What dont you like about your boat?

ok, so i have been lurking and reading posts and searching for almost a year.

I have grown up on a boat since birth, but I have been out for about 15 years due to starting my own family and life.

My wife and I are done have kids, (2 boys, 4 and 1 year old) and we are ready to buy a boat and pass the experience to them.

With that said, have read countless threads comparing all the wakeboard boats out there. If all goes as planned we will be buying a boat this winter for next season.

I know what my search has narrowed me too, i am not going to bother you with comparing boats for me and finding the right one in my price range, i am quite capable of doing that my self.

What i would like to know from you guys is what boat you have, and what you honestly don't like about it.

This sight has provided me with so much knowledge and advise, it truly is a great experience even though i have never posted, i would like to thank everyone that has posted there experience in other threads and who will post in this one as well.

Thank You!

08 VLX--MUX buttons

2003 SAN.....

I am limited with the number of people I can comfortably take out.

I am limited with storage.

The biggest storage area is a PIA to get into when you have people in the boat.

If you have narrowed it down a little, then that would really help. Finding out what I don't like about my Mastercraft X45 will not help you if you are only looking at Malibus and Tiges.

Our boat is a 2005 malibu 23 lsv.

i dont like the fact that the seats hinge at the front. so many times have people slipped off after the seat flips up while putting a board in the rack. I don't like how the middle walkway is too narrow for most average sized people to sit in. the newer year boats are wider.

I dont like most of the lights to illuminate the closed compartments are bulbs. I wish they were all LED's. I switched them myself but wish they came as LEDs in the first place.

I dont like how the swim deck was covered with the hardest rubber that cut your feet. When the dealer switched it it is now really slippery.

I dont like how my wired transom remote and wired remote by the driver seat broke the first season. more of sony's fault then malibu's.

If you are on a choppy lake the bow sits low and when you have a few people in front you have to make an effort to keep the nose from dipping.

When surfing the rope rubs on the bimini and the edge is now torn from the abrasion.

All in all I adore my boat. Most things are minor inconveniences or can be fixed or replaced. good luck searching

How cheaply my Supra was built....

i didn't spend a few grand more and get a v-drive and tower

I wish the guides for my windblock were recessed in a little more as they can cut your feet if you accidentally hit them when walking through from bow to main cabin. Wish the ipod jack was next to the driver and not in the glove.

Boat - MB B52V Widebody.

X-star....

The only downside is the fuel mileage when fully loaded. Ha, ha, ha.

Otherwise it is the perfect boat. LOL!!!

Love the factory bimini, storage, wake, handling and rough water ride.

The payment...

hahahahaha

beat you to it

Yea you did, Ted.

05 Vride

We've corrected a few things. Moved the stereo remote to the passenger side. Also added MP3 inputs on the passenger side.

Got rid of the 6' tall stern light & built a tower mounted nav light.

Added some supports under the rear corner seats so they don't fall in.

2008 supra 22ssv

Overall love the boat. The no hinge seats have advantages for the the dryout process but are a pain in the butt when passengers new to the boat flip them all over the place to get to the storage.

1999 232 Cobalt

I don't like that there isn't a warranty. Something always breaks. Oh yeah, really wish I could surf behind it...

'05 VLX

Love everything about it except:

The carpet is terrible (but from what I understand from this site, this is specific to '05 VLX's).

My ballast system is constantly giving me problems.

It's tough to reach the handle that allows you to swivel the captain's seat.

It easily takes water over the bow when it is loaded. Whenever anyone but the most experienced driver takes the helm, the people in the bow are bound to get soaked!

Otherwise, the boat is phenomenal in terms of wake, storage, comfort and performance.

'06 Supra 21v

The ballast pump system. Waaaaaaaaay to slow.

07 mastercraft x2.

hate the ballast timers. other than that it has been a great boat.

That my Mastercraft (which is an '01) really can't be run under 1/2 tank of gas without risk of burning up the fuel pump. This is true of all MC's from 01-09. Really sucks - I am continually filling up.

