2002 21' crossover V-Drive Sunsetter with (not yet!) tower clearance and recommendation question

[SkipGundlach]

Greetings!  Two questions:

We have a contract on a shrinkwrapped one-owner creampuff with what is averred to be 777 hours but pic looks like 111 hours in pristine condition, based on the pix (pardon the brag; it's not related to the question!):

We will put a tower on her.  We dunno what, yet, but simple, given that there are no current wakers in the main users of the boat, and the likely ones young boys, currently.

1) What's the typical full-tank, miscellaneous gear, couple-people-load water-to-top-of-tower clearance needed to get under the entry to a floating dock?

2) Leaning toward a two-piece simple tower, but prefer it be the right fit for the boat.  Finding a used one is a crapshoot, but we're open to it.  Failing that, what's the hive mind recommend for a new one?  The boat will be in NE GA in case shipping is a serious cost issue.

Thanks from a tower newbie.

[EchelonMike]

Congrats on the new boat!

To answer your first question on waterline to top of tower height, here is a thread with reference heights:  

 

For #2 there are a lot of aftermarket towers. If you could find a Titan tube tower, that would be similar to what was on the boat from the factory.

Good luck!

        -- Mike

 

[UWSkier]

point of clarification, there's no such thing as a 2002 Sunsetter V-drive.  2001 was the last year for that model.  It was replaced by the Sunscape 21LSV starting in 2002.

[formulaben]

If they were available, I'd suggest a Titan tower.  They were simple and very strong...sadly they were completely unavailable at last check.  You should really give the Roswell Aviator Pro a look.  I helped install one and it really modernized the boat.  She folds down one-handed and is super beefy.  No flex at all.  They don't come cheap, but the others aren't either...a little higher priced but well worth it IMHO. 

https://store.roswellmarine.com/products/aviator-pro-wake-tower

 

[butter71]

We installed an Indy Liquid tower in 2017.  It's a budget tower compared to some of the other options, but is well built, and we've been happy with it...

 

[Steve B.]

That looks alot like my Titan III, but in black. Nice.

[uk_exile]

Indeed! That Indy does look a lot like a Titan 3 due to the rear leg curves.

Love my Titan 3. Co-incidentially I added an Indy tower mounted bimini last summer. Good price, good quality and fits well. It still lets me lower the tower when I need to too. https://www.indywakeboardtowers.com/wakeboard-tower-bimini-tops/7/

Edited March 19 by uk_exile

[SkipGundlach]

I'm currently leaning very hard toward a MT2 Monster, with their over-the-top bimini.

Orders of magnitude less expensive than the nearest thing I could find and approaches the Titan Towers that Malibu used to build after Scott sold the company.

I've had a conversation with Scott at titanwake.com, the successor to Titan Towers, which sold that business to Malibu, and showed the company how to make  them, leading Malibu to providing an option of having one of their towers built at the same time as the boat (or presumably, as well, as an aftermarket purchase).

Also presumably, after the Malibu sale/new owners (who apparently chose not to make them any more), titanwake made about a dozen a week (compared to when Titan was the maker, before Malibu, of about a dozen a day) of aftermarket versions of the Titan towers.  Unfortunately for me, they made their last one a couple of weeks ago, as Scott prepared to go in for heart bypass surgery.  To make one at this point, as he's moved his accessories business to a much smaller location, would be VERY expensive.  Despite my opinion that his elegant design is far superior to the current batch of post-boat-construction towers, it's entirely possible that the cost of a one-off would be off the table for a 22 year old, $15K boat.

I've also had emails with Robert Cummings of Malibu; no surviving parts for a Titan Tower in house.

As to the earlier question starting this thread, it appears our dock is suited to the purpose, with the closest center part to the water being 10'-5", and 9' from dock surface to the peak - but like  the rest of any picture I've wanted to include in a post, I'm clueless (yes, in general, but in particular, if there IS a means to add photos from anything other than some URL that doesn't laugh at me when I try to use it as I did just now...).

But, that aside, things are moving along nicely.  About all that will remain will be a properly fitting cover, once the tower's mounted (and presumably remaining up, given the overhead clearance), and getting something to pull it to the fuel stop and back to the ramp...