Considering jet boat but not sure

[tdonoughue]

One of the best writeups I have seen on a Scarab. Nicely done, sir. Thanks for that.

 

[the MfM]

Between price, service and quality it seems Yamaha is losing ground.

 

[4x15mph]

My yamaha is 18 years old so I think quality is pretty great. I love having twin jets and I am not sure what I would want otherwise. I am going on the 5th season and never a rope (knock on wood). Props tangle ropes and catch the seaweed also. I grew up with outboards in the Long Island sound and we always had to do reverse "tricks" to clear the prop.

That said, I do love outboards. Yamahas! I would absolutely go outboard for salt but you mentioned you are in freshwater.

 

[Anthony909]

One of the best writeups I have seen on a Scarab. Nicely done, sir. Thanks for that.

Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate the opportunity to share my perspective and you taking the time to read it.

 

[mdchachi]

I have a video of how easy it is for my girlfriend and I launch at the ramp. I have yet to see, in person, another jet boat launch that easily and let’s just say we are the only Scarab where we go. Of course I have to give credit to my girlfriend for being helpful enough to back down the boat on the trail on her own but that’s aside the point.

That pretty much is the point though. If I didn't have to back the boat down while my wife holds the boat lines, then park and run back to drive the boat from the dock our Seadoo would have been just as easy. It slipped right off the trailer just like that. Maybe next summer I'll work on training her more.

 

[Anthony909]

That pretty much is the point though. If I didn't have to back the boat down while my wife holds the boat lines, then park and run back to drive the boat from the dock our Seadoo would have been just as easy. It slipped right off the trailer just like that. Maybe next summer I'll work on training her more.

I have felt your pain. I had the run the same gauntlet with our Glastron OB. Even when we got the Scarab I was backing it in and driving the boat off the trailer but she started helping by parking the truck and trailer so I didn’t have to tie the boat to the dock then get out and also park. It gets pretty busy at the ramp we use so someone usually has to drive the boat off the lane and tie up on the other side of the docks. IMO having her park saves a bunch of time so maybe that could be a gradual intro for her. Unless she is already comfortable driving the boat. Then she could do what I now do and just hang out in the boat until I get dropped in the water.

 

[BlkGS]

Having a second person to help makes a HUGE difference. If you just have to move the boat and someone else ha does the truck, you're in and out like that with any boat. That's close to how we do the jet ski, but I usually back the trailer down then switch to the ski and my gf drives the truck out and parks it.

 

[2kwik4u]

Having a second person to help makes a HUGE difference.

Wife and I have been boating for well over a decade togethor. The teamwork is what makes the launch easy, we changed from I/O to jet with only a few modifications to our standard procedure. We've gotten applause more than once at a busy holiday weekend ramp for our lack of yelling/fighting and streamlined procedure.

The benefit of a jet in this portion is not having to remember to raise the outdrive before you pull out of the water. Otherwise the procedure is largely the same between the two style boats.

Oh yea.....I'm 3/4 of the way through season #2, and I've only put the boat on the trailer twice. She does all of the "boat side" of the launch/retrieve process.

 

[Anthony909]

I think that is one of the things people are concerned about when they hear or read about jet boats. I was at a dealer a few weeks back and the sales guy and I were talking. He had a ton of experience around boats but not much experience around a jet boat with an experienced operator. He had a huge misconception about jet boat maneuverability, especially around the dock. He didnt believe when I told him I have zero problems and that I didn’t need to use a line to back the boat out. That’s what prompted me to make that recording. I wanted to dispel the false narrative about controlling a jet boat.

 

[2kwik4u]

I wanted to dispel the false narrative about controlling a jet boat.

I 100% agree. These boats are different around the docks and at low speed. But they are not the "OMG I can't drive it I'm going to crash instantly" that everyone outside this community tend to think they are. Our loading/unloading/docking procedures are almost identical. It took maybe 2 outings to "get used" to the difference between the jet and the I/O setup. We've yet to bonk into a dock any harder than we did with the last boat. We haven't scratched the hull with the dock (with a car, and with a bicycle while in the garage is a different story) or bonked into another boat at this point. It's an amazingly easy change to make IMO.

Honestly, the slow speed handling didn't even come into the conversation when we were purchasing. We bought on layout and value. The drive mechanism was a secondary consideration. We have zero regrets in our purchase at this point as well.

Jets are different, not bad <--I think I want to get that put on a shirt here soon. Or maybe "My jet is smarter than your honor student".....I dunno, something along those lines.

 

[merlinjet]

I think I want to get that put on a shirt here soon. Or maybe "My jet is smarter than your honor student"

Group buy! I'm in!!

 

[OrangeTJ]

I grew up with an I/O and spent many hours driving it. The first boat I bought, many years later, was a Yamaha 2011 SX210, which we kept for 5 years. In 2016, we bought a v drive MB Sports F22. Frankly, I think all of the talk about this boat or that boat being easier/harder to drive really just comes down to lack of familiarity. Each setup has different characteristics that you have to get used to. There's a learning curve. Once you get through that curve, it's fine. For me, personally, the handling trait I didn't really appreciate about my SX210 was the general lack of natural tracking - it required pretty constant input at the helm to maintain a tight course at any speed. At idle speeds, that is more pronounced. It isn't hard to deal with, just maintain constant attention and input at the helm. At higher speeds, crossing wakes and rollers requires significant steering input to stay on course. Again, it is easily dealt with most of the time but can be alarming to inexperienced operators. On the upside, maneuverability is second to none. Being able to pull the stern in really close to shore without risk of grounding is also a really nice feature. On mine, the handling wasn't really what drove me away - the noise was. Running at 6K - 7K rpm all the time in a boat with minimal sound insulation and an inherently noisy drive & exhaust system just wore on me. I understand the newer boats have dealt with that issue signficantly.

