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Author Topic:   MONTAUK: Motor For Water Skiing

sls posted 03-21-2006 08:47 PM ET (US)
Hi. I have a wonderful 1984 Super Sport 15, but my back kills me from the low seat so I am now looking for a classic Montauk. I have looked at several of them with 70-HP motors, but have been cautioned that this motor may not be powerful enough to pull a waterskier. I will use the boat for fishing and general cruising on inland lakes in Northern Wisconsin, and occassionally for water skiing. I have a 50-HP Johnson on my Supersport and it does a nice job pulling one skier, even with a slalom ski.
How well will a classic Montauk with a 70-HP two-stroke motor pull a skier, assuming there is an observer in the boat with the driver?
Would a four-stroke be less effective?
If it's not enough power, what would you recommend? I have no ambition in over powering the boat. Thanks for entertaining my question. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
sls
Teak Oil posted 03-21-2006 09:24 PM ET (US)
I would imagine a 70 would feel pretty similar to your 15 with the 50hp. You might see a couple more mph, about 38 or so.
The OMC 70 is a pretty stout motor, and you should be able to ski behind it. A hydrofoil would certainly help with a 70 for slalom skiing.
A 90 would work better, but use more fuel
Tom W Clark posted 03-21-2006 11:05 PM ET (US)
sls,
A 70 HP motor on a Montauk is fine for pulling teenagers around on skis. It will be marginal for pulling around 200+ pound adults.
GAwhale posted 03-22-2006 05:00 PM ET (US)
Hi sls,
I have a 2001 Montauk which is the classic hull. I purchased her new with a 2001 two stroke 90hp Mercury.
I have had the boat loaded down and still yanked skiers over 200 pounds out of the water with no problem.
A 90 two stroke is perfect on a classic Montauk.
RJF posted 03-24-2006 06:59 AM ET (US)
I have a '70 16foot hull, powered by a 1984 50hp merc. This motor is plenty strong enough to pull me around the lake on a wakeboard - (close to 180 lbs).
Mark D posted 03-25-2006 09:18 AM ET (US)
I had a 70 Evirude on my 17' Mtk when I bought it. Motored around with 4 people just fine. Repowered with 90 Yamaha. Nice set up. Same weight as my old 70 but more punch, great holes shots. low 30's mph with four people, 25 gallons of gas. Nice thing about this repower is I was able to use the holes in my transom as the 70. Seems the 90 Yamaha is knock off of the 70 Johnson/Evinrude engine.
jimh posted 03-26-2006 10:34 AM ET (US)
I was out on a 17-footer with a 115-HP four-stroke. The performance was very marginal. The boat hesitated getting on plane with just four people aboard. I cannot image it would be much of a boat for water skiing--and that is with a 115-HP four-stroke! With a 70-HP four-stroke, I would be skeptical about water skiing, except with very young kids.
Kids get older and bigger. You probably will have this boat for twenty years. Get a bigger motor if you want to water ski.
sosmerc posted 03-26-2006 02:04 PM ET (US)
The 90hp Optimax would be a great choice...plenty of power, good running quality and very efficient. I have several customers with this combination and they have nothing but positive comments...especially impressed with the fuel economy!
Perry posted 03-26-2006 03:50 PM ET (US)
I would buy a 115 ETEC if skiing was what I would be doing on the Montauk. Lighter than the 90 Optimax and better performance.
sosmerc posted 03-26-2006 06:39 PM ET (US)
I believe the older Montauks are rated for 100hp...otherwise I would have recommended the 115 Optimax :) !!
RJG posted 03-26-2006 07:33 PM ET (US)
As a teenager, I spent hundreds of hours skiing behind our 17' Katama with a 70. I always wished it had an 85. The 70 was just enough with a light load but only just enough. I would find one with a 90hp 2 stroke. As jimh's post suggests, lower hp 4 strokes just don't seem to have the bottom end for skiing.
whalerron posted 03-26-2006 10:04 PM ET (US)
I had a 70hp Johnson on my 16'7" Whaler and we did quite a bit of waterskiing behind that motor. It wouldn't pull an adult out of the water on a slalom ski but it would pull 2 adults up on regular skis. The engine works a bit to get the adults up if they aren't good skiers, but once they are skiing, it does fine. If you want to pull those same skiers at 40 mph, get a bigger motor. If you are ok skiing at 30mph, the 70 is fine.
- ron
TC posted 03-28-2006 08:23 AM ET (US)
I had a montauk with a 3cylinder 60 H.P. Mariner that would pull me up on a slalom ski. I wiegh around 180. It had a stainless prop but I never new the pitch. My current montauk has a 3cylinder 90 H.P. Mercury with a stainless prop and will also pull me up on a slalom ski, but not as easily as the other one. I suspect this boat is propped for more top end. I had a very fast speedboat that would turn a 28 pitch prop for top end, but it wouldn't pull up a child on a kneeboard. I would switch to a 21 pitch for skiing.

