked the Malibu owner if he got ticketed. He said "Yup". "But the cool thing is I didn't get embarressed in front of a hundred (Malibu) boat snobs." (I paraphrased).

So much for the legend of the "power trippin" sheriff at Lake Billy.

Edited April 15, 2011 by DONTW8

April 15, 2011

there are ways you can steer to the left in reverse if you need to,

what i do when i reverse off the trailer is turn the wheel full lock to the left, turn the boat on then reverse off the trailer, and it will turn to the left, the reason for this is we have a dock right next to the single lane ramp into a creek which then leads to the river. id be screwed if i didn't figure out how to do this.

either way you are going to love your inboard! i came from a bayliner 185 and then the dealer did a power turn and i was sold straight away, malibus handle like they are on rails, dead straight tracking and when you but it into a turn it does go right up on its side, it basically stays flat.

April 15, 2011

there are ways you can steer to the left in reverse if you need to,
what i do when i reverse off the trailer is turn the wheel full lock to the left, turn the boat on then reverse off the trailer, and it will turn to the left, the reason for this is we have a dock right next to the single lane ramp into a creek which then leads to the river. id be screwed if i didn't figure out how to do this.
either way you are going to love your inboard! i came from a bayliner 185 and then the dealer did a power turn and i was sold straight away, malibus handle like they are on rails, dead straight tracking and when you but it into a turn it does go right up on its side, it basically stays flat.

There continues to be mentions of 'ways to steer left'. Not that I am a non believer, but I am skeptical. I would love to see this demo'd in a video. I should probably search you tube first, but that'll be next...

My boat is a little older, but there is no way it goes anywhere but starboard in reverse...

For the new Malibu owners, enjoy your new toys!

Edited April 15, 2011 by Shine

1,264 · April 15, 2011

Mofaster,

Not going to add anything else because you have been given a lot of good info already. So, welcome the the Crew. Before purchasing my Bu I too had a Sea Ray. All it took was one trip in the Bu to make me realize what I had been missing all that time. There is no way I would ever go back to an I/O, but I am keeping my bass boat.

April 15, 2011

You will never drag your out-drive up the launch ramp with people pointing and yelling at you to stop.

1 Boat · April 16, 2011

I went from 20 years in an I/O to my Malibu 2 years ago.

The key points from above are that you have to have the prop moving to have any steering control at all. You have to be moving water over the rudder.

Go slow and practice. Find days when there is no one else on the lake and practice. On and off the trailer, up to the dock, pulling up to a skier (or life jacket).

It will be kinda wierd doing all this, but it will become 2nd nature quickly.

Watch the videos on youtube - there are several good ones.

Have fun.

And that inboard snob thing doesn't take long to acquire ...

April 16, 2011

interesting thread...i am going to put my two cents in here...here are my suggestions for you as a 1st time inboard owner...

1. learn how to drive your boat BEFORE you bring it back to the dock....trailler....lift....etc....

2. do this by taking your boat out into the lake/river with another CALM ADULT....do not bring your children, or your friends/guests as this trip is not your 1st boat outing, it is your 1st trip out is between YOU and YOUR new boat...that's it!!!

3. the throwable cushion is and will be your friend during this initial exercise!!!

4. Plan on going out when you have great weather and little to no wind....and only when you are in NO HURRY getting back (you will need about 2 hours uninterupted) for your 1st trip

5. Find a launch ramp that has a dock to pull up next to, one that you can back the boat into the water next to a dock and tie it off while you or your CALM ADULT friend pulls the trailer back out of the water

6. Once your boat is sitting at the dock, spin it around with the motor turned off, so that it is facing towards the river/lake and so that you can pull awayfrom the dock and not have to start out by backing up...why start out in terror!?!

7. while your boat is still tide up to the dock (with bumpers between the boat and the dock) (remember, you're still sitting at the dock/ramp and tied to the dock) start your boat and slowly lift up on the throttle release just below the knob and ever so slowy and gently move the throttle forward until it slides into gear....(you never wanted to do this with your I/O) this is a fluid transmission and it will gently go into gear not CLUNK into gear like your I/O did) as soon as it goes into forward, pull it immediately back into nuetral....now do the same thing again and be amazed at how smooth that was....Now do the same thing in reverse.....and as soon as it goes into reverse gear, immediately put it back int neutral...

8. at this point you are going to know your new boat is so much nicer than your old I/O....and you will realize how you can be IN CONTROL with the throttle and FWD and REV...

9. OK, so now have your CALM ADULT friend untie your new baby from the dock and (LEAVE your bumper/fenders still attached to your boat) pull aeay from the dock and get out into open water without worrying about hitting other boats or docks...

10. stop your boat in the middle of the lake/river and turn the wheel all the way to the left...tap the boat into fwd and put it immediatly back into neutral...what you will notice is that your boat did not go fwd, but the stern kicked to the right....

11. now turn the wheel all the way to the right...tap the boat into fwd and put it immediatly back into neutral...what you will notice is that your boat did not go fwd, but the stern kicked to the left....

12. this happens because before your boat can go right or left, the stern had to cick out and point itself in that left or right direction...you are PUSHING the boat from the stern not TURNING the boat from the front as you would a car..

13.Now do the same thing in Reverse, changing the steering wheel position BEFORE putting the throttle into gear...start to realize how the boat moves left and right without GOING Fwd or Rev....this little activity will help you when you get back to the dock in about two hours....by putting the boat in and out of gear repeatedly without advancing the throttle, you will be able to almost spin your new inboard boat on its axis without traveling very far forward or backward....this will be the best thing for getting back to the dock withour doing damage to person or property...

14....OK now go drive your boat around a little and get the feel for how awesome your new boat is...notice how the bow does not rise up causing you to have to get out of your seat to see...when you push down the throttle....take teh boat speed up to about 20 mph and sharply turn the wheel to the left and than to the right....notice how much flatter this boat turns and how it feels like it is tethered to the bottom of the river/lake and rides as if it is on rails.....

15....now take the boat speed up to about 25mph and turn sharply to the left and to the right.....see how everything is even better and faster/flatter turning than you ever dreamed of...and how you cant believe how a boat can drive like a car.....and a sports car at that.....

16...now at 25 mph turn the wheel as hard and fast as you can fullly to the right (not to the left or your calm adult friend will end up in your lap) Oh yeah, tell your calm adult friend to hold on!!!! you will experience your 1st feel of power and g-forces that you would/could/should NEVER have seen in your previous slug/pig/tub of an I/O boat that you prviously owned and now NEVER want to own or drive again!!!!

17....you have just experienced your 1st fully in-control POWER turn...you will come to love these turns.....but dont become "THAT POWER TURN GUY" as others will learn to quickly hate you.....haha....but know you know how wonderfull your new INBOARD boat is and how well it handles...

18....now that you are going 25mph, quickly pull your boat's throttle back to just before neutral (it will still be in gear but at idle speed) but still in fwd and you will be amazed at how quickly it slows down....if you had pulled it into neutral, it would have coasted to a stop and would have taken longer to stop....once it slows down to the just in gear idle speed put it back into the neatral position....

19....now it is time for you to become one with your thowable cushion....(remember the cushion?) take your cushion and throw it into the water as far as you can....now priactice pulling up to the cushion and having it sit just beside your drivers side....do not hit it with the boat as this is your pretend downed skier, your pretend rope and or pretend handle, or your pretend aunt Edna's hat that just blew overboard....

20.....now back up to the cushion and have it be just to the drivers side of the boat without hitting or running over it.....for those same pretend scenarios....

21....now proceed to try and do this on the passengers (your calm adult friend you brought along) and have he or she tell you when you have the cushion next to them without hitting or running over it...

22.....when you have successfully learned to be ONE WITH YOUR CUSHION.... you are now ready to go back to the dock and feel confident that you will be able to dock it with safety and YOU being in control....

