Looking for my first ski boat -- 206??

[Ski-me]

First post here........I'm in the process of purchasing my first boat (inboard) and have focused pretty hard on the MC 197 but found the Nautique 206 to be very interesting. My main purpose is a great ski wake that has an open bow for the kids. Being in Colorado, I see a lot of MC but very few Nautiques. If I were to consider the 206, are there any things to look for? My price is around $30k.

Has anyone done some previous research on these two models and can share their experience? I've heard from the local (Denver area) dealers that we definitely need some HP for this elevation. They also say we need to mess with the prop if it's coming from a lower elevation. I'm assuming a prop change isn't too bad if it's out of the water. Thanks for any advice.

[MARK-S]

RE: Looking for my first ski boat -- 206??

SGY is from the elevation of Colorado and used to own a 206. I am sure he will post soon.
I had a 03/04/05 206 as part of the promo program and had no issues at all. I did here that the 03 model did not sit well on trailers. the hull would flex and crack the windshield or prevent the WS from closing. Somthing along that line. The 04 was toughend up a bit and the problem was gone.
I skied from 28 and in and no wake issues. But a bow full of kids will make any wake big on any boat.
Sonwatersports in minn has a good deal on one.
http://www.sonwatersports.com/pics.jsp?boatid=463

[scoke]

MS isn't going to like this but.....

I owned a MC 197 and own an SN 196 now.

If you are insistant on an open bow boat, a previously owned/promo MC 197 boat or even a Malibu RLXi are great deals to be had. Ski great, drive great etc. They beat out the 206 in overall performance.

Granted the best ski machine is a 196 but you have different needs.

[SGY]

Ski-me. Where are you located? I've owned 4 Nautiques here in Colorado and have never made a prop change. I've even had my boats in Grand Lake and have had no problems. I would not mess with the prop on a Nautique, especially if you're in the Denver area/elevation.

I loved my 206. But went to a 196. No question the 196 wake is smaller and softer. I respectfully disagree with Scoke. I've never really liked skiing behind the MC 197--although my first full tournament pass was behind a 2006 MC 197. And, I'd never turn down a ride behind a 197. IMHO because the 196 is so good, the 206 never really got a fair shake at tournaments. Lots of promo guys that had the 196 didn't like 206. My 206 was a promo boat. The promo owner went back to the 196. The tournament crowd sometimes is picky. New things don't over well--check out the Zero Off debate on thewaterskiforum.com for a good example. Last year there were lots of complaints about the new RLxi at our lake. It was new and slightly different. But that is the only option from Malibu vis a vis the 206/196 debate. I suspect there will be less complaints about the RLxi this year.

By the way, the promo guy here has had to change the prop on his 2004-2007 197's to work better with short set ups. And, last year at our lake, the only boat that pulled 36mph skiers and jump and trick was the 196. The Bu and MC had a tough time getting up to speed for 36mph skiers and the jumpers preferred the 196. I do like skiing behind the Rlxi--both pre/post 2007 models. My very humble PB is behind the 2007 RLXi. Skiing behind any of the top three open bows is very subjective and you'll get different opinions all around. They are all nice and good enough to get you to a personal best.

Bottom line, the 206 is a fine boat. Some of the tournament skiers at my lake didn't want to ski behind the 206 because that is not what they see at tournaments. So, to get my boat in the rotation I traded for the 196. No regrets. Also, I hear the wake at 22 off behind the 206 is a bit hard and sharp compared to the RLxi. I never skied at 22 off behind my 206 because I wasn't good enough. But I did hear complaints. The guys I pulled from 28 off and deeper had no complaints regarding the 206 and I didn't personally have any complaints at 15off, 28-30mph.

The Denver dealer has a 2007 206 they are dying to sell. You'll probably get a good deal--but more than $30,000. For $30,000 you'll be looking at 2004 or older Bu or 206--probably. I'd think the MC 197 might be more. Our promo MC guy is still trying to sell his MC 197. Dang nice boat but pricey. Shoot me a PM if you want more info or want to ski sometime.

Hey MS. You get the ice off yet? Snowing here. Nice little war going on at TWSF. MB let Schnitz have it with both barrels. Yikes. Scoke, how's the new 196 working out?

[AirTool]

Late last summer we bought an 06 206 and love it. We are not tournament types...yet. The boy is 7 and the girl is 5. They love it. I can't compare specifically to the others...but I did shop them. The Air 206 TE popped up on the radar and sold! I thought it was a great "starter" boat (snicker and grin). I need to post some pics.

I looked at v-drives and thought the wake was too much for the tiny learners. When we need the big wake, maybe we'll swap the 206 for a big v-drive and look for a towerless closed bow for low wake skiing and "slot car" turns.

We have a trainer DVD from the all-around champion Jaret Llewellyn ...he does everything behind an 05 206.

The only snag with the small/low open bows is swamping the front on quick double-ups to pick up a downed skiers....especially after slow-speed, large wake tows with an adult sitting up front. The closed bow is definately more water resistant....but I know that's not what you are looking for.