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Author	Topic: MONTAUK: Motor For Water Skiing
sls	posted 03-21-2006 08:47 PM ET (US) Hi. I have a wonderful 1984 Super Sport 15, but my back kills me from the low seat so I am now looking for a classic Montauk. I have looked at several of them with 70-HP motors, but have been cautioned that this motor may not be powerful enough to pull a waterskier. I will use the boat for fishing and general cruising on inland lakes in Northern Wisconsin, and occassionally for water skiing. I have a 50-HP Johnson on my Supersport and it does a nice job pulling one skier, even with a slalom ski. How well will a classic Montauk with a 70-HP two-stroke motor pull a skier, assuming there is an observer in the boat with the driver? Would a four-stroke be less effective? If it's not enough power, what would you recommend? I have no ambition in over powering the boat. Thanks for entertaining my question. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. sls
Teak Oil	posted 03-21-2006 09:24 PM ET (US) I would imagine a 70 would feel pretty similar to your 15 with the 50hp. You might see a couple more mph, about 38 or so. The OMC 70 is a pretty stout motor, and you should be able to ski behind it. A hydrofoil would certainly help with a 70 for slalom skiing. A 90 would work better, but use more fuel
Tom W Clark	posted 03-21-2006 11:05 PM ET (US) sls, A 70 HP motor on a Montauk is fine for pulling teenagers around on skis. It will be marginal for pulling around 200+ pound adults.
GAwhale	posted 03-22-2006 05:00 PM ET (US) Hi sls, I have a 2001 Montauk which is the classic hull. I purchased her new with a 2001 two stroke 90hp Mercury. I have had the boat loaded down and still yanked skiers over 200 pounds out of the water with no problem. A 90 two stroke is perfect on a classic Montauk.
RJF	posted 03-24-2006 06:59 AM ET (US) I have a '70 16foot hull, powered by a 1984 50hp merc. This motor is plenty strong enough to pull me around the lake on a wakeboard - (close to 180 lbs).
Mark D	posted 03-25-2006 09:18 AM ET (US) I had a 70 Evirude on my 17' Mtk when I bought it. Motored around with 4 people just fine. Repowered with 90 Yamaha. Nice set up. Same weight as my old 70 but more punch, great holes shots. low 30's mph with four people, 25 gallons of gas. Nice thing about this repower is I was able to use the holes in my transom as the 70. Seems the 90 Yamaha is knock off of the 70 Johnson/Evinrude engine.
jimh	posted 03-26-2006 10:34 AM ET (US) I was out on a 17-footer with a 115-HP four-stroke. The performance was very marginal. The boat hesitated getting on plane with just four people aboard. I cannot image it would be much of a boat for water skiing--and that is with a 115-HP four-stroke! With a 70-HP four-stroke, I would be skeptical about water skiing, except with very young kids. Kids get older and bigger. You probably will have this boat for twenty years. Get a bigger motor if you want to water ski.
sosmerc	posted 03-26-2006 02:04 PM ET (US) The 90hp Optimax would be a great choice...plenty of power, good running quality and very efficient. I have several customers with this combination and they have nothing but positive comments...especially impressed with the fuel economy!
Perry	posted 03-26-2006 03:50 PM ET (US) I would buy a 115 ETEC if skiing was what I would be doing on the Montauk. Lighter than the 90 Optimax and better performance.
sosmerc	posted 03-26-2006 06:39 PM ET (US) I believe the older Montauks are rated for 100hp...otherwise I would have recommended the 115 Optimax :) !!
RJG	posted 03-26-2006 07:33 PM ET (US) As a teenager, I spent hundreds of hours skiing behind our 17' Katama with a 70. I always wished it had an 85. The 70 was just enough with a light load but only just enough. I would find one with a 90hp 2 stroke. As jimh's post suggests, lower hp 4 strokes just don't seem to have the bottom end for skiing.
whalerron	posted 03-26-2006 10:04 PM ET (US) I had a 70hp Johnson on my 16'7" Whaler and we did quite a bit of waterskiing behind that motor. It wouldn't pull an adult out of the water on a slalom ski but it would pull 2 adults up on regular skis. The engine works a bit to get the adults up if they aren't good skiers, but once they are skiing, it does fine. If you want to pull those same skiers at 40 mph, get a bigger motor. If you are ok skiing at 30mph, the 70 is fine. - ron
TC	posted 03-28-2006 08:23 AM ET (US) I had a montauk with a 3cylinder 60 H.P. Mariner that would pull me up on a slalom ski. I wiegh around 180. It had a stainless prop but I never new the pitch. My current montauk has a 3cylinder 90 H.P. Mercury with a stainless prop and will also pull me up on a slalom ski, but not as easily as the other one. I suspect this boat is propped for more top end. I had a very fast speedboat that would turn a 28 pitch prop for top end, but it wouldn't pull up a child on a kneeboard. I would switch to a 21 pitch for skiing.