captras
Jetboaters Captain
- Messages
- 1,224
- Reaction score
- 1,347
- Points
- 242
- Location
- Lake Livingston, Texas
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2016
- Boat Model
- 242 Limited S E-Series
- Boat Length
- 24
I bought this boat new Memorial Day weekend, coming out of a 21 foot, bow rider, stern drive. I loved my old boat, but, would never go back. After a good full season, these are my thoughts about the Yamaha 242 Limited SE.
Pros:
Storage space is incredible. I used to have crap everwhere on my old boat. On the 242 there is nothing that does not have a place in some storage compartment.
Cabin layout is very comfortable, allows for everybody to have a large, comfortable seating area. Captain and observer seats are very comfortable, and I love the captain's seat options to sit flat or raised.
Ski locker is huge....room for skis, wakeboards, rope, pull ropes, with space left over.
Carpet is comfortable to walk on, easy removal, reinstall, easy to clean, and looks great
Seating in bow area is awesome....either with full fill cushions, or a back cushion for a third person. Also like the small cutouts in the front for the kids to ride and get an up front view of the action.
Upholstery is first class both in appearance and quality.
Rear swim deck cannot be beat. Great place to sit and enjoy a beer while watching the kids in the water having fun. The wet storage area behind the seat backs on the swim deck are amazing. No wet/dirty shoes in the boat, no wet tow lines, ski vests, or anything else to mess up the cabin area.
Interior lighting is very good. Looks good, and creates a great atmosphere for night operations.
I like the sound system...all the nuances such as USB, bluetooth, rear deck controls, etc. Not the best sound system, but very adequate. I am sure there is no comparison to what you get with the 242X, but then again, I didnt pay for that. For my use, it is quite acceptable.
The 242 Limited SE has a HUGE bimini. I read both pros and cons before I bought it, but the wife opted for the SE mostly because of it. She was right. It gives you great shade (we need that in Texas), but is high enough to never be in the way. At first, it is a little frustrating, learning the nuances of removal and installation, but once you understand the concept, it is not a problem. That being said, it stayed up all season. I will remove it during the off season, just to keep it clean and serviceable.
The tower is great....not much to be said...I do like the solar panels for the House Battery. I do wish it would fold down a little more than it does.
The anchor locker is wonderful....never have to try to find a safe place for the anchor. Front swim ladder has not been used, so no opinion on that.
Dual batteries are a GREAT feature. Even though I have the solar panels to help keep the house battery charged, even if I am out all day and run the battery dead (never comes close) I still have the full charge of the engine battery for starting.
The CONNEXT system is great, once you get the hang of it. It takes a little time to figure it out, not real intuitive, but once you do it is very good. Lots of info and the DRIVE system is tough to beat for watersports towing
Maintainance is pretty simple and straight forward. Although I had the first service done by the dealer, since I had other warranty items, I do plan on doing all my own maintenance, after buying a service manual. But with no transmission, u-joints, gears, props, outdrives, its all pretty simple.....change the oil and filters, and take care of your clean outs. Flushing the engines is very simple, with the hookups very accessible. Although I dont run in salt water, I do flush my engines after every weekend outing.
Performance....what can I say....NO comparison to my old I/O. Out of the hole it planes almost instantaneous. Top speed....I hit 48 on Sat with 85% fuel and 6 people on board WOT. Of course, my fuel burn was about 21 GPH! Normal cruise (25 MPH) is very comfortable, with about a 10 GPH fuel burn, close to test results. Pulling out wakeboarders or skiers is a piece of cake since you dont spend the first 15 seconds with the nose 40 degrees in the air, and with the CONNEXT, you pre-program your take off and tow speed then just throw the thottle(s) full and it does the rest. (Oh did I mention the single lever option)!
Shallow water....not a problem. Depth guage tells me all I need to know.....I have 2 feet as my absolute minimum but try not get get less the 3 feet, but I still wont run aground. 16" draft vs 30" is huge, I used to get nervous at 5 feet.....and I dont worry nearly as much about stump. And if I want to drag it right up to the beach....not a problem!
