Help with Course Options

[mino]

Looking for help on ski course options. We live on a lake that has a course. The lake does not have public access, but has a lot of boat traffic. We have only been on the lake for 2 years. From our understanding, the course was put in by dropping some anchors through the ice during the winter. Prior home was on a lake with a course. My wife had progressed to being able to consistently ski 15 off at 30 mph. Now the best she has done is 4 at 15 off 28 mph. We wnet back to Florida over in the spring and she consistently ran 15 off at 28 mph. So I think that either due to the method of installation or due to time, I think the course is our of whack.

 

So I am looking for options of what we can do. I have thought about purchasing one of the cable courses, but am worried about boaters chatching the cables with their boat anchors. Anyoen have experience with a cable course in an area that people may drop anchor.

 

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Nolan

[skibug]

Go here and read up...there are instructional vidoes for assembly of each section of the permanent and sinkable course.

 

http://www.wallyskier.com/

 

 

[mino]

OB,

 

If I understand correctly, you are saying use cable course to layout where to drop the anchors for a permanent non-cable course. Is that correct?

 

Never even thought of that idea. That is what makes this site great.

[WBLskier]

We have left a portable course up all summer on a very busy 2500 acre public lake for more than 20 years now. We have some repairs to do on it from time to time (replacing buoys, buoy lines, occasionally repairing the cable), but we've never really had it destroyed to the point that it couldn't be fixed.

 

It beats putting it in and out all the time. Also, from my experience it is as fast to install a portable course as it is to put the buoys on a permanent course, and then you have the ability to move the course to wherever the wind is coming from to get good skiing...just my two cents.

[mino]

OB,

 

Thanks for the details. Sounds like a great and simple solution to the problem. Next step, get the portable course.

 

Nolan

[mino]

OK, so next step is find someone close with a portable course.

[scuppers]

@mino & @OB - Yes I have done this 20 times. It works great. As OB said be very well prepared before you get on the water, draw it out and check the depth at each buoy drop point and be accurate about it. Then be sure to align it all up on a very calm (no wind) day.

[mino]

@ob & @scuppers - will any portable course work? Somone is selling and Accufloat course near me for $250. May be easier to buy it than try and find someone who has one.

[MattP]

yup.

[ctsmith]

How deep can you go with permanent anchors?

[MattP]

As deep as you want to deal with.... how far can you free dive?

[ctsmith]

The floating course I'm thinking of is about 10' on one end and 25' on the other. Probably better stick with a floating course.

[ctsmith]

Assuming steel H Pile cutoffs are used for anchors, how much do they need to weigh? I'll be using 12x53's (12" flange, 53 lbs/ft).

[ctsmith]

100 lb cinder block equals about 55 lbs in water, correct? So I can get away with a 1' piece (53 lbs)

[ctsmith]

Sandy/silt lake bottom. I've a feeling it will silt in fast and you won't be able to budge it. Once dropped in, better not drag my feet getting them aligned.

[scuppers]

@Mino OOPS! Wrote this yesterday but forgot to post.

For me the simple answer is yes. Install it- get it tight and then use a 300' tape measure that rolls/winds up. Go down and measure the distance from the gate cross bar to first boat guide cross bar and so on. Just to make sure you didn't over tighten or it hasn't streached out for some reason. I always made sure the two center lines were dead on accurate then everything else is easy to get right.

[mino]

@OB & @scuppers - Have either of you done individual anchors for the buoys with the water between 35 & 70 ft. Talked to Ed who thought a cable course woudl be a better alternative. A number of people that ski on the lake seem concerned about a cable course. Others think an individually anchored course at that depth will be a problem, both in placing the anchors and the course staying aligned in wind.

 

Thanks for the help. Just trying to have the course be one less obsticle to skiing well.

[GAJ0004]

The course on my lake is an early 90's accufloat. We used an engine block at one end and a diesel camshaft at the other as anchors with 3/4'' poly rope. Connected to the course cable with snap hooks. The one anchor line has two loops and a comalong in between them which we used to add tension. We tie the buoys on with mason string so if a buoy gets snagged it will break off without ripping the course out. I am told they tried an individually anchored course, but I am told the wind moved them. The water at the north end is 15 feet deep and 22 feet at the other. The accufloat has served us well for well over decade. The buoy strings have brass dogleash clips which are connected to the eyebolts on the pipes. We submerge the course with antifreeze/washer fluid jugs. We fill them half full of water and use zip ties to connect them to the eyebolts and let it sink. In the spring I go out in my canoe with a custom made grappling hook(all rounded and smooth edges), drag it along the bottom until I find the cables, and replace the sub buoys. It goes pretty easy. I keep extra buoys and strings handy to replace any that get cut loose.

 

[scuppers]

@mino: Wow that's deep.

I think a permenent individual anchored course is always the best option but at 35+ feet deep it will be costly to install (dive gear, two way radio communication etc). I haven't had any expierence over 30 ft.

[mino]

@OB & @Scuppers - Thanks for the information. That is what I am starting to understand about something that deep. I am leaning toward a cable course from Ed. Just need to convince others that it is the best option.

 

Thanks again for the information.