dbfl
Jet Boat Lover
- Messages
- 56
- Reaction score
- 41
- Points
- 67
- Location
- Port St. John, FL
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2021
- Boat Model
- SX
- Boat Length
- 19
Went out yesterday with them at 4-5 and spent time on very choppy open water (forecast was wrong!) as well as calm no-wake in a canal protected from the 15 mph wind gusting to my guess, 25 on the way back. Maneuvering at the dock coming and going, and on the canal was better than at 2-3 the previous time out on a relatively calm day. Reverse turns were still good.
In open water, in a stretch tracking about 70 degrees to that gusty wind from the right with chop and swells, the boat danced around a lot and it took constant effort to maintain directional control in a relatively narrow channel. The wake behind us was pretty wiggly. I was reminded of long ago when flight training on gusty days in Iowa, on climbout or final - feeling surprised on having to yank the yoke all the way to one side to keep the plane upright. Same here, turning the wheel most of the way a couple times, still maintaining 20 mph. Prop boats in the area were also getting tossed around. I think we did relatively well.
Conclusion - for now I'll leave 'em at 4-5. We don't often get caught in bad weather, and the boat did commendably well. In the usual calmer weather, the open water steering should be firm yet not overly so. BTW that horizontal plate in back delivers. Stabilizes the pitch of the boat, reducing bounce. On the maiden voyage of this one - no fins, we got caught in similar weather and the ride was far worse/boat scary difficult to control. That day I got the obligatory new boat ding too - bonked the dock hard, requiring a small repair. As then, yesterday a gust hit when only a few feet away from the dock. This time it was no problem. Experience was a factor too, of course.
In open water, in a stretch tracking about 70 degrees to that gusty wind from the right with chop and swells, the boat danced around a lot and it took constant effort to maintain directional control in a relatively narrow channel. The wake behind us was pretty wiggly. I was reminded of long ago when flight training on gusty days in Iowa, on climbout or final - feeling surprised on having to yank the yoke all the way to one side to keep the plane upright. Same here, turning the wheel most of the way a couple times, still maintaining 20 mph. Prop boats in the area were also getting tossed around. I think we did relatively well.
Conclusion - for now I'll leave 'em at 4-5. We don't often get caught in bad weather, and the boat did commendably well. In the usual calmer weather, the open water steering should be firm yet not overly so. BTW that horizontal plate in back delivers. Stabilizes the pitch of the boat, reducing bounce. On the maiden voyage of this one - no fins, we got caught in similar weather and the ride was far worse/boat scary difficult to control. That day I got the obligatory new boat ding too - bonked the dock hard, requiring a small repair. As then, yesterday a gust hit when only a few feet away from the dock. This time it was no problem. Experience was a factor too, of course.
