Jet Boats in Salt Water are a Mistake

[Wisefam22]

Rough estimate via Google for a 28ft trailer is 1500lb. Thst makes boat and trailer right at 7k.

Add full fuel 600lb or so a cooler full of ice, vehicle full of people and you over weight.

Have you looked at the 24ft limited editions? Was it the size you wanted or the design of Yamaha?

 

[Wisefam22]

Option 2. Is get high and dry/storage on lift at marina somewhere. When you want to travel rent a 3/4 ton vehicle to make the trips towing.

 

[haknslash]

Trailer will probably be over 1500 lbs IMO depending on who makes it. I think my trailer is 1200 lbs maybe more so I imagine a longer and wider trailer being heavier unless he goes for aluminum ($$$). Remember the 275 does not come with a trailer unlike the rest of the Yamaha boats so factor in spending a few grand more to get one custom made for the boat.

There is boat storage in Clearwater I'm sure. If you can't tow, which your tow rig won't be able to safely do with this boat, then you either rent a truck or pay for dry dock storage that has launching for you. If you plan to do lots of trailering then renting will likely be more costly than just buying a beater tow rig.

Sounds like you may need to scale back your boat size, especially if you don't need a 25' boat where you plan to have lots of people onboard.

 

[fireflymedic]

In Florida the permit is only $20 I believe. You can only drive in daylight unless in the Keys than only drive at night. Can't remember the regulations on flags on widest point and oversized banner on front and rear. Do remember no blinking yellow lights were required. My ar240 trailer is over width with the trailer guides I put on it. The only place I've ever heard the police harassing boaters with wide boats is the keys. During fishing competitions that are at day and boats not allowed on road at day even with permits so the locals seem to make it a fundraiser.

 

[RACCAP]

Don't need the 275 SD for large groups, it's just the two of us (me and my girlfriend)

Just liked the configuration and the DRIVE system of the 275SD which I understand to make it easier to maneuver at docking

I am reconsidering the 242S though seems like it would be towable with the MB GLE 450

 

[haknslash]

Eh I wouldn't buy that boat mainly for the DRIVE system. Docking isn't hard, just takes time and practice no matter the boat. The interior layout is nice but seems most of the extra room is aft on that boat. Not sure it justifies the increase in cost if you weren't going to entertain a big crews when you factor in all the other intangibles (trailer, towing, higher octane fuel requirements vs regular, etc). For the money I think a Cobalt would be a nicer boat and if you really wanted to do longer offshore distances you would have better fuel efficiency than the jet. Not sure what a Cobalt R7 weighs so you might not be able to tow that either. If you do plan on being in big gulf or ocean waters you'll want a big boat 24' minimum IMO with a high freeboard.

 

[RACCAP]

I looked at the Cobalt & Sea Ray but can't get past that Big Engine talking up all of the swim platform that we look forward to using.

 

[haknslash]

Those were outboard models I assume you looked at. You can get them in I/O so you have a big swim platform and sunpad lounge.

 

[RACCAP]

Yeah I actually like them but got a lot of pushback that the resale value of an I/O is terrible in the Clearwater area

 

[haknslash]

That could be the case. I don't think the 275 would be any better to be honest. The 275 is kind of a niche boat IMO. It's expensive/overpriced (for what it is IMO) and jets don't tend to be that fuel efficient so living in a place like the gulf with open waters and lots of cruising and going offshore fuel efficiency is something most boaters probably factor in that area. Scarab also has their 28' boat and I think it's also well into six figures so perhaps there is some demand for them but not for me lol. If I'm spending that kind of money and plan to run offshore or take long excursion trips then I'm going to want a strong hull to take the beatings for years, tall freeboard and proper dead rise angle to take on the bad weather and swells (it is unpredictable Florida weather after all), engines that won't get stuck in thick weeds and are fuel efficient.

 

[RACCAP]

Why do you think the Yamaha 275 SD is $130,000 and the Yamaha 242 S is only $65,000

That's twice the price for only three (3) more feet and 6" more width?

 

[haknslash]

Some of it may have to do with recouping the tooling and costs required to build a totally new boat. I don't think they expect large volume sales with that boat but who knows. I personally do not think it's worth twice the cost of a 242 S. I don't even think we have a single 275 owner on here which should tell you something. I think it's a niche boat in a thick market / price segment.

 

[Wisefam22]

Look at a cobia 240CC or the cobia 240DC they are both nice.. swim platform isnt there due to outboard but my josh sexy boats.

 

[bumpy]

The swim platforms on the jet boats are awesome; but the resale value of an outboard boat vs a jet or an I/O slipped in a salt water environment seems very different. The outboard powered bow riders offer a comfortable stern lounging area (not as nice as a jet!) that helped us change to our Cobalt. We anticipate extended wet slipping in salt water in our pending retirement, and the outboard just made more sense. The storage room freed up by the engine placement doesn't suck either! The outboard also offers shallow water operation and maneuverability that you can't get with an I/O. Ours has a dry weight of about 4200 with a 200 HP outboard, so I guess my wet weight is just shy of 5000 lbs with a 250 HP. Our trailer is aluminum; about $3500, and weighs 1050 lbs. I think your tow vehicle choice would be adequate, but bigger would be better.

