Who produces the best boat?

[rheyboer]

A thousand different answers are possible, but here is my question: What manufacturer produces the highest quality production 20' power/ski boat? As I am picking the rot out of my Century, the quality of materials is uppermost on my list. Does anybody make a boat with a rot-free transom/sole/stringers?

[alan white]

Boy, you are going to get a thousand answers. My vote goes for a wooden boat built with longevity in mind. A great design like a Simmons skiff, a twenty footer, built by a reputable builder, with epoxy and good quality wood.
But you ask for a manufacturer, and I believe there are few builders of mass production boats that don't build in fiberglass.
I only mentioned the Simmons because it is always a very limited production--- the design is what give it its name, and because you have a century, I'm assuming you're a sucker for quality and classic looks.

Alan

[KCook]

Well, "ski" immediately brings Correct Craft (Nautique) and Mastercraft to mind ...

Kelly Cook

[mindbender]

i don't know much at all about boats but grew up water skiing to include family that competed and nautique was always the number 1 build. Uncle was a mech engineer for the navy (and picky about what he owns) and thats what he bought.

[Ike]

That's like asking who builds the best car. What you need to do is look at a lot of boats, then if you are worried about cored transoms, eliminate them. Then look at the ones with solid glass transoms. The other question is, how much are you willing to spend? If you have an unlimited budget you can get anything you want, but if you are like the rest of us you proably have an amount in mind so you have to eliminate those that go above that amount.

As for ski boats,
Mastercraft
Correct Craft
Supreme
Moomba (made in Australia but sold in the USA)
Tige'
Supra (I almost went to work for these people)
SkiPro
Calabria
Gekko (also made in Australia)

There are probably a dozen I have forgotten and left out.

[footer32]

Malibu Response LXI or MasterCraft Prostar 190 the two best inboard ski boats on the market. I am an avid skiier and barefooter and these two boats outperform all others. I personally own the malibu.