About to buy a boat and would like to ask for a few pointers...

[precool26]

Hey guys! I am about to purchase a 1998 Bayliner 1500BR. Its the 15' Jazz Series jetboat with a mercury sport jet 120 in it. I am just asking what all I should look at prior to buying it. I am going to test compression in every cylinder and check for hull damage. I want to know any other problem areas to check. Im thinking it should probably have a wear ring, so I will look. Just anything guys.....I dont want to miss a beat. Thank you so much for your answers....

 

[Scott Danforth]

Welcome aboard, I would start with the stickies at the top of the forum

 

[H20Rat]

No wood in that boat, so you are good there. That engine has a couple of things to watch out for, mainly never, ever start it without having it in the water. Starting it on a hose is not safe. Take a flashlight and look at the impeller from both sides (ie, crawl under it) and look for big gouges in the impeller or stator. Also, any leaking oil in that area is bad!

So as an owner of 2 of those size jet boats in the past, are you 100% sure that is exactly what you want? It is a big jetski, just not as fun. You can't realistically haul more than 1 or two other people, it is marginal at watersports, and will ride rough. I ended up getting rid of mine for a larger (17' class) jet boat, and would never own a smaller one again.

 

[SkaterRace]

I agree with smoking, I have been on a few smaller jet boats and I think that 19' is the smallest I would want to go. I don't know anyone who kept their smaller one for longer than 3-5 years

 

[CJACAS]

Take it out for a sea trial, and run it hard for at least a few minutes to ensure the engine doesn't blow or overheat. Its one thing to test the compression, another to test her with the prop spinning under load.

 

[precool26]

Thank you guys! I will do just this!

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Can you guys educate me as to why a smaller Jet boat isn't a good thing. A pals son insists he want's one to replace his Jet Ski. I hope this is thread related, I think it is.

 

[dwco5051]

Rough ride, fuel hogs. One step up from a jet ski.

I had a couple of small gofast boats when I was much younger (does any one remember the wooden Aristocraft two seaters?) and they were fun to zip up and down the lake in but not for much else. Sort of like circling the block in the old Triumph Spitfire over and over.

My brother in law kept a small jet runabout by Honda at his lake house for his teenaged sons but after the novelty wore off they mostly used his 23 foot Colbalt. One of the reasons they gave was when they would go over to the marina or beach and meet girls they didn?t have room to take them for boat rides. I would drive it for an hour or so by myself when staying there for grins and giggles and that would be about most of the use it got.

Took my wife out once and she told me that she would never get in it again. She trained horses and barrel raced years ago and had as many broken parts as Evel Kneivel and hated it. Did I mention ROUGH RIDE?