BOATS AND BIKES
What handling a motorcycle can teach you about handling a tow boat.
I’m an avid boater with years of experience. I also know my way around motorcycles. The two might not seem like they have much in common, but both skill sets recently came into play when I had an opportunity to drive a surfboat while others got to play in the wake.
Though I have little experience towing people behind a boat, I figured the fundamentals would cross over.
I was able to apply that theory when I joined a merry group of motorcycle enthusiasts comprised of boatingindustry pros who also enjoy touring on two wheels. They meet annually for a multiday road trip that combines their passions for boating and biking at the Boaterz ’n’ Bikerz Hull of a Tour. Organized by boatingindustry veteran Wanda Kenton Smith, routed by professional boat photographer Jim Krueger, and supported by a host of watersports sponsors, the Hull of a Tour has visited some of the nation’s most popular riding—and boating— destinations.
Riding my BMW K75, I joined the 2019 Boaterz ’n’ Bikerz tour in the Great Smoky Mountains, popular among bikers for their scenic byways and among boaters for waters that include the Nantahala River, and the Fontana, Fort Loudoun and Tellico lakes. The biking highlight? We slayed the “Tail of the Dragon,” a fabled route among motorcycle enthusiasts, offering 318 hair-raising curves along an 11-mile route.
That rite of passage complete, we visited Malibu Boats in Loudon, Tennessee. Malibu provided several Wakesetter models on Fort Loudoun Lake for us to enjoy, and for me to receive a clinic on how to operate a cutting-edge tow boat.
LEARNING CURVES AND CURLS
Settling into the helm seat of the natty, azure-blue Malibu MXZ, I was immediately intimidated by the colorful touchscreen that dominated the dash. This Dash Command Center offered an overwhelming array of options, including operating basics for which I have always relied on no more than a throttle and wheel to navigate. Beyond operating systems, the screen allows for monitoring water ballast and the selection of wake size and shape, using a combination of a Power Wedge III hydrofoil and a pair of Surf Gates. Malibu engineer Jared Paul patiently walked me through the functions.
Once comfortable with the standard throttle, wheel and power of the 24-foot inboard, and I had mastered the finger strokes to automatically lock in what speed, size and shape of wave my surfer preferred, it was a no-brainer.
LIKE TAMING THE DRAGON
The basics of towing a person proved to be much like riding two-up on a motorcycle: start slow, make sure it’s balanced and running true, and accelerate steadily until the optimum speed is attained. Speed being relative, you operate a tow boat slowly for wakesurfing, remaining in the 10 to 11 mph range. The same can be said when tackling the Dragon Tail’s turns on two wheels: You rarely shift beyond second gear. The main difference is, with the motorcycle, I had to anticipate every turn; with the Malibu, I had to track as straight and true as possible.
In fact, the broadest learning curve I faced was how to slow down and turn the boat to pick up the rider without burying the pickle fork into my own wake. (Throttle back slowly and don’t turn until the wake has passed under the bow.)
About the time I mastered the nuances of the touchscreen and was comfortable handling the boat with the throttle and wheel, I was thrown a curveball. Malibu pro surfer Charles “Chaz” Zanon broke out a wrist-mounted Surf Band wireless remote that allowed him to control—from the wave—practically every function on the boat, except steering. My duties were simplified, even as my surfer cranked up the volume from the curl and got me thinking about dragons again.
For more information about the Boaterz ’n’ Bikerz Hull of a Tour series, visit kentonsmith marketing.com/hull-ofa-tour.