1st time Jet boat questions.

[Beachbummer]

I had a seadoo 99 with the legendary 717 two stroke x2. Bought it with 3 years on it. Always smoked a Lot on start up. Otherwise a fine boat if you didn't mind getting wet. Carb was the only problem area. They can be had for cheap, but it feels a huge upgrade to move to fuel injected 4 stroke. It just works.

 

[2kwik4u]

It all depends where you boat, but I seem to do it at least once a year.

I agree with this as well. I boat in generally REALLY clean water. Still had to use the cleanout plugs 3 times last year. Twice in the Ohio river where I sucked up small sticks (smaller than my thumb), and once in our normal lake when we sucked up what looked like a piece of fiberglass from a wakeboard. Both times I would have been swimming and completely submerged to clear the pump without the ports. Each time I was back up and running in minutes with no real fuss. Aside from the patent issues, I have no idea why this isn't a standard feature on every jetboat!

 

[Coheeba]

You need to take your wife to the boat show and let her see the 242's, she will love it and then it will be her choice and you wont have to sleep on the couch

 

[GoVols01]

You should really check out the Regal 1900 with forward drive 240 hp VP wake edition boat. It garagable, legitimate surfability, the right price point for you. I had a 1900ES and it was a very nice boat, but we needed something bigger we could surf behind, so we got our 212X. I feel very cheated on Yamaha's false advertising about the surfability of the 212X as it is NOT a surf boat whatsoever. Regal has top notch fit & finish.

 

[the MfM]

I did see that the Yamaha was the only one offering that option. How often have you had to use them? Not a lot of vegetation in my most frequented lake.

They are nice to have I guess. Wouldn’t sway my decision from one brand to another. The rotax engines have a sleeve over the impeller shaft.

Yamaha is on their third gen design for the cleanout plugs. Maybe they got them right this time.

 

[Beachbummer]

The plugs are a blessing and a curse. In a year I've forgotten to put them on more than I've used them to my advantage.

Not a bad feature, but not a deal breaker for me, in my humble opinion.

 

[Matt Phillips]

Our marina has lots of grass in the summer and I have to use the cleanout plugs every time going out on the lake. I would y own a jet not without them. I’ve also sucked up small twigs and cleaned them out.

One thing I do to remember to put the plugs in is I bought one of those red ‘remove before flight’ flags and attach it to my steering wheel (when the bot is in the water). When the boat is on the trailer, I hook it to my upper swim step boarding handle and use it for my drain plug reminders.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I think I just have it as part of routine. I make sure the boat is ready for the water at my house (drain plugs, clean-out ports, make sure engines run), then I double check everything again when I get to the ramp and take the tow straps off.

 

[ehresmann5]

I think I just have it as part of routine. I make sure the boat is ready for the water at my house (drain plugs, clean-out ports, make sure engines run), then I double check everything again when I get to the ramp and take the tow straps off.

How do you make sure engines run at the house before heading to lake? Do you hook up a water line or do you just get it started and after a few seconds shut it off?

 

[Matt Phillips]

Typically you can fire them up for 10-15 seconds without water. That's what the manual says when blowing water out of the boxes upon leaving the lake.

Note that my 1.8s will tend to start, the die after a few moments upon first start of the day. I bump the starters again and in about 2-3 seconds they settle into a smooth idle.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Yup, I just crank them over and turn off right away.

 

[ehresmann5]

Thanks. I come from outboards so the thought of running them out of water still makes me nervous, haha! So I haven’t ran them at the ramps after taking the boat out yet. Are most guys just leaving the boat run while being pulled out and then shit off or turning the boat off and then once pulled out starting it back up to rev a few times?

 

[2kwik4u]

Thanks. I come from outboards so the thought of running them out of water still makes me nervous, haha! So I haven’t ran them at the ramps after taking the boat out yet. Are most guys just leaving the boat run while being pulled out and then shit off or turning the boat off and then once pulled out starting it back up to rev a few times?

I don't blow mine out at the ramp. Ever. I'm just going to fill it back up with water next week. Whats the water going to do in a weeks time? Slosh around a little on the tow home?

I do blow it out at the end of the season when I put it away for winter. Run the blower for a minute, fire up the engine, rev a few times to mid-rpm range. Shut off. Do that process 2-3 times over the 2hrs or so that it takes me to clean and close it up for winter storage.

 

[Bluewater272]

I don't blow mine out at the ramp. Ever. I'm just going to fill it back up with water next week. Whats the water going to do in a weeks time? Slosh around a little on the tow home?

I do blow it out at the end of the season when I put it away for winter. Run the blower for a minute, fire up the engine, rev a few times to mid-rpm range. Shut off. Do that process 2-3 times over the 2hrs or so that it takes me to clean and close it up for winter storage.

Agreed, the only time I bother 'blowing out' the engines is before winter (after I run antifreeze through them, which is likely unnecessary). I don't see the utility in it.

 

[ehresmann5]

Good to know, thanks everyone. I have been removing the cleanout plug after each time out as I read they can get stuck if not. Should I be spraying any silicon lubricant on it also?

 

[J-RAD]

Good to know, thanks everyone. I have been removing the cleanout plug after each time out as I read they can get stuck if not. Should I be spraying any silicon lubricant on it also?

I blow out at the ramp each time. I shut off once I get it trailered. Wife pulls up the ramp a bit where a start and rev each engine individually.

 

[Gym]

Thanks. I come from outboards so the thought of running them out of water still makes me nervous, haha! So I haven’t ran them at the ramps after taking the boat out yet. Are most guys just leaving the boat run while being pulled out and then shit off or turning the boat off and then once pulled out starting it back up to rev a few times?

You are correct to be concerned about running outboards out of the water as they use rubber impellers for cooling. It's more about damaging that impeller than overheating the outboard head. Our engines use a bleed off system (I believe taken from aircraft jet engine technology known as bleed air) for cooling which uses no moving parts. The only issue we have to watch for while running out of the water is an overheat condition. The manufacturer advises 15 seconds. They are usually pretty conservative. You can easily go 30 seconds with no issues but that length of time is not necessary to blow out the water boxes.