23.....hell before you take it back to the dock.....do one more power turn (make sure nobody is around and you are not by a dock or other boats when you do it) after all of that tedious cushion practice you have earned it! haha

But get it out of your system now......or forever be known as "THAT POWER TURN GUY"...(and that guy is not a favorite of anyone!)

Go FORTH and enjoy your new inboard you are now an offical I/O HATER!!!!!I know....that was way more then 2 cents worth....

Welcome to the world of Inboards...

PS ... And yes you can make any inboard back up both ways...it just takes an understanding of how boats work, and understanding the laws of physics....if you are a non-believer and you are ever in PGH, I would be happy to show you how its done....

1,264 · April 16, 2011

And that inboard snob thing doesn't take long to acquire ...

I guy at work recently saw a pic of my Malibu in my office and asked if was an I/O. (he asked like I/O's were the greatest engine ever made).

I of course gave him a blank stare and had to explain what an inboard was.

2,816 · April 16, 2011

interesting thread...i am going to put my two cents in here...here are my suggestions for you as a 1st time inboard owner...
1. learn how to drive your boat BEFORE you bring it back to the dock....trailler....lift....etc....
2. do this by taking your boat out into the lake/river with another CALM ADULT....do not bring your children, or your friends/guests as this trip is not your 1st boat outing, it is your 1st trip out is between YOU and YOUR new boat...that's it!!!
3. the throwable cushion is and will be your friend during this initial exercise!!!
4. Plan on going out when you have great weather and little to no wind....and only when you are in NO HURRY getting back (you will need about 2 hours uninterupted) for your 1st trip
5. Find a launch ramp that has a dock to pull up next to, one that you can back the boat into the water next to a dock and tie it off while you or your CALM ADULT friend pulls the trailer back out of the water
6. Once your boat is sitting at the dock, spin it around with the motor turned off, so that it is facing towards the river/lake and so that you can pull awayfrom the dock and not have to start out by backing up...why start out in terror!?!
7. while your boat is still tide up to the dock (with bumpers between the boat and the dock) (remember, you're still sitting at the dock/ramp and tied to the dock) start your boat and slowly lift up on the throttle release just below the knob and ever so slowy and gently move the throttle forward until it slides into gear....(you never wanted to do this with your I/O) this is a fluid transmission and it will gently go into gear not CLUNK into gear like your I/O did) as soon as it goes into forward, pull it immediately back into nuetral....now do the same thing again and be amazed at how smooth that was....Now do the same thing in reverse.....and as soon as it goes into reverse gear, immediately put it back int neutral...
8. at this point you are going to know your new boat is so much nicer than your old I/O....and you will realize how you can be IN CONTROL with the throttle and FWD and REV...
9. OK, so now have your CALM ADULT friend untie your new baby from the dock and (LEAVE your bumper/fenders still attached to your boat) pull aeay from the dock and get out into open water without worrying about hitting other boats or docks...
10. stop your boat in the middle of the lake/river and turn the wheel all the way to the left...tap the boat into fwd and put it immediatly back into neutral...what you will notice is that your boat did not go fwd, but the stern kicked to the right....
11. now turn the wheel all the way to the right...tap the boat into fwd and put it immediatly back into neutral...what you will notice is that your boat did not go fwd, but the stern kicked to the left....
12. this happens because before your boat can go right or left, the stern had to cick out and point itself in that left or right direction...you are PUSHING the boat from the stern not TURNING the boat from the front as you would a car..
