Any one have experience buying an older nautique or similar?

I had seen a few posted on TA over the last couple of months I am now kicking myself for not inquiring.

Strictly inboard

Always loved Malibu's

There was a sunsetter posted here a while back that looked beautiful at a fair price too.

Yeah, my dad bought a 1994 MasterCraft ski boat in about 1999 when I was in HS and it has been a work horse. Since you didn't have any specific questions, I'll tell you that for serious skiing or wake boarding, it's lightyears better than an I/O or bass boat. It's just like a car engine, so routine maintenance is easy and for serious maintenance you can take them to a trusted auto mechanic (so long as they don't start it without water). It still looks great and runs like a top 20+ years later. We started pulling my kids last summer.

3rdGenAg05 said:

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Yeah, my dad bought a 1994 MasterCraft ski boat in about 1999 when I was in HS and it has been a work horse. Since you didn't have any specific questions, I'll tell you that for serious skiing or wake boarding, it's lightyears better than an I/O or bass boat. It's just like a car engine, so routine maintenance is easy and for serious maintenance you can take them to a trusted auto mechanic (so long as they don't start it without water). It still looks great and runs like a top 20+ years later. We started pulling my kids last summer.

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exactly why I strictly want in in board. The I/O has the added headache, and danger, of the lower unit. A friend in HS has an older nautique and it was a champ. I had only skied behind a bay boat otherwise.

What about the Maverick man... You could get a skier up behind the 18 you want.

Salt of the water said:

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What about the Maverick man... You could get a skier up behind the 18 you want.

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the goal has always been to have 2 boats. With 2 small kids and a constant yearn for being on the water my order of purchase has changed some.....

http://boats.iboats.com/ski-wakeboard-boats-texas/c200029i85/

WhoopRAB said:

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Here are some places to look besides boat trader and craigslist.

Www.ski-it-again.com
www.onlyinboards.com
Www.planetnautique.com
www.correctcraftfan.com
Www.themalibucrew.com
And mastercraft.com team talk

Not sure if it is still the case but boat dealers would deal heavily following the boat show. They needed to move the trade ins they took in at the boat show.

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awesome thanks

Make sure you go over the boat with a find tooth comb. Expect any wood areas to rot (I'd exclude such BRAND boats). Check the engine out, but keep in mind it will probably be the most up-kept part of the boat.

Buying season is now through mid-winter. Plenty of inventory. If in a coastal area, inquire whether the boat was run in salt water and avoid if possible due to accelerated corrosion in hidden areas.

ought1ag said:

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its easier to ski out of a regular boat than it is to fish out of a ski boat.

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my dad has a bay boat so in a pinch the fishing part is covered.

budget? that pretty much dictates all else with a 'ski boat'

evestor1 said:

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budget? that pretty much dictates all else with a 'ski boat'

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i'll send you an email. maybe you have a list of things to look for with regards to signs that the previous owners kept up on the maintenance properly. My dad has had outboards for 25 years but I imagine an inboard has a few nuances that need to be considered.

Some people are just boat/lake people. It's in their DNA. We have friends like this. Every waking moment, they are asking us to come to the lake with them. They have three children. Two little girls, and their boat.

To the boat/horse/money-suck crowd. If you are a dabbler. When you get the inevitable cost issues. You bail. It happens. Or they start to b***h. Then bail.

I'd like to get a really nice pontoon boat someday to fish from, grill, take friends out, etc. But I'd rather have a nice tractor for ranch work.

BlueSmoke said:

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Some people are just boat/lake people. It's in their DNA. We have friends like this. Every waking moment, they are asking us to come to the lake with them. They have three children. Two little girls, and their boat.

To the boat/horse/money-suck crowd. If you are a dabbler. When you get the inevitable cost issues. You bail. It happens. Or they start to b***h. Then bail.

I'd like to get a really nice pontoon boat someday to fish from, grill, take friends out, etc. But I'd rather have a nice tractor for ranch work.

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This is who I want to be except 1 boy and 1 girl.

