Show Ski Boats....Inboard vs. Hydrodyne

Totally interested as well.

Paging Hollywood.

I've only seen one on the water and it was pulling a swivel skier in what was a practice run I guess. The boat looked to be traveling approximately 15-18mph or slower and even at that speed, the wake was miniscule. I remember thinking that it would probably make a hell of a barefoot and/or slalom boat (for the skier at least). There was almost no bow rise. Seemed comparable to an inboard in that respect. I also remember that the motor appeared to be mounted in a way that would allow for maybe some negative trim which I'm guessing accounted for the lack of bow rise.

What I like about inboards though, is that they are real "driver's boats" and I've never been in any outboard that could come close to the handling and response of a tournament inboard. Stiff steering, stiff throttle action etc seemed to be the norm of the outboards I've been in. I'm guessing that those things could be addressed with power steering systems and upgraded engine controls, but still it just doesn't seem that it could ever compare.   I'll say, however, that I've not been in many modern outboard powered boats that were set up for watersports. Again, I've never been in a hydrodyne. Somebody school me on these please.

Tim, it does make sense what you are saying about the additional prop in the water transferring the power into usable energy. I've noticed that on youtube many of the large pyramids seem to be towed with twin outboard powered rigs. Maybe someone will chime in.

We have been doing a long term resto on a 69 "Dinky" Dyne it was a Central Florida Show boat that I have spent the last 4 years trying to restore on and off. I belongs to a Show team out of Lakeland. In Retrospect I should have recomended that the hull get cut up and thrown away but I accepted the challange and to this date we have removedd all the gelcoat, re-stringered with full length stringer, Re-done the bottom inside and out with Balsa Coring and re-inforced and rebuilt the transom to accept a 200 HP Merc short shaft and a jack plate. I could have built a new mold and a couple of boats for what I have into this project. But like I said I accepted the challange and after the first of the year we will flip the boat back up right and start rigging.

GTO!

Fl Inboards wrote: GTO!

gotcha!! hard to tell with the cover! but I was close

Kevin,
What is the 200 Merc Banana you referenced? Curious

Banana was a small boat co out of RI that built a boat based (plugged) off a 24'Cigarette boat. They made I/O's but most were outboards. Mine had 2 Mercury 200's and ran in the high 80's


The second boat I mentioned was the Baywatch 26' Scarab Sport from the sea World ski shows. It was used as a prop in the show rather than pulling skiers. Powered by 2 mercury 150's

Hollywood,
Have you ever driven any of these? It seems that anything other than a single engine would be a dog to drive, but a single rig with power steering and good controls would probably be pretty responsive. I'm told that the Malibu barefoot outboard boats (Flightcraft) and the MC barefoot and jump boats were easy to drive, responsive and fast as hell.
I wonder what the top end on these boats would be? How's the barefoot wake? I'm guessing that the only real benefit over an inboard is just in the pulling ability when towing lots of weight/people. Any other reason why a hydrodyne would be preferential to an inboard?

We just bought our dyne in the fall of 09 and re-did most of it during last winter and spring. Came across a good deal on twin 150 evinrude DI's with counter rotating props. Boats handle like a semi and get crazy scary if you have to turn AT ALL anywhere above 50mph. Most don't go 50 due to the fact that they're all propped to pull low end. We pulled 24 off the dock with our twin 150hp 20ft 1985 dyne, with 17 pitch props (too high for my liking)



After driving all day long in the Nautiques you're almost not physically tired. Everything is set up where you need it to be, and you can be in comfort all day long. After driving a day pulling skiers in a dyne you're shot. That is the huge difference I see between inboard vs outboard

Don't turn it down cuz I said they handle like a Semi! I mean, they do...but isn't that what makes them kinda fun?

We love our ski team dyne. It's a GREAT workhorse and pulls skiers like nobody's business. The only drawback is that they do get uncomfortable...compared to a Ski Nautique. Almost all boats are uncomfortable when you compare them to the best though.

Yeah Brian, the MC Stars&Stripes was what I was referring to. That's about the only MC I think I could ever own. I think they went to all wood in 84 or 85 at the latest. One of those years with the power slot option would be a fun project. They were PCM too until I believe 87. My 88 isn't for sale or anything like that I'd just like to have a second boat as a project if the timing and all that were right

There used to be a blue one, a red one, a green one and I think a black and white one, all on my lake at the same time. My neighbors had the blue one, I only got to ride in it a couple times though.

I've heard the term powerslot, was that like a bigger prop with a tunnel kinda?

MC was the first tournament ski boat manufacturer to run a reduction transmission, which they termed "Powerslot". They called it this because the hull had to be notched to clear the large 14x18 prop that was paired to the 1.5:1 tranny.

I really like the look of both the early 80's S&S's as well as the early 90's PS190's. There are 2 LT1 powered 93-94 boats on our lake and they pull and ski great. They sure dont drive like a CC though... and I sure would never own one! You guys must be taking crazy pills!

Never did/do like MC's all that much but dang they look very very nice.

Swatkinz wrote: it would be cool to own a similar era MC S&S as a second boat project.

Like I said, the S&S's were good looking boats- but vintage CC's are way cooler. Theres nothing wrong with owning more than one!

Since theyre direct competitors and the first MC was a modified Ski Nautique, the thought of owning both just seems sort of incestual to me.