jet boats good or bad?

BRICH1260

Lieutenant
Joined
Jul 6, 2011
Messages
1,342
Re: jet boats good or bad?

There was a very good comparison cover story in Boating Magazine a couple issues back pitting two boats, one jet and one prop side by side. Was a very good, thorough article. The jet boat won out on many challenge/pro points. Try to find a copy, maybe on line and read, it may help you make up your mind.
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
Re: jet boats good or bad?



Although its a good article, they tied in handling, and gave the I/O the award for the shallow water draft... Both of those left me scratching my head! Yes, a jet is different to handle around the dock. Once you figure it out, you can do things in a jet that even a twin screw I/O can't do.

And as far as draft, I'd like to have any I/O owner that disagrees with me follow me around... My jet boat can skim across the sandy bottom with 6 inches of water. Yes, if I had rocks or anything but a nice sandy bottom, I wouldn't be doing that, but that certainly doesn't give the advantage to an I/O either. Every spring I have to take out a bunch of buddies on the river, I'm the official sandbar locator, so everyone else knows where to run for the season. And if I do manage to ground myself (and I have) its a relatively easy matter to get off. If an I/O happens to rip the lower unit off from hitting the sandbar, it will take more than a little pushing! If they are lucky, the won't sink.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,296
Re: jet boats good or bad?

My concern with jet boats is sucking up fishing line and rope into the pump, and the higher insurance rates of the jet boat
 

haulnazz15

Captain
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
3,720
Re: jet boats good or bad?

The new 2010+ Yamaha jet boats are the only jet boats I'd even consider. I've driven the old BBC- Berkley units, and dozens of jet skis. The jet boats win in acceleration, on-plane maneuverability, and shallow water operation. They are worse in top speed, docking/low speed maneuvers, and slightly worse in fuel economy. Now, the newer Yamahas have twin engines which makes the docking less of a hindrance, but that's not really apples-to-apples with a single I/O. You are also drinking more fuel with 2-160HP engines instead of one 300HP SBC.

Some keep remarking that docking isn't "worse" it's simply "different" until you learn to handle it. I agree and disagree. Obviously it takes a while to master how to run the different drive setup, but single vs single, the I/O will track predictably even when not in gear, the jet boat tends to drift requiring more input, etc. It's not a huge deal, but it's something to consider if you are the least bit nervous when docking.
 

sschefer

Rear Admiral
Joined
Nov 13, 2008
Messages
4,530
Re: jet boats good or bad?

if you are the least bit nervous when docking

Don't know anybody that wasn't the first time with a new boat. Me, I just head in an yell "Look Out". I'm never nervous, I leave that part to the people at the dock. O.K. that was a feable attempt at humor.

I think what the op is really asking is if buying a Jet is a bad decision. If I'm right, then the answer is no. As for all the in and outs, differences and nuances, does it really matter? Once you learn any of the propulsion methods it becomes second nature and you just do it. You just learn what your boat can and can't do and then go have a heck of a lot of fun.
 

JRgt205

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
45
Re: jet boats good or bad?

being that your in northville, I am assuming that you will be going to the many inland lakes around here. since the lakes around here are so shallow in many places a jet would not be a bad idea...like orchard and walled lake is ideal for a jet boat. what lakes do you plan on going to?
 

Slip Away

Lieutenant
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
1,431
Re: jet boats good or bad?

Looks like we can put this post to bed. It appears Sean23 has "Seen" the light...

thinking of buying a larson 186 senza with a 190 hp motor. I have not heard anything bad about larson. If you know anything about larson give me some info please
 

sean23

Cadet
Joined
Apr 8, 2012
Messages
11
Re: jet boats good or bad?

narrowed it down to a larson and a yamaha leaning towards the yamaha now
 

Slip Away

Lieutenant
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
1,431
Re: jet boats good or bad?

Yamaha has a dealer sponsered test ride program that started this month. Also, All the Yamaha jet-boats use 155mm pump assemblies that were originally designed for use in PWCs. Unfortunately, the jet-boats are about 3-4 times the weight of a PWC, and have a whole lot more “wetted” hull surface area that offers heavy resistant to the pumps. It’s much like using a street-bike engine and tire to push around the mass of a large automobile. The contact patch of a motorcycle tire could be “adequate” for most uses, but it’s traction abilities would be constantly stretched to the limit.

