Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

[halfmoa]

I've got a 1972 Starcraft Super Sport which has spent 75% of its life pulling skiers and it does a great job. We've got one of those slings that hooks to the transom eyes and has a pulley in between for attaching the ski rope. Works great for skiers! Tubers, not so much...turns the tube into a submarine. It doesn't matter where you position yourself on the tube or if there's even anyone on the tube ...submarine. I did the unthinkable and rigged the sling to the rear cleats so the kids wouldn't have a complete meltdown and pulled the tube great but the cleats are not a long term solution. Aparrently a ski pylon isn't safe either and a tower isn't safe to use with a tube (not to mention how aweful a Super Sport would look with a tower). My tube is an Airhead Slice and I use a floating rope with the sling. Any Super Sporters pull a tube and if so how do you rig it? Any non-Starmidians (just made up a new word ) have any similar experiences?

 

[roscoe]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

Hmmmm, edumacate me, Why is a pylon unsafe?




I know lots of people use the floating ball between the boat and the tube, seems to work well enough for a cheap solution and without making mods to the boat.

 

[86 century]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

Simple fix is take of faster

There are bolt on pilons that will get the job done.
If you are the creative type I built one out of some old tubeing I had think it came from a trampaline and free standing baskball goal.

 

[starcrafter65]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

I would try a different tube first - never heard/seen that problem with tubes pulled from the back of a boat,

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

Hmmmm, edumacate me, Why is a pylon unsafe?

You aren't supposed to use a tube with a pylon. Almost every pylon I've even seen for sale has specifically said not to be used with tubes.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

Hmmmm, edumacate me, Why is a pylon unsafe?

I know lots of people use the floating ball between the boat and the tube, seems to work well enough for a cheap solution and without making mods to the boat.

Hadn't thought of the floating ball idea, will look into that for sure!

Simple fix is take of faster

There are bolt on pilons that will get the job done.
If you are the creative type I built one out of some old tubeing I had think it came from a trampaline and free standing baskball goal.

Full throttle, even with no one on it, the tube will submarine. The transom eyes are about 3 inches above the water and on hole shot with the bow rise and with my weight on the tube they're at water level. Submarine.

After looking at the price of a pylon my only real option is to fabricate one. 86 do you have a pic of yours on here somewhere?

I'm thinking about reinforcing the topsides with 2x6"X18" lumber underneath and bolting the cleats through those with some type of addtional topside reinforcement and continuing to use the cleats to pull the tube. Cheaper than the ball idea and one less thing in the way. Plus it pulled the kids great, it's just not a long term solution without reinforcement unless I want the aft of my gunwales ripped to shreds. Any thoughts on that?

 

[flyingd]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

They make a very cool cleat that sits on top. It is actually round and the nice thing is that is pops down when not in use. But I would also do some reinforcing. It was in the Overton's catalog.

 

[NorthportTroller]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

I had that problem with my bass boat, I made these for now, got the hardware at home depot. I also tell the passenger on the tube to lean back when we first take off so it get's up on plane. It also helps to have the tube that's solid all the way across instead of the ones with the hole in the middle, that makes a big difference too.

They also make great grab handles for climbing in and out and maneuvering the boat while wading or swimming.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

I had that problem with my bass boat, I made these for now, got the hardware at home depot. I also tell the passenger on the tube to lean back when we first take off so it get's up on plane. It also helps to have the tube that's solid all the way across instead of the ones with the hole in the middle, that makes a big difference too.

They also make great grab handles for climbing in and out and maneuvering the boat while wading or swimming.

I was thinking about adding something simmilar combined with my reinforced topsides today. The Al on my tinny (wait...um....nevermind) won't stand up to repeated pulling without the reinforcement for sure. Adding eyelets to them gives the ability to have a purpose made mount without replacing the stock cleats. Tall, thick eyelets mounted above the cleats would keep the rope and force away from the cleats without having to remove/replace them.

Just brainstorming here, don't mind me.

 

[86 century]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

I dont have any pics of the two I have put together.
The last one I put together was made out of conduit welded to a wall mount for water pipe.
Bolted to the deck with two supports running to the tramsom.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

Just an update. After emailing the manufacturer of my tube (and several others) I've found that the main cause of tubes submarining is under inflation. I left the inflator hooked up about 5 minutes after it looked "full". It was very, very firm and didn't go under when pulled by the rear attachment points.

 

[djpeters]

Re: Tubing with a 72 Starcraft Super Sport

Good to know! Glad you found an easy and cheap fix!!!