13.Now do the same thing in Reverse, changing the steering wheel position BEFORE putting the throttle into gear...start to realize how the boat moves left and right without GOING Fwd or Rev....this little activity will help you when you get back to the dock in about two hours....by putting the boat in and out of gear repeatedly without advancing the throttle, you will be able to almost spin your new inboard boat on its axis without traveling very far forward or backward....this will be the best thing for getting back to the dock withour doing damage to person or property...
14....OK now go drive your boat around a little and get the feel for how awesome your new boat is...notice how the bow does not rise up causing you to have to get out of your seat to see...when you push down the throttle....take teh boat speed up to about 20 mph and sharply turn the wheel to the left and than to the right....notice how much flatter this boat turns and how it feels like it is tethered to the bottom of the river/lake and rides as if it is on rails.....
15....now take the boat speed up to about 25mph and turn sharply to the left and to the right.....see how everything is even better and faster/flatter turning than you ever dreamed of...and how you cant believe how a boat can drive like a car.....and a sports car at that.....
16...now at 25 mph turn the wheel as hard and fast as you can fullly to the right (not to the left or your calm adult friend will end up in your lap) Oh yeah, tell your calm adult friend to hold on!!!! you will experience your 1st feel of power and g-forces that you would/could/should NEVER have seen in your previous slug/pig/tub of an I/O boat that you prviously owned and now NEVER want to own or drive again!!!!
17....you have just experienced your 1st fully in-control POWER turn...you will come to love these turns.....but dont become "THAT POWER TURN GUY" as others will learn to quickly hate you.....haha....but know you know how wonderfull your new INBOARD boat is and how well it handles...
18....now that you are going 25mph, quickly pull your boat's throttle back to just before neutral (it will still be in gear but at idle speed) but still in fwd and you will be amazed at how quickly it slows down....if you had pulled it into neutral, it would have coasted to a stop and would have taken longer to stop....once it slows down to the just in gear idle speed put it back into the neatral position....
19....now it is time for you to become one with your thowable cushion....(remember the cushion?) take your cushion and throw it into the water as far as you can....now priactice pulling up to the cushion and having it sit just beside your drivers side....do not hit it with the boat as this is your pretend downed skier, your pretend rope and or pretend handle, or your pretend aunt Edna's hat that just blew overboard....
20.....now back up to the cushion and have it be just to the drivers side of the boat without hitting or running over it.....for those same pretend scenarios....
21....now proceed to try and do this on the passengers (your calm adult friend you brought along) and have he or she tell you when you have the cushion next to them without hitting or running over it...
22.....when you have successfully learned to be ONE WITH YOUR CUSHION.... you are now ready to go back to the dock and feel confident that you will be able to dock it with safety and YOU being in control....
23.....hell before you take it back to the dock.....do one more power turn (make sure nobody is around and you are not by a dock or other boats when you do it) after all of that tedious cushion practice you have earned it! haha
But get it out of your system now......or forever be known as "THAT POWER TURN GUY"...(and that guy is not a favorite of anyone!)
Go FORTH and enjoy your new inboard you are now an offical I/O HATER!!!!!I know....that was way more then 2 cents worth....
Welcome to the world of Inboards...
PS ... And yes you can make any inboard back up both ways...it just takes an understanding of how boats work, and understanding the laws of physics....if you are a non-believer and you are ever in PGH, I would be happy to show you how its done....