The lack of freeboard in my outback V

'03 Supra

- +1 on the payment haha
-storage or lack of it
-previous owner decided to let it go without waxing or any other kind of care as far as the gel coat goes, so now i get to

It takes all my money!

Kilo - Was not aware of that. Thanx for the tip. I have a 09 X2 and the only thing I hate about it is having to keep it clean.

That I don't have Perfect Pass
I don't have a swinging tongue on the trailer causing it to be too long for most garages

06 X1.

Boat is very sensitive to left/right weight distribution.

Needs weight up front. If you have a small crew going out you have to fill a 400lb sack in the walkway along with the hidden bow bag.

Fuel gauge is basically a discrete switch indicating you have more or less than a 1/4 tank.

Space has not been a problem as many complain about with the 205V- we've had 13 before and 6-8 is comfortable. Plus it's easy to put in 2300 lbs of hidden ballast.

'99 Sanger V-210 ~ Stereo is on the observer side dash, and inside a glove box. Not easy to reach by the driver.
Other than that, wouldn't change a thing!

Kilo & DeeCee. This is an issue running almost any GM motor out of gas. Has little or nothing to do with being 1/2 empty, but being bone dry. Any Indmar, even trucks, etc. If the fuel pump is not being lubricated, it can burn up. Not sure of all the exact makes & models exactly, but it's the ones with the fuel pumps in the gas tanks.

Sounds like some of these issues are issues for some & not for others. For instance, I'd rather have the stereo where the passengers can handle it, and under the driver's arm just isn't it. And I have yet to sub my Vride, even weighted & full of people (crossing my fingers).

I have a 1994 Malibu Echelon. Downsides: Very little walking space because of fat sacs everywhere, its kinda small, takes water over the back and bow easy. Does not like rough water...but neither do I!

Upsides: It has a tower with 8 board racks, the stereo is awesome, Plumbed a auto fill/empty 560lbs sac in the bow, Same hull as the the original Wake Setter so the wake is amazing slammed with 2000lbs of ballast...oh and the best part is that its paid for!

cj - I was in your shoes a year ago. I did all the same research you are doing. Here's the thing... no matter what boat you buy you will have a list of dislikes crop up within a few weeks... all of them will be things that you never imagined, despite your months or years of research. You just can't avoid them all.

What this thread shows me is that the dislikes don't have much to do with the boats themselves. They seem to be particular pet peeves of the owners. OnlyInboards.com and I have the same boat, but our list is different because we are different.

With that said, here's my list:

1) Love my trailer, but wish it came with a spare tire (easy fix... but it's just one more thing to spend money on).

2) Wish I had sprung for another pair of tower speakers (my bad... BustOutAnotherThousand)

3) Kind of wish I had more than four cabin speakers (Ian was smart enough to ask for two extra in his ride)

4) A few times this summer my Zero Off has hiccuped and dipped speed by a few mph, then recovered (I'm told there's a new firmware upgrade)

5) Powdercoated towers scratch easily (I don't regret it, though)

6) Wish I had two cup holders by captain's chair, not just one. Wish I had another by the glove box too.

7) Sklyon rack on the port side likes to rattle in rough water... (plan to have dealer address... I hope it's just loose bolts).

8) The MB Team Wide Body has more seating than any other 21' boat... I used the think the storage was great too. Then I saw how an MC X-Star can stow multiple wakeboards under the bow seats. I'd still rather have the extra seats, but damn those MC's pickelfork models can sure swallow alot of gear!

That's all I can think of. See, like above it's a bunch of nit picky stuff that I could solve with more $$ or stuff that nobody else would ever really know.

Enjoy the process!!

2007 Supra 22V. Wish the ballast system filled faster, but not a huge deal... and that was fixed in '09. Wish it had a walk-through windscreen -- I had a fabric one made, but it's not the same. Wouldn't mind snap-out carpets, and wish Supra offered a saltwater package for those of us who are near saltwater and would love to take advantage of it without risking (as much) resale value!

ifxe, get some white appliance paint from the hardware store to fix the chipped powdercoating, will look as good as new.

biggest thing i dont like?
we have an outdrive....

