Looking at a 2015 AR240

[BBottoms]

I'm a new guy here and only been lurking for a couple weeks. Have owned a 1992 Mariah 212 for about 10 years . I bought it with a frozen block and have basically rebuilt it myself: Long block replacement, all new interior vinyl and carpet, rebuilt outdrive, etc. It's been a great boat and served me well through my 20's but I've spent a lot of time messing with it. I've got a family now and am far better financially but as usual that comes with less free time to tinker. All this leads me to looking to upgrade to a bigger, nicer boat with low maintenance. Research over the last couple months has led me to lean heavily towards Yamahas. I live in central Kentucky within 2 hours of 6 recreational lakes and only 20 minutes from one so I'll have plenty of opportunity to be out and will be trailering and parking in a garage.

Fast forward to last week and I came across a 2015 AR240 with ~55 hours. The boat has a Y.E.S. warranty through April 2020 so no worries there. It also has the full JetBoatPilot Edition package with Thrust Vectors, SeaDek, Throttle Sync, etc. It also has the JL interior Slampak and some additional interior and exterior lighting. All in all about $4k in upgrades. They are asking $45k so I'd be looking at $48k after our KY use tax. The boat is immaculate and seems to of been well taken care of. I feel this is a very good price based on what I've seen a few other 2015s listed an sold for. Any reason to think I should get it for less?

I've read quite a bit on the forum about these boats and am pretty confident what I'm getting into and the minor issues with these boats. It is, unfortunately, a CARB boat. However, most CARB boat owners seem to be upset because they didn't know what they were getting but generally happy otherwise. I know what I'm getting into and while it probably will bug be a little if I can't hit 50mph I'll probably be fine. Anyone regret knowingly buying a CARB boat?

I've got a test drive scheduled for Friday and financing lined up in case I pull the trigger. Anything I should be looking for specifically during the test drive or anything to watch out for? Anything I should immediately do or check? Obviously I'd plan on having it out on the water immediately this weekend if I take it!

Thanks in advance and hope to be joining you all soon!

 

[Rob9550]

I have the same boat without the add-ons with 19 hrs and I paid $49k. I also have the CARB and its not an issue, I have hit 51 with a family of 4 on smooth water. I upgraded from an AR192 and don't regret it at all.

 

[swatski]

@BBottoms Welcome to the collective!

Good discussion of CARB capabilities in @Mainah post (bottom line: you would be fine):
https://jetboaters.net/threads/carb-vs-non-carb-side-by-side-test.10521/

@Neutron just got a 2016 AR240 for 52k OTD, maybe you could use that in your negotiations:
https://jetboaters.net/threads/new-2016-ar240-owner.11163/#post-191264

Do you care for a tower? If not, @ACrews is selling a super nice 2015 SX240 for a good bargain:
https://jetboaters.net/threads/2015-sx240-for-sale-43-800.10494/

 

[MrMoose]

@BBottoms, ask where the boat is serviced, and ask the seller to ask the dealership to share the service history with you. Ask the seller if he has had problems with his Shoreland'r trailer. Check the fenders on the trailer for cracks, and check the fender brackets for cracks. If possible, start the test drive out by seeing the boat on the trailer. Check out the hull for damage/repairs. Open the bilge drain plug and make sure that the bilge is drained before your test drive. After your test run, ask the owner to pull the boat out of the water. Open up the bilge drain and see how much water drains out in order to determine if it's a leaky boat.
During the test drive, the boat should run straight and not pull to the side. It should launch without cavitation. You should be able to crank the wheel while at full speed and pull some serious g's without cavitation. You should not feel any vibrations coming from the impellers. Check to see if the sound foam is properly glued onto the inside of the engine hatch.
Pricing is kind of a regional thing, so I can't help you out with that.
Good luck.

 

[mattschepker]

I was looking at the same boat but I need to sell our boat first. I love everything about the boat. The only question I have is in the sales ad they said it's #17 out of 100 JBP boat. That's a little confusing

 

[BBottoms]

@Rob9550 : Thanks!

@swatski : Thanks for the CARB comparison link. Hadn't seen that one yet. The 52K OTD price for new looks like it was in NC which only has half the use tax on boats that KY does. Makes a couple grand difference but still a good comparison. I actually had already PM'd @ACrews about his boat just prior to finding this one. I'm indifferent on the tower but the stereo and JBP stuff make this one more attractive to me as I'd end up adding those items anyway. If this deal falls through though I'll be getting back with him!

@MrMoose : Thanks for the tips. Cavitation is something I hadn't thought to be paying attention for. I assume it would be noticeable in in fluctuating or spiking RPM?

@mattschepker : This dealer sells Malibu and Axis boats and isn't familiar with Yamahas so thought the JBP Edition was from the factory. There's a placard that comes with the JBP package that mounts on the glove box that is numbered so that's where they got it from for the ad.

 

[robert843]

Or you could save half the price and buy my sx240 listed in the classifieds with tons of upgrades

 

[Bill D]

Good luck @BBottoms! That looks like a nice boat. I think $45k is a good price. Even if you consider that you could get a 2016 for $52k, there isn't any real difference.

@mattschepker Jet Boat Pilot numbers the "JBP Edition" boats. It really doesn't mean much, other than it has all the JBP goodies.

 

[MrMoose]

@BBottoms, that's right. Cavitation will show itself with higher rpms and less thrust. While water testing it, you might want to run one engine at idle rpm with the throttle lever in the forward position (past the no-wake detent) while using the other engine to move the boat. It'll give you an idea if each engine/drive/impeller is performing properly, without the other one masking problems.

 

[MrMoose]

Another thing @BBottoms, considering that this is your first jet boat, give consideration to whether a jet drive is the best setup for the lakes that you plan on boating in. If you're unsure, take the boat into "typical" spots that you'd expect to boat in during your test run (with the owner's permission of course). If it seems as if you'll be spending more time unclogging your intakes than enjoying the boat, then maybe a prop might be a better option.

 

[BBottoms]

@robert843 , Your boat looks great and I can't believe you haven't got any bites yet. I've got the ok from the wife, which was the hardest part by far, for a newer boat. Financially it won't be a burden at all but she's always concerned about such things. I'm also only 20 minutes from a lake so will use it frequently and tend to keep motorized vehicles for 10+ years so the newer boat makes more sense.

@MrMoose, thanks for the tips on checking for Cavitation. If it is cavitating is that something the warranty would usually cover or is it likely due to some sort of damage to jet drive from the previous owner since this is a 1 year old, low hour boat?

The lakes I go to are fairly clean as far as vegetation. The one I frequent most is a muddy bottom with various size rocks for the most part and pretty deep in most places. Trash isn't bad unless it's after a big rain and the lake it up. I've only ever wrapped a rope around a prop once so hopefully I can keep them out of the jet drive!

 

[MrMoose]

Hi @BBottoms. Others on the forum might want to chime in if they've had cavitation issues fixed under warranty. A damaged impeller blade or intake grate would not be covered under warranty, and could be expensive to fix.

 

[MIKEP]

I have the same boat but without JBP! Couldn't be happier! Amazing family boat. To give you a benchmark I bought it in sept last year brand new (marina stored it until spring no charge) for $48,600 plus tax. Upgraded the speakers, two amps and a box sub (all wet sound) $3,000 and I got a snap bow and cockpit cover for $1,000.

 

[swatski]

JBP is not a Yamaha trim or edition in a sense it would be understood in cars.
Get seadek if you like it - it is pretty awesome. Also cobra magnums are designed for the new boats with an extra supporting rod missing in factory steering.