Owners Review

There is a common quip in the boating community that says that the average person must purchase three boats before he/she finds the right one. This was fresh on my mind when I was shopping for a new ski boat in late 1992.  Determined to beat the odds, I decided to only look at the best possible ski boat available.  This meant either Mastercraft, or Ski Nautique.

I skied and drove both before buying.  Both were well built with a solid sturdy feel on the water.  Both performed well and both skied like a dream.  The deciding factor that pointed me to the Nautique was its silky smooth ride in rough water and through other boat wakes.

Through the years I have never been happier with my decision to buy this boat.  It has performed flawlessly without a single major problem.   Its wake is perfect for wake sports at speeds under 22 mph yet flattens out to a nice  flat ski wake at speeds over 30. All of my best ski runs have been behind this boat.

Quality is apparent throughout the boat from the Delrin seat bases, to the finish and seams in the vinyl, to the bullet-proof motor.  Slam the door on a Mercedes and you will hear a solid ka-chunk sound.  Do the same on a Hyundai and there will be squeaks and rattles as the door closes with a clang.  Likewise on the lake, the Nautique compares to the Mercedes when it slices through  the bumps and waves with a rigid, non-flexing ka-chunk.  No squeaks, no rattles, no nonsense.

With the open bow, the boat can seat 8, albeit a bit crowded.  The engine pulls as hard as  heard of Oxen and yet the boat still gets up to 46 mph.  With the 4 blade prop it practically jumps out of the water with heart pounding adrenaline. It burns about 5 gph while wakeboarding and 9 gph while skiing.  All this means that a long day on the lake will go through the better part of a tank.  Thankfully, the torque churning PCM Ford 5.8 HO is happy with regular gas.

The freeboard up front is better than most ski boats and will keep  rollers from washing over the bow.  With people and gear it is a bit more crowded than the larger Sport Nautique, but this is the price you pay for the better wake and handling.  In a pinch, the rear seat slides out for lots of room aft.  The extended pylon, aside from providing a high pull really earns its keep by providing loads of convenient storage for skis and boards and keeps the boat from getting junked up with gear.  Like the closed bow, there is lots of room under the passenger seat should you wish to stow stuff out of sight.

With all the upgrades and renovations done this winter, it now performs and handles better than ever.  I had planned on keeping this boat for years to come but recent circumstances force its sale.  I am quite confident that the next owner need not buy three boats before finding the perfect one.  Own this first, and no doubt, it will the last ski boat you will ever need.  Drive it, ski it or try wake sports behind it, and I think you will fall in love as I have.