Installing Perfect Pass

For a technical system, it's easy to install

By Matt Spencer

When I was water-skiing as a kid, precision speed control was done with hand gestures to the spotter, who then relayed that to the driver. Nowadays precision speed is achieved using satellites and GPS found in many new tow boats. For those of you with older inboards and I/Os, this technology is certainly available. So for this My Boat column we’re going to install a Perfect Pass system on an ’88 Nautique, a modern upgrade for an old classic.

Perfect Pass has numerous options available. If you simply want an updated speedometer with GPS accuracy, they have a new product called Precision Star that is a simple remove and replace install. But if you want the full enchilada with tournament speed control, 3-Event Star Gazer is the product for you. We’re going to be installing both.

Perfect pass works similar to cruise control on your car, only you set the speed in advance, based on who or what you’re pulling. When your rider is ready, hit the throttles. Once you’ve reached the desired speed, the unit beeps to let you know it’s been engaged and it takes over.

So there’s two items at play here. There’s the master module (that’s the computer that does the thinking) and our servo meter, which handles the physical speed control. The latter is where we’re going to start.

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NOTE: This DIY project will be featured in the 2011 season of PowerBoat Television. For a list of broadcasters and airtimes, please visit powerboattv.com.

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