2012 200 with low hours vs 200

[Kenboat]

Found a low hour 2012 200 boat loaded out with heater and in very nice condition. At this point my dealer is telling me if we order a new boat it wont arrive until mid summer maybe and they will pass along any factory price increases.
the 2012 has the 5.7 330 hp vs the new zz4 400 hp. The new motor will be easier to winterize with the closed cooling system it appears, dont know if a closed loop heat exchanger could be added to the 2012?

Are the 2012 vintage boats a solid choice and do not have any major known flaws?
Are the new 400 hp motors a lot stronger?
Sitting on the fence but will save 35K and have a bost for all next year.

[CincinnatiCC]

2012 is a solid choice. Haven't heard of any issues with them, and it's a great ski hull. Having a boat all next year would make the decision for me.

[bturner]

I'm stunned the difference is only $35K between new and a 2012. You're either paying a ton for the old boat or getting a screaming deal on the new one.

I would ski both and see what you need/like about each the most. Is winterizing really that big of a factor with this type boat? I get it you're in northern MI but I'm 3 hours south of you and winterization would be a "nice thing" feature, not a decision makers for me. But that's me.....

[ScooterMcgavin]

If the 12 is a good deal and in good shape why not grab it and use it for next season and see how you like it, then you have the option to sell or keep it next year. And like above you will have a boat all of next season.

[scottb7]

I'm stunned the difference is only $35K between new and a 2012. You're either paying a ton for the old boat or getting a screaming deal on the new one.

I would ski both and see what you need/like about each the most. Is winterizing really that big of a factor with this type boat? I get it you're in northern MI but I'm 3 hours south of you and winterization would be a "nice thing" feature, not a decision makers for me. But that's me.....

Yeah, i was surprised by the difference also. I would guess the older one is high due to pandemic pricing.

FWIW, I would rather NOT have the partial (closed) system. There is no advantage unless you are in salt water in my opinion. They both easy to winterize, just drain or draw in rv antifreeze. Not much difference.

[jjackkrash]

The 5.7 is not enough power for some applications in that boat. I would not get it if you ski at 36 mph or jump or ski at altitude or if you don't want to work it in higher rpm ranges all the time, IMO. If you have the chance to get a 6.0l the 6.0l is the way to go. The 6.0l is perfect for that boat and the cooling system is great; uncork 3 hoses and you are done winterizing (and maybe pull the impeller).

[scottb7]

You make a good point. It very much depends on what you are doing with the boat. When I had my 2008 210 we propped it for heavy wakeboarding. It had plenty of power it was fantastic. There are many threads on prop choices for wakeboarding.

However, on rare occasions when I had someone that wanted to slalom I definitely did not let them go 36 mph.

[jmo]

A buddy of mine who has had multiple 200’s told me while the 5.7 excal motor is sufficient, once you drive or ski the ZR4 or H6 there is no going back. The 5.7 liter will be a little harder to resell, I just upgraded to a 2018 200 and I didn’t consider boats that had the 5.7.

[Kenboat]

The boat is a 2012 that was never sold and has a few demo hours. It comes with a full warranty. It is boat 5 of 15 Andy Maple limited edition 200's released in 2012. I was not sure if it was a boat I would like. After driving and seeing the cool features such as carbon fiber layup in the rear sides of the hull, clear top of the engine coverr with red LED lighting, led lighting in the side storage compartments. Under water lighting and Andy's signature all over. It is a black metal flake, red stripe, and mostly white seating. Probably paying to much but something about the boat just works for myself. Wish it had a 409 motor!
My grand-kids enjoying skiing and it will work fine for them, and we love tubing and cruising so 343 is ok. It topped out at 43 the day we test drove it. It currently has a 4 blade tournament prop.
It will comes with a new trailer and Bimini top.

[scottb7]

One of these? 2012 - SKI NAUTIQUE 200 - MAPPLE ICON EDITION - YouTube

[Kenboat]

Yes it is boat 5 of the 15 made. This one has been stored in the indoor rack.. The dealer was on the team with Andy and very close. Just could not part with the boat after Anfys untimely passing. Decided it was time to sell and I came across it and drove it Friday. Decided it was the boat I wanted and purchased it Saturday.

[jjackkrash]

Sweet! That's a real find.

[Kenboat]

yes it is really amazing in person, hate to use it but i really take care of my boas and this one will be very well taken care of.

[bturner]

I'm assuming you're getting it from Silver Spray, that's where I picked up my current boat from. Great dealer. If you're getting the trailer from them it will most likely be a Phoenix. If this is the case do yourself a favor and look very closely at what they're providing you in the trailer package. They have a customer package that Phoenix and Jeff put together which is great but I would recommend modifying the package a bit. This is what I would look at changing if possible.....

• Mine came with crash bars for the bow and wish I had the standard winch post.
• I was very specific about getting a spare and spare tire carrier. When I went to pick the trailer up the spare was there but no tire carrier so they had to order a bolt on. The bolt on from Phoenix is of very good quality but I wanted it welded on which was not an option at that point.
• The standard package comes with steel chrome wheels. On a boat like yours (and I thought even mine) I thought it should come with aluminum wheels. With all that black on the boat some black and brushed aluminum wheels would pop. If you can get these swapped out now it'll be a lot cheaper and you won't have to deal with the old wheels. The steel/chrome wheels will rust easily and are also very hard to balance. They took a ton of weight at the tire shop.
• In this price range I expected retractable tie down straps for the trailer. My trailer came with none. This is simple enough to add after the fact but if you don't want to deal with it later you may want to see if you're trailer will come with them and have them added.
• After you get the trailer take it to Discount Tire or some other tire shop and get the wheels balanced. People go both ways on balancing trailer tires but I do all mine and believe it helps extend the life of the tires. Balancing was not an option from Phoenix that I was aware of and mine were not balanced from the factory. Based on how much weight mine took being that far out of balance can't be good for the tires or any of the suspension components on the trailer.

The only other thing I did when I got my boat was get a waterline cover made from Sunbrella over at skiboatcovers.com which is in Flint off 75. If you're on a covered lift that you can tuck the boat up under this may be a bit of overkill. If not that black will take a beating from the sun. I also had mine made with the "over the platform" option which covers the platform and the transom. It has been an outstanding cover and has really helped with keeping the boat clean, dry and had kept the gel coat from fading or hazing. While I like the stock cover for storing the boat over the winter or if I need a cover to tow with it is nowhere near as nice for protecting the boat while on the lift.

[Kenboat]

Yes it is the Silver Spray boat. Thanks for the heads up on the trailer issues, we did not go into details but I would agree with you on all of your items. The boat does have a factory cover including the platform. Jeff and Patti really impressed me, I also was working with the Irish Boat shop in Traverse city and they just seemed to care less if they sold me a boat.