Wakeboard tower, need advice |
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must_dash
Senior Member Joined: August-27-2011 Location: Lake Maggiore, Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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Posted: September-29-2011 at 1:32pm |
Hi, looking for advise and information on wakeboard towers.
The Martinique has a prehistoric homemade tower that looks ****, I'm sure you'll agree. The plan for the winter is to remove it and replace with a modern design. Any ideas on good designs and styles again bad? What features should I be looking for? I will also be attaching a bimini to it, looking at the Monster Cargo Bimini. The racks should also be capable of holding a kneeboard. I quite fancy the latest style where the legs are close together, I guess I would need to reinforce the gunwales to install one of these. |
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1986 Martinique - sold
When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice. |
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storm34
Grand Poobah Joined: November-03-2008 Location: Dexter Iowa Status: Offline Points: 4492 |
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THAT is interesting!!
I guess I've never seen, or paid attention, to any Martiniques with towers. My guess is it's going to be tough to get one with the "legs closer together" look because your windshield extends so far to the transom. I would plan on reinforcing the glass either way. Good looking boat, salt water use I assume? |
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must_dash
Senior Member Joined: August-27-2011 Location: Lake Maggiore, Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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Being an '86 model I would assume a lot of both. It has a cast iron home made intercooler which points to sea use. That is going to come out as the end caps have split and the intercooler is no longer needed as the boat is on fresh water.
The tower is made of stainless, off to the scrapyard with that to get a few pennies back. |
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1986 Martinique - sold
When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice. |
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quinner
Grand Poobah Joined: October-12-2005 Location: Unknown Status: Offline Points: 5828 |
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Both boats I have owned with factory towers have nothing more then a backing plate equal in size to the foot pads at the base of each of the (4) legs with (4) thru bolts at each foot. Wonder if there is any additional embedded support in the glass at those area's??
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Tim D
Grand Poobah Joined: August-23-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2641 |
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What's the deal with the extended tail lights? Is that a law?
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Tim D
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bonuts
Groupie Joined: October-05-2009 Location: C-eh N-eh D-eh Status: Offline Points: 50 |
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I installed the Monster cargo bimini on my tower and love it. Can't really help with tower choice but I did like this bimini.
bonuts |
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Terry
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GlassSeeker
Grand Poobah Joined: November-26-2008 Location: Elk Grove, CA. Status: Offline Points: 2421 |
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I think I'd just use it as it is and add a bimini.
nothing is going to look very good on it. |
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This is the life
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MattB
Senior Member Joined: September-30-2011 Location: Nottingham UK Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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I was thinking about looking at a Martinique before the 2001 came along, they are very solid boats and if weighted correctly will put out a very nice boarding wake although they can be difficult to get weighted correctly.
I did find this picture of a Monster tower on a Martinique, it looks ok, but there are probably better looking options. I think the FCT towers look better as the front legs will follow the angle of the windscreen. http://kansascity.craigslist.org/boa/2614816434.html Nice boat. |
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MattB
Senior Member Joined: September-30-2011 Location: Nottingham UK Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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Oh and just out of interest where did you pick the boat up from, I am sure I saw it advertised in the UK a few months back.
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must_dash
Senior Member Joined: August-27-2011 Location: Lake Maggiore, Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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You did, the ugly tower is a give away!
It was with Nautique Marine in Windsor in June and was sold, that owner then put it back on the market in July as it was too big and I bought it in July for substantially less that the asking price. Pleased with it, though as it is a BFN hull and heavy the 454 engine would have been a better option. It has 350 hrs on the clock and is generally in good condition, especially as I don't think there has been a cover on it for a while. As with most boats this age it is due for a stringer job. Tom |
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1986 Martinique - sold
When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice. |
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MattB
Senior Member Joined: September-30-2011 Location: Nottingham UK Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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It was the tower and the trailer that really gave it away but the picture you posted looked really familiar, I think over the last 2-3 years I have been monitoring the market I have only seen 2 of them come up for sale.
