Vintage "Ski" Centurion

[billy bee 9]

Hi gang:

 

My wife loves to waterski. So, when I saw an inexpensive, older ski boat for sale locally (in Santa Maria, CA), I jumped on it. We love the boat, but there is precious little information about these older boats in the interwebs. So, I am always looking for history/documentation on Centurion and our boat. Centurion had a history page up for a while, but they seem to have take in down.

 

Ours is a 1983 and has an OMC 350. 425 hours on it when we bought it. We have put another 50 hours on it. The PO had replaced the prop shaft, stuffing box, and propeller. I had to go through the carb, replace a small section of the floor, replace the helm and steering cable, replace the alternator, do a tune up, and mess with the carb (ad nauseum). The carb is a Quadrajet. We finally got it dialed in where it makes good power but does not just guzzle the gas.

 

It has a paint/color scheme that seems like a throwback to everything that was bad about Disco. It is an odd combination of tan, black, burnt orange and brown. It is so dated that it is cool again.

 

My wife loves to ski behind it. We took some other skiers out who also liked skiing behind it. We get comments every time we take it out.

 

Anyway, we have had the boat for a few years now and ski on the Sac River Delta. Just happened to run across this forum and thought I would join and contribute. Having a blast with our "Ski" Centurion...

 

Bill

 

 

Here are a few pics:

 

 

 

 

[RhuntIII 555]

Very cool Billy, I'm no skier but I do enjoy boats of all types. Thanks for sharing.

[chenige 84]

I like the trailer.

[billy bee 9]

I like the trailer.

Yeah, that trailer is a beast. Prolly weighs as much as the boat. Very well built. There were cracks on two of the bunk struts, which we gusseted and welded. Better than new. The trailer does not have brakes, which I will remedy this winter. Need to decide on disc or drum brakes. There may not be enough weight to justify discs... Wondering of anybody has experience with that?

 

Bill

[billy bee 9]

I tried to find the history page again and was not ble to see it by clicking through the company website. But I was able to Google it. I think my boat is a Tru-Trac as it was built a year before the TruTak II was introduced. But there is no specific info about the 1983 model year.

 

http://builder.centurionboats.com/history/

 

bb

[Skibumm 184]

It looks like a tru trac to me as well. Glad to see older centurions being represented here

[Bongo Fury 640]

LOVE IT!!! Someday I hope to have one.

[Troy 234]

Awesome! Welcome to the crew!

[natedawg 0]

^{Very Sweet BOAT!}

[geb202002 24]

Nice boat!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[billy bee 9]

Mary and I just spent a few days at Ski Sunset Ranch in Galt, CA. They keep new Centurions around. Shocking how far boats have come in the 33 years since ours was made. However, the older Centurions still get a lot of love.

 

She likes the new ski technology, but she likes skiing behind our boat as much as the brand new boat, which is a real relief. A new ski may be $500. A new boat is $50,000. I think we dodged that bullet...

 

Are there any other skiers on this board?

 

bb

[geb202002 24]

What kind of new centurion are you finding for 50k? Let me in on this secret

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MobEnzo 51]

What kind of new centurion are you finding for 50k? Let me in on this secret

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ski boat... Carbon Pro. I think they're about 50k.

[geb202002 24]

ahh, fair enough..... not interested!

[Kristi 0]

Billy Bee - I was happy to see your post! My husband Jeff found a boat very similar to yours in the Salt Lake area. My husband swung a great deal/trade for the boat and has been working hard on it for a couple of years.  It sounds like we have had similar issues to yours. In addition to what you mentioned, Jeff replaced the engine with a new one. It had/has a 351 Windsor. The issues that we are having with the boat are:

the boat won't plane, and the wake is freaking me out. I like to single ski.I have never been a really aggressive skiier, but have never been so freaked out about the wake before. The wake has a rooster tail that I can't deal with. It seems like too much off of the sides of the boat as well. Definitely not planing like it should. 

 Our RPM's at full throttle approach 4200, which is about right we think

It has a Holley 4160 carb. Jeff just made sure it was adjusted right. 

We're taking on water, maybe under the bump guard seam, maybe in front. We may need to  raise the trailer and see if we can drain it better. 

Speedo's aren't correct. Only one works right now, and it appears to be about half speed slow. When the speedometer shows 13, we're going about 25. We checked with a GPS today on the water.

What kind of ski does your wife ski on? I am using my old Connely hook what I have had since the early 80's. I love it, am comfortable with it, but one day I would like to up my game. So, I was wondering.

Coincidentally, I grew up in Stockton, and have been boating on the delta my whole life. What a great place to be!

I really couldn't be luckier though, despite the shorter warm season here in Northern Utah, we have a reservoir 10 minutes away that offers glass if we get out early enough. We get the fishermen to wave (one fingered) sometimes, but laugh it off! We only tear it up for half hour or so before Jeff goes to work.

I've tried to send photos, but the file sizes are too big. I'll try again later maybe.

[bosman 2]

I just picked this 82 trutrac up! love the old school boats!  

[bosman 2]

so i am looking to re-upholster the inside.  would it be best to keep the original pleats in the seats, or update the inside with a newer style look but keep some of the colors close to the original?  I know to keep the pleating is quite a bit more expensive due to the time to sow those in.

thanks for any advise,

Jim

[rhino89523 34]

Many of the pleating colors for boats are available pre-made so it may not be as much as you think to do the pleats they would only have to lay in the colors. I personally dig old boats, I had an old Laveycraft open bow day cruiser for years and when it was time to redo the interior I tried to keep it close to factory. It had like 8 colors in the Gelcoat and 5 colors in the interior. The attention to detail and custom look were things I liked. I used to always tell people "Imagine me pulling up with this boat behind my bubble window van with matching paint circa 1977....I would have been the biggest pimp!!!"

My vote is for keeping it stockish looking......nice boat.

 

[bosman 2]

Thanks for the advice rhino!  I agree as well, I love the retro look.  The van would be an epic tow vehicle lol!!  I will have to look around some other places to see if I can get a better quote on the interior.

[superdtf 68]

I love these old boats.  My classic boat is a Ski Nautique (1980), but God, I love these old boats.