Multi ? / prospective owner

[wellsjacobson]

First post.
Not yet a Tige owner so Hope the post is appropriate. I would much appreciate some decision making help. We have been I/O boaters for 15 years and have used the boat as a family boat/ ski boat combo on a fairly large lake in Maine. The children are young adults now and we would like a boat with greater performance but the boat will still be a family boat and must be able to handle day trips in whitecaps. It will also see use for tubeing when the water is to rough to ski. We tend toward 20' as 22' just seems a bit to big for us ( more expense, more fuel and also more cumbersome-- and the 20' fits more easily at our dock).
I have several questions and would appreciate answers to all or part.
1: Is the 20V a good choice and specifically can it handle fairly rough water without soaking those in the bow. I have been drawn to Tige because it is fairly heavy and somewhat deeper than some other ski boats.
2: A concern is that Tige is really a boarding boat by design made skiable by the TAPS system and our desire is for a boat for family skiing with min boarding use. With that in mind we would not likely order a tower-- not likely to use it and visually don't like it. I guess the question is once again if the 20V is a good choice.
3: Sometimes it rains and we don't get the top up in time. Some threads on this site have suggested that Tiges don't drain well and that it is a good idea to use a wet vac. Is it really necessary to vac out the ski compartment after a rain? I can't imagine designing a ski boat that does not drain well and would love comments.
4: I like the idea of the FAE ( never heard of it before reading this site) to make for a quieter boat. Does anyone have one on a 20V and are you happy with it?

We plan a test ride and ski but as the dealer is 2.5 hours away the conditions on a day or two of testing might not meet all variables so input will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Jake

[CP3]

There have been several ppl looking at 20Vs lately. I cant help with those personally but if you look around there are several threads on them

[Escondido]

Good luck with your search. Glad to see you are going about the search the right way by doing a demo which will answer your questions much better than the forum will. For me the demo was very valuable.

There are skiers on here so they can probably answer your skiing question better than I can. But unless you are a course skier you should be perfectly happy with the 20v, it is plenty smooth for the casual skier. If you are heavy duty skier you will probably be more happy with a direct drive.

As for the tower, even if you don't plan on boarding a lot now, you might find it increasing with a new boat. There is a good chance that you will want it down the road. Not sure what your bimini options are without the tower but the tower is good for that as well. Also, not having a tower will definitely impact your resale. While it can be added after the fact, not having a tower makes it very difficult to move the boat as most buyers will be wanting it for all around use, not just skiing.

As for the ski compartment, not sure if you are referring to the traditional ski locker that is in most I/O's but you will not see those in these boats.

As for staying dry in the bow, I have a 22ve and have managed to take some rollers over the bow but that took some practice since the boat sits differently than my I/O I switched from. This was mostly returning to a pick-up a boarder/skier. At speed in rough waters, the bow stays a lot drier than my old boat.

[FIC]

The 20v is a very good all around boat, for all sports , I highly reccomend the tower we use it for beginer skiers all the time because it gives them a better angle for getting up , also as said earler resale is much easier, the next best thing you will notice is the precision steering , no outdrive or outboard comes anywhere close.

[Wake Bandits]

Never, ever buy a boat without a test ride/test drive is the benchmark, number one rule.

Tige is the best boating line for test drives.
The dealer will let you drive it all you want, and the test drive is a very good learning and teaching experience.

We had near similar reasons as you do - to buy ours.
We liked the 22i best for good ride in the rough water, fun to drive, super roomy, price with colossal re-sale value.
We loved the 22i so much, we just bought another.
But a test ride is essential no matter what boat you are interested in.

Our dealer is an hour and a half away and they were alway there to arrange it.
Happy and very helpfull in the test ride.

Your dealer may be scheduling test ride days too, contact them.
I've never heard of anyone getting the hard sell, or any pressure to buy a Tige.
But the market is slowing, competition is heating up,, one never knows.

[donwarwick]

you were saying that you werent sure about a 20v because it is a boarding boat that has skiing options, why not buy a 20i . it is designed as a ski boat (engine is in middle) and the taps allows you to board or kill people on tubes
my familly like a mixture of boarding and skiing so we ordered a new 20i, it is the perfect tige for you as you mainly want a small ski boat. i would get the tower, its hard to learn to get up on one ski and attaching the ski rope to the tower makes a huge difference, also it has the bimni attached to it which is good for keeping the sun and rain off. good luck with your desision and def get a test drive!

