Low speed and noise?

[Steve-O]

Just sold my Cobalt 262 and moved to SW Florida. The water is shallow here, and I have a couple of Waverunners and that got me thinking my next boat should maybe be a jet. Granted, I haven't spoken with a Yamaha dealer, but everyone I've talked with has told me to go with an outboard, center console. Well, I don't fish and the girlfriend would like some lounge space. So, does anyone have experience running in pretty shallow salt water with their jet boat? We live on a canal, four miles to open water so I'm wondering about the low speed handling and if the sound of the motors would tend to get on the nerves.

 

[Elliott]

I operate in shallow salt water frequently, and the jet does great.

However from your description, it sounds like you will be in a no wake area for several miles. The jet will steer fine (especially with a JBP or Cobra Steering kit), but it will be a slower no wake speed than a prop boat. Prop boats often pass me in no wake zones. Unless you want to run at high no wake revs, you should expect 5-7 mph in no wake mode. ** My only experience is my FSH 19; it could very well vary depending upon model.

Also, you should be aware that jets can have problems in areas with heavy weeds/grass. I have not had any trouble here, but I only face thin trash lines of rack / dead sea grass.

 

[biffdotorg]

Read up on the sound insulation threads. I insulated panels in the floor to deaden the sound a bit. It's not a pontoon with a four stroke for sure

 

[Scottintexas]

Glad to have you on board, Where in SW FL exactly, we have a members all along the SW coast, weeds can be an issue,

usually low speed noise is not an issue, it's when you get to higher rpm's it's more noticeable.

Definitely get a test ride and decide for yourself,


.

 

[Steve-O]

Will do Scott, we're in Cape Coral.

 

[FLBulldogger]

Will do Scott, we're in Cape Coral.

Welcome to SWFL we are in North Port and have boated in and around the west coast for 10 yrs now, jet boats do fine in shallow water especially the "skinny" water in some of the canals leading out to the gulf that one can encounter, we had '13 SX190 and now have a '18 SX195 and the draft is wonderful, we've been in about 18 inches of water and slow and no problem, just have to be careful with ingesting sand and the like if you get above a no wake zone speed. Charts are important and a close watch of the tides and their max/min levels! As far as noise level we experienced a harmonic type noise(hum) in the '13 when at a low idle but have not the the '18. Good luck!

 

[Matts18]

Yamaha makes great boats, but they also make great outboard engines! I wouldn't rule out one of the newer Cobalt or Regal 23-25 ft bowriders with a Yamaha outboard if you are looking for something more "lounge friendly" than a center console.

 

[OrangeTJ]

no-wake speed behavior is likely to be VERY different from your previous boat. It may or may not be objectionable to you, though. Personally, when we had our SX210, sub-planing speed operation was my least favorite part of it. It always seemed that the engines were spinning disproportionately fast relative to our speed across the water. 3-4K rpm to go 7-10 mph was just annoying to me. Granted, that was an SX210 and you are considering a different model so your experience could be different.

 

[Liveto99]