 

[redthumper9]

What was your maintenance routine

Pretty simple.... Flushed the boat after EVERY outing. Didn't matter if I got home at 4pm or 11pm. I flushed it immediately. Washed the inside and outside of the boat after EVERY outing using a good wash/wax. Coated the pumps in either wd40 or some sort of lubricant. Every spring I'd either 2 step or 3 step (compound, polish, wax or polish, wax depending on what it needed).

 

[Jblocker]

Why do you think the Yamaha 275 SD is $130,000 and the Yamaha 242 S is only $65,000

That's twice the price for only three (3) more feet and 6" more width?

I am also struggling with the 275sd, we want bigger and something to handle fla chop better but I can’t get the right feel for 275 (probably because my local dealerships don’t have one to test and I can’t find anyone that has purchased one)......we would have a cobalt R7 already if it wasn’t for us spending so much time in shallow water.....I think I’ve got my wife almost there on an outboard, it’s not ideal but it’s the right choice for both shallow and salt water.

 

[d_coyne1984]

Geez is that bad on the Centurion / Supreme forums or their FB groups? While the traffic is nowhere near as active as here, the Skiers Choice group is pretty welcoming and very helpful. There are a few "know it all's" like anywhere else but the majority of people I've talked to and helped me have been great. I've not met an asshole .....yet ....but like opinions, everyone has one so I'm sure there is one that exists. Heck this forum has had its share of bad apple users at times. At least it's not thehulltruth level lol....well ok maybe wake world forums are pretty bad too and I hardly spend time there lol.

In regards to the weed grater thing yea I don't know a lot about that. I've posted about it before on here and nobody that I know of has used one. It's interesting for sure.

In regards to OP I would probably go for a nice Cobalt for the money and area of boating vs the Yamaha 275 boat. I don't know if you've mentioned it before but what do you plan to do with the boat or how do you plan to use it?

I was mostly trying to make a funny, and definitely wasnt dogging on most of the forum guys. I'd say about 90% of the boat forum people are really great people. That said there are a lot of a-holes in wake boats on one of the major lakes I frequent. I think a lot of those people are the young rich brats out on daddy's Nautique or the ones that have a wake boat as a status symbol. Still, the fishermen on that particular lake are far worse.

 

[haknslash]

Ah I thought you were taking forum communities and such

Yea we got lake idiots here too but most are on the drunken party barge pontoons and big cruiser / bank rollers who like the be loudest and most annoying in the big coves. Last year we did run into some moron in his Nautique IiRC that came barreling through an area where everyone anchors to visit the goats on an island and they were ripping 180’s and hauling ass WOT just acting a fool. Boat load full of people drunk too I’m sure.

We try not to hang in the party coves these days though and rather try to find quiet coves tucked deep off the main lake. Also find the best water there too . We boat on a lake that has constant water patrol so it helps keep most of the aholes in check I think....or hope but yea there’s always a few out there to keep an eye out for. Thankfully 99% of the wake boat owners I’ve spoken with or met on the lakes have been great cool people. There are a lot of wake boats here but we are still vastly outnumbered by pontoons.

 

[ThatJeepGuy]

Why do you think the Yamaha 275 SD is $130,000 and the Yamaha 242 S is only $65,000

That's twice the price for only three (3) more feet and 6" more width?

For a fair comparison you’d need to compare the 275 SE to the 242 SE. $114,999 vs $72,999.

The 275 SD has a solid hardtop instead of a fabric Bimini. It has DRiVE (paddle throttles). It also has the swim up stern seating. Electronic power steering.

They’re all nice boats. With all due respect It sounds like you’d like to be talked out of the 275. I’m not the guy for that. It’s an awesome boat. The price is very competitive for its class and size. For the 2-3 times per year you’re planning to trailer it you could just rent a truck for those weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I love my AR240! It’s usually just the 2 of us plus a 9 year old. Plenty of room. But I’ve never said “man I wish this boat was smaller”....

 

[swatski]

Pretty simple.... Flushed the boat after EVERY outing. Didn't matter if I got home at 4pm or 11pm. I flushed it immediately. Washed the inside and outside of the boat after EVERY outing using a good wash/wax. Coated the pumps in either wd40 or some sort of lubricant. Every spring I'd either 2 step or 3 step (compound, polish, wax or polish, wax depending on what it needed).

That is a good point, there is some discussion of the importance of flushing immediately while the engine is still hot, I had seen pics of 10yo salt only outboards' internal passages looking new when flushed that way.

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