In the case of the Yamaha jet-boats, the use of two pumps on the twin engine machines offers a huge advantage in delivering the boat’s power, but even the twin pumps of these jet-boats are often stretched to their limits by the loads of sheer weight and wetted-hull surface. The water intake surfaces on the bottom of twin motor hulls are on angled surfaces on each side of the hull. This “angled water entry” gives an effective entry angle that mimics the pump loading of turning the boat. This means that (while driving in a straight line) the drivers side pump (starboard) is receiving water at an angle that mimics a left hand turn (thus loading the engine rpms down). At the same time, the passenger side (port) impeller is receiving water at an angle that mimics a right hand turn (resulting in higher rpms and a closer cavitation threshold). This is why the left (port) motor of most twin-engine Yamaha jet-boats tend to run higher rpms than the right (starboard) engine. Because of this , the right side pump is generating more actual thrust than the left pump at any given rpm. This causes the steering wheel to constantly be “tugging” toward a left hand turn, and at the same time causes the left side engine to rev higher than the right engine in order to generate the same thrust. You can install different pitch impellers to compensate for this. Yamaha built all their Jetboats with a “debris cleanout” access plug over the jet-pump intake. This cleanout is a great convenience for owners who drive in areas where there is lots of sea-grass or other floating debris that can make it’s way into the jet pump inlet.

Unfortunately, some owners have experienced high-speed episodes where the cleanout “plug” is suddenly ejected from it’s position over the pump inlet. When this happens, the plug often strikes the access door with such force that it gets pushed open. When the access door is pushed open, the pump plug is often blasted into the air, and vanishes into the open water. As the access door is blown open, it actuates an engine cutoff switch. This creates a situation where the boat decelerates rapidly, while a large column of water is being driven upward through the opening in the top of the water intake. In such a situation, most of that water column will fall into the passenger compartment of the boat…. And pretty much soak everyone. To add to the insult of all occupants taking an instant dowsing … the pump plug is gone overboard, thus rendering the boat close to inoperable .

Just some more thoughts to consider while you are "narrowing"
 

Slip Away

Lieutenant
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
1,431
Re: jet boats good or bad?

Expand the field to more than just two boats. That is hardly a good sampling (1 Larson) of what a sterndrive boat offers compared to a jet drive.

The info I posted above was conducted by an aftermarket manufacturer of jet boat and PWC parts. The results they found were from their actual testing of the boats, and sharing the info with Yamaha engineers. It's not public access information, but available to those in the marine industry, and I just chose to share it here. Sorry I put some sea weed in your "X", "Y" and "Z" lunch. Not my intent. Proceed with the thread and boat search.....
 

TorchedGT

Seaman
Joined
Jan 18, 2012
Messages
71
Re: jet boats good or bad?

I had a Yamaha LS2000 20' twin engine (135 ea.) jet boat as my first boat and it was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT for a first boat! You can afford to make "mistakes" without actually paying for them, so to speak. You can cut the corners at lakes, fly through creeks you wish you'd never tried to get into (rather, you can actually get out again..) and beach the boat in insanely shallow areas on rivers and bays / beaches - ALL of which would have ripped an outdrive right off the back of an I/O boat. Granted I'm not excusing safe and proper boating, but we've all had moments when we forgot stuff. Honestly considering last season was my first boating season ever, I'm very happy - and most of what I mentioned above was done voluntarily (taking advantage of the 18" draft) but still.

These designs let you get away with a lot - even something as seemingly insignificant as jumping off the back of the boat (sooner or later a beginner boater is going to forget there's lots of sharp bits back there in an I/O!) - in general it's just a more "common sense"-oriented way of approaching boating, you don't have to worry about a lot of the tactics or tips involving an outdrive. Plus of course, you don't need to worry about trimming the drive or messing with trim tabs. My yammie would jump out of the hole in 2.5-3 sec and hit her top speed in the blink of an eye. Just throw the throttles forward.. that's it, it makes for an easy transition into the scene.

I've since moved up to a conventional I/O boat, but there are MANY things I miss about the Yamaha and I still have zero regrets about that purchase. I wanted to make sure I was committed to boating, and considering just how involved I got with boating during my first season, I'm grateful that I got a boat which was as flexible and capable as it was - it really allowed me to explore everything that boating had to offer, with minimal experience and training.

I'm not saying you shouldn't look at I/O or outboard boats, but I AM saying that you certainly shouldn't worry for one second about purchasing a jet boat - that much I'm sure of (there's also a lot to be said about twin-engine redundancy and peace-of-mind when going out on the water for the first few seasons).
 

Philster

Captain
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
3,342
Re: jet boats good or bad?

TorchedGT: So happy with his jet boat, that as he drove around in it, he lusted after an I/O with real performance and sound... and then, darn it, he went and got himself an I/O.

So, get a Yammy jet-thingy as a set of training wheels, and when you're ready to kick them off, get a boat with a proper propeller.

I kid, TorchedGT; I kid! :D
 
Top