Roaringboar
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 4
- Points
- 47
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2021
- Boat Model
- 252SE
- Boat Length
- 25
I purchased a 252SE used in March from a private seller for less than sticker. It was miraculous for sure and I’m grateful for the boat it’s incredible. Here are some things I have tried and learned through the forums that could be helpful.
Fit & Finish - I was very nervous about the fit and finish of the boat when I got it because I’ve seen so many complaints. However my boat is in great shape and I see no issue with fit and finish. A minor complaint I have is that the latch for the head or big storage compartment is kind of a pain because it has two nuts on either side and if they come loose it just swivels and needs to be re-tightened. Obviously that’s not a big deal. The lighting on the boat is great and the LEDs around the helm are amazing. The stereo system is great and it’s my understanding that the wet sounds amp has a gain limiter so you can’t turn it up as loud as you may want. I find the system to have great bass and be plenty loud with no reason to increase or improve. Then again I’m not looking to entertain anyone but those of us in the boat. The single throttle option is great as is the cruise control.
Noise - these boats are loud! I was hoping that the new Yamaha would have better sound deadening in the engine compartment and that this would show a large improvement in the cabin noise, however it’s really no different than Than the older boats, it’s loud, it’s just a deeper version of loud. This is definitely the trade-off when dealing with the jet boats that they do tend to be louder than outboards however If you’re on this forum then I don’t need to explain why I chose this over the other kind of boats.
Hull design and chop - I had an older sx 210 before this boat and any small wave could be challenging. I had to constantly adjust throttle up-and-down to handle any sort of chop. I was hopeful the larger boat would help And also that the new Hull design would show a large improvement and that was all correct this boat handles chop amazing!
Storage – The boat has great storage especially since there are no ballast tanks. There are a couple of negatives that I see because in the front they’ve left room to put your feet down with some removable cushions so the front storage compartments are smaller than on our older SX 210. Under the helm there is a nice bit of storage however there is a giant metal panel for lack of a better description that takes some of it away. The ski locker is huge in the storage and the storage in the back is great. The wet storage seatbacks are fantastic. There are a lot of extra cushions and the swim seats that take up a significant amount of space but it’s still plenty. The head/storage compartment is giant and once we creat some storage organization solutions it will be
Anchor - I tried everything with little success I bought the most popular recommended anchor on here for these boats and tried two others none fit without a grinder involved. Ended up with the anchor kit from a dealer and it is big enough for the boat and fits great, the anchor I had for my previous Yamaha never did the trick but this one is great. I also bought a vinyl coated chain. Often my children will bring the anchor in from time to time and I always get nervous that they won’t watch the chain on the side of the boat. The Vinyl coated chain definitely improves on the risk of them scratching the boat. However the chain does not flex as well as a regular chain so you have to somewhat push it into the storage locker. I think it was a good choice and I’m gonna keep using it.
Bumpers - I purchased the mission century bumpers as a change of pace. They are fantastic in that they are much easier to store because of their shape. They are very easy to put on and takeoff the boat. I love these bumpers if I have to have one complaint is that they are not round so if you have them on while docking they tend to twist up instead of just rolling along with the boat. This is not a big deal especially when considering how much easier they are to put on and takeoff when necessary.
Steering - once a jet boat always a jet boat no change here. I bought the thrust vectors but honestly if you put in enough hours getting used to it they are not needed. I’m returning the set I purchased.
Cooler - the cooler that comes with the boat fits but it’s not great. I purchased the Engel cooler recommended by Yamaha that fits under the pantry and it was awful. Once it’s full and in place good luck moving it to get anything. I returned it and went with two yeti hopper 18 can cooler bags. Way easier to get in and out of the space and fine for a day on the lake. Plus they do not get in the way of the driver seat to rotate. Any cooler that sticks out behind the driver seat make it a pain to use the features built into the seat.
Interior - it’s fantastic the seats are beautiful which means I’m freaking out aboutkeeping them clean so I purchased the mary Kate ultra vinyl cleaner and I don’t feel it’s as great as people say. It was expensive and I have a dirty footprint on a seat it will not remove. Boat dry eraser also won’t get it out. Still some work to do in this area figuring out the right cleaner. I have the 303 protectant but have not applied it yet.
Bimini and tower - the de has the larger Bimini and its perfectly engineered to give some sun but provide plenty of protection. Takin it on and off for travel is not easy but I only remove it if I’m going to take it on the highway. The solar panel is super cool.
Bonus features - The water stools are fantastic as is the pantry. The foldaway table is great although I will probably add a table bracket to the interior because I miss the center table that we used to use to play cards and share food.