Here is a one-year-old closed bow with no tower in your price range.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2007-...spagenameZWDVW

AirTool

[jjackkrash]

We own an 03 206 and love it. It is now affectionately known as "The Pig."

http://planetnautique.com/index.php?...&highlight=pig

I am an ex-three-event college skier who has been into 35 off, jumped over 130 feet (5 foot ramp, 32 mph), and tricked (one pass) over 1500 points. So, I was not an elite skier, but I have been around the block.

The 206 is a very stable tow boat, family friendly, and handles rough water, imho, better than the competitors. It tows straight like a tractor and is very predictable. The wake at 36 mph is a little bigger and firmer than the Rlxi and 196 at sub 32 off. Also, it isn't a great barefoot boat and its a little slow on the top end, IMHO. The trick table is very good at 15 to 17 mph, imho. It does not handle like a vette, more like a benz. Whether this is a plus or minus depends on your personal needs. For me, the wife liked this boat the most, because it tracked so well and because it was was so stable, which is a no brainer for me. Personally, I think the 206 is a great boat.

I would suggest test driving all the boats you are considering, and pick the one that meets your needs. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the boats you mentioned. I wouldn't recommend the disaster raft, only because my brother-in-law only buys disaster rafts, but that's between him and me. :grin:

[BSBell]

Either the 196 or 206, you can't go wrong..... best ski boats out there that can be had. And either one of those boats with the 343hp or te older 330hp engine can absolutely fly! Can't imagine what the ZR6 feels like in one of those

[Quinner]

If you are insistant on an open bow boat, a previously owned/promo MC 197 boat or even a Malibu RLXi are great deals to be had. Ski great, drive great etc. They beat out the 206 in overall performance.

Own a 206, have skied and driven the RLXi plus a little experience behind a 197 and there is no way I can agree with that statement.
The wake on the Bu is better than the 206 but other then that? I thought the wakes on the MC and 206 were comparable. All nice boats but for me the 206 was the best choice.

[wiseman]

I recently bought a 08 206 TE. I looked & tested the 206, MC197 and Bu RLXi. All boats performed extremely well. The differences are minor and very subtle at best. Or maybe I'm just not a good enough skier to tell the difference (22 or 15 off at 34 mph). I came to the conclusion that in the end, I would like the one I was used to skiing behind. Any of them would work for me.

I have 20 hours on my new 206. The kids love it (10 & 7 years) for wakeboarding as well as skiing. It has exceeded my expectations so far. And most importantly, my wife likes it. As we all know, if Mama's happy, everything else falls in line.

The 206 won out for us for the following reasons.

1. It has more seating capacity. This is meaningless for skiing, but great when you're just wanting to ride around the lake with friends and kids. Less chance of having to leave someone on the dock.
2. In my test drives, the 206 tracked better and rode better in rough water. Also, great acceleration - PCM 343.
3. Better fit, finish, and ergonomics.
4. Has more curb appeal in my opinion. I like the looks of the classic nautique. Timeless style & taste.
5. Price was about the same for any of them once they were similarly equipped

[BigBald]

There’s the rub....all of us have different thoughts and feelings about quality and size of the ski wake from these various boats. For instance...I noticed a very slight difference in the wake between a 216 and a 206....I skied both boats in 2006 back to back on the same morning. The difference was so slight that it wasn't worth the loss of the storage space in the 206. I also skied behind a Response last spring....wake looked very similar...but seemed much firmer to me.

But what does all that mean....do I ski similar to you? Am I more aggressive...or less? I am 6'-6" and weight 260....and I ski at 35 mph....how much different does the boat act for me than it will for you? Was the water and air temp very cold the morning I skied behind the Response...yes...did that effect how loose I was and how much I could absorb the wake...I am guessing yes. To me there just seems to be a ton of factors out there to consider when giving testimonies.

All of this input is great to keep in the back of your mind...but, you've got to get out and judge yourself? Your getting ready to spend a good chunk of money...make sure you get the right boat for you and your family. If that's a BU...then so be it....

With all that said....I would have a hard time not recommending the Correct Craft boat...I have other experience to base that on besides the wake size....sorry to the BU folks out there...just my opinion....

[SGY]

All the posts above offer great advice. The best advice is, as indicated, try them all. They are all fantastic boats.

How bad do you need/want an open bow? I personally didn't like the open bow because my youngest always wanted to be up there which made me nervous in the event I had to make a quick turn around to pick up a skier. I much prefer having my 8 year old right next to me. Just one less worry in my mind. Now, lots of folks have open bows and are perfectly safe boaters. It just wasn't for me--a plus for going to a 196.

Good luck and enjoy the process. Again, PM me if you want to come out and take a ski ride this spring/summer.

