Ballast for 2001 ski nautique (year 2001 not model )

[jaaaaamie]

Hi Im new here, but thought it would be the perfect place to ask some questions regarding my boat.

I have a 2001 ski nautique, and as we mainly wakeboard would like to fit a ballast system, however I have no idea how much weight to add and where.

Would anyone be able to direct me to any useful articles about this, or any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thankyou
Jamie

[WakeSlayer]

RE: Ballast for 2001 ski nautique

Year 2001, or model 2001?

[jaaaaamie]

RE: Ballast for 2001 ski nautique

sorry year 2001. The fact that there is a model 2001 makes searching articles quite difficult hence me asking here.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: Ballast for 2001 ski nautique

There really isn't a place to put a system in that boat. I am sure a couple guys will add what they do for weight and placement, but you are trying to make a wake on a boat that designed for the opposite purpose.

[jaaaaamie]

RE: Ballast for 2001 ski nautique

Haha yeah I know, but Im not after a huge wake, just the biggest possible wake that can be made with the boat I've got. When we have a full boat you can really notice the difference, so I imagine that with the boat weighted in the optimum way it will make a world of difference to me when wakeboarding.
Thanks again

[Hollywood]

RE: Ballast for 2001 ski nautique

So just load it up with weight... The basics are more in the back = vert, more in the front = rampy. If your weight is washed out on both sides you need to speed up (increase line length if you can't handle it) or add more weight in the front of the boat. If it's washed out on one side you need more weigth on that side.

Or sell the slalom boat you have and buy a Sport Nautique.

[jaaaaamie]

My dad owns the boat, and as he is aweful at everything to do with boats, he doesn't see any justification is changing boats. What kind of weight are we talking about to add? I do have 4 fatsac style bags I can experiment with, and stick a couple of large rocks in to see whats what, but I don't have a clue as to how much is about right, and how much is too much.
Thanks

[WakeSlayer]

When I had an SN here is what we did.

400-450 each side of motor box, 210 under the bow. rest was gear and riders.

[Hollywood]

I don't have a clue as to how much is about right, and how much is too much.

Get a trick ski, you don't need any weight for that.

[NCH2oSki]

I don't have a clue as to how much is about right, and how much is too much.

Get a trick ski, you don't need any weight for that.

Or even better get a skinny stick and learn to slalom!

[DanielC]

I have a 1997 Ski Nautique, same hull, but I have the better, easier to read analog gauges.
More important than weight, is a higher pylon. Get a "Ten Foot Pole" or something similar.
You can probably find one used, thanks to the number of towers being put on boats.

A Ski Nautique has a narrow beam, it is not as wide as many boats are. This makes it sensitive to even a little weight. It also makes it sensitive to side to side weight distribution. Tell your passengers, "The side of the boat with more white on the wake, needs more weight.

Most of the time I am towing wakeboarders, my boat has just the weight of the people, and their gear.

When you start to approach the higher wakeboard speeds, (above 22 MPH or so) the boat does act more like a ski boat. The wake starts getting smaller, in spite of the added weight. It is just the design of the boat you have.

You can also gain a lot by learning how to do a good progressive cut. Work on technique. I have had different riders throw flips, and spins behind my boat, without added ballast.

Your dad is letting you use his boat. Do you know how lucky you are?

[Mikeski]

350s or 450s on the sides of the motor is what I would do. On my 1995 I did a 300 under the bow and a 400 behind the doghouse, it wasn't bad. The 95 hull is different, but still a direct drive, so the weighting might be similar.

[jaaaaamie]

It already has a tower on it. Im thinking of making some kind of tower extension pylon. If anyone knows any information about this or can point me towards anything useful it would be much appreciated. Im assuming there would have to be a line attatched to the bow to take the load so it would be similar to a large pylon, except attatched to the top of the tower. Have no idea as to how much extra height can be added though.

And with the ballast, there seems to be nowhere under the floor around the engine that could have ballast fitted. The floor seem sealed, or at least very difficult to remove. There are two small compartments inbetween the engine and the bow, one with the battery which could be relocated, but that wouldn't add much weight and would be further forward than the engine. There is loads of room under the rear seats and to the sides of the fuel tank, and theres loads of room in the bow.

Im I right in thinking that because the engine is in the middle thats a large chunk of weight, and if I filled the two compartments between the engine and bow with ballast, and the area under rear seat and side of fuel tank, I could then use weights in the bow to determine how large the bow ballast needs to be to compensate the added rear weight? (kind of like a seasaw?) That would mean I could do the middle and rear before we next go out, and the bow after that. (Winter has arrived in north wales, and what was already an aweful and short season is now over, so days with decent boating conditions and a good tidal time are few and far between.)

Once the ballast is sorted it will mean we dont have to take out human weights, I mean friends, so will get more time behind the boat.

I currently ride at 21mph as thats about the max we can go before it starts flattening out. I figured the sooner his wakeboarding over takes the boats performance the sooner he buys a new boat. The extended tower and ballast will help us both progress. Im much better at technique than him as I pay more attention and he doesn't take it seriously but hes not bad. It makes sense to do as much as you can to the boat as the better the equipment the easier the learning process, and more enjoyment!

Thanks again