Z3 Quick and Raw

[ragboy]

RJ is snowboarding for a couple days, back late today. I was just supposed to get the boat from GoldKey Boathouse and bring it home. I had to wait til now because of the weather, its dropped 10 inches or so in about a week. We planned on going out this weekend if weather permitted but on the way home the sun was peeking through the clouds and it was just too much for me. We dropped it in the water with no boards, gear, sacs, nothing. I just wanted to take a spin and see how it felt, and maybe throw a surf wake. Luckily my iPhone 4S takes some great 1080P video. I did some power turns to feel how it felt, very sporty. Not as sporty as the RZ2 but def more so than the 24Ve or RZ4. The thing about this boat, and you have to feel it, it is very stable. It doesn't seem sensitive to weight as much, and just feels rock solid. I got it up to 22 to see the wakeboard wake, and it stayed great, didn't have to adjust people, just very stable.

This boat has the pro ballast system, which is 2300 lbs. So 1000 up front in 2 tanks and 650 on each side in the back. I first filled up surf side front and surf side rear and then adjusted people and used the clinometer emptying the opposite rear sac until I got to about 8 degrees. You can see that in the video, the wake was good, but seemed a bit neutered. Wash was minimal, and gone completely with taps around 3. I could take taps up to 6 or 7 with no ill effects. So then I emptied the surf side front to about 25% and the wakesurf wake really took shape. I wish we had some boards. Keep in mind its just me, wife and 3 kids. In the video you can see how much room we have to work with. This boat is so deep, its amazing. Even the bow.

Anyway, here is a pic with the last setup we tried taps at 4, weight as described in the last paragraph:


IMG_1448 by wake9, on Flickr

And the video:

[Timmy!]

Sure is clean!

[ragboy]

It is extremely clean, the new taps plate has made a pretty significant difference. Then there is the smooth deck, wake is purdy.

[Timmy!]

Have you measured the lockers yet? If so, how do they compare to the 24Ve?

[duffymahoney]

I really wonder about that taps plate. I don't think that is the reason for it being "pretty". It has to be the chines. No more disturbance in the wave. Great video and good info as always!!

[Duncan]

Boat looks fantastic coming into the dock

Perhaps once you bump up the rear surf side locker weight, the Z3 will appreciate more surf side bow weight.

That rub rail is waaaaay out of the water to be producing such a nice wake.

What sort of clinometer?

Finally, how much moving people around in the boat did the shots of the wakeboard wake require? Was the extra 2 mph necessary to push back beginning of froth after the ballast was filled?

[ragboy]

@duffy if you watch the video of us in texas, there is noticeably more prop wash. That boat had the same hull and deck, only difference is the taps plate. It is definitely helping. I wonder about that fin idea helping with the wash at low taps, because its coming from the opposite side. The wave is amazingly clean.

@duncan, sheesh, feel like I am taking a quiz! ;-)

Yes, when we put more weight in the back, it will like more in the front, I am sure of it. We had weight up front in texas when we had more weight in it.

I am using an iOS app called "clinometer" works great. Here is the link http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clino...286215117?mt=8

I didn't move anybody when I did those wakeboard shots, which surprised me. On the RZ2 or 24Ve, we would have to adjust. And I know we weren't accidentally perfectly balanced. You will "feel" it right away in that boat. There is a stable/solid feeling when you drive. I am not sure how else to describe it, but compared to the 24Ve and the RZ2, it is VERY noticeable. keep in mind, this is the first time I have driven the Z3 much. All of our testing before, 90% of the time I was not driving. Doing ballast duties.

At 22 with the extra weight, the wake was a bit washed over as expected. 24 cleared that right up.

[duffymahoney]

Post a picture of that plate again. Is this something Tige will sell to other years?

[artvandelay]

Looks like fun! Good to see a great surf wake with stock ballast: some of us covet those under-seat lockers too much to fill them with sacks!

[Timmy!]

I sent Tony F. an email in regards to what it would do for others and if and how much they will sell it for, waiting for a response.
Here's the pic

IMG_1345 by wake9, on Flickr

[ragboy]

I imagine it would help on any boat, I think the RZ2 and RZ4 would be candidates, not as much of an issue on the 24Ve, but you never know.

I thought this was production, its not, they gave me a proto to test, and I think have others. So I may be testing others. It looks like if they sold it, it will be replaceable, but not sure how the through hull part is done or sealed.

[duffymahoney]

I just don't see how that would make the wave cleaner, but it's interesting. I wonder what a marine engineer would say about it. Prop wash in my experience goes from A. Too many rpms of the prop, B. Not enough lean, C. Not flat water.

[ragboy]

The prop wash was noticeable and troubling me a bit in Texas. Rick had the answer before it came out of my mouth. He said they were working on it, and described this plate. So I know it wasn't a guess. They are testing everything first there. And our boat, def noticeable how much less wash.

[duffymahoney]

Here is something that I think would help! Fins on each side.

[ragboy]

Yes, the wash that happens at low taps, I was looking at it, and my guess is that would help.