[zad0030]

I wouldnt see and problem with the rough water. Our 21i seems to ride better then a 25' Baja we used to run. 20v is a great all around watersport so Ive heard. 20i probably wouldnt be a bad choice for you, definately better for skiing and with the TAPS it still can produce a good wakeboard wake. The bow storage compartments dont have drains in them, so they will collect and hold water. Thats the only place ive found that doesnt drain. A wet vac isnt entirely necessary, we usually just grab a cup scoop it out and leave the seats up to let it dry. Tower would be a good idea because you can put speakers, bimini, lights, etc up there, and if you have a lot of people in the boat and dont want to tow from the pylon you can put it up on the tower.

[FIC]

There is only about an inch difference between the wake on a 20i and a 20v and when it comes time to sell you will have a lot more buyers for the v. I have skied the slalomon coarse behind both at 15 off and 32mph both feel very good.

[yllw20]

I have an 03 20I. It is a very sturdy boat the lakes can get rough around here on the weekends and she will plow right thru it. I havent had any problems w/draining if I get water over the bow, as in any boat leave the area open and the capret will drive. Definately get the new tige speed set or perfect pass on any ski boat you get even if it isnt a tige.
Good luck on your test drive.
Let us know what you think? Are you buying new or used?

[ragboy]

First post.
Not yet a Tige owner so Hope the post is appropriate. I would much appreciate some decision making help. We have been I/O boaters for 15 years and have used the boat as a family boat/ ski boat combo on a fairly large lake in Maine. The children are young adults now and we would like a boat with greater performance but the boat will still be a family boat and must be able to handle day trips in whitecaps. It will also see use for tubeing when the water is to rough to ski. We tend toward 20' as 22' just seems a bit to big for us ( more expense, more fuel and also more cumbersome-- and the 20' fits more easily at our dock).
I have several questions and would appreciate answers to all or part.
1: Is the 20V a good choice and specifically can it handle fairly rough water without soaking those in the bow. I have been drawn to Tige because it is fairly heavy and somewhat deeper than some other ski boats.
2: A concern is that Tige is really a boarding boat by design made skiable by the TAPS system and our desire is for a boat for family skiing with min boarding use. With that in mind we would not likely order a tower-- not likely to use it and visually don't like it. I guess the question is once again if the 20V is a good choice.
3: Sometimes it rains and we don't get the top up in time. Some threads on this site have suggested that Tiges don't drain well and that it is a good idea to use a wet vac. Is it really necessary to vac out the ski compartment after a rain? I can't imagine designing a ski boat that does not drain well and would love comments.
4: I like the idea of the FAE ( never heard of it before reading this site) to make for a quieter boat. Does anyone have one on a 20V and are you happy with it?

We plan a test ride and ski but as the dealer is 2.5 hours away the conditions on a day or two of testing might not meet all variables so input will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Jake

I also came from I/O. My first boat, a 1995 Four Winns 190 horizon. I just sold my 1998 220 horizon and bought a Tige 24Ve. I have 6 kids, and we love to board and now love to surf behind the Tige.

I can speak to the bow swamp issue. I could get water over the 190 bow, but I had to try. I couldn't get water over the 220 bow, no matter how hard I tried. You know, its fun once in a while when you got kids up there in the summer and its hot. A little water comes over and everyone laughs.

On the Tige, I have to work to avoid this happening. The water comes over very easily, and you have to change the way you pick up downed skiers to avoid it. Also, when water does come over, it actually splashes all the way to the windshield, and then doesn't drain real well til you get the boat on the trailer. It was quite a shocker for us how easily water will come over the bow. However, in my I/O, at wake speeds, I can't see over the bow, and have almost hit other boats because of this. I can see without even using the bolster seat on the Tige. Its a tradeoff.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Tige, and it is the best boat I have ever had. But I used to live in SoCal, and favored cruising lake mead. Now I live a few miles away from Lake Oroville, CA. I can think of times I would have sunk the Tige if I was out when I was out in my 220.

