Ski Pull

My 64 Skylark has a ski pull on the stern of the boat but the bench seat middle section has a hole for a center mount ski pull. I have a real nice pole and loop from a 1960 Century Resorter but the ski loop does not have the curved center piece. It's just a big loop. It is not the lifting ring. I want the ski pole in the center but want the ski loop like the one on my Skylark. That one will not fit my pole. The one I want to use has a fat pole (crome bronze).

In the photo album you will see the original short stern mounted pull and the older mid mount pole and pull loop.

Check out the new photos of the ski pulls in my photo album:


Photo Album





Where can I get a new style loop for my long pole?

Pete, I've looked at your pictures and have got the idea that the previous owner put the extened pylon in the bulkhead for wakeboarding. He then took the standard (original) and put it in place of the rear lifting ring posibly for tubing! Oh No!! See if you can move the pylon in the back to it's original bulkhead position and then find a lifting ring for the rear.

Just a hint for posting pictures: When posting, do them from top to bottom instead of from side to side. When done side to side it makes the pages real wide and harder to read because you then need to scroll back and forth.

Lifting ring source?



Email them a picture of your bow lifting ring to see if they have a match.

Pete, I like yourself wish there were more photos available on the Skylark showing the ski pylons but I don't think CC would have sacrificed the rear lifting ring for the pylon. I would put the lifting ring you have in the rear and then move that ski pylon to the center through the floor to the keel just like you have pictured your old Century pylon of coarse not that high!! It will take some fabrication but I feel it would look correct. The old pylons were steel tubing with the chromed ring/finger and shaft inserted into it. You may have a hole already in the floor under the vinyl floor covering. I put in several of these in the late 60's when working at a CC dealer. There may even be a bracket glassed into the keel for the bottom mount. A local fabricator could make something up because I don't think you will have much luck finding a original.

The rings only without the fingers were used by some boat manufacturers. The loop in the end of the ski rope goes through the ring then over the ring to the ring shaft. I still do it when there are to many ropes to put on the finger alone.

Edit: I just looked at all the Skylarks in the diaries and they all are set up with the middle pylon and a rear lifting ring.

Pete, Do you know if your stringers are ok?

I found a bracket for a pole under the floor board. It is mounted to the horizontal between the engine stringers in front of the engine. It mounts flush with a portion sticking out that has a central hole that is placed horizontal. Looks like it would be used for a pole that has a hole drilled through the bottom and a bolt mounted through that. Kinda like a swivel mount. When I get the floor board off to take a picture I will do that unless someone here already has a picture of the forward ski pole mount that they would like to share with us new guys trying to figure things out.

Can't take a photo yet because it's too dark and can't get into a good enough position to get the camera down below.

lumiecraft

Support under the bulkhead is minimal. Mostly to keep the pole from moving pivoting backwards under use. Extra support could be glassed in pretty easy under the bulkhead. Overall that bulkhead is pretty strong. I'd just feel better with a glassed in block shaped to fit. I may just keep my set up I have now and find a pull ring with the center finger. I would take advantage of the below deck mount by having the pole drilled so I could fit a bolt through and mount that pole to that. It would lower that pole only by a few inches and I'd still have a nice tall pole for boarding with out having to get a tower. Might still be fine for skiing too. Might make a short pole for skiing. I'd be worried that the rope would get caught up on the stern light pole even with it all the way down. Maybe that's why the ski pull was installed on the stern.

Just a thought.

Center bulkhead does remove to make that reinforcement very easy. Since I have a tall pole I won't think of putting a tower on the boat. If I did put a tower it would be a custom one to fit and look good with the boat. At this point I will stick with the taller pole. Any one have a picture of a clearance bar?

Pete, I did the search and found the pictures. They were bent out of hollow back half oval stainless. Taco product from West Marine.