[Ski-me]

Thanks for all the input. I’m actually down in Colorado Springs and have been looking for the last 6 months for a 94-95 MC 205 with the LT1 engine. I just can’t seem to find one in very good condition……..so we thought about increasing our price a bit. I obviously thought about the 197 because of the open bow. I was able to look at the 07’ TT on the MC showroom floor…..very nice, 6.0L engine but seemed to be a little tight up front. I had the two kids, 12 & 9 sit up there and it didn’t look like I was going to get another kid up there very easily. This is very important for my wife. She wants the ability to haul around more kids……I’m after the best wake possible.

I then went the Tommy’s to see the Bu. We sat in the 08’ RLXi and it has much more room than the 197. I did get a sales pitch pretty good on the MC vs Bu. Tommy’s pretty nice. He suggested the 03 or 04 for our price range. We sat in an 06 (which I think is the same design/space as the 03 & 04) and it seemed nice and comfortable. I think we can get another 1 or 2 kids up front compared to the 197.

I called the Nautique dealer and heard about the 07’ 206 but he wanted close to $50k and it’s not what I want to spend if I’m not living on the water. Can’t justify a boat costing more than the vehicle that’s towing it. He said he’ll keep his eyes open for a used 206 and let me know if he finds one. If I get a chance, I’m going to at least sit in the 206 to see how much room there is compared to the 197 and LXi.

I’ve heard great things about the RLXi with the diamond hull but how are the older ones? I have also heard that the build quality of the Bu is not up to par with the MC and Nautiques

[scoke]

If you are insistant on an open bow boat, a previously owned/promo MC 197 boat or even a Malibu RLXi are great deals to be had. Ski great, drive great etc. They beat out the 206 in overall performance.

Own a 206, have skied and driven the RLXi plus a little experience behind a 197 and there is no way I can agree with that statement.

Exactly why the original poster needs to check it out on his own.

Down here (South Central Region), we see very little 206's. 196's, 197 and RLXis are the 3 staple boats, fwiw. why not the 206?



SGY: I am loving the 196. It's a workhorse slalom machine. I bought it Jan 4th and have put lik 30+ hrs on it and we haven't started the weekday skiing behind it, yet. Skiing the weekdays behind our limited edition MC 190.

The interior of my boat is close to prisitine (i am not the best keeping it that way), carpet is a bit dirty but it comes with the territory. The throttle and torque curve vs our MC is pretty awesome though. quite pleased running buoys behind it. I need to do another picture thread when i get time. I might upgrade to the Gazer sometime when they get the kinks totally hashed out.

[Ski-me]

All the posts above offer great advice. The best advice is, as indicated, try them all. They are all fantastic boats.

How bad do you need/want an open bow? I personally didn't like the open bow because my youngest always wanted to be up there which made me nervous in the event I had to make a quick turn around to pick up a skier. I much prefer having my 8 year old right next to me. Just one less worry in my mind. Now, lots of folks have open bows and are perfectly safe boaters. It just wasn't for me--a plus for going to a 196.

Good luck and enjoy the process. Again, PM me if you want to come out and take a ski ride this spring/summer.

Watching the younger kids up front also made me feel uneasy with the 197. It just seemed like it would be easy to fall forward without much effort. That is what has attracted me to the 206, the LXi and the older MC 205.

[SGY]

Tommy is a great salesman. He's also a nice enough guy and has been in biz for lots of years. I've had problems with the MC guy and can't recommend those folks personally. The Nautique dealer has also been in Biz for years but has only sold CC's for two years. They seem fairly solid from what I can tell.

I like the pre 07 RLxi. It's a sexy boat that skis and drives very well. Not sure why Bu went to all that trouble to change it in 2007 as it doesn't perform any better in my mind--from the drivers seat or the handle. Again, this is my personal view, but I think the 2006 and older RLXi is a fantastic value.

Comparing the 206 and the RLXi yields a variety of differences. Skiing/wake size is subjective as indicated very clearly above. But, both will perform more than adequately and not hinder your performance. I think a properly set up RLXi will track as well in the course as a 206. But it takes more time and effort. One of the best tracking boats I've ever driven is my buddy's 2003 RLXi. But he's pretty anal about set up. I think the 206 performs better in the chop and feels much more solid. I also like how quiet and smooth the 206 is compared to the RLXi.

Visually, the 206 has a smaller appearing bow. But the newest WSG Boat Buyers guide shows the 206 bow as having more space than the 2008 RLXi. The cabin on the 206 is larger than the RLXi. Storage wise, the RLXi has a niffty seat cushion design that allows easier access to the storage under the bow compared to the gull wing configuration on the 206 observer seat. Rear storage is a toss up. The 206 has deeper storage that allows you to stow lots of ropes, handles, vests and other gear. It's not wide enough for an adult size ski, however. The Bu rear storage does accomodate an adult sized ski but has less depth and less storage room overall.

Interior cosmetics are subjective. But the CC's are typically plain and do not have as much bling as the bu. Some would also say the bu interior seats are more comfy. For me, I don't notice. Neither boat is the Grand Princess. They are ski boats.

Not too much experience with the MC 197--although I'm amazed how quiet and smooth they are. But the MC 197 with the 6.0 is a pig and can't get out of its own way. I'd shy away from that combo.

Good luck and keep us posted.