Skinny water is a great place for a jet boat, and no prop or anything below has a lot of advantages when there is a lot of flats around. I would test out no wake for 4 miles on your sea trial and see how it is. The no wake mode is nice and will hold speed mine is rite at 5 mph and that is perfect, other people pass but there are speeding some get tickets. Before you put jet boat steering on it and also I believe trim tabs with the edges bent down you will not be able to let go of the steering wheel for more than a few seconds on that 4 mile trip which is 45 minutes. I would just go with those add-ons before you even pick up the boat. If you are running on the flats in real shallow water below 18 inches I just don’t stop the boat without killing the motor and it doesn’t seem to be a problem as long as I’m idling around if you stop the boat because it’s like a vacuum cleaner it will form of vortex and Pull sand up into your motor you will hear the sand heading your impala it’s not gonna kill it immediately but it will deteriorate it. Everyone in Florida has a center consol if you get a different type of boat and like lounging around you will probably find company for that and whenever you go out on a friends boat it’s probably gonna be a center consol anyway.sometimes it’s nice to have a different option. I think pontoon boats are under used in southern Florida they are a great central station especially if you have a couple Jetske’s that can pull up to them and there’s plenty a room for lounging around if you have a for on them People can stay out of the sun on the bottom and sun themselves on top. They have shallow draft. I just put trim tabs on my boat with edges bent down and it seems to drive in a straight line without attention to the steering wheel at a slow speed now. There is also Cobra steering on it. Before the steering system and the trim tabs it would not track strait at a slow speed and if I had to go through 45 minutes of canals in a no wake zone it would have drove me nuts. I would definitely test out 5 mph handling on any boat that you buy because you will be doing it for one and a half hours every single trip you go out on. Go on a sea trial with a bunch of boats regardless of what you do it’s probably at least a $50,000 drop by the time you’re done you’re really want to be on something that you enjoy rather than take a $10,000 hit in six months and turn it in on something else. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Here is a video done by @swatski in a 24 foot Yamaha equipped with the cobra super magnum AK steering and mega fangs , try this with a prop boat. Or a stock Yamaha for that matter.

 

[OrangeTJ]

What am I missing in the video? Try doing what with a prop boat? Going straight without steering input? My v drive boat will do that all day long at any speed.

Don't get me wrong, I like the CJ steering - had it on my SX210. It was a significant aid to tracking but it surely did not make the boat a hands-free proposition at no wake speed.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

What am I missing in the video? Try doing what with a prop boat? Going straight without steering input? My v drive boat will do that all day long at any speed.

Don't get me wrong, I like the CJ steering - had it on my SX210. It was a significant aid to tracking but it surely did not make the boat a hands-free proposition at no wake speed.

He is making a S turn left and then right AFTER he put the boat in neutral. Try that some time also try rapidly decelerating while you are already in a turn.
And remember this is all super steering systems now. Big difference from older systems much more control off power at slow speeds and docking . and control during water sports or in wind or currents and waves constantly improving the systems so go run a prop boat at planning speed pull it back to neutral and then perform an S turn . Not just making a turn but then changing direction while coasting and complete a turn in the opposite direction. Then while you are doing that try a 180 degree turn at W O T and only loose a few MPH doing it.

Like I say these systems are high performance steering If you want to use it that way, they are slow speed and docking if that is what you need and everywhere in between. They automatically adjust the influence they have on your boat . No hard uncomfortable steering at planning speeds either .

 

[swatski]

Yamaha makes great boats, but they also make great outboard engines! I wouldn't rule out one of the newer Cobalt or Regal 23-25 ft bowriders with a Yamaha outboard if you are looking for something more "lounge friendly" than a center console.
[/QUO

Even the newest Yamaha inboard JBs are not quiet by comparison to new outboards, unfortunately.
I would add Sea Ray to any short list, not independent as a boat maker anymore but still easily one of the best designed open bow boats IMO. @Andy S takes his Cobalt all over the Bahamas! And with the "forward drive" one can surf behind those boats, too!

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[swatski]

What am I missing in the video? Try doing what with a prop boat? Going straight without steering input? My v drive boat will do that all day long at any speed.

Don't get me wrong, I like the CJ steering - had it on my SX210. It was a significant aid to tracking but it surely did not make the boat a hands-free proposition at no wake speed.

I have to say, not to start any discussion, the CJS in my boat gives the ability to steer the boat after cutting power for example when coming off high speed (but - while still on plane). I think that's what Jeff was communicating and I would completely vouch for that.
It is not something I would ever want to give up. My 240 can turn remarkably well while just gliding, with no engine thrust.

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[OrangeTJ]

Very cool. I'm a fan of the CJS products - I had the Magnum 16X versions (I think that's what they were called) on my YJB. I just couldn't quite see what was trying to be shown in the video.