Quote Originally Posted by AugerIn00 View Post
Sorry for the lack of reply. I had to hit the mountain today.

To answer Deerfield, the boat will be used in Eastern Washington, on the Columbia River. I originally thought that a depth gauge would be a must have option, but after talking to a few people that run the same portion of the river, that they have too many false alarms going off that they would rather not have it. (I suspect due to milfoil, but I didn't clarify)
Heater is the other option that my wife would like, but I don't see us using it much. We will mostly be using the boat in the heat of the day. My brother has a ski boat that we will be using as the early morning water ski boat, so I don't know how much a heater will benefit us, but we are still considering that option as well.
mmandley, thanks for the advice on color... I am with you, I have no problem spending the time taking care of my boats. I have been taking care of my fathers 1991 Ski Ray since he bought it brand new, and it's still in stellar shape, even though it lives 100% of its time on the salt water.
Any additional advice on anything before I pull the trigger in about four weeks would be greatly appreciated.
Auger,
Living and boating in the same area as you for 33 years, I would highly recommend a depth gauge as it is worth the weight in props. The best boarding water in some areas is no deeper than 10 feet. The islands all have long underwater rock projections on both ends with some hooking. Half of Potholes Reservoir is six feet or less and the best skiing water around. Use the depth finder to learn the depth and then register the topo in your head so the depth finder is only used to verify depth. People that don't have depth finders never venture to the good water spots as that is why we go there to get away from others and never feel comfortable exploring areas. The heater is used on occasion especially in the early and late season and after dark. On the other extreme, it is nice to have a bimini to get out of the sun. Enjoy the boat as this is a great place for water activities.