All that to say, if you are talking about occasional whitecaps and 1 - 2 foot swells, the Tige will be fine. If you regularly get caught in 3-5 foot swells like what you see on Mohave or Mead, you have to be careful.

Hope that helps.

[evil0ne]

]you have to change the way you pick up downed skiers to avoid it.

Sounds like someone used to be a powerturner .

[da.bell]

All that to say, if you are talking about occasional whitecaps and 1 - 2 foot swells, the Tige will be fine. If you regularly get caught in 3-5 foot swells like what you see on Mohave or Mead, you have to be careful.

I think you might be surprised to know that the Tige's stand up better against these swells than other wakeboard boats. I was caught in 2 foot swells about 4 weeks ago, TAPS stuck at 8 (user error), and we only took on approximately 8 gallons of water over the bow. When I took out the drain plug, there was about 4 more gallons of water in there in the bilge. During this entire time, the bilge pump never (yes, never) came on.

Now, I wouldn't do that again but it makes me feel better knowing that my boat can take a good pounding and still stay afloat.

[ragboy]

I think you might be surprised to know that the Tige's stand up better against these swells than other wakeboard boats. I was caught in 2 foot swells about 4 weeks ago, TAPS stuck at 8 (user error), and we only took on approximately 8 gallons of water over the bow. When I took out the drain plug, there was about 4 more gallons of water in there in the bilge. During this entire time, the bilge pump never (yes, never) came on.

Now, I wouldn't do that again but it makes me feel better knowing that my boat can take a good pounding and still stay afloat.

I am sure it does. I remember seeing 3 centurions go down at mead one year. 2 just being towed behind houseboats. But coming from an I/O boat, that you don't even have to think about this issue, is a big change in the way you do business.

I wouldn't say I was a powerturner, but on my Tige, especially when I surf, I cut the throttle, and have to wait til the wake passes me by. Its much different. If you have always had inboards, its just been a way of life for you, and you just dealt with it. Don't get me wrong, I will take my Tige, over the four winns any day. But its a major adjustment.

[Winnepesaukee]

Wellsjacobson we boat in Winnipesaukee and being from Maine I'm sure you have heard stories of how rough the lake can be on busy weekends. We bought out 2007 24VE from Mac Callums about a month ago. I'm assuming this is who you are talking with. They have been nothing but great to work with. Coming from a 22' Crownline I/O I was also concerned about taking water over the bow due to the bow being much lower on the Tige. However I didn't wan't to give up the watersports performance as a result. I can tell you that it was a great decisions not only for the obvious reasons but for others as well. Over Memorial Day the boat traffice was very heavy with the usual suspects cruisers with huge wakes, speed boats from 20'-48' and plenty of Yahoo's in their bow riders with families in tow. To add insult to injury the wind was blowing between 20-30 mph. Normally on a day like this I would think twice about going out but we have only been out a handful of times because the weather has been awful. We figured some wind and traffic with sunchine was better then the rain we have been having. The plan was to head over to a secluded cove for some swimming and relaxing. On the way over it was rough but ok on the way back the wind picked up to over 30 mph and there were a lot of rollers from the boat traffic all day. I used the taps to my advantage went slow 10-15 mph and didn't take one wave over the bow. And at some points they were 3-5 ft but on average a constant 2-3 ft. white cap. If you pay attention and use the taps to keep the nose up water over the bow should be a non-issue. To be honest the only time I have had an issue is when we go through a no wake zone at barely over idling speed and some dumb *** in a cruiser or bigger boat does not idle down and throws a wake in the no wake zone. As a result the bow is not up (not under power) and we may take a little over the bow. I know the 24VE is a bigger boat then you are looking at but I hope this helps. You will absolutely love Tige and dealing with Mac Callums....

[wellsjacobson]

I am very appreciative of the replies.
MacCallums is the "local" dealer and they seem to get a good review.
New vs used vs fixing the I/O as yet undetermined.
I still have the question of how well the boats drain as some suggest it does not drain well til it is on the trailer and our boat will often be moored. Any other thoughts?
I tend to a V drive as seating is all in front of the rope. 20' or 22' remains a question. I like the size of the 20 but the 22 would likely be much better in rough water. Of course price made decide the issue. Does anyone on the board have input as to how a 20v handles rougher water?
Many thanks,
Jake