Any thoughts on leaving the boat in the water?

[machurch]

I am brand new to Jet boating and need to know if there is a reason I should not leave it in the water (fresh) for any length of time. I've had stern drive boats and understand what happens to the hull but im unsure about the jet drives. My plan would be to pull it monthly and clean. I just bought a 2008 yamaha sx 232 limited...

 

[Bruce]

Welcome Aboard @machurch.

Many leave their throttles in the reverse position to limit the ability for fish to swim into the jets.

I would thoroughly wax the hull or put some sort of protectant on it before each launch.

Many tire of cleaning the hull and buy a lift instead. But it sounds like you already have hull cleaning experience.

@Julian I know that you are experienced with leaving your boat in fresh water.

 

[Billtex2000]

I've had mine in a freshwater wet slip for the past 4 seasons with no issues whatsoever, May to mid October. A good scrub at the end of the season and a fresh wax at the beginning is all it needs. Install a bilge pump with a float switch. Leaving the throttles in reverse is a good tip too.

 

[Julian]

I've wet slipped my jet boats in IL, WI and now here in NC. In IL and WI no issues at all, here in NC I got too much growth on the hull and it would slow down the boat a ton, so I bought a lift as I didnt like the growth and loss of performance. Where will you be boating?

 

[Trm1765]

I have also left my boat in fresh water for 5 years. No problems at all except for the scum build up and speed loss from the scum build up. I bought a lift last month and so far I do really like the clean boat. I have no regrets leaving it in the water and would do it again if I didn't have a lift. I know I get much more use out of it because it is in the water and ready to go.

 

[machurch]

@Julian i am in KY. We do get a lot of growth on the hull. Thanks for the advice everyone. If anyone has anymore tips for a newby I'll gladly take them.

 

[Julian]

Check out the link in my signature to the airdock I bought....happy with it so far. If you have more money to spend, then a V-Lift is the next level floating lift that is more than twice the price....but also solid tanks. Otherwise, be prepared to clean the boat often depending on your water temperature-the warmer it gets, the more growth you will get.

I LOVE having my boat in a slip....so much more convenient!

 

[smthng]

Mine will only be left in the water when on a vacation, so this is just my curiosity rearing it's head...

Do you pull the cleanout plugs when stored wet or leave them in?

 

[Johmas50]

@machurch Welcome aboard to a fellow Kentuckian. Where are you boating at? We go to Laurel and it is pretty clean and clear, wouldn't anticipate much problem leaving the boat in the water there, although ours is in dry rack storage. Either way, glad to see another Kentuckian on board. Hope you enjoy the rest of the summer.

 

[Trm1765]

@smthng I pull them even when leaving in the water. That helps to keep them clean so you are able to pull them when you need to. It is amazing how fast they can start to sieze up.

 

[Billtex2000]

I've left mine in for a 5 days with no problem, but no longer than that.

 

[machurch]

Thanks everyone. @Johmas50 Im on Rough River Lake.
I have one more question: I'm a bit confused as to how the bilge pump works. I believe the bilge pump is on standby when the switch is in the on position. Assuming that is correct, will the light on the switch run the battery down? It may float as long as 2/3 weeks at a time before we get back down. As I understand it, there is not a float switch as with conventional boats. It operates off of resistance. It cycles on occasionally and if it does not detect resistance it will cycle off. Is this correct? If so, I may install something different.

 

[Marvin willis]

I thought that was true about the bilge but from what I've learned it cycles on every 5 mins or so. So it will run your battery down. Harbor freight sells solar chargers for $15

 

[tocelli]

@machurch Welcome aboard from another fellow Kentuckian. We typically boat at Cave Run Lake. We got our 1st jet boat this year and from what I have been reading you need to pull the clean out plugs every time so they don't get stuck. I am not sure I would leave mine in the water because of all the build up that will attach to the hull. Would be worth investing in a lift to save time and effort and make the boat last longer. Does your boat have bottom paint?

This board has been a wealth of good information for any circumstance you may experience. Welcome again and let me know if I can help you with anything.

 

[Julian]

Thanks everyone. @Johmas50 Im on Rough River Lake.
I have one more question: I'm a bit confused as to how the bilge pump works. I believe the bilge pump is on standby when the switch is in the on position. Assuming that is correct, will the light on the switch run the battery down? It may float as long as 2/3 weeks at a time before we get back down. As I understand it, there is not a float switch as with conventional boats. It operates off of resistance. It cycles on occasionally and if it does not detect resistance it will cycle off. Is this correct? If so, I may install something different.

Yes, the bilge is a back pressure bilge pump and it will run every 3 minutes checking for pressure, if it senses pressure it keeps running until it doesnt. On a stock battery, mine would last 2.5 weeks before the battery was drained. A solar charger should be able to extend that indefinitely -or shore power. The LED on the switch will draw some power too, and so will your radio memory presets. I'm not sure how long your boat would go with a float switch bilge....I still have the old back pressure one...but have shore power.

 

[Johmas50]

I have one more question: I'm a bit confused as to how the bilge pump works. I believe the bilge pump is on standby when the switch is in the on position. Assuming that is correct, will the light on the switch run the battery down? It may float as long as 2/3 weeks at a time before we get back down. As I understand it, there is not a float switch as with conventional boats. It operates off of resistance. It cycles on occasionally and if it does not detect resistance it will cycle off. Is this correct? If so, I may install something different.

What you said is exactly correct, but easy to remedy. What I did was install a battery switch to turn all of the electronics off when I am not using the boat, then wire a new bilge pump (with a float switch) directly to the battery. The way mine is set up, it will turn on if needed when left unattended in the water and the switch turned off on the dash, if I flip the dash switch it bypasses the float and will attempt to pump out any water that may be present. Like Julian said the radio also draws some current at rest, so this way the battery life is not an issue.

 

[Billtex2000]

On my '06, I found a Rule 360 GPH On/Off pump that was a plug and play replacement. I added a Johnson Ultima Auto Bilge Pump Float and attached it right to the side of the pump with silicone and wire ties. I disconnected the old pump from the strainer, snapped the new one into the strainer with the float switch, connected the 3 wires...instant piece of mind! Now the pump will run automatically with the float switch with the helm switch off, or will run constant as long as the switch is on!

 

[beachbum]

My second season leaving the boat at a fresh water mooring in front of our cottage on Lake Erie. Gets a little rough some days, thankfully well anchored. Yes... boat scum build up as time passes. A brush and a nice sunny day at the sand bar can look after most of it. At season end elbow grease and a brush will get the remaining growth off. A good cleaning with hull cleaner will brighten the whites too.
I never leave my bilge on anymore... the covers seem to keep the water / rain out, but I will be installing a bilge with float this winter for peace of mind.