Not a prop 3 feet under

Fine than son, Don't ride in our boat anymore!!!!

LMAO

^^^ pwned your son!!!!!!

08 Moomba LSV
When loaded down in the bow (1000lbs) the nose dips really easy.
The carpet is tough to keep looking new and would love to have a snap-out carpet option.
Slow ballast but I've helped it out a little.
Still the best bang for the buck in my opinion.

wow! thanks for all the quick responses, i didn't expect that many that fast!

Great responses, some things i haven't heard and some things i would never even think of when looking for this type of boat!

talltigeguy

to answer your question the reasons i didn't want to narrow down what boats are:

1. didn't want the thread to look like a manufacture specific bash thread

2. wanted to see what everyone has, see what was popular and see if people had the same grips

3. wanted the thread to be useful to everyone not just me.

DBC

i know exactly what you are saying, i figured most would be pet peeves, but wanted to make sure there wasn't something that i would really regret if i missed it.

I now for sure what ever boat I end up with, I will enjoy, and something will irritate me, at this point any boat is better than what i have lol

so keep them coming guys! thanks again!

07' Moomba LSV

+1 on easily scratch-able powder coated towers.
+1 on the snap-out carpet option.
Empty ballast keep seizing, easy upgrade though.
Aux remote stereo controls are terrible.
I hate my trailer with a passion.
Rough water is out of the question.

Other than that I couldn't be happier with it's wake, performance, and reliability.

lmao @ david B

07 nautique 236 needs more factory ballast and ipod cable in glove box sux. running cable out and closing the lid ruins cables fast. I thought hard and this was all I could come up with so we are really happy with it.

09 wakecraft. Need the the compartments to open without a key. Sure I want to lock them but not when I am driving or need to get sunglasses. Needs a back rest behind the captain's chair. Other then that I have had a great first 100 hours.

98 Sanger DLX

There is a little tear in the engine cover vinyl.

I flipping HATE that.

2008 SUPRA Sunsport 22V

Do not like: 40 gallon fuel tank (wish it was 52), no ballast gauges (added in 2010 models), no snap out carpet, stock ballast fill system was terrible - I re-plumbed the entire system and it is great now.

What I do like is: Z5 Cargo rack, great ice chest, nice wake, 1900 lb ballast, rear facing seat, swivel board racks, adjustable wake plate, pop out heaters, retractable ski pylon, and all the standard options SUPRA puts on there boat.

Overall great boat, have no regrets buying a SUPRA. Would recommend one to anyone.

I do hate that the X45 driver's seat does not swivel. I spend a lot of time just relaxing in the boat and can't turn around to talk to the peeps in the cabin.

Oh yeah. Same as dave with the factory ballast issue. Should be at least twice what it is but I guess thats how they sell the fly high upgrade .

08 Malibu LSV. I don't like my built in cooler. I would love the cooler to be better insultated on top. The seat is the top cover. I would like an actual cooler top that allows no air to escape under the seat, or some kind of actual seal between the seat and the cooler. On hot days, I will fill that cooler with ice in the morning and it will all be melted by the afternoon. That's annoying, but not a huge deal.

Other than that, I can't think of anything that really annoys me about my boat that is brand specific. The bimini top is difficult to put away, but most are. In choppy water my bones rattle apart, but all wake and ski boats suck in the chop.

I guess what I really don't like is how Malibu is constantly changing their gelcoat, decal, and tower designs. It only takes a couple of years to look outdated. I hate that.

I'll second the outdrive thing... I'm a poor boy though, work my arse off and decided to finally go back to school to finish my bachelors degree.

Tried to sell my convertible and too many tire kickers lowballing me, finally a guy was looking for a classic Ford convertible and had a decent boat I liked. Figured, eh, why not. Mixed feeling, probably shoulda kept the convertible 'till it sold and just got an older direct drive. When I got it I thought it was gonna be an all around family toy or some such thing, but turns out whenever the thing gets wet someone is riding behind it. Meh, live and learn.