I like the Martinique as they offer good internal size and with the extra space in the open bow and from reports on the other wakeboarding forums they look like they can make a very nice wake when they are loaded up with a few sacks, you will need to re-prop if you do load it up though. Good find. Are you spending the winter months doing any work on it ? |
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must_dash
Senior Member Joined: August-27-2011 Location: Lake Maggiore, Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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The Martinique was exactly what we were looking for. It is a real family and friends boat that tows well for tubes, skis, wakeboards and for cruising.
The tower has come off and may be replaced by a pylon for when it is needed. Generally we ski and the kids tube. Winter projects are: To remove the 'home brew' intercooler that has cracked. Being on a lake I don't need it and it occupies the under floor space where the second battery will go. Add a second battery system, split charger and isolator. Add a sound system, looking at this http://www.marine-audio.com/products/waterproof_mp3_fm_am_guage_size_stereo.php,with an MP3/iPod dock, an amp and waterproof speakers. Sort out the electrics and some bad earths, check the alternator etc. I get lots of low voltage alarms. Also fit a kill switch. Re-fresh all the teak. Polish the hull. Fix a few loose rivits in the windscreen. Add a bimini top and new cover. Look at doing some uphostery work to repair a or replace the damaged bits. Re-paint the anti-fouling. I also need to investigate the stringers (or lack of in places) and come up with a 'fix' till next winter to ensure all is safe. And anything else that comes up before March. Tom |
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1986 Martinique - sold
When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice. |
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MattB
Senior Member Joined: September-30-2011 Location: Nottingham UK Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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You have quite a list, definitely keep us updated on the progress, I am interested in how it looks after you have had a chance to get it all clean and looking its best again.
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must_dash
Senior Member Joined: August-27-2011 Location: Lake Maggiore, Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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There is also a lot of planning for next year's rebuild being done.
Thinking about a teak or teak style floor. I have to blame Jonas' Teak Mustang here for the floor idea. We have a dog and the carpet is a real hair collector. I may also try to convert the foam filled spaces in the hull to built in ballast tanks while doing the stringers. Has anybody else thought of this? Quick question here: How do you get the water into the tanks? How do CC and MC do it? |
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1986 Martinique - sold
When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice. |
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MattB
Senior Member Joined: September-30-2011 Location: Nottingham UK Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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Something like these Jabsco Ballast Pump and a through hull fitting would be required to fill and drain the tanks.
Not sure how much space there is under the floor for the tanks, would you be able to get sufficient weight under the floor to make it worthwhile? and obviously if you did install tanks under the floor you would need to sacrifice the foam (foam vs no foam argument) what about the structural integrity of the boat? You could just stick with your wet foam As you were looking for a good family boat you are probably better off with a couple of fat sacks that you can fill and position where they are needed `when` you require them for wakeboarding, you can also get the weighting right by moving them and people around the boat, from other posts the Martinique is capable of producing a very good wake but takes a LOT of extra ballast and you also need to position it carefully, its a big boat and will need lots of weight to get it down. The teak floors look great and would look nice and the other jobs on your list are all great but I'm not so sure about under floor ballast! |
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Tomski
Senior Member Joined: October-19-2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 227 |
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Hey, good to see a couple more UK residents on here.
Where's home water for you? Windermere for me and my 2001, I might be breaking the law, but it's still the best place to ride. Isee your boat is Loch Ken registered, we headup there 4 or 5 times a year. Last trip for me resulted in a broken tibia though, so I've been off the water for the last 3 months! |
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Easily Parted From Money
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must_dash
Senior Member Joined: August-27-2011 Location: Lake Maggiore, Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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I'm a Brit but escaped to the Italian Lake area earlier this year from the North West. Lake Maggiore is now 'home' for the future.
