Help with estimating maint costs on used Nautique
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=34479
Printed Date: November-17-2024 at 11:23am
Topic: Help with estimating maint costs on used Nautique
Posted By: Cumby
Subject: Help with estimating maint costs on used Nautique
Date Posted: August-23-2014 at 12:31pm
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Im a considering getting back into skiing starting next Spring. Right now I'm working through 2 different possible scenarios. One is to join a really nice local ski club. It's a little pricey but doable. It's owned by the local MC dealer and they have a brand new boat every year. Basically pay Club membership fee and a separate boat fee and all you need to do is bring your own gas and equipment. The club is on a great small private late with jump and slalom course. Other nice thing is there are plenty of completive skiers involved to connect with. The second option I'm considering is getting a used comp boat. I started considering going this route mostly because of family. My wife has no interest in skiing but does want to go out on the lake. I also have a 14 y/o son who doesn't seem very interested now, but has only tried skiing once and an 8 y/o daughter that could probably go either way. My thought is that getting a boat, vs. ski club would give us a lot more family time together, and possibly give my kids an in opportunity to get hooked. The ski club would most likely wind up just being my thing. They have a family membership but Im not going to pay that if there is no interest in them going. I could still take them as a guest on occasion. Then there's the cost of maintaining a boat, which leads me to my main question. I would love to get some numbers from some of you guys that own older Nautiques. I know there has to be a few of you that are nerds about it, like me, and know exactly what you have paid in maint over the years. I would most likely be able to do some of the maint myself...oil changes etc... I know the age of the boat matters, but Im just not sure what I would look for yet, probably mid to late 80's on up through 90'S, so feel fee to share any experience. Would love to hear what year you have, avg annual maint cost over the years, any major repairs/failures and boat hours. Thanks |
Replies:
Posted By: Toertel
Date Posted: August-23-2014 at 12:54pm
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Cumby, we got a repowered (GT40, which is EFI) 94 Sport Nautique last year for around 12k with trailer. While we did change upholstery and carpet (4k) this year, that was not needed...we just love the boat... Besides that and gas (which seems to be a wash re club) we spent ~20$ for winterizing (pink anti freeze, which is overkill in GA) and once a year 25$ (impeller), 20$ oil and 20$ train fluid (impeller and train n is also overkill if done every year, but peace of mind). The only upgrade needed was a GPS tachometer (300$) so the Miss has a fighting chance to drive right (or consider perfect pass ~1200$ if not installed). BUT the time spent with the family is priceless! We are out almost every day on the weekends, we towed it to FL over Christmas etc... ------------- 1994 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: AAM196
Date Posted: August-23-2014 at 2:18pm
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Get a boat! Your Family will love it... Something like this will suit your needs! Add perfect pass if you choose.. http://correctcraftfan.com/forsale/details.asp?ID=7521&sort=&pagenum=1" rel="nofollow - 98 SN pretty much fully depreciated and has very little hours! |
Posted By: Cumby
Date Posted: August-23-2014 at 2:34pm
Toertel. sounds like you're in the same boat as me, no pun intended! I would have to teach my wife to pull me, which is a little concerning. Part of my dilemma is do I want to just have some great family time on the water or get serious about skiing again? Guess there is no reason you could have a little of both with the right situation. One thing I left out of the equation is equity. If I buy a boat and say 2 years later we aren't skiing, I can at least get something back. The ski club funds are gone. When you say re-powered GT40, you mean rebuilt? Ive heard good things about those engines. Thanks for the input. |
Toertel wrote:Posted By: Toertel
Date Posted: August-23-2014 at 3:43pm
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I think my wife learned driving faster than I did skiing...;-) And a GPS speedo or Perfect pass helps (they call it the marriage saver) Our boat is a compromise in some ways. While an approved tow boat, the wake is not like a ski nautique. But the open bow is the place kids like most (besides the dog house) and the sport has a decent wakeboarding wake, which might be the thing for your son. By repowered I meant, that the PO doped in a new engine in 2000ish. Your welcome to come down one of these days with the family and spend a day with us on the lake. Or come to the Lake Norman CC reunion in order to see more years/models ------------- 1994 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: August-23-2014 at 5:56pm
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I've been spending less than $250 per year for all costs, minus gas. Granted the 1st few years that I had it were preloaded with repair costs. If you don't hit anything & do your own winterizing, it can be cheap fun. The boat is a good draw to get our adult kids to hang out with us. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: lakedog55
Date Posted: August-23-2014 at 10:45pm
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boats are fun. maint costs is not much. it is usually repairs that get expensive. i am sure someone will give you the acronym for BOAT. ------------- Lakedog55 |
Posted By: JPASS
Date Posted: August-23-2014 at 10:56pm
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Aside from any upgrades or repairs, our boat costs us very little to run. Oil changes every 50 hours with full synthetic is about $40 (many change every 100 hours). Trans fluid change is around $20. Impeller is about $30 per year, so depending on how much time you put on the boat, you're maintenance should be around $100-$150/year. If you go '93 or newer, you can avoid having to worry about stringers as they moved to composite. We love our boat and have sunk about $4K into her since we got her last year, but we use the hell out of it and couldn't be any happier. Best purchase we've made in a while for a toy to enjoy the water. ------------- '92 Correctcraft Ski Nautique |
Posted By: Orlando76
Date Posted: August-23-2014 at 11:42pm
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With composite stringers, you have a FEW things less to worry about. I think we spend almost $300 on average a year for boat repairs and maintenance. Thats with us taking it to the dealership for service, mainly because we get really good service here otherwise I'd do all my maintenance and could get by for $150. But keep in mind, at sometime, no matter what year or condition, theres gonna be a mega expense to come, whether it's stringers, engine, tranny etc. |
