Mastercraft 205

I am looking to buy a boat and as i understand this is the same hull as the x2(correct me if I am wrong) in a direct drive form. My big question is how hard and how much would it cost for me to install a good hidden (if possible) ballast system?

I am guessing that i could put a couple of sacks in the front storage compartment and a big sac in the rear compartment behind the seat. I dont think that i need 5000 lbs but want a decent wake.

Thanks in advance

What year of 205 are looking at? You can get a used 205v or older X-Star (same hull & v-drive) for what you would pay for a newer 205. Just a thought.

if you want the same wake as the x-2 just go find an old x-star on www.boattrader.com would be cheaper then buying new.
-alex-

I am sorry I am looking at an older 205 I am working on a minimal budget but want a good boat. It looks like a 2000 xstar is around 30k and a 1996ish 205 is closer to 16K.
The only thing is I dont want the sacs laying over the entire boat look.

Jon, You *might* be able to hide 1000 lbs worth of ballast and I stress the word MIGHT. We ran 2k in ours and the wake was top notch, but there were sacks everywhere. The owner before us even built in his own play pen style seating in the front to hide bow and ski locker weight. It's very hard to avoid, if not impossible in a direct drive. It's why we traded into a v-drive.

How would the wake be with 1000lbs of ballast and 4-6 people in it. I am not saying that we would not put other sacs on the floor if we really wanted a big wake but it just seems like it would be a pain.

Jon,
If you had 4-6 people in it all sitting in the observer & bow area, and you put the 1000 lb in the back you will get a decent weight. I'm not sure how old of 205 you are looking at, but a '96 doesn't have storage behind the rear seat, that's were the gas tank is. With the gas tank being all the way back it does make a difference with the smaller ballast weights if the tank is full or 1/4 full.

i didnt know that was the gas tank. I am just looking at boattrader I havent seen one in real life yet. But isnt the gas tank full of gas just as good as a sack full of water?
THis will be my first boat and I thought that this would be a good wake in a pretty affordable package that would give me some room to customize.

Ditto what Jason said. Ours didn't have any sort of storage behind the rear seat. The only weight we could hide was in the bow. I've got some pictures on my laptop at home of the wake with the weight setup a few different ways that I'll post later tonight when I'm home.

"THis will be my first boat and I thought that this would be a good wake in a pretty affordable package that would give me some room to customize."

Jon, a 205 d/d would be an EXCELLENT first boat.

Jon, don't get me wrong you can get a great wake off a 205. I put the back seat up into the sundeck postion and put 2-3 sacs under it. Then a sac in the walkway/middle bow area. I have some smaller side sacs to go under the front seats in the bow, but we usually have people sitting up there so we don't need the extra weight up there. You will probably find if you have more than 3 or 4 people you will use the bow more than the back seat, especially if you have girls going with, they like to ride in the bow.

"I put the back seat up into the sundeck postion and put 2-3 sacs under it."

can you please explain this statement

My friend has a 2001 205. Nice wake, although I wish he had perfect pass. We had a 500lbs in the back compartment, 400 in the walkway, and 350 on the sides of the engine. Plus 6 people and the wake was amazing.

You wont be able to hide the weight. You'll have to have about 800lb plus people evenly distributed throughout the boat to get a great wake.

A 205 is a great boat. I use to have a 1995.

maybe lead?

Jon,
the back seat bottom pulls out and sits on the armrests to make a large sundeck, much like a v-drive has. Because the bottom of the seat is on top there is a large area to put sacs under. I find many people don't like sitting in the back anyway because of the rope going by. A few people will sit on the engine cover, mostly to film, but that's it. If you still arn't understanding about the back seat I will show you some pics.

I think I got it but I would love to see pictures of your boat anyways. I am getting very interested in this boat.

I have a 2000 205dd.


we put a 400#sack in the ski locker, a 450#sack in the storage behind the seat and have two different 200# sacks that we can move around for wakesurfing. Even though the two smaller sacks are usually on the side of the engine, they don't realy get in the way.

Its a fun boat, throws a decent wakeboard wake and a great surfing wake. Plenty of room for me, my wife, my 3 kids, and anyone else that wants to come along.

Jon, I'll get pics today after work

Jon, I use to have an '00 205. They stopped making them in 2000 and switched to the 209, so you won't find a newer one as stated above. The '98 and newer models do have the same hull as the X-2. Older ones do not. I put a 500lbs sac in the back locker and one in the ski locker. Add five people and the wake is outstanding. I loved the boat, but decided to trade it in on a V-drive. You can put people in the back if you pull from an extended pylon or tower. The other bonus is that it throws an excellent ski wake(unweighted)and handles like an indy car.

One more thing. We had eleven people in it with the sacs full one time and the wake was scary big. Wish I had pics of it.

They still make the 205 they just don't make DD 205's anymore. The 205 was the best selling MC of all time. Get it you'll love it.

http://www.mastercraft.com/html2005/prostar_boats.asp?pmid=43803&contentid=0

Sorry, I was refering to the DD.

