2006 AR 230 should we buy?

[Austin Ramsey]

This is my first post and have been reading up a lot over the past couple of weeks and my wife and I have decided to go with a Yamaha jet boat for our first boat! We have done a lot of looking and almost went with a new 242 but decided since it's our first boat we should buy used so we have found a 2006 AR 230 it has a little over 400 hours and is 16k. Don't know an entire lot about boats but we are going to look at it this Friday and get it on the water but honestly don't know what to look for and I know 400 hours is quite a bit so I didn't know if anyone may have anything we should check on the boat before purchasing. Thanks for all the help!

 

[RiverRat]

Welcome aboard. Where abouts are you located? Maybe there is someone close by that can help you in person. That sounds like a good price on that boat, and I wouldn't be afraid of 400 hours for that year boat, and at that price. Especially if it's been properly maintained. Is this a private seller or a dealer sale? If there's an ad or something online post the link, then more of us can give you some feedback. Either way, good luck in your boating adventures!

 

[Austin Ramsey]

http://m.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-AR230-...%3A6e61ee7015b0a60cc974188ffff74078%7Ciid%3A9

 

[Austin Ramsey]

It's in TN, he removed the ad from Craigslist and eBay after I basically told him if everything checked out we wanted it. I think you can still get to it from that ad I just posted from eBay.

 

[Bruce]

That boat looks to be almost entirely stock. That is a good thing if you want to do the mods. But for $16K on that year model I would expect the flooring to be replaced with upgraded materials such as SeaDek.

The eBay ad says the engines are 220 horsepower. Looking at them I think they might be HO engines which are 160 hp each. There is label below the engine hatch that should document the engine model numbers. Stickers should also be located on the bottom of the engines. HO Engines vs 110 HP engines would be a big issue for me.

If she has HO engines I would want a water test and to see top speeds over 45.

 

[Julian]

Looks to be in decent share for a 2006. You definitely want to drive it on the water! No question about that! Things to look out for on the test drive:

• Little to No hesitation on take off. You should be able to jamb the throttles to full throttle and the boat should reach plane in approx 3-5 seconds. There should be no significant vibration or hummm when you do this. Try this a few times. What you are looking for is called cavitation-in a jet boat this can come from the same place as with a conventional prop - problems with the impeller causing disturbance in the flow and bubble creation due to damage etc(fancy name for the props inside the jet tubes), or it can come from other sources like 1) missing sealant on the intakes 2) poorly sealed cleanouts allowing air to be pulled in. So don't be shy about doing multiple full throttle take offs to be sure the boat responds fast and without hesitation.
• Check for operation of everything:
  • Stereo
  • No Wake mode switches (you should be able to press these down together and the boat should jump to 2400 rpm on both engines and hold it there) (lights will light up on the gauges when you are in no wake mode)
  • bilge pump (hopefully there is no water for it to pump)-but with the engine open, when you turn on the bilge switch you should hear a brief hum from the bilge as it checks for water. (also, when you are done with the test drive and the boat is back out of the water on the ramp--pull the drain plug to ensure you don't have a lot of water come out - a lot would be more than a gallon or two--more than 10 seconds of steady strong flow would be a concern--not a deal breaker, just a negotiating point).
  • Steering and throttles should be smooth and easy. On a boat this age, those cables may well be getting close to replacement time (I replaced mine on my 2005 in 2013ish) -not hard to do, and not a deal breaker...just another negotiation point.
  • Seats-look for stitching coming loose.
  • Engine bay---look for water lines in the engine compartment
  • Clean out plugs (ad says they were rebuilt)-make sure they seat and remove easily.

Get under the boat...especially in the stern...to look for hull damage. There should be no crack, dents etc that expose fiberglass. So all you should see is Red gelcoat or white...no orange or brown.

Lastly, if you are on the test drive and think something isn't right....go with your gut! You could also post here using our help function (put the @ sign before the word help in the body of the post - and helpful forum members will be notified of your need for immediate help. Obviously only do this if you have a serious question....but sale time can be stressful, and we are here to help if you have a concern about something).

Good luck, and we look forward to another happy Jetboater in our family soon! When is the test drive? You never know if another local forum member might be willing to join you on the test ride. Nothing like having someone along who knows how it should perform!

