'94 Sport Nautique - My first boat

Your boat is very similar to mine. Except for the black hull stripe.


Interior is the same teal on teal but I am currently replacing my interior and chose a blue as I couldn't find a good match for the original teal.

Thanks so much for the great information! It will certainly be helpful in my new venture. Looking forward to our first trip out this Memorial Day Weekend.

@quinner - I have lots of experience with trailering but my wife not so much. I've been game-planning on how exactly to coordinate our launching & loading procedure. My eldest son is only 12 and my wife has never driven a boat or backed up a trailer so a little practice is a good idea for sure.

@AAM196 - I haven't chosen a marina as of yet. I'm very close to Lock 5 in Freeport and Lock 7 in Kittanning. I plan to check out those pools and see which we like better.

Here are a few pictures.

Best tool to have on board in case of emergency is your cell phone.

It's also good to have someone (besides 911) on land you can call if you get stranded.

2.) I use the Taylor Made, Tuff End, round buoy fenders. I fasten them to the dock instead of the boat. There are cheaper options, but they've held up well and protected the boat well. I used a bigger one towards the front, where the bow sweeps in.

1.) On the cover, you'll need some method of propping it up too, so it acts as a tent when it rains. I used a section of PCV tube with an end cap, slipped over the pylon towards the front, and purpose built pole to prop the back section. Although, I plan to make something out of pvc for the back as well, as the pole puts a lot of stress on one spot on the cover.

You can put the cover on without getting wet if you know what you're doing. I sometimes put my cover on while on the lift and I don't get in the water... not that it's the end of the world though. I can't think of any other way to secure the cover around the back of a NWZ euro tail (without the dreaded snaps). It does get wet and you may want to clean it more often but the cover holds up fine (at least the materials we've had were a non-issue).

I think I know,saw it in another thread-- is it because you have to get in the water??

I have a '95 Sport Nautique (same boat as the '94). Really a great all round boat. Hard to find a boat that will ski and wakeboard as well. It is one of the classic wakeboarding hulls (the Super Air Nautique 210 used the same hull until 2006) and the boat was waterski tournament rated back in it's day.

As mentioned Angola Canvas is a great bet for a cover. They are hard to beat on price and do great work. Just be sure to mention that you are going to keep the boat in the water so they can advise on the best cover for that. I have one of their cover and love it but mine covers the swim platform so I can't use it when the boat is in the water.

I used the Polyform G Series fenders that you can buy off Amazon. They are relatively cheap and well made. The also come in multiple colors. The G2 is the correct size for the stern of the boat and the G3 size work well with the factory cleat at the Windshield.

If it is in the budget, I'd recommend upgrading the prop. Best option for this is to post what you have and some numbers (top speed and top RPM) and the prop experts here can recommend an upgrade. Props have gotten much better since the boat was made and it is also good insurance to have a spare prop so you don't ruin a weekend if you hit something out there.

And looking into adding Perfect Pass or another speed control device. It makes a world of difference to the driving and skiing/riding experience. I personally think it's also a safety device as it keep less experienced drivers from getting distracted trying to monitor speed.

Lets see a picture of the boat.

Don't forget tools either,regular and phillips screwdriver,nut driver to fit your hose clamps.7/16, 1/2, 9/16 combo wrenches,channel lock pliers,needle nose pliers and a volt ohm meter. Put it all in a cloth tool bag from Harbor Freight. Do not ask Quinner for his tool box recommendations   

Hey guys

As the title says, I recently purchased a '94 Sport Nautique which has been well taken care of with 640 hrs. Its the first boat I've owned and I have a few questions to get started in the right direction. I did spend some time on the water many years ago when I was younger but that's about the extent of my on-water experience. My friend had an early 80's Ski Nautique that we used for skiing, tubing and barefooting. I'm now 47 with two young boys and want to have some watersports fun with them.

I've signed up for a boater safety course and recently attended an event for boat safety and proper procedure going through the locks on the river near us where we intend to dock the vessel.

Any help/suggestions on the following would be appreciated:
1. recommendation on good mooring cover? I intend to keep it docked at a marina.
2. any specific type of dock bumper/fenders I should look that work better for the correct craft type boat?
3. does it matter what type of mooring/docking rope is used?
4. what type of anchor and rope should I use? Or do I even need one?
5. any recommended extra engine parts I should carry on board?

I know Im probably forgetting about other items so any useful recommendations on what to use/buy would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance