Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

[ondarvr]

People frequently ask me about how much water is required to run my jet boat.

This river looks very similar to the river I live on and because of the lack of rain this year the channels look just like this.

I don?t take it to this extreme, well not on purpose, but it happens, the aluminum on my hull isn?t thick enough to do this for long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmwbj5xmAHo&feature=related

 

[blouderback]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

YIKES. A little too skinny for me. I start to get nervous at 4', although I don't touch bottom until about 2.5'

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

Won a salmon fishing tourny back a few years and one of the prizes was an all expense paid fishing trip to Hood River OR for two by Luher Jenson Co. Anyway to make a long story short we went to the klakatac river in WA, with a guide named Buzz Ramsey I think. Being from WI my son and I were amazed by the bottom of the river. The rocks were all silver covered from the aluminum that was scraped off of boats. We were just floating, no motor at all.

I know I can't spell.

 

[fishfeatures]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

often run 2 foot (according to Garmin fish finder) , but occasionally have ran about 1.5 foot but the skeg catches at that at times. Ran out of juice once and the boat just sank down, had a lovely job pulling it into deeper water to get it to run once i put a bit of juice in.

would love a jet boat. That is some skinny water though in the vid.

 

[babbot]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

Thats a pretty cool vid. But I would have to guess that can't be good for the impeller on the jet and the obvious gouging of the hull. They must pick up at least sand and grind down after a while.
I am not very familiar with jets other than they are pretty fun to ride in. But I have been known to be wrong.... occasionally...

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

Tried to edit the title to Shallow, but I couldn't, you get the idea though.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

as important as water depth is the type of bottom. On a relatively flat bottom, soft mud/sand can be of little concern; hard sand different, then oyster rocks the worst. An uneven bottom removes predictability, and there is no time to react to something you just hit.

A rock bottom is a whole 'nother thing, as is a bottom full of structure.

Many a time I have run water on a plane that I could not run in at low speed, but I knew my bottom, knoew my boat, hung on for a bump, and have a SS prop. I have been caught short and run with the skeg dragging--not a good thing to do, but it's possible.

ETA: Oops just noticed the question was about jet boats.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

The Winnebago system can be pretty shallow in some areas. Other than the river channels the deepest point is 20ft.

I have my depth gauge zeroed off the the bottom of my boat so I only need about 1-2ft more when I'm on plane. If I keep to the marked channels I usually don't see less that 2.5-3ft under me (5-6ft total). Of course there are a couple of spots on the Winnebago system were I've gotten just a little out of the channel and seen as low as 1.5ft when on plane. Just don't slow down for any reason or BANG!, you're done.:facepalm:

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

I'll run in 2ft of water with the jet ski, but no less. With the I/O, I won't "knowingly" run in less than 4ft of water.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

Just my opinion. The person operating the boat is that vid has no respect for his equipment.

To answer the question, I like to not hit bottom.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

2 feet is ok , but then I can run in 1 foot if I need to.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

After watching that video, I can't believe someone would consistently run a boat in those conditions. Much of that was less than 6" of water. An airboat would have been a much better option if you truly wanted to get around that area.

 

[90stingray]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

We boat inland lakes. I get a little nervous at 5'.... eyes on depth gauge. I have alarm set at 4'. I usually like it to be 10'+ and those are the areas we boat mostly.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

I often run my boat in 6 inches of water, sometimes a little less. Of course, I'm in a river environment that has absolutely no rocky bottoms at all, its a fairly nice soft sand. (also have been hung up in water that barely covers the top of your foot, and let me tell you, that is fun trying to get unstuck once you are in that shallow of water!)

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

Just my opinion. The person operating the boat is that vid has no respect for his equipment.

To answer the question, I like to not hit bottom.

The boat in the video is built to slide along the bottom like that. Google: firefish sport jet Nice boats.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

My 19' Chap 4'
16' 15" transom Fish boat 2'

Your boat CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK BANG BANG

I use the low water alarms in my boats. Useless in rocky areas or ledges. You hit before a alarm goes off. OWWW

 

[JimS123]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

I'll run my I/O at idle in 3' of water. By looking at my trim gauge I know exactly where to set the outdrive so that the prop and skeg are just above the bottom of the boat. No chance of damage.

I'll run my OB tinny at idle in 2' of water. The half tilt (shallow water) position keeps the skeg and prop quite high and the hull only draws maybe 10".

I won't run my jet in less than 4', ESPECIALLY not at idle. The newer 4-strokes have a lot of power and it could suck up the bottom at 3'. Suck up some stones or excessive sand and you'll be in for an impeller and wear ring change, and they cost more than a boat prop!

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

From that video, when the motor dies out in absolute BFE do you just cut off the HIN and all other identifying info and leave the pieces lay?

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

Too truthfull in the boonies. :facepalm:

 

[25thmustang]

Re: Skinny water...how shollow will you run in?

Seen 1' on the depth sounder and also been in water stirring the mud (our pump out is in shallow water).