I have a '93 Ski Nautique. It is a very well built boat. It has a 351 in it with about 650 hours on it. I am the third owner but I know the previous owners very well so I know it was well taken care of. The biggest thing I love about it is that it was the last year they put carbureted motors in them before they went to EFI. No electronics or computers on the motor so it is very easy to work on. If you are looking for an older boat this might be something to think about. The trade off is it isn't as fuel efficient but it's not too bad. It will run about 4 hours on a 16 gallon tank. As others have said avoid inboards that have been run in salt water, and just make sure the boat has been well maintained. A 10-12K boat might be cheaper than a 6-8K boat in the long run.

Finn Maccumhail said:

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BrandoC said:

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Dont. Money pit unless your a millionaire.

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Name one "hobby" which isn't a money pit?

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playing "42"
pitching washers
whittling
reading
walking/running
origami

Define older 10 years? 20 years? Shop hours for ski boats generally run $125-150 vs the typical $80-100/hr for an outboard. The less you spend up front the more you'll likely spend on the back end.

FWIW I think you're making a smart decision. Every time I drive over the lake Dunlap bridge I wonder why I bought a bay boat over a wakeboard boat.

Lose A Few said:

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Finn Maccumhail said:

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BrandoC said:

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Dont. Money pit unless your a millionaire.

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Name one "hobby" which isn't a money pit?

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playing "42"
pitching washers
whittling
reading
walking/running
origami

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So which one are you Bartles or Jaymes?

FIDO*98* said:

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Define older 10 years? 20 years? Shop hours for ski boats generally run $125-150 vs the typical $80-100/hr for an outboard. The less you spend up front the more you'll likely spend on the back end.

FWIW I think you're making a smart decision. Every time I drive over the lake Dunlap bridge I wonder why I bought a bay boat over a wakeboard boat.

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I am thinking '95ish to early 2000's
My parent's have been kicking around the idea of moving onto the lake as well.

I owned a 1998 Tige with the MPI Mercruiser for 14 years. Great boat with few engine problems. I was the second owner. I would stick with a fuel injected engine. The carburetor engines require more maintenance and adjustment. The ones I test drove typically had more performance related issues as well.

All I ever did to my engine was replace the oil/oil filter and fuel filter every year and the raw water pump impeller every two years. I believe I replaced the spark plugs about every 5 years. It was also winterized after every season. The gas mileage on any type of wakeboard boat is going to suck.

Do the maintenance and they will last a long time.

Finn Maccumhail said:

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Lose A Few said:

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Finn Maccumhail said:

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BrandoC said:

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Dont. Money pit unless your a millionaire.

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Name one "hobby" which isn't a money pit?

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playing "42"
pitching washers
whittling
reading
walking/running
origami

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So which one are you Bartles or Jaymes?

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I'm the guy on the right..definitely a belt & suspenders guy.

We went a few years without a boat after the birth of our second son. We just bought another this year toward the end of summer and the fun that we have with them is worth it. So much family fun. We actually found ours on Texas bow hunters. Best of luck to you and yes it's worth it if your boat people

Ski Nautique with Ford Hi Performance 351W with Holley Double Barrell Carbs is the way to go if you can find one in good shape and been taken care of.

Here's a 1993 in Ft. Worth area looks well taken care of color looks Aggie Maroon

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/1993-correct-craft-skier-103136126

If you're looking at older boats I always liked the Supras from the late 80s all the way up the the millennium. I think they just have really classic lines and style.

ought1ag said:

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its easier to ski out of a regular boat than it is to fish out of a ski boat.

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Yep. Good thing we had a master craft and a center console bay boat growing up.

That said, ski boats have gotten crazy expensive since the 80s.

drumboy said:

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ought1ag said:

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its easier to ski out of a regular boat than it is to fish out of a ski boat.

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Yep. Good thing we had a master craft and a center console bay boat growing up.

That said, ski boats have gotten crazy expensive since the 80s.

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a new ski boat can be $130,000+