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Malibu Euro F3 |
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Captain Nick 
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Joined: December-01-2013 Location: Batavia, IL Status: Offline Points: 129 |
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 Topic: Malibu Euro F3Posted: March-08-2023 at 8:16pm |
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About the 1989-1994 Malibu Euro F3. I always thought these boats look really cool looking. The graphics and style of the boat look awesome.
What's the quality like? How is it for slalom skiing? Comfort of ride and driving?
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Live life to the fullest!
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Jonny Quest
Grand Poobah 
Joined: August-20-2013 Location: Utah--via Texas Status: Offline Points: 2992 |
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Posted: March-09-2023 at 8:14am |
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My brother owned a “Bu” for several years. I skied behind it many times. Don’t think his was the Euro F3. I believe it was an open-bow Sunsetter 20’. The Bu has some features that I liked, such as snap-carpet and finished gelcoat on the floors. It was a Chevy 350 engine with a ZF tranny if I recall correctly. Wake was OK, but just Ok. The Response hull has a better wake. The Response looks a lot like the Euro F3, so the wakes may be similar to the Response. The drive-train spun a lefty prop with 1:1 ratio.
Nice boats…but a smidge behind CC in overall quality, ride, handling and tracking (IMO). I wouldn’t hesitate to own one for the right price in the right circumstances. JQ
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Current
2003 Ski Nautique 206 Limited Previous 2001 Ski Nautique Open Bow 1994 Ski Nautique Open Bow Aqua skiing, ergo sum |
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MrMcD
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Joined: January-28-2014 Location: Folsom, CA Status: Offline Points: 3754 |
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Posted: March-09-2023 at 12:48pm |
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The Sunsetter is larger and has a larger wake than the Skier or F3, My buddy had a Sunsetter and I had the Skier, the wake behind the Skier / F3 hull is really good. The Gel Coat on the Malibu is very pretty normally but the build quality is a bit behind the Nautique. They will turn very sharp if needed but I found they were not consistent based on how many people in the boat. The drive changed a lot depending on how many people you had in the boat, it did not turn as good loaded. My 95 Nautique drives exactly the same with 2 or 6 people in the boat, you can feel the weight but it drives the same. Not in the Malibu. Great ski boat when you go out with 3 people. One in the water and two inside the boat. They are light and fast but behind the Nautique in build quality. I owned one for 20 years. Maybe the newer Malibu’s got better. Mine was a 1987.
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davidaha
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Joined: May-13-2020 Location: Kansas Status: Offline Points: 50 |
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Posted: March-11-2023 at 10:51am |
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Owned a 92 Malibu Euro F3 OB about 4 boats ago.
Had lots of great sets and family lake time in it.
Did lots of repairs, but largely due to its age, but some due to cheaper build quality. It did not feel as solid as the 92 SN I have now. Ski wake was good on ski lake water, but not Nautique great. Had it on a public lake a couple times and due to the hull design it would smack really hard (like painful) in waves over about 4in and you had to keep it below 15mph to ride it out. |
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98 SN
previously 92 SN |
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MrMcD
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Joined: January-28-2014 Location: Folsom, CA Status: Offline Points: 3754 |
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Posted: March-13-2023 at 3:00am |
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I had a 78 Ski Nautique, 87 Malibu Skier, a and now the 95 Ski Nautique. I would certainly agree the Malibu did not do rough water well at all, my 78 nautique was the same, terrible on rough water. The 95 Nautique is much better on rough water but still not a nice riding V hull boat.
As far as ski wakes on good water, I think the Malibu was best. My opinion is skewed because with the Malibu I skied much harder being 25 years younger and was playing in the course at 36 MPH. Now I ski at 33 MPH and that affects the wake plus I never go shorter than 15 off anymore so I am not in the same place in the wake and it is bigger due to slower speed. The entire 20+ years I owned the Malibu I was missing my 78 Nautique because of how much better it steered. The 95 Nautique is far better than my old 78 and lightyears better than the Malibu to drive in my opinion, but for going straight and pulling a skier with 3 people max that Malibu put out a great ski wake. You could pull it around more than the Nautique with hard pulls.
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Riley
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Joined: January-19-2004 Location: Portland, ME Status: Offline Points: 7954 |
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Posted: March-14-2023 at 10:00am |
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Euro F3 is the same hull as the Skier, which was our only boat from 1992 until 2003. For the vintage, great slalom wake, far better than a SN 2001. It is the first boat that I could cut through the wake. Tracking is poor, but if you only open water ski, it does not matter. Quality wise, it uses many of the same components as Correct Craft, (at least our 1988 does). Gel is beautiful. Structure not as good as Correct Craft, but good enough as ours, although in semi-retirement is still going strong with a little help from Git Rot. Boat does not ride well in chop but will easily handle big lake waves when going slow with the bow up. It drives like a hot rod.
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