ski pole position

Discussion in 'Powerboats' started by whitepointer23, Jan 12, 2013.

  1. whitepointer23

    whitepointer23 Previous Member

    on my little 4.1 mt runabout i would like a removable ski pole for towing the kids tubes and boards. does the pole go closer to midships or as close to the transom as possible in regards to the boats handling while towing. being such a small boat i thought towing might affect the steering. q2 i am fitting a 70 evinrude 3 cyl at the moment, any idea of what speed to expect, i am hoping for 35 knots with the right prop.
     
  2. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Hard to say.

    Every Pro ski boat in this harbour uses a Tower forward of amidships. They tell me the tower is versatile for wakeboards and skiers . The tower is a good storage rack for gear and keeps the back of the boat clean.

    You should probably ask a ski boat aficionado , then decide how "Pro" you want your installation to be
     
  3. whitepointer23

    whitepointer23 Previous Member

    Thanks for the reply micheal.
     
  4. waikikin
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    waikikin Senior Member

    Brendan, I think the compromise solution is to have the tow point at the front of the outboard well & high enough to clear the engine, the tow rope dosen't sweep across the cockpit seating annoying those seated there & the rope is within easy reach for handling which is a big improvement on a bridle across the back of the outboard. My brother in law & mate have a Quinnie & a Stacer set up with a tripod style post in front of the well & seems to work fine, if your just towing kids on tubes/biscuits & kneeboards this seems to be good(in my limited experience) mabe different if your trying to keep an experienced skier on a single thats laying down cutting the wake blah blah.... but they probably need more power too. Jeff.
     
  5. whitepointer23

    whitepointer23 Previous Member

    Thanks jeff. That is the way i will do it. The main reason is to get rid of the bridle.
     
  6. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

  7. whitepointer23

    whitepointer23 Previous Member

    great idea, i haven't seen those before. good for protecting outboard when reversing to.
     
  8. Willallison
    Joined: Oct 2001
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    Willallison Senior Member

    The exact location for a ski pole is dependant on the boat itself, but for most applications a pole located forward of the motor is an acceptable compromise between steering and cockpit space. I used to ske competitively and have a tournament rated ob ski boat and that's where my pole is. It's perhaps not quite as directionally stable running through a slalom course as a fin-equiped inboard, but it's pretty close.
    The absolute worst place you can attach a ski line is aft of the motor, as in that link posted....
     
  9. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Thats the dilemma in life...everything is a compromise.
    I avoid any designated ski tow eye and just cleat off the tow line on the stern quarter
    . If anyone complains I mash the throttle , get the bugger on the ski hauling ***, make a wide turn and deposit the skier ashore.
     
  10. Frosty

    Frosty Previous Member

    Exactly,-- I too use to do all 3 disciplines but these guys are talking a 13 foot run about with a 70HP--hardly tournament stuff.

    A good skier not even professional will pull that boat all over the place wether your steering it not. pole would pull it over.

    Your best to stick with a bridle and float,-- not good but its all you got.

    Tournament outboard???? is there such a thing.

    Running a slalom at 36 needs some grunt and even a bit of gas at times.

    I was told a good skier can pull 7 times his own weight.

    Michael you cant plant a skier on the beach, he goes where he wants, give up on the paela.
     
  11. Willallison
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    Willallison Senior Member

    Yes - there are any number of tournament ob's these days - correctly propped they are a very close match for the inboards - and a whole lot more practical if you don't always ski on a fresh water lake with a good boat ramp!

    I disagree re the pole on a small boat. In my early skiing days, I ran a 14.5ft Haines Hunter with a 90hp merc on the back. I learned to slalom and barefoot behind it... tricks and jump came later. Without a pole, I was quite easily able to pull it well off course and could have rolled the boat if I'd tried hard enough, particularly when the line was attached to the 'far side' of the boat. With a pole the boat still rolled, but at least it was controllable. I would never use a bridle - you just end up with a rope that is constantly changing length and a pulling point that makes the boat almost inpossible to steer at lower speeds.
    As you soy, the op is clearly not looking for a tournament level ski boat, but much better to have one that is set up right regardless IMHO
     
  12. Frosty

    Frosty Previous Member

    The Master craft I lived behind was flat out at 45MPH and the club wasnt too keen on it being used for this ( i liked a good 42 for barefoot) I used a 17 foot with a 225 and a 19.

    It was better than the Mastercraft. It was also quicker and made a flying beach easier.

    BUT-- nothing like the MC for a slalom.
     
  13. Willallison
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    Willallison Senior Member

    Yes... I spent a season teaching skiing in Greece. We had a selection of US built boats... the Mastercraft was my favourite too. The wake was the nicest of any boat I have skied behind...
     
  14. whitepointer23

    whitepointer23 Previous Member

    I found a used ski pole on ebay near my place. It bolts to the front of the outboard well and the floor. It will be good for what i want to do. The 70 should fly on a 13 footer. I have been towing them around with a 25, not exactly bridge to bridge stuff. A few weeks ago i listened to a bridge to bridge skier on the abc. He said they were hitting 123 mph. Not bad on skis.
     

  15. Willallison
    Joined: Oct 2001
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    Willallison Senior Member

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