 

[Austin Ramsey]

Awesome! Thanks for all of the help, I talked to him on the phone for about an hour on Friday and he said he took the carpet out and put in the new mats and changed all of the spark plugs and clean out valves last year. It's a older gentleman that has the boat and he got it from a bank repo Fromm US bank and had it for only a year and said it was out on the water 3 times last year. My wife and I are going to do the test drive on Friday it's in a small town in TN called Dickson, right outside of Nashville. I'm just going to screenshot this post and check everything above that has been mentioned. Hopefully it all goes well, I want to get on that water ASAP! Thanks for the help Julian. Also to what Brice said about the engine, it seems like almost every other AR230 that year says HO or has that in the sales ad so I didn't know about the engines. I'm going to call him tomorrow and check on that. Our thoughts were to use this not for a year and if we are sold on it out it for sale at the end of this winter and buy a newer one next year. So we will see how it goes. If anyone else has anything I should test or look for on Friday please let me know!

 

[buckbuck]

I have more hours than that on my boat and it runs fine. Maintained engines will not be a concern.
Send us some close up pictures of the jet pumps and the impellers if possible.
Also carefully examine the trailer. Take a close look at the tires.

 

[buckbuck]

If you buy it make sure you purchase tie down straps for the rear. Many of us have installed Boat Buckles G2 retractables.

 

[buckbuck]

By the way, I personally feel you are making a wise move purchasing a used boat and determining if this is something your family will enjoy.

 

[Bruce]

By the way, I personally feel you are making a wise move purchasing a used boat and determining if this is something your family will enjoy.

I agree. Another benefit is that those early scratches that might happen will be on a less expensive boat.

 

[buckbuck]

HA! and when you scratch up the expensive new boat you will buy you will realize those things happen and it is part of the cost of having fun with your family and friends.

 

[bronze_10]

I agree. Another benefit is that those early scratches that might happen will be on a less expensive boat.

might happen? i still but a few a year on mine!

 

[Austin Ramsey]

Ok I'll get it and take some close ups of everything Friday and post it on here. Yea we had long conversations and made the decision to go used and below 20k than to drop 55k on a brand new one for our first boat. Im sure we will love it, we were out the last couple summers all the time on our friends pontoons. Once again thanks for all of the help from everyone. A bit nerve wracking not knowing to much about jet boats and going to purchase a used one from a individual!

 

[Bruce]

If the engines are sound and they are HO then it is a good value and I would expect buying and selling to have a low cost especially compared to buying a 190 and selling it a year later.

@Julian sold an amazing boat of similar age last year for a few thousand more. His boat certainly was a better deal for the buyer but those kinds of deals are rare.

You also may love this boat and want to keep it a long time. My family is very attached to our 2007 SX230 and it's many modifications that fit our family's usage. Any time I discuss upgrading the wife and kids are quite pessemistic.

 

[Bruce]

One thing to keep in mind is that you will need to replace the scupper valve. It is a half day and less than $100 job but you do not want to forget it since it can sink the boat.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/replacing-yamaha-sx230-scupper-valve.1325/

 

[Austin Ramsey]

Yea that is very true, who knows we may decide to stay with it and modify to our needs. We will see how everything goes, can anyone tell by the eBay ad what the engine sizes actually are? Or is it to similar of a size to tell until I get there and see them? I can call tomorrow and re confirm I guess.

 

[Bruce]

Some non HO models have a different air intake. From the parts diagrams it looks like Yamaha used the type that are shown in the ads in both HO and non HO engines for 2006 230s. The HO model is SRT1100BE, the non HO model is SRT1000BE

You can see the configurations and parts at http://www.yamahapart.com/oemparts/c/yamaha_sport_boat_2006/parts

 

[Austin Ramsey]

So if it ends up being the engine as stated in the add and not the HO engine is that a major deal?

 

[maboat]

can anyone tell by the eBay ad what the engine sizes actually are?.

I think the ad is wrong. I believe that boat has twin 140HP engines. If I remember correctly, in 2006 there were only two colors of AR230, red and black. The black had 160HP HO engines and the red had 140HP engines. The 110HP engines were exclusive to the 210 series boats, not the 230. With that said, I have this same model/year. I purchased it new in 2006 and I test drove both. Normal running around I could not tell any difference in the engines except the top speed on the HO was a little higher. Otherwise, very little difference between the two.

The HO model is SRT1100BE, the non HO model is SRT1000BE

Bruce is right on. The easiest way to tell which engine is to open the engine hatch and look at the factory label which is easily visible near the latch.

Either way, I wouldn't lose sleep over the two different engines on the 230. This is the boat that really put Yamaha on the map as major contender in the boat business