Handling rough water is very good. Matter of fact, I think it is better than my I/O, I know there are I/O drivers out there that would dispute my view, but here is what I have found. With my old boat, once I got into greater than 2-3 foot seas, I had a choice.....keep up my speed necessary to stay on plane (about 20) and accept the pounding, or slow to about 15 and drive with my nose in the air so far I couldnt see. With my 242, I can set the speed at about 15, she stays on almost a level plane, and rides the swells. I can see where I am going, and usually with no pounding, and NEVER with water over the bow. The wife likes that!
There are alot of conversations about maneuverability. I am still not sure about fins, but I will say this; with practice I have become quite adept and maneuving in small places. I was in a very narrow inlet the other day, not even twice as wide as the length of my boat. There were some people standing on the dock as I pulled in. The inlet ended, and I know they were wondering how I was going to get out. Using the wake mode and jocking thru forward and reverse, I did a 180, turning on a dime, first shot, taking up no more room than the length of my boat in just a matter of seconds. Take your time, read, learn, practice and these things are amazingly maneuverable. I could have never come close to that in my old I/O.
Cons: (not many)
Fuel consumption is not bad, but not as good as my I/O. Of course, I am running 2 engines with a total of 360HP as opposed to 1 with 260HP. So all things being equal, normal operations, fuel consumption is about the same. Besides, if you want to save fuel, you have no business buying a boat
Overall, fit and finish is excellent, but there were a couple of areas that could be better. In particular, inside the head compartment where the vinyl was not tucked as it should have been....and easy fix for me. There were just a couple of other minor things that I took care of. Nothing worth noting.
I dont like that you have to actually start the engines to get some system information, such as fuel on board.
Ventilation for the storage compartments is not very good. I have opened them up and you could feel the heat, and sense the moisture. I am planning on doing some venting to take care of this. To me, it would be very conducive to mildew formation.
Standard warranty is only 12 months. However, when I bought this, they had a promotion and I ended up with a full 48 month warranty, no deductible, no hour limit. Yamaha's standard warranty is lacking compared to Scarab and Chaparelle, but the promotion makes it a better deal.
When I bought this boat I broke 2 rules I said I would never break: Never buy and new boat. NEVER spend $70,000 for a boat of any kind (more than my first house!) However, bottom line....I have not looked back once. I dont know about the other Yamaha models, but I am convinced you cant go wrong! Bottom line.....Completely satisfied, and plan on many great boating years ahead!
Pros:
Storage space is incredible. I used to have crap everwhere on my old boat. On the 242 there is nothing that does not have a place in some storage compartment.
Cabin layout is very comfortable, allows for everybody to have a large, comfortable seating area. Captain and observer seats are very comfortable, and I love the captain's seat options to sit flat or raised.
Ski locker is huge....room for skis, wakeboards, rope, pull ropes, with space left over.
Carpet is comfortable to walk on, easy removal, reinstall, easy to clean, and looks great
Seating in bow area is awesome....either with full fill cushions, or a back cushion for a third person. Also like the small cutouts in the front for the kids to ride and get an up front view of the action.
Upholstery is first class both in appearance and quality.
Rear swim deck cannot be beat. Great place to sit and enjoy a beer while watching the kids in the water having fun. The wet storage area behind the seat backs on the swim deck are amazing. No wet/dirty shoes in the boat, no wet tow lines, ski vests, or anything else to mess up the cabin area.
Interior lighting is very good. Looks good, and creates a great atmosphere for night operations.
I like the sound system...all the nuances such as USB, bluetooth, rear deck controls, etc. Not the best sound system, but very adequate. I am sure there is no comparison to what you get with the 242X, but then again, I didnt pay for that. For my use, it is quite acceptable.
The 242 Limited SE has a HUGE bimini. I read both pros and cons before I bought it, but the wife opted for the SE mostly because of it. She was right. It gives you great shade (we need that in Texas), but is high enough to never be in the way. At first, it is a little frustrating, learning the nuances of removal and installation, but once you understand the concept, it is not a problem. That being said, it stayed up all season. I will remove it during the off season, just to keep it clean and serviceable.
The tower is great....not much to be said...I do like the solar panels for the House Battery. I do wish it would fold down a little more than it does.
The anchor locker is wonderful....never have to try to find a safe place for the anchor. Front swim ladder has not been used, so no opinion on that.
