Outfitting the footwells:

Used skis are the cheapest way to get on the water. Biggest problem is finding one that fits. I have shortened the footwells on two Fenns (a Tarpon and a Milennium) by 3-5 inches. Using aluminum plate, this outfitting does not require any new holes in the boat and gives a solid feel for your leg-drive. You may have to remove and replace the rudder cables as removing the clamps to adjust the cable is near impossible to do without damaging the cable itself.

You'll need:

• 4 stainless steel nuts and bolts

• Aluminum plate

• (New rudder cables and cable clamps)

1) Cut a rectangle of aluminum plate with the width to span the width of the footwell. The length should be the distance from the bottom of the footwell to level with the pedal attachment point (Figure 1, A), the length you want to shorten the foot well by (B) and some overlap to attach the plate to the pedal screw holes (C; see Figure 1).

2) Cut one end of the plate to fit the cross-section of the footwell base. A jigsaw worked well for me.

3) Remove the pedals (save the screws).

4) Bend the plate (see Figure 1) to fit. I used a dirty big hammer, worked well. Larger hammers work faster.

5) Drill holes for attachment of pedal to plate (top of A Figure 1) and attachment of plate to footwell (top of C Figure 1).

6) Bolt the pedal to the plate (Figure 2)

7) Screw plate to pedal holes using the screws you saved (Figure 3).

8) Reattach or replace rudder cable.

The aluminum plate should feel solid when pushed with your feet. You could brace the plate to give added strength if needed, but this may require putting new holes in the ski.

I put slits in the plate to help water reach the drain holes (see Figure 4). The photos show the plates added to a Millennium that shortened the footwells by about 3".

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4