Well stated, Jack!

1 Boat · April 16, 2011

I also just graduated from Sea Ray to Malibu. I took the V-Ride out last Tuesday for the first time and learned about the things that these guys are talking about the hard way. Go easy on the throttle, the first time I nailed it, I dumped the wife on the floor. Lucky for me she has a good sense of humor. It is a floating turd in reverse, it took 3 tries to get it on the trailer, however, if you were good at handling the Sea Ray, you'll figure out the Bu. Thanks for the post, there's some good advice here for us newbes.

April 16, 2011

Great stuff Inland. Thanks.

April 17, 2011

Very good stuff hope it warms up here in Mn so I can start practicing.

Thanks for the great info

Hilltop

3,265 · April 17, 2011

There continues to be mentions of 'ways to steer left'. Not that I am a non believer, but I am skeptical. I would love to see this demo'd in a video. I should probably search you tube first, but that'll be next...
My boat is a little older, but there is no way it goes anywhere but starboard in reverse...
For the new Malibu owners, enjoy your new toys!

I agree....mine will not go left no way no how. Have to do the forward reverse thing repeatedly in order to go left.

April 27, 2011

JB-FOOT, and the rest, great stuff guys, I appreciate it all!

April 27, 2011

Don't have much time to post right now but here are a few things that I noticed with my 247 coming from a Chaparral 260.

1) This was obvious but it is still striking how much lower the boat sits in the water. At slow speeds, you can get splashed with spray in the 247. This never happened in the Chap.

2) Fly by wire throttle. Really amazing. Unbelievably sensitive and smooth. Shifting from F to R is effortless and transition is completely smooth.

3) Ride is definitely rougher in chop. There will be no more high speed runs across wide bodies of water on weekends for me when it's busy. Teeth will fall out.

4) Flat cornering. Amazing handling with slot car like handling. Really, really great and totally different.

5) Hole shot - it just gets up and goes without any bow rise really at all which is really nice

6) Drifting - not sure if my imagination or from lack of deadrise but when in nuetral if any wind at all, boat does wander a ton

7) Reverse - as above; will take some getting used to. I did manage to rotate boat in position in clockwise direction using F/R alternating throttle. Need more practice docking.

April 27, 2011

GREAT INFO EVERYONE! I too am going from I/O, and most recently Yamaha AR 230, so I am a little nervous about my first trip in my new BU. I'm sure it has to handle better than the jets do at idle speed and reversing.

April 27, 2011

Awesome thread! Wish it was here last week! haha... trailered our vRide for the first time this weekend, had only trailered I/Os in the past. That was a b****! Took me three tries, I felt like a jackass. I couldn't figure out why the boat would not turn left in reverse.

Now I get it.

2,816 · April 27, 2011

This is a very helpful thread! I hope to start practicing more this weekend with a PFD in the water. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.

April 27, 2011

There continues to be mentions of 'ways to steer left'. Not that I am a non believer, but I am skeptical. I would love to see this demo'd in a video. I should probably search you tube first, but that'll be next...
My boat is a little older, but there is no way it goes anywhere but starboard in reverse...

This is easiest in DD boats. It will never turn a tight radius like backing to the right, but here is how to back to the left. I've never had occasion to do this in a V-drive.

- turn the wheel all the way left

- gun the boat in reverse to get the boat moving backwards. (get water going past the rudder). It will initially surge back to the right. Do not back in idle or it will walk to the right the whole time.

- put the boat in neutral and wait for it start to track to the left.

- Once it is tracking to the left, you can put it in gear and keep it moving left. The faster the engine than idle, the more it will track left.

3,999 · April 27, 2011

Awesome thread! Wish it was here last week! haha... trailered our vRide for the first time this weekend, had only trailered I/Os in the past. That was a b****! Took me three tries, I felt like a jackass. I couldn't figure out why the boat would not turn left in reverse.
Now I get it.

I only got to get my boat out once last year before I put it in storage, right after buying it. Trailering was ugly. Luckily it was October and the ramp was fairly empty. I need to get out now and practice a few times before the ramp gets too busy. I'll probably look like a fool for the better part of this first season

April 27, 2011

The thing that I had the most problem with was loading my new inboard onto the trailer. I could float/coast my IO onto the trailer in neutral no problem, with the outboard I need to keep it in gear almost right to the trailer to prevent it from drifting. It felt very fast the first few times but now I can load it perfect every time. ENJOY!

April 28, 2011

All you guys with reverse have got it so easy!!

My Aussie built 20ft DD ski boat has a soft clutch and a foot throttle :)

My wife is the chief driver when it comes time to trailer it. She has never once had to back up from missing the trailer

Can't wait to get my backside into a Malibu. just having reverse sounds like heaven!

April 29, 2011

I only got to get my boat out once last year before I put it in storage, right after buying it. Trailering was ugly. Luckily it was October and the ramp was fairly empty. I need to get out now and practice a few times before the ramp gets too busy. I'll probably look like a fool for the better part of this first season

Wifey learned how to drive it up the trailer pretty quickly.

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Coming from I/O boat - What to expect, advice, etc

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