Dual batteries are a GREAT feature. Even though I have the solar panels to help keep the house battery charged, even if I am out all day and run the battery dead (never comes close) I still have the full charge of the engine battery for starting.
The CONNEXT system is great, once you get the hang of it. It takes a little time to figure it out, not real intuitive, but once you do it is very good. Lots of info and the DRIVE system is tough to beat for watersports towing
Maintainance is pretty simple and straight forward. Although I had the first service done by the dealer, since I had other warranty items, I do plan on doing all my own maintenance, after buying a service manual. But with no transmission, u-joints, gears, props, outdrives, its all pretty simple.....change the oil and filters, and take care of your clean outs. Flushing the engines is very simple, with the hookups very accessible. Although I dont run in salt water, I do flush my engines after every weekend outing.
Performance....what can I say....NO comparison to my old I/O. Out of the hole it planes almost instantaneous. Top speed....I hit 48 on Sat with 85% fuel and 6 people on board WOT. Of course, my fuel burn was about 21 GPH! Normal cruise (25 MPH) is very comfortable, with about a 10 GPH fuel burn, close to test results. Pulling out wakeboarders or skiers is a piece of cake since you dont spend the first 15 seconds with the nose 40 degrees in the air, and with the CONNEXT, you pre-program your take off and tow speed then just throw the thottle(s) full and it does the rest. (Oh did I mention the single lever option)!
Shallow water....not a problem. Depth guage tells me all I need to know.....I have 2 feet as my absolute minimum but try not get get less the 3 feet, but I still wont run aground. 16" draft vs 30" is huge, I used to get nervous at 5 feet.....and I dont worry nearly as much about stump. And if I want to drag it right up to the beach....not a problem!
Handling rough water is very good. Matter of fact, I think it is better than my I/O, I know there are I/O drivers out there that would dispute my view, but here is what I have found. With my old boat, once I got into greater than 2-3 foot seas, I had a choice.....keep up my speed necessary to stay on plane (about 20) and accept the pounding, or slow to about 15 and drive with my nose in the air so far I couldnt see. With my 242, I can set the speed at about 15, she stays on almost a level plane, and rides the swells. I can see where I am going, and usually with no pounding, and NEVER with water over the bow. The wife likes that!
There are alot of conversations about maneuverability. I am still not sure about fins, but I will say this; with practice I have become quite adept and maneuving in small places. I was in a very narrow inlet the other day, not even twice as wide as the length of my boat. There were some people standing on the dock as I pulled in. The inlet ended, and I know they were wondering how I was going to get out. Using the wake mode and jocking thru forward and reverse, I did a 180, turning on a dime, first shot, taking up no more room than the length of my boat in just a matter of seconds. Take your time, read, learn, practice and these things are amazingly maneuverable. I could have never come close to that in my old I/O.
Cons: (not many)
Fuel consumption is not bad, but not as good as my I/O. Of course, I am running 2 engines with a total of 360HP as opposed to 1 with 260HP. So all things being equal, normal operations, fuel consumption is about the same. Besides, if you want to save fuel, you have no business buying a boat
Overall, fit and finish is excellent, but there were a couple of areas that could be better. In particular, inside the head compartment where the vinyl was not tucked as it should have been....and easy fix for me. There were just a couple of other minor things that I took care of. Nothing worth noting.
I dont like that you have to actually start the engines to get some system information, such as fuel on board.
Ventilation for the storage compartments is not very good. I have opened them up and you could feel the heat, and sense the moisture. I am planning on doing some venting to take care of this. To me, it would be very conducive to mildew formation.
Standard warranty is only 12 months. However, when I bought this, they had a promotion and I ended up with a full 48 month warranty, no deductible, no hour limit. Yamaha's standard warranty is lacking compared to Scarab and Chaparelle, but the promotion makes it a better deal.
When I bought this boat I broke 2 rules I said I would never break: Never buy and new boat. NEVER spend $70,000 for a boat of any kind (more than my first house!) However, bottom line....I have not looked back once. I dont know about the other Yamaha models, but I am convinced you cant go wrong! Bottom line.....Completely satisfied, and plan on many great boating years ahead!
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