These are some of the things I have learned and I hope someone finds it helpful as I have learned a ton on this site!
Fit & Finish - I was very nervous about the fit and finish of the boat when I got it because I’ve seen so many complaints. However my boat is in great shape and I see no issue with fit and finish. A minor complaint I have is that the latch for the head or big storage compartment is kind of a pain because it has two nuts on either side and if they come loose it just swivels and needs to be re-tightened. Obviously that’s not a big deal. The lighting on the boat is great and the LEDs around the helm are amazing. The stereo system is great and it’s my understanding that the wet sounds amp has a gain limiter so you can’t turn it up as loud as you may want. I find the system to have great bass and be plenty loud with no reason to increase or improve. Then again I’m not looking to entertain anyone but those of us in the boat. The single throttle option is great as is the cruise control.
Noise - these boats are loud! I was hoping that the new Yamaha would have better sound deadening in the engine compartment and that this would show a large improvement in the cabin noise, however it’s really no different than Than the older boats, it’s loud, it’s just a deeper version of loud. This is definitely the trade-off when dealing with the jet boats that they do tend to be louder than outboards however If you’re on this forum then I don’t need to explain why I chose this over the other kind of boats.
Hull design and chop - I had an older sx 210 before this boat and any small wave could be challenging. I had to constantly adjust throttle up-and-down to handle any sort of chop. I was hopeful the larger boat would help And also that the new Hull design would show a large improvement and that was all correct this boat handles chop amazing!
Storage – The boat has great storage especially since there are no ballast tanks. There are a couple of negatives that I see because in the front they’ve left room to put your feet down with some removable cushions so the front storage compartments are smaller than on our older SX 210. Under the helm there is a nice bit of storage however there is a giant metal panel for lack of a better description that takes some of it away. The ski locker is huge in the storage and the storage in the back is great. The wet storage seatbacks are fantastic. There are a lot of extra cushions and the swim seats that take up a significant amount of space but it’s still plenty. The head/storage compartment is giant and once we creat some storage organization solutions it will be
Anchor - I tried everything with little success I bought the most popular recommended anchor on here for these boats and tried two others none fit without a grinder involved. Ended up with the anchor kit from a dealer and it is big enough for the boat and fits great, the anchor I had for my previous Yamaha never did the trick but this one is great. I also bought a vinyl coated chain. Often my children will bring the anchor in from time to time and I always get nervous that they won’t watch the chain on the side of the boat. The Vinyl coated chain definitely improves on the risk of them scratching the boat. However the chain does not flex as well as a regular chain so you have to somewhat push it into the storage locker. I think it was a good choice and I’m gonna keep using it.
Bumpers - I purchased the mission century bumpers as a change of pace. They are fantastic in that they are much easier to store because of their shape. They are very easy to put on and takeoff the boat. I love these bumpers if I have to have one complaint is that they are not round so if you have them on while docking they tend to twist up instead of just rolling along with the boat. This is not a big deal especially when considering how much easier they are to put on and takeoff when necessary.
Steering - once a jet boat always a jet boat no change here. I bought the thrust vectors but honestly if you put in enough hours getting used to it they are not needed. I’m returning the set I purchased.
Cooler - the cooler that comes with the boat fits but it’s not great. I purchased the Engel cooler recommended by Yamaha that fits under the pantry and it was awful. Once it’s full and in place good luck moving it to get anything. I returned it and went with two yeti hopper 18 can cooler bags. Way easier to get in and out of the space and fine for a day on the lake. Plus they do not get in the way of the driver seat to rotate. Any cooler that sticks out behind the driver seat make it a pain to use the features built into the seat.
Interior - it’s fantastic the seats are beautiful which means I’m freaking out aboutkeeping them clean so I purchased the mary Kate ultra vinyl cleaner and I don’t feel it’s as great as people say. It was expensive and I have a dirty footprint on a seat it will not remove. Boat dry eraser also won’t get it out. Still some work to do in this area figuring out the right cleaner. I have the 303 protectant but have not applied it yet.
Bimini and tower - the de has the larger Bimini and its perfectly engineered to give some sun but provide plenty of protection. Takin it on and off for travel is not easy but I only remove it if I’m going to take it on the highway. The solar panel is super cool.
Bonus features - The water stools are fantastic as is the pantry. The foldaway table is great although I will probably add a table bracket to the interior because I miss the center table that we used to use to play cards and share food.
These are some of the things I have learned and I hope someone finds it helpful as I have learned a ton on this site!
