I have a question. My extended family is looking at buying an 08 MC x-15 for our family lake house. While my brother sister and I are big into wakeboarding, the rest of the family wants nothing to do with the tower. Does anyone have any experience with removing the entire tower off a new model mastercraft and just leaving the mounts on the boat. I'm not so much concerned with how difficult this is as opposed to what the mounts look like that are left on the boat. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

order a maristar version with out the tower, they call it a MS 215. Most dealers don't keep them in stock though.

I should clarify, when my brother and I are using the boat for the two weeks we are up there, we want to put the tower back on. We only want to take it off when we leave so the rest of the family can pull it into the left with a cover.

i have a 08 X-15 and went through the same issue with my family. The tower is large, heavy, and difficult to fully remove. I assume your asking if it can be removed and put back on depending on who is using the boat. It can be done but liek i said, difficult to say the least. Not worth the time. If i were you i would figure out a different option or different boat. Or in my case- find a way to make the rest of the family deal with it. haha good luck

It's a lot harder than you'd think. Those towers aren't light. We had to get a hoist to get ours off. Maybe try and swing them towards a maristar version, or an x-9 or something with a mini tower that they can ski from. it opens up more room in the back, while keeping the ski pull low, and they wouldn't have to bother with removing the tower.

That's a shame to hear your family isn't a big fan of the tower. But if you are just going to take the tower off of the boat anyway, maybe suggest they look at the MariStar 215. It's the exact same size and holding capacity. If you go on Mastercraft's website, you can compare both of them and they look pretty comparable minus the tower of course.

It has to hold the bimini!

I tried the bimini excuse, it didn't work haha. <BR> <BR>What we're thinking is that when we go to use the boat for the 2-3 weeks we are up there, my brother, dad and I will put the tower on. our dealer says with three of us and no lights or speakers, we should be able to do it. Then, when we leave and it's time for my aunts and uncles to go up to the place, the three of us will again take the tower off. <BR> <BR>The families biggest objection to the tower is that the boat won't fit in the lift with a canopy top. <BR> <BR>The concern is what is going to be left on the boat when the tower is off? What do the mounting plates look like?

Wouldn't it be easier to modify the canopy on the lift to accommodate the tower? Just add some extension poles to make the canopy higher.

is raising the lift cover an option?

If you are only going to use the tower for 2-3 weeks a summer, then maybe you should look at a boat where you could just slip on an extended pylon. There is no difference when riding behind the two. You can easily put it on and take it off by yourself.

They are actually really easy to take off. I put my tower on my X-Star by myself 2 years ago and that was with 4 tower speaker and lights. <BR> <BR>The side arms of the tower are only held together to the tube part with a couple of allen heads screws, so you can take each one of them off individually. I am not sure if the X-15 is the same as the X-Star but on the X-Star the piece with the lights and speakers is it's own section, so you can lift that off individually as well. It's really not a big deal.

Thanks everyone! Travis, the towers are the same. Do you remember what the mounts that were bolted on the boat looked like before you put the tower on?

They are just the aluminum pieces that the black round knobs screw onto. I would think you would want to leave those on instead of completely taking those pieces off. They aren't big.

You will need two biminis though. Unless the Aunts and Uncles/ or you don't need one.

probably be best to buy the maristar and but a v drive extended pylon.

Pretty easy to take off, I can take the tower off my X1 by myself in 10 minutes. But the real issue here is convincing your family to leave the tower on. Don't give up yet! Seeing a tower-less X15 would probably ruin my day- think of the innocent bystanders you'll be hurting by taking the tower off.

I suggest finding a new family.......just joking. I have always found that where there is a will there is a way.If you want to have the tower that bad then the effort will not bother you. However, my family did not like the tower at first but now they are all into it. Bimini, racks. they will get used to it as long as they dont ever have to fold it down

How about a <a href="http://www.airsling.com/powertower.cfm" target="_blank">Power Tower</a>? <BR> <BR>Click the link on the bottom of the page to see the video. <BR> <BR>Murphy's latest invention.

I just found out that Murphy is licensing his invention to another tower manufacturer. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.conquestwakeboardtowers.com/" target="_blank">http://www.conquestwakeboardtowers.com/</a>

If I had paid what I have paid for my MC... I dont think I would be taking the tower off... <BR> <BR>Sean <BR>H2O Pro Accessories

Don't tell that to the guys at 13th Floor or Samson. Seems like they make a lot of money replacing the bouncy MC towers.

well that's a different story. They did it so that they can actually sell product. <BR> <BR>Sean <BR>H2O Pro Accessories

Kyle, <BR>Give it a week or two and the rest of the family will fall in love with the tower. I find the tower functional and practicable, leave it on and tell them to enjoy it. Who's boat is it anyways?

Kyle, <BR> if you need to get rid of the tower I have an extended pylon<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/biggrin.gif" border=0> and i live in akron.