Impressions from our first long weekend with the 242 LS.

[Gumbeaux]

Rented a house with two other boating families from Thursday-Monday.

This is my first extended weekend running the boat and also having other boats to compare up close.

The other boats were a big variety: a 22 Center Console Tahoe with outboard and a 26ish Mariah I/O.

We were tubing, fishing, skiing, wakeboarding, cruising around the cove for evening sunset cruises and hanging on the boats at the dock.

Still very happy with the purchase! My impressions in general order from good to bad:

· She carves and turns well. Requires a little more throttle in the turns than I expected to stay up to speed, but that is easy to get used to.

· Boat gets tubers and skiers out of the hole quickly, even with a couple adults and 4-5 kids on board.

· Wakeboarders loved the wake. Perfect width to clear it on a jump. Smooth water in the wake. Rooster tail looks worse from the cockpit than it really is from the skiers point of view.

· Slalom skier loved the wake and the quick pull out of the hole.

· Pulled me right up on my first attempt at wakeboarding!

· The swim platform experience is more enjoyable than we imagined. Kids and wives especially loved it.

· Interior worked out very well even with a crowd on board. The layout is perfect. Enough room for everyone. An adult actually slept one night on the sun pad in the bow.

· Plenty of storage for everything. Might be a wakeboard rack for the future.

· Engine noise not an issue. A little “buzzier” and higher pitched than the others.

· Handles well around the dock. If you get used to having two engines and using them actively to maneuver vs. the wheel, you will have not trouble. I have Cobra fins, and I don’t know whether I really need them…

· Slinging the tube requires a lot of work on the throttle. We didn’t get dangerous, but had some boys and girls who craved a little adrenaline. An experienced tow driver showed me how to be really active on the throttles to get the kids swinging around on the tube. This takes a lot of arm work.

· I have a pretty firm sticking point in the throttle and it is tougher than expected to push through that firm spot smoothly. I have to get through it to get on plane while towing tubers, etc. before I back off. Backing off the right amount is also tough since it is so firm in that spot. The throttles are much heavier than either of the other boats and more firm even than my families Grady White 305 Express with twin outboards. Maybe some lube and adjustment is needed.

· Requires a longer rope than normal to get kids back from the jet spray. I am at nearly 80 feet and still the rope can get caught in the wake a good bit when tubing from the lower point.

· Starting to learn the cruise control feature. It works great, but sometimes the speed creeps up/down for no apparent reason at higher speeds. It kicked off a couple times and I think some throttle tension adjustment is required on my boat. Minor issue.

· If you don’t pay attention, the boat will spin on you at idle or slight forward throttle. Seems to require more attention than other propulsion systems.

· I am really annoyed by the throttle position vs. the pad/rail. It’s a pain to get the right angle and grip on the two throttles and you almost always have to turn palm up to affectively work the throttles. This is the thing I dislike the most!

· Tough to get the engines synchronized. Will adjust the throttle cables per videon on jetboatpilot.com and see how this works out.

· You have to be active on the wheel moreso than other boats. If you let the wheel go, it will move quickly on you, especially in a turn. This might be a factor of the fins also.

· The carpet stinks. Literally. It smells awful even after drying in the sun on the top of the dock all day. It has to go. I am looking into alternatives like Sea Deck faux teak or something like that. I would recommend just removing your carpet for a long weekend.

· Did not try any fishing. But I just added a couple rod holders and we will give that a go next time out. Trolling control will be an issue. Debating a trolling motor and some kind of deployable skeg on the rear...


All in all, I am still loving this boat!

 

[sysinu]

· Slinging the tube requires a lot of work on the throttle. We didn’t get dangerous, but had some boys and girls who craved a little adrenaline. An experienced tow driver showed me how to be really active on the throttles to get the kids swinging around on the tube. This takes a lot of arm work.

I had this issue but then I found a trick because of the nature of the rooster tail on the 242LS. If you make a quick S to the right and then cut power a little and turn back to the left and give it a little (not WOT) throttle then the wash will generate a new wake that will push the tube out from behind the boat and put it straight into a whip.

 

[Boat Crazy]

Nice right up. On tubing, a turn of the wheel and a quick burst of throttle, wheel back, than back off a bit, will get them out of the wake area...... There are adjustment screws to loosen your throttle tension. Remove rear plastic cover on the back of throttles and adjust. Recommend doing this on water. Adjust, test, readjust, if needed.

 

[tomcoombs]

Nice right up. On tubing, a turn of the wheel and a quick burst of throttle, wheel back, than back off a bit, will get them out of the wake area...... There are adjustment screws to loosen your throttle tension. Remove rear plastic cover on the back of throttles and adjust. Recommend doing this on water. Adjust, test, readjust, if needed.

OK..quick question, without having looked at the throttle assembly. How do you remove the cover? Is it just a screw? Allen head or something similar?

Thanks!

 

[SCSTWG]

Nice right up. On tubing, a turn of the wheel and a quick burst of throttle, wheel back, than back off a bit, will get them out of the wake area...... There are adjustment screws to loosen your throttle tension. Remove rear plastic cover on the back of throttles and adjust. Recommend doing this on water. Adjust, test, readjust, if needed.

I have this issue as well and would some additional thoughts or info on making the throttles smoother and easier to operate. It is very difficult for me to adjust speed smoothly....almost sent the wife over the bow this weekend.