How did ballast tanks work on this boat?

The originals were hard tanks made of similar material to a poly gas tank. A lot of guys remove them and put in bags so they could get more ballast in the boat. That boat has been for sale for a while. From the pics he posted on PN I see that the rear seat and rear deck lid have been reupholstered but the rear seat back looks a little funny, like they re-did the foam and it doesn't fit correctly now. Not sure what else needs to be fixed up but it does have closed cooling so whatever time it spent in brackish or salt would have minimal impact on engine internals. Looks like a pretty good deal overall but I have to wonder why it has been for sale for so long without anyone taking it home.

Honestly, this boat appeals to my cheaper side, but I have received lots of inputs and I am back to the DD Air/Sport with tower and internal ballast pursuit. I guess it was the right price and relatively close. I was trying to understand why anyone would pull out the ballast tanks, and bhectus answered that as well. Thanks guys.
Tom

In addition to the fact that the ballast tanks were considered undersized, the pump systems in 99 really weren't very good. It's easier to pull out the originals and put in a bag and pump system than it is to try improve the original. BKH

Thanks guys for all the inputs. I am learning a lot!
Tom

Tom,

Bottom line with ballast is convenience and time, human ballast is always best as it loads and unloads very quickly, factory hard tanks are nice because you can control it from the helm + a manual valve or two under the doghouse, makes it easy but can also be a little slow filling and emptying plus the tanks take up space even when not being used. Bags can easily be made to work like hard tanks with the advantage of when not being used they do not take up space. Factory hard tanks/systems continue to get faster and more efficient, so the newer the boat the better the system. Owned a 99' sport/air with factory system, was about 400lbs of ballast, worked relatively well if you had the assist pumps.

With your kids in show skiing I would look for a sport/air, 99' is a great year as it's the first as a true walk thru open bow and it also is the last before they changed to the "bad" gauges, a 98' thru 02' will all be the same hull/wake. Down side of a 98'-99' is if they have an original factory tower, known to have issues and a PITA to fold

seacamper wrote: Ok guys I am expanding my search. I am pretty sure after an input from Hollywood that I will stick with the DD AN and I will try and find one with the FC2 tower. The only reason I got excited and ready to move on the above SAN was price. I really appreciate the inputs. Tom

Read- Hollywood's input mean's more to me than any of you other knuckleheads

IAughtNaut wrote: seacamper wrote: Ok guys I am expanding my search. I am pretty sure after an input from Hollywood that I will stick with the DD AN and I will try and find one with the FC2 tower. The only reason I got excited and ready to move on the above SAN was price. I really appreciate the inputs. Tom Read- Hollywood's input mean's more to me than any of you other knuckleheads

I am pretty sure its just a passing bromance

99 Air
How about this one?

Bobby

86nautique454 wrote: 99 Air How about this one? Bobby

Hey Bobby,
I got your text on the Pro Air yesterday, but I was stuck in Montego Bay and the data fees are insane. OK guys, that boat is a player in my secret boat quest, but I thought that the standard Air Nautique was a more versatile boat for show skiing including barefoot, swivel, slalom, and that the Pro Air Nautique had a hull more conducive to wake boarding? Based on that, I changed my target to just the Air Nautique. Can anyone comment?
Thanks,
Tom

IAughtNaut wrote: oh the oft maligned pro air...the hull is slightly different than the air (strakes and chines) but there are very few other differences. the thing that would give me pause on that one is the 1st gen fct, I've always thought those were an eyesore. as for skiability, as HW found out last month, the slalom wake is decent, but there is a little bit of a rooster tail to deal with after 15 off. when I bought mine I kinda used the wrong criteria but it ended up working out, I love it. if you really want to know how it performs, see if you can hitch a ride with Jerry Smith (smithfamily) up to white lake this weekend, that's where I'll be.

I agree with the tower. I really want a tandem trailer as well because my wife and fam will probably be hauling it between FL and SC. So lets talk about the availability of the FCT 2 tower. I am going to do a quick search.
This would be the pro air I would go with. It has everything I want. The price is right. The tower is right. It has a tandem trailer. How do I get it 2200 miles to FL?
2000 Pro Air

The interior looks good from the few pics he has on there...the key one is the 10th where it shows the back seat and trunk, that's where mine went bad first. That price is real tempting, but there are two things missing from that ad...# of hours, and if the gauges work. They appear to be the original digital gauges, which are junk. If they work now, they probably won't for long. My fear is he didn't post the hours because they're not working at all.

The popup cleats on the gunnels in the back are a nice addition.

Getting it from Cali could be tricky, but for that price, stranger things have happened than having a boat shipped.

Its not a 2000 though, that's a 1999. The graphics are the first giveaway, but you could get alternate graphics on the 2000...what that boat is missing is the 75th anniversary emblems on the windshield...if you look at my profile pic its the yellow and black oval on the bottom corner of the windshield. Same boat, just a different year.

Hmmm, photo 6 looks like one of the strakes is missing some gelcoat?

Tom, I think a Pro Air would serve you as well as the Sport/Air. Possibly better since Thomas is into wakeboarding. Barefooting and show skiing will be the same. Ever so slightly rougher slalom wake. You won't be folding the tower much, if ever so don't hold out for a FCT2. A boat that has one will also probably have the bad gauges...

A tandem just means more tires to blow out!

I would go for that white 99 locally. Good price, close by, clean and the easiest to maintain colors in Florida.

So heres an update,
I called Mark in Tarpon about the Pro. (Thanks Bobby) It sounds like a great boat, and I am going to try and see it in the next few days. Can the FCT1 fold both ways? Can it fold back onto the engine cover? I wonder if a machine shop could modify the legs of the FCT1 tower with pins so you could pull the legs off right at the side braces? I think then it would fit better under the canopy on the boat lift.
Tom

Have a FCT1 on my 98 Sport it only folds forward and is still quite tall when folded. They are not the best looking tower but they do the same job. FCT1 looks better when loaded with boards and a bimini (camoflauge ).

I looked into modifying the FCT also the limiting factor is that you need to keep the mounting points on the deck the same as you do not want to be drilling new holes in the gel and trying to fill the old ones. It could be done but would be nearly as expensive as replacing.

The FCT1 is smaller diameter but has a lot of bracing pieces to add strength. There were reports of cracking on the FCT1. There is no signs of mine cracking or ever being repaired and it gets "tested" with slalom and boarding doubles.