Poll Question: Small Boats

Here is a general poll question for ski boat owners. Last year when I bought my ski tique, I mentioned to the seller how great these little boats were and how I was surprised that nobody made small inboards any more, that there must be a market for them. I do realize the trend is to bigger boats, baby boomers had families, need for open bows, bigger boats for boarding so you can have a dozen friends along (have all of you seen that monster mastercraft with the dual engines...its sort of the Ford Excursion of ski boats)

Anyway, understanding the demand for bigger boats, do you think there is a still a market for a 16 foot ski inboard. Obviously the boat manufacturers don't think so because they don't build them, but if you were CEO of CC, would you sell them? Or if you were a customer, would you buy one?

As long as money permits, I'd get the bigger one evem though I'm inlove with my 18 footer.

Mastercraft. lol. Too bad the avg. life spand on them is 3 yrs. compared to CC's 20.

I agree that the market seems to prefer the larger boats ,however , I see alot of mini boats and large jet skis on the water now. Chances area small ski boat produced by CC or one of the other ski boat manufacturers could not be priced competively with the large corporations like Yamaha,Skidoo, ect. Besides ,if anyone did build a small inboard skiboat ,they would have to put goofy graphics all over it to sell it.Jim.

I for one would love to see Correct Craft go back to manufacturing the smaller closed bow boats. The Ski Tique and Mustang (16&17 ft) in particular. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

but the late 90's SN 176 and Air Tique just don't have that classic old school look...

I hear you, Rob. Whats with all the tubes? About 2 weeks ago we went to the lake. It was like glass and we were the only boat out there. With in 30 min there were 3 other boats out there (fairly small lake) all of which were tubeing.

I was mad.

I mean, what gives? A tube on a perfectly calm day? Come on, do something that takes tallent.

yeah... with the advent of the bigger wakeboard boats and the huge wakes they produce, it's getting more and more difficult to find glass for foot'n or skiing...

I think its great that people get out on the water to tube,wake board,fish ,or ski. I just don't understand why tubers and wakeboarders seem to want to seek out the smoothest parts of the water to create big wakes. Where we ski there is usually chop( which would'nt bother them muh ,if at all) in the open water ,yet most wakeboarders and tubers insist on tearing up the smooth water on the shore line. Add in bass boats(whose pilots seem to think that the coast guard rules and respect for other peoples right to enjoy the water don't apply to them), way too many jet skis( equally oblivious to common sense operating procedures), water sking is becoming extremely difficult ,if not down right dangerous. I guess we just have to show up very early and be cautous.My two cents,Jim    

75 Tique,

I'm thinking what's left of us footers on my lake are much like me, older and retired... thinking of better days and calmer water...

oh yeah, and those face plants!

Back on track, how do those little boats handle clapped-out water? Can you pull 34 mph without it porpoising when there are flattened rollers coming from different directions? Are you gauranteed to get the inside soaked when you are mixing it up with two x-stars?

75 Tique:

Wakeboarding is the best thing that ever happened to footing. The boarders all sleep in and leave the glass to us old timers.


A small boats not really that much of a problem if you have a place on the lake. You can switch equipment, drop people off etc. But if your a day boater, towing to the lake, you have a ton of gear and a family, then a big boat is a necessity. I think that is why there is a much larger market for big boats.

Don't get me started. Oops, too late. Regarding the small inboard question, I wish 75 Tique had never raised the issue, as I've pondered that for way too long, and continue to today, and this evening. I personally have always preferred the smaller inboards, but mostly for pure cruising pleasure and fun, and I've got one of each. For anyone whose had a Tique/Mustang and a Nautique, or ridden in both, hopefully you don't try to compare apples to apples. It's like comparing a single seat PWC to a 3-seater. Which one do you want to cut-up and play on and which one would you take to dinner?

So what happened to the small ski boat? Most people on this site can either recall or have viewed the photos of a 14' Atom Skier. A FOURTEEN FOOT inboard ski boat! Unfortunately, I feel that in addition to skier's requirements, that financial obtainability has had a lot to do with the demise of the smaller boats. If you think the new boats are expensive these days, take a comparitive look at what a new CC cost 35 years ago and how far out of reach it was to so many of us. And one other issue just hit me this very second. Back 30-40 years ago, there was not a market full of used 18-20 footers like there is today. Back then, the Ski Nautique was still a new, fledgling breed, so many more buyers may have been inclined to go with the smaller, more economical boat, as not many similarly priced or caliber boats were available. Today, a new Tique would obviously command 30K+, and if you can get a 3 year old 20' SN for the same or slightly more $$, what are you gonna do?

But I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. You've seen that Mini Cooper, haven't you? And running a quick new ZR6 Nautique will indeed put smile on your face, but an equally quick 55 mph 16 footer will wet your pants. In more ways than one.

I love my 79 nautique but I also love to foot first thing in the morning before the afore mentioned tubers and wakeboarders come out to chop up the water. The beam is too small on my boat to use the boom for deepwater and backward starts and its too small later in the day to throw everybody on and head dwon the river to consume a few spirits and relax. So if I had it to do over I would have bought a bigger open bow and a newer one cause im tired of pulling wrenches on mine.