Do all direct drive boats have the ski pylon in the middle? - Can I tow from the back

[Carso]

Hi
I haven't had any expericence with direct drive boats so forgive me. I am looking to upgrade from an old Invader wtih an outboard. I am looking for a family friendly do everything (ski, wakeboard, tube) boat. My budget is small - $12000 max. I had heard that older direct drive boats might be a good choice as the direct drive system lasts a long time - easier/cheaper to fix etc. So I have been looking around and have found a few in my price - but all so far have the ski pylon in the middle of the boat - often I would have enough "family" in the boat to need the back seats - I don't think having a rope taking off little heads would make for a very good day at the lake. Are there some direct drives that have the ski pylon at the back? Do some direct drives have an additional place to tie a rope to at the very back for tubing or sking if needed?
Thanks much for the help.

 

[Bart Sr.]

Re: Do all direct drive boats have the ski pylon in the middle? - Can I tow from the

Take a look at this

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=345490

 

[soaringhiggy]

Re: Do all direct drive boats have the ski pylon in the middle? - Can I tow from the

many of the direct drive will have a tow ring mounted to the stern (in the center) for a pull point for ski and tube ropes.

If it is not there, if can easily be added.

 

[Carso]

Re: Do all direct drive boats have the ski pylon in the middle? - Can I tow from the

Thanks much
I didn't know it would be fairly easy to add a ring to the back - good to know!

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Do all direct drive boats have the ski pylon in the middle? - Can I tow from the

You might also keep looking for a v-drive ski boat. If you look long enough, you might find one that would be close to your price. For example, the 97 Malibu sunsetter vlx has the motor in the very back and the ski pylon is right at the end of the sunpad.

 

[SeanT]

Re: Do all direct drive boats have the ski pylon in the middle? - Can I tow from the

I'm looking to upgrade to a skiboat as well, and in my experience I'm finding that older V drives are rare. I'm looking in the 1996 - 2001 range (which puts them roughly into my price range) and so far EVERYTHING is direct drive.

I've seen lots of skiboats for down in the $12000 range, but they tend to be closed bow, which might be fine. Even a closed bow skiboat has lots of room in the midsection, especially if you're lucky enough to find a V drive.

 

[SeanT]

Re: Do all direct drive boats have the ski pylon in the middle? - Can I tow from the

Oh and I would really want a stern tow ring as well. If there isn't one (and some don't have them - a lot of Mastercrafts I noticed), I would probably by the split harness to hook on to the stern rings because I wouldn't want to pull a tube from the pylon with people sitting on the rear bench seat.

 

[Ned L]

Re: Do all direct drive boats have the ski pylon in the middle? - Can I tow from the

The reason for placing the towing point forward of the transom is maneuverability. The towboat is much more maneuverable like this. Short of this, the answer to your question is yes you can tow from the transom. Also a reasonable compromise is to use a towing bridle from the transom, this will free up your rear seating area and allow for improved steering.

 

[salty87]

Re: Do all direct drive boats have the ski pylon in the middle? - Can I tow from the

I'm looking to upgrade to a skiboat as well, and in my experience I'm finding that older V drives are rare. I'm looking in the 1996 - 2001 range (which puts them roughly into my price range) and so far EVERYTHING is direct drive.

I've seen lots of skiboats for down in the $12000 range, but they tend to be closed bow, which might be fine. Even a closed bow skiboat has lots of room in the midsection, especially if you're lucky enough to find a V drive.

v drives didn't become very popular until the 2000's. some older mastercrafts under the maristar name had them more frequently than other manufacturers.

back to the original question....add a tower or buy a boat with one. you don't want to tube from it but it really makes wakeboarding more fun...plus all the storage up there really helps.