Moomba Owners--> reliability/quality/issues/recommendation of your boats

[sho94_200]

Hi all...it's been a while...

Having always wanted an inboard ski boat (not for skiing...just because they are sweet boats), I am intrigued by the prices I am finding on Moomba boats. VERY reasonable prices (25K for a 2007/2008 where a MasterCraft/Nautique/Supra/Malibu that's 10 years old costs that much...)

Clearly there is a reason why a Moomba is cheaper...I want to know why. Are they the Bayliner of Ski Boats? Are they a reliability nightmare? Is quality poor? Or are the other boats just extremely overpriced?

There are a few Moombas around the chain of lakes that my family has property...and they look (and sound) like great boats.

So...are they?

(And yes...I did search...one post said they have issues, others said they are happy with their boats....)

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Moomba Owners--> reliability/quality/issues/recommendation of your boats

don't own one but get lots of pulls behind a couple different moomba's all summer. Zero complaints, and lots of loyal customers who have owned multiple different models. Like any boat today, its pretty much a standard drivetrain system. (pretty hard to screw up when you are just slapping in a mercruiser 350)

Although I'm curious why you want all the hassles of an inboard or V-drive if you aren't a hard core skier/wakeboarder? You have generally deeper draft, and you suddenly have to be very careful beaching, or even tying off a dock that is shallow. Almost every time one of the moomba's i ride behind has been in the shop, it has been from the owner hitting something in shallow water they shouldn't have been in. In a good lake environment it isn't as much of a concern, in a river with sandbars it is a pain.

 

[sho94_200]

Re: Moomba Owners--> reliability/quality/issues/recommendation of your boats

Hey, thanks for the info. I do appreciate it.

Why do I want an inboard? Well...they are cool boats. I view them as the sports/muscle cars of the water. They have a great, sleek look. They are fast. But for me...it's the rumble of a good V8 that really draws me to them. I know it's probably not rational...but I've driven a standard 19' runabout with an I/O, I currently drive a 19' Bayliner with an outboard. But whenever a inboard ski boat goes by on the lake...I always stop and watch as it glides by...just as I did 20 years ago.

What I really want is the Z06 powered Corvette Malibu...but I don't have $100K to buy one...

As for the lake environment...the ten lake chain my grandparents have property on is a clean, deep chain...I know the chain like the back of my hand...but the vast majority of the lakes are free of any obstructions.

The only other place it would be used is the St. Croix river that borders MN and WI. That river, for the most part, is very deep and clean.

And we usually don't beach it much...so that's not a huge concern. I also will probably ski behind it once and a while...but, again, I want the boat because it's like a Camaro for water. Big V8, fast, sleek, great looking, etc.

 

[bigb2008]

Re: Moomba Owners--> reliability/quality/issues/recommendation of your boats

You can get a V8 powered boat that is quick and have an i/o, not as deep of a draft, and be a little easier on the worries of hitting something. I think the inboard and v-drive's are really for the hardcore skiers. There are tons of them out there.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Moomba Owners--> reliability/quality/issues/recommendation of your boats

You need to listen to a V8 IO with captions call exhaust -- that's a muscle car sound and a factory equipped Stingray can hit speeds close to 20 mph faster than any tournament ski boat or v-drive.

That being said, no boat handles, drives, turns, or pulls a skier on a calm lake like a direct drive.

If that is what catches your eye, go for it.

I hear great things about Moombas. I know I would consider one if I felt a need to get back into a direct drive or v-drive, as Malibu's price point is so much higher than it was when I bought mine back in the late 80s.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Moomba Owners--> reliability/quality/issues/recommendation of your boats

You can get a V8 powered boat that is quick and have an i/o, not as deep of a draft, and be a little easier on the worries of hitting something. I think the inboard and v-drive's are really for the hardcore skiers. There are tons of them out there.

also, most of the inboards from the factory are SLOWER than a comparable I/O. They are propped for low end pull, and top out around 40. Granted you can change a prop fairly easily, but even then the hulls aren't built for speed and generally have a lot of wetted surface.