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Hey All,
Recently I have had the bug to move into a little newer boat, though honestly, there is very little "wrong" with my current ride. The biggest reason for the potential change is to get an EFI engine, the better space ergonomics that the v-drive boats offer, and the opportunity to offer a better experience for friends and family that would be more into surfing or boarding. I am almost exclusively in the slalom camp on the water, but also wakeboard occasionally and think it would be fun to have the chance to try to surf.
Here's the rub, and I hope no one takes offense to my personal observations, but I had the chance to take out a Sport Nautique 200 with the 409 engine option and was honestly very disappointed with it. First off, I was expecting a very "sexy" sound and experience to the engine in comparison to my older Ford, and while the engine was very quiet and composed, I did hear a lot of driveline whine and very little of the V8 rumble. Is this normal? The boat was fine on the water with very good handling and very responsive, but I again I was really taken aback by what I perceived as a very uncharacteristic sound for an inboard. To be honest, it sounded a little like a jet boat to me!
I really want to like this boat, and actually had a purchase agreement drafted, but I backed out with my experiences over the weekend. Can anyone else comment on their own observations and / or experiences? Should I just readjust my expectations? Are there any other boats I should look at? To me the sound is important enough that I almost think that I should just stick with a Nautique 200 OB direct drive and give up on trying to get a crossover boat.
Thanks!
Jason
Recently I have had the bug to move into a little newer boat, though honestly, there is very little "wrong" with my current ride. The biggest reason for the potential change is to get an EFI engine, the better space ergonomics that the v-drive boats offer, and the opportunity to offer a better experience for friends and family that would be more into surfing or boarding. I am almost exclusively in the slalom camp on the water, but also wakeboard occasionally and think it would be fun to have the chance to try to surf.
Here's the rub, and I hope no one takes offense to my personal observations, but I had the chance to take out a Sport Nautique 200 with the 409 engine option and was honestly very disappointed with it. First off, I was expecting a very "sexy" sound and experience to the engine in comparison to my older Ford, and while the engine was very quiet and composed, I did hear a lot of driveline whine and very little of the V8 rumble. Is this normal? The boat was fine on the water with very good handling and very responsive, but I again I was really taken aback by what I perceived as a very uncharacteristic sound for an inboard. To be honest, it sounded a little like a jet boat to me!
I really want to like this boat, and actually had a purchase agreement drafted, but I backed out with my experiences over the weekend. Can anyone else comment on their own observations and / or experiences? Should I just readjust my expectations? Are there any other boats I should look at? To me the sound is important enough that I almost think that I should just stick with a Nautique 200 OB direct drive and give up on trying to get a crossover boat.
Thanks!
Jason
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