🚀 go-pugleaf

> ...
> If you are into serious recreational waterskiing:
>     Stay away from jet drives:  they eat gas and do not leave a good
>      wake for various skiing...

I don't know what kind of recreational waterskiing you do, maybe you do
lots of tricks, but I slalom behind my 19' jet drive boat with a lot less
problems than behind my brother's 19' I/O.  He's got a huge wake, and we
don't.  Most of my friends and relatives prefer skiing behind my boat.
It really doesn't eat up more gas than his either, considering the engine's
larger than his.  It's also much more powerful in pulling the big guys out
of the water.  Yet its easy to maintain a slow speed for kneel boarding.


> ...  Personally, I'll ski
> behind anything except a jet. (too much spray in the face). 


We have a control on our jet to angle the spray.  We have never
sprayed a skier.  Also there are longer ropes available especially
for jet drive boats, so my skier does not get a spray in the face.

Another plus for our jet drive is that most of the lakes we boat on
are very shallow (except where we ski).  My brother is always repairing
his prop because he hit a rock or something in the water.  We have
run aground by accident (mud bar in the middle of a river) and had no
damage.

The major drawback to a jet drive is the noise.  It is really too
noisy.  But I like the power and speed of the boat and would not have
any other!

In the Chicago area I have not seen a new good 19' boat with 230 h/p for
under $12K.  For a good boat (complete package) with that kind of h/p,
you may pay from $14K to $24K.  For 140 h/p you can find one between
$7-$12K, but I don't think that's enough power.
-- 
Donna M. Hymel
ihu1g!dond
AT&T Bell Laboratories
IH 2C-319 312-979-6870