Tom |
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1986 Martinique - sold
When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice. |
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Tomski
Senior Member Joined: October-19-2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 227 |
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Hmm, nice - might compete with 'mere as a place to ride! We are planning a mega road trip to Anacey next year if all goes to plan.
i half thought about buying that martinique myself. Tom (as well!) |
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Easily Parted From Money
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Okie Boarder
Gold Member Joined: August-31-2009 Location: OK Status: Offline Points: 779 |
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Try checking out Aerial. I put the Aerial Airborne tower on my Supra and it follows the lines of the older style pretty good. You can also check out New Dimensions. They are pricey but they are great towers.
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MattB
Senior Member Joined: September-30-2011 Location: Nottingham UK Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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That must be 3 or 4 of us on here from the UK then nice :)
I am based just outside Nottingham only bought the 2001 a couple of months ago and the previous owner made frequent trips up to Loch Ken some of his pictures look really great so its definitely on the list for possible road trips, probably look at a road trip across to Europe at some point also. |
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Tomski
Senior Member Joined: October-19-2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 227 |
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Good News!
LK is good, quite a small ski area, but amazingly flat water. We've left the jetty with white horses, to find the ski zone like glass. If you're making the trip from Notts, it's probable worth pressing on to Lomond as it's only an hour or so further. Be interested to know how you get on with the Euro trip, Annecy is our target next year. One from this summer on Loch Ken - it went; powerslide, one wake toe side jump, butterslide, broken leg! |
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Easily Parted From Money
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MattB
Senior Member Joined: September-30-2011 Location: Nottingham UK Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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We visited Lomond last year whilst on a camping trip around Scotland (without the boat) and visited http://www.lochlomondwakeboard.com/ which is a great setup which is just getting better all the time, this season they have a couple of new boats which they purchased at the London Boat Show in January, I had a good chat with the main guy (sorry his name has slipped my mind at the mo) he had some great plans for the place.
The only problem with Scotland that I could see is the unpredictable weather, but the endless hours of daylight in the summer months are just amazing so should make up for any odd days of bad weather. Lomond is on the list of places to visit again for sure. We have been fortunate to visit the Wakeboarding Camp (Florida), The Boarding School (Florida) and Xtreme-Gene (Spain) along with Lomond. We would definitely give Lomond another visit as a great location to go in the UK especially since their boat upgrades and new facilities, not sure if the hottub overlooking the loch ever got installed. Unfortunately the last year or two have been very poor for time on the water but now we have our own boat things will change when the warmer weather comes. We will spend at least the next season getting back into shape and enjoying the time on the water and I'm not sure if we will arrange a road trip for next year or not, we have a big Asia holiday early next year so holiday time might be a little limited :( Once we are back into boarding full time a trip back to one of the camps will be on the cards though. One week until the boat is winterised just need to complete my SBDA. |
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MattB
Senior Member Joined: September-30-2011 Location: Nottingham UK Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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OUCH! I love powerslides but have witnessed a couple of the guys almost knock themselves out cold with a back edge...a broken leg is very bad
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Tomski
Senior Member Joined: October-19-2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 227 |
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Yep, not a good way to end the season!
If you're up our way PM me, there's always room in the boat, either my 2001 or mate's (whisper) X2. Never seen your boat out on the loch, looks nice though. You'll love it, X2 wake isn't as good the 2001! Not the biggest, but big enough to break your leg on! |
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Easily Parted From Money
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MattB
Senior Member Joined: September-30-2011 Location: Nottingham UK Status: Offline Points: 376 |
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Cool thanks for the invite, same thing stands if you find your way down to the Midlands.
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berryla
Newbie Joined: November-28-2011 Status: Offline Points: 3 |
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Can't really help with tower choice but I did like this bimini.
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kenowja
Groupie Joined: March-20-2012 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 43 |
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yea my coyote has a monster tower, the MT1, and i love it, i am having to look at getting a quick release pretty soon, because we have the pilon attachment on the top of the tower, and its the pilon that spins, so if we wanted, we could do around the boats. can anyone tell me how to drive for that?
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Jake
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