2003 21i limited rides bad on rough water.

[dwb1957]

I love my 21i compared to my '93 MasterCraft EXCEPT for the "porpousing" or slapping in rougher water. I'm talking about really having to back off the throttle to keep from tossing passengers in medium sized waves. We have it on Lake Coeur d'Alene (North Idaho) which can get pretty rough. I do not think the TAPS2 plate has a big enough surface area to keep the bow in the water. My dealer supplied me w\ a "shim" to install on the Taps plate to give it more Down Force...I have not been able to use it yet (storage) but I was wondering if anyone has had the same complaint or has a suggestion for a fix...Will update if the shim works.

[smendez]

dwb1957:

I'm of the opinion that most boats discussed in this board will have a difficult time in rough water.

For one, they're fairly small. A 21 or 22' boat is - in my opinion - a small boat to be using when the water gets rough. I guess the 24v has the advantage here, or Mastercrafts monstrous 28 footer.

Additionally, even though these boats have a deeper V than most other ski and wakeboard boats, they're still rather flat when compared to other runabouts like a Cobalt or Crownline.

Be careful with the shim. You don't want to point the nose of your boat down to the point you start taking water over the bow when it gets rough. I guess that's the beauty of taps - being able to quickly adjust it after the first wave comes in

One last thing - When Taps was engineered to lift the transom and sink the bow, I'm sure someone calculated the pressure the plate exerts on the taps screw and where it's attached to the boat. Normally, these things are over engineered to compensate for things like extra weight, etc. Be careful that adding this shim won't put pressure beyond that which the tap screw can handle and damage it.

I'd definitely ask my dealer if this has been done before and what is their success rate.

Please - do let us all know how it works out!

Saulo

[Tige M.D.]

a couple of years ago we had to change out some taps systems from a short throw ram to a long throw. check with your dealer and see if you boat needs the different system. i remember the 22v would porpouse no matter what psition the plate was in. tige had us install a shim as a band aid till they figured out the problem.
what we did notice is if you shim it down it won't go up as far.

[racer]

HOW MUCH WEIGHT DO YOU HAVE IN THE REAR OF BOAT? We have a 21i also, even with 1000 lbs of weight, In rough h2o I just move taps to slalom boat rides fine

[dwb1957]

Tige MD: So the 2003 21i's had an issue w\ a short throw on the Taps? Is there a service bulletin posted for that?

I've boated on some pretty rough lakes over the past 30 years on "smaller" ski boats & know the differance between too rough to go fast (beats the crap out of you) & porpousing action that is a bit embarassing when you have a group of friends in the boat. To me, it seems like the elimination of the "traditional inboard hook" (that sets the running attitude) & replacing it w\a "convex rocker" & a smaller surface Taps plate is the issue. But I am interested in finding out if there is something I can upgrade.

Can Harvey chime in on this? Is the "shim" the fix, or the band-aid?

[Andrew]

The shim is the fix for the problem that you are expericencing and is not a band aid. The difference you are hearing from others about the throw of the taps ram was on the 20v model only and it needed a longer throw. This was a manufacturing change and correct the problem. The taps is designed to allow the driver to control the attitude of the boat and depending on several conditions it may be necessary to add a shim. The difference could be only a 1/16 of an inch. Please place the shim between the ram and the taps plate and this will allow you to trim the bow down a little more with out harming anything on the boat. If you have any question please feel free to call me at 325-676-7777 and I will answer any questions.

Thanks

Andrew

[dwb1957]

Thanks, Andrew!

[dwb1957]

Andrew: Could you verify that the shim is 1/2" thick?

[xpjim1]

Andrew
I have a 2002 20V. Was there a bulletin on this for the 20V. Is this something that Tige is taking care off. I get bounced around quite a bit.
Thanks

[Andrew]

Yes its about 1/2 inch and black goes between the ram and the plate.

[Andrew]

XPJIM1 Your 20v should be alright, We corrected the problem shortley after the introduction of the 20v. Give me a call 325-676-7777 and will discuss what is going on. If required, I will send out a shim to you also. There is always a possibly one slip through. If so I appoligize.

Andrew