I am looking at a 96. I thought that they were the same as the new x2. Can someone let me know what the wake was like then

Never been in a 96. I would venture to say that the wake will still be good.

Jon, I have a '96, you can get the wake about as good as an X-2 with a little patience. The hull is pretty much the same as the x-2, you would be hard pressed to find them. I will still take pics of the my boat after work, and I will see if I have any pics of the wake.

Thanks Jason. one questions. What woud ou be hard pressed to find? I cant wait to see the pictures.

Paul said that they stopped making the DD205 in 2000 and made the 209. Would the 209 throw as good of wake as the DD 205 when properly weighted? I think the 209/x-9 is a very sharp looking boat.

Jon,
I have a 1993 205. it Is a very nice boat. It has plenty of room, and if weighted it throws a very good wake. With the added weight, I did change from the 13 X 13 OJ prop to a 543 Acme. It pulls right up now.


I have a custom compartment that replaced the rear seat.

It hold about 1000 gals. It is filled and drained by a Jabsco pump controlled from the dash.

There are two 250 lb side sacs on each side of the engine cover. they are stored in the side compartment when not in use. They are also attached to the Jabsco pumps

I also use a sac in the walkway. It fills from the ballast system, but I have to un attach it when not in use. If there are people in the bow I usually dont use it. This sac is a 550 lb sac, but never get all the way full.


The whole system take about 11-12 minutes to fill, including setting up the sacs. it takes about the same time to empty.
I installed this system for less than $500.00
As said above you can not totally hide a ballast system in the direct drive. You can put a front sac in the ski locker.
I dont because that is where I have the ballast pumps. I hope to move them to the back of the boat next winter. Then My front sac will go in there.
Hope this helps. I think you would be very happy with a 205. The only thing I can think that would be better ( in the price range ) would be a sport nautique

Jon, did you get the pics I sent to your email?

Mike, nice pics and description of your setup. I have never been in a 205, but when I looked at some on boattrader, it seemed that the pre-99 models did not have a floor locker. Did I just miss something, or was it optional? Maybe it was hard to see from the pictures.

My 95 had a ski locker in it. A 209 is s very wide boat so it's going to be harder to sink to get a good wakeboard wake. You can still do it, it will just take more weight. I'm not sure if a 209 come with ballast where X-9 comes with ballast. I'm not sure how much and I don't know how well it's hidden. I think they put it under the back seat. Both boats are very nice and you couldn't go wrong with either.

Rich:
They have a ski locker located at the walk thru.

Thanks Jason looks like a pretty good setup.
How many people can ride in the boat with the back seat flipped up.

Mike I really like what you have done my question again is about the seating do you have enough for 5 or 6 people.
If I get the boat that I am planning on I would like to do something similar to what you have done except try to build 2 seats that would go on each side of the motor box. My only concern with doing that is that you would not have hardly any floor space in the boat.
How important is the floor space to you guys?

Jon,
With the observers seat extension we get 3-4 in the bow and 3-4 in the middle counting the driver. Many times we have some one sitting on the engine cover filming and people sitting on the sides of the engine. So typically we have 6 of us but have gone up to 10. Also the extension you can order through Mastercraft, all you need is your hull ID#. The will go through their records and make you one(or more) to match. They are an all plastic frame, so nice and light. They will fit on sides of the engine cover, but they are $400 a pop so it can get spendy.

Here is the seat I am talking about, I had this made in 2001, I think MC did a great job of matching the rest of the vinyl

I've got a loaded 99 for sale.

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/8/221982.html?1117821100

Brian actually I saw it and it got me thinking about buying a 205. Oregon is just a little too far for me. But it is an awesome boat I cant imagine you having much trouble selling it.

Jon:
I can fit 6-7 comfortable. Two in the bow, One driving, one in the observer seat, and three on the swim deck either facing forward, or back twoard the rider. The sacs in the floor make it a little agrevating to move around. I have thought about making a lounger on each side of the engine box. That way the sacs could fit underthieth.

I would throw the sac in the rear storage on mine. You could not fill it all the way, but you didn't have to take the seat out. by adding two people in the rear, it was like having it full with more room.

I've got a 2k 205 DD and it's a great boat. I run 1100lbs, all hidden. 550 in the back and 550 in the floor using 5 pumps to fill and drain. Very nice wake for me.

I found out that I was wrong about the hull change in '98. MC told me that the current X-2 hull has been in production since '96. They changed the deck in '99. So I would say a '96 would throw an exellent wake. Sorry about the misinformation

Paul, thanks for the information. That is what I orginally though, and a bumch of people have been saying it changed, but looking at the hulls I could never see a differance.

Thanks Paul. That is great news for me. not that it would have changed my plans but that means a better wake. I had noticed that in 96 the windshield changed. The post 96 boats are more attractive in my eyes.