I absolutely LOVE my v drive. It tracks like it is on rails at any speed, is quieter (and the noise it makes is more pleasant to my ears), rides more smoothly than my SX, and is of course amazing for watersports. 5000 pounds of ballast from the factory on top of a boat that already weighs about 5000 pounds ready for the water has a way of helping throw a pretty nice surf wave! The V drive results in the prop being way under the boat so the chance of it accidentally hitting somebody is probably less than on an I/O. It, too, has some drawbacks, though. It has taken me 2 years to figure out how to go backwards without always pulling to starboard. With a very expensive prop and rudder hanging down beneath the boat, I have to stay in deeper water and can't comfortably pull the stern in close to the shore. The boat was more than 2X as expensive as my Yamaha...but Yamaha's keep getting more and more expensive too.

In short, I'd recommend a jet to anybody who boats in fresh water with minimal floating debris who is looking for a great all-around boat that requires minimal (and pretty easy) maintenance. If a particular activity - fishing, surfing, wakeboarding, etc. - is a big part of the reason for your boating, I'd suggest getting something that is designed with that activity as a primary design priority.

 

[ClemsonTiger]

I've been a boat owner for 13 years, had a I/O and now outboard. Im strongly considering newer jetboat next season and started research. Many posts on here give nightmare scenerios of sucking up ropes whick killed engined, loose bolts creating thousands of dollars in repairs. Most of my boating is on a seeweed free freshwater lake but sometimes I hit up some fingerlakes which have weeds. I'm going back and forth between Scarab 195G or Yamaha AR or SX 190. Have newer models had the same horror stories as some of the 14's and 15's? I'd hate to buy a boat and have a floating rope cost me lost time and hundreds or thousands $$$ Any advice or feedback would be great.

Some interesting points to consider that you won't hear from anyone else. Hope you make the best choice for your needs/wants

 

[Anthony909]

I think those points are a lot less interesting knowing that they come from a company trying to sell you on stern drives because all they sell is stern drives.

Point no.1 has been brought up already. Feel free to refer to my video I posted earlier in this thread. As you can see, my boat isn’t getting squirrelly between the docks. And if you have the volume up you’ll hear the guy on the dock warn me about a storm coming. It wasn’t a calm day.

Point no.2 I might partially agree with but it isn’t to the degree in which Mercury is claiming.

Point no.3 is very subjective and really depends on what boats you are comparing. I don’t think anyone really buys that point. They are comparing a certain single jet boat model which I will address later but want to point that out now.

Point no.4 might be accurate but once again, they are using just a single jet boat for comparison.

Now, my questions. Why did they use a Seadoo Challenger S boat that had been out of production for at least a year for this comparison? Why did they take a boat that is almost 21 feet and compare it to a 19 foot boat to show the difference in fuel efficiency? Does no one make a boat in the 21’ class with a Mercury MerCruiser? If this isn’t a blatant display of bias then I don’t know what is. I would never buy from a company that would publish something with such a disregard for logic, honesty and transparency.

 

[ClemsonTiger]

I’m not here to defend it or support it.

I expected it to be discounted and argued against considering the audience.

After all, no boat can compare to a jet boat, right?

 

[Anthony909]

I think you are here to support it and it should definitely be challenged when someone is trying to sell you something.

I can find countless boats/ yachts/ whatever I would choose over over my jet boat; however, for the size, price, intended use, my jet boat is what I chose.

I’m not here to say jets are the best thing period, I’m just saying that anyone who regurgitates what’s in that flyer has an agenda or is trying to sell you something different.

 

[ClemsonTiger]

I’m just saying that anyone who regurgitates what’s in that flyer has an agenda or is trying to sell you something different.

Ah ha, and your the authority on declaring such things I suppose?

I could give a rats @$$ if someone buys a dingy, sailboat, jetboat, or rowboat.

The OP asked for info, I provided it. What he or anyone else does with it is their choice.

But then again...any word non supportive of jets...well they must have an agenda and/or selling something.......Uhm.......yeah.....

Take a picture of the unicorns while your in fantasyland!

 

[2kwik4u]

I was sooooo confused. Then I saw the link at the bottom to show ignored content. I foolishly clicked on it. I understand the posts now and have reaffirmed my decision to ignore that person.

I do find it interesting that Mercury made a whole brochure to steer people away from jets. Their points are all easily disproven with my own observations.

I encourage the OP to find someone local to take a test drive with. The proof is in the pudding so to speak and a test drive is all you need to see through the BS.

 

[mdchachi]

Here's the article that the Mercruiser brochure is based on. I think it would have been more helpful to post the source article than some marketing derivative.
https://www.boatingmag.com/boats/jet-drive-vs-sterndrive
It was updated last year according to the dateline but unfortunately it's still talking about non-current production boats and just a comparison between two models. In any case I think the conclusion is valid.

So is there a clear winner in this comparison? Clearly no. Each type of propulsion has advantages over the other, and each has its weaknesses. Some you may have expected, while others surprised even us. Those positives and negatives are likely amplified by your experience, the environment in which you boat and what you ask of a boat. In that regard, only you can take the sea trials and make the call.

 

[the MfM]

This Boating mag Comparison.... Same hull, jet vs outboard vs stern drive


https://www.boatingmag.com/boat-engine-comparison


It reinforces what we all know... there is never any reason to buy an I/O.