2005 Supra Launch 24SSV

the fact that it runs on gas instead of something economical, like air, water, or pats on the back.

Boat Buddy is kind of fickle and sometimes it won't capture the boat.

CD player skips in rough rough water

I suppose if this is all I can think of I'm doing pretty well.

thanks again guys, the responses are very helpful.

good thread cj. I've had three boats.

the 07 supra20ssv....pretty small, poor build quality-stuff was coming apart after 10 months, imo. wake was solid for a 20ft boat.

08 X-star.....fuel hog, poor handling when loaded down, fuel pump and system is questionable. Boat buddy on trailer, good in theory, poor in execution. Awesome build quality.

09 SAN 210....small spaces for storage, wind shield mirror with FCT-3 tower. better than awesome build quality, handling and gas milage.

after being through the ringer with boats the last 3 years.....advice......DO YOUR HOMEWORK. I thought I did, but I didn't find what I truly wanted until the 09 SAN 210. That being said, boat companies seem to come up with new and better stuff each year. Every boat can't have everything we want for the price we want it at.

06 Tige 20V

the boat handles well in rough water, but as someone said about their MC it is touchy when it comes to the weight being situated side to side.

CONS

I DON'T LIKE THE WHOLE TIGES DON'T NEED BALLAST. That is nowhere close to true ( I have two sets of 440's). The cd player is on observers side. The piano hindges suck on the back lockers. The manufacture will not step up

PROS

Really good on fuel. Alot of fun to drive. I also really love to watch all the CLOWNS trying to launch their boats!

....having to remove the wind dam to get into the built in cooler. It sucks when we're rollin and you need a cold one but to get to the cooler, we need to flip open the windshield, pull the wind dam out....could have been built-in a couple inches back imo. other than that, i'm alright with it...07 avy

I don't like that the front ballast tank leaks and I'd have to pull up the whole floor to fix it.

I don't like how long it's taken to get our motor back from the rebuild it went through and then it's sat for a few weeks on the floor while we get rid of all the rust and paint stuff before it goes back in the boat.

I don't like that towing the boat out of town kills trucks. One burned out auto, one burned out clutch on a rental, one 8 hour 200 mile trip to the lake.

2002 X Star. Space inside rides for ••••••• rough water and HATE that there is no swivel seat for the driver!!!! Makes me NUTS. Oh bimini way too low need tower bim or something I thought OJ was going to come out with an affordable one.

(Message edited by tampawake on September 06, 2009)

My gas gauge is so inaccurate you'd think it was on a boat.

What dont you like about your boat?

I CANT DRIVE IT TO WORK!!!!!!!!

other than that....I have no gripes.

07 x star love everything about it. get one.

06 Sanger V210. Only complaint is tight rope walking the gunnels to get boards up and down while the bimini is up. Solution is to design and build a custom bimini with no support tubes, which I will do myself this winter, and re-order the sick swivel racks from Jim @ Viper Customs.

Mastercraft 05 X-2. There are a couple of annoyances but overall I absolutely love the boat. I had some problems initially with the ballast pumps, fixed with switching to newer impellers from MC (yellow or green) The boat buddy isn't worth the trouble, and I just switched it out for a bow roller. The fuel pump died on me last summer. The fuel gauge is not to be trusted once it gets to half tank.

The wake is awesome, the boat handles great, and it's been great times for us. The wakeboard wake is an A, the ski wake is one of the best for a V-drive, and the surf wake is good (good enough for us). Newer designs have more storage but the hull is a classic and still delivers one of the best wakes out there.

After reading this thread - it makes me so happy I spent the money to get what I wanted (2008 Malibu 23 LSV) - many of the items mentioned above have been addressed on this boat. Room (newer models are wider then the older ones), Swivel Drivers seat, decent stock ballast, love the cooler bag, big gas tank, great storage, led bulbs, swivel racks, big stereo. So far - I have been lucky and have not had any problems this year. When comparing boats of different years - it's easy to miss the little things all mentioned here.