Good Jet Boat for 1st Timer

[Drex]

What is a good, dependable jet boat? I'm looking to spend about $4K.

 

[FLBulldogger]

you have come to the best forums on the interwebs...now to TRY and answer your question.....I don't know of a "dependable BOAT" much less a jet boat that you could buy for $4k.....YJB's are some of the MOST dependable boats on the water, but because of that they retain much of their "value". At $4K you might be looking at a nice old bass boat but Jet boats in general are great boats for novices and all the way up to us that have boated for dozens of years. Good luck in your search and let us know what you find for $4K..

 

[tdonoughue]

Welcome! Good to have you here.

As @FLBulldogger said, most of the boats people have here are Yamahas (though we do have several people who have other brands, and even a few who used to have jet boats but have moved on to other boats). A Yamaha is going to be much more expensive than your $4k. For $4k, you are probably looking at something pretty old that seats 2 or 4 people and needs some work. May not be the 'dependable' for which you are looking.

Are you a do-it-yourselfer? Ever worked on cars? If you are (or are willing to become one), that will open a lot more options for you at that price point.

Go to the for sale part of the Forum here--that will give you some idea of prices.

 

[4x15mph]

You might get a decent waverunner for $4k but I would be cautious about trying to get a yamaha jet boat for that price and expecting it to be dependable. Tell us more about what your requirements are and what you want to do and I am sure we have ideas.

 

[Drex]

I’m looking for something for my son to play around with. I’ve been a boater for 30+ years and have always had outboard Checkmates. I currently have a 21 foot Checkmate. I see a few 14 to 16 foot Seadoos, Yamaha’s, Bayliners, etc. advertised for around $4K and was wondering which ones were good and which to stay away from.

 

[BigAbe75]

Before I bought my first Yamaha, 2 years ago, I sold my '92 Celebrity Inboard/Outboard for $4,000. It was a 19ft bowrider. It ran great for it's age. I'm a heavy guy, and felt like the plywood floor was starting to get soft. My wife never noticed it. That was the only problem with it. We just needed more space, and loved the rear swim deck of the Yamaha boats.

I would guess, to get in that price range, you'll be looking for a mid-late 90's or maybe very early 2000 model boat. I don't recall exactly when the Yamaha boats were introduced.

If you can find a boat (like our old one) that was bought about the time the kids went off to college, then rarely got used for the rest of it's life... I wouldn't be concerned. We used our old family boat exactly 1-2 weeks out of the year (on family vacation), after I moved out of the house. Once I started my family, I started using the boat again with my family. Especially, if you're a DIY'er and don't mind working on plywood floors/carpet and small wiring projects (lights, stereo, etc).

 

[BlkGS]

You could maybe get an early 2 stroke seadoo or Yamaha for 4k... But not much of one.

 

[4x15mph]

You can probably get an early, 1998-2000, Yamaha Exciter or LS2000 for that price with a lot of looking around and given the current economy. A good trailer is worth another $1K so you need to factor that in. In this $4k price range, expect to have to rebuild carburetors (up to 6 on the twin engines) and probably a top end rebuild(s) depending on the compression. I had an LS2000 that I sold for $8K last summer but everything was in good condition....

You could really be getting into a large project if you don't survey the boat well enough. Parts can be harder to come by and some parts are expensive. IMO, I wouldn't recommend a Yamaha unless you have $7K+ to spend and go in with the expectation that you will do some work on the boat. If that is the expectation, your son might love the boat as much as I did. Fast, quick, good look, Yamaha, great forum/community, etc.

 

[Ratket]

You may be able to find a little 18-21foot jet boat with a small or big block in it for around 4K. But again plan to spend some money or and some time working on it. They are out there.

 

[Manningr22]

Reiterating the sentiment of what most people have said above, boats are essentially a hole in the water you throw money into. I started out with a 2k boat I grew up in from my parents, and ended up putting double that back into it over the years just to keep it running and floating. Be careful getting into boating if you have a strict budget - as it will always be more expensive than you think. That being said, I don't foresee a time in my life when I won't own a boat. There is a pure joy that being out on the water brings, and some of my fondest memories growing up involve the boat. Speed runs with my mom and dad each day to get groceries while camping in Lake George - I was the official stopwatch timer, the entire family learning to wakeboard at the same time (what a mess), my father and I going scuba diving in 20 ft of water just because we could, laying out on the back to watch the August meteor shower. All of these memories involved the boat - and now in my mid 30's I get to spend every Sunday out on the lake with my parents and friends all on their own boats.

If you have the money don't hesitate to get into the sport, it's hard not to love it, just be sure to temper your expectations on how much boat you can get for 4k and how much it's going to actually cost. Best of luck!