Posted By: boardersdad
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 6:46am
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Owning a boat is great. I can't imagine being in a club. If you can do the maintenance yourself, and I mean get the manuals and really get your hands dirty, with the help of these super-knowledgeable guys on this forum, maintenance and repair will be reasonable. I suspect you'll spend more on upgrades than maintenance. Two things, though... First, your biggest expense besides buying the boat will be fuel. During our vacation this year, when we had nice weather my kids ran through $100+ in a day. But they were boarding / skiing / kneeboarding / trick skiing and cruising from the lake cottage to the river. Second, a ski/wake boat is a blast, but it is not very comfortable for a long day of boating. We run our '84 SN2001 and our huge pontoon boat and it works out great. Food, grill, coolers and relaxation are on the pontoon, watersports on the SN. Works out great. Buy the boat. Check the stringers and if need be, have a mechanic go through it. But buy one, you will not regret it. Steve |
Posted By: jimsport93
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 2:00pm
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Personally, I would recommend a Sport Nautique. Twenty one foot, open bow, ski, wakeboard, knee board, etc. The extra size and the open bow make it much more comfortable. Especially when the kids want to bring a friend. Yea, may not be the perfect slalom course boat, but it is good enough for most of us. I say buy a boat. Having the family on the boat for a day at the lake is priceless! ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2798 - 93 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: 63 Skier
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 2:27pm
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Listen to Toertel and Jimsport93, they are very smart guys recommending Sport Nautiques! Me too, the Sport has just been perfect for us. Agree on $200 or so yearly routine maintanence. I'm replacing my interior this winter so that's a big chunk of change, and most of the boats in these years will need an interior in the time you own them. Go for it, family time is a lot more fun than driving to a club alone! ------------- '63 American Skier - '98 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: AAM196
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 3:40pm
Didn't poster say he was looking to get back into course skiing? Seems a sport might not be the best tug for OP. I have 3 kids and wouldn't trade my wake, acceleration, handling for the little extra space. |
Posted By: Cumby
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 3:54pm
| Not to hijack my own post, but I'm more of a SN fan. That being said, there was no such thing as the sport when I was coming up skiing, so I'm ignorant as to the differences. I'm a little bit old school and don't even like the look of the OB, yet I've learned I've learned ti have to be practical sometimes too. What year did the SN OB first come on the scene? What's the major differences between the sport and the SN? |
Posted By: GlassSeeker
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 4:15pm
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Im a closed bow guy myself. But i dont have kids. I dontthink id have an open bow anyway. ------------- This is the life |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 4:41pm
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The one reason I would want a OB is to get to the bow eye without climbing over the windshield. One of these days I'm going to slip & fall in! ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: Toertel
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 6:34pm
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We'll I kinda think we are all right and at the same time biast. We all own a CC and nothing beats the built quality. Just this weekend Inhad folks ask what year our biat was and when I said 94, the Miss said to him in his Monterrey: See I told you Naitiques are better quality and hold up great. So if you buy, and you should, buy a CC and the rest comes down to taste, personal oppinion. Some think sports are great for family, other skis with open bow and others just ski... ------------- 1994 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: Cumby
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 7:10pm
| I grew up with Nautiques being King and I still have that bias. Incidentally, I went out with the guys at the ski club a few times and skied behind their 2014 Mastercraft. The last time I went out with them, they had a different boat. Turns out the transmission had to be replaced on their club boat. Granted, it gets used hard and a lot, still, less than a year old?! I thought that was rediculous for an $80,000 boat, and they apparently had some other issues with it too. |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 7:28pm
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The drive trains are not brand specific, so it would be just as likely that MC tranny could have been in a CC. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: TX Foilhead
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 8:28pm
When did Mastercraft start using PCM drives? 
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Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: August-24-2014 at 10:01pm
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ok, got me there. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: malibud
Date Posted: August-25-2014 at 12:35am
| Insurance +200 . But worth it |
Posted By: 63 Skier
Date Posted: August-25-2014 at 2:09am
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Glen, there's a Ski Nautique Open Bow, and a Sport Nautique, they are different. The SNOB is the same hull as a closed bow Ski, but with a bit less cockpit room to make room for the open bow. The bow area is small, and it's a step over the dash, not a walk-through. I'm not sure of years they made SNOB, look in the reference section at brochures and you can find the years and also look at the cockpit shape. Sport Nautiques have been around since I believe 1990. The '90 to '92 had a bit smaller hull and still wood stringers. The '93 to '97 are 21' and everything Nautique from '93 forward was composite stringers. The '98 to '02 or '03 are still 21' but have a trunk behind the back seat. I agree if you are really looking to slalom hard, work on the course, you probably want a closed bow Ski. I ski my Sport and like the wakes, but I'm a hack skier. Tonight I skied on a '98 Ski Nautique and the wakes are better, but not enough better to affect my open water skiing a whole lot. I will say the Ski turns better both at speed and at idle. Having skied quite a bit on a mid 2000's 196, that's when I really notice the wake difference, the wake is just barely there. Hope this helps! ------------- '63 American Skier - '98 Sport Nautique |