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Lucky Couple Here!

YoDaddy292

Jet Boat Junkie
Messages
291
Reaction score
725
Points
147
Location
Washington State
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2022
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
21
Since I’ve been lurking for a couple of weeks and soaking up the valuable and entertaining knowledge here, I realize just how stupid fortunate we have been since beginning our boat buying journey......
We bought a little Maxum 17’ open bow a few years ago for $1800 and it shined up nice and never let us down (disgustingly fortunate there as I swore I would never own a boat). After a few trips of playing, cove partying, sunset cruising, tubing, and unfortunately tripping over people and gear if more than four people where on board we couldn’t take our eyes off those cool boats with the bitchin’ swim steps! After some classified searching (used ones cost as much or more than new ones) and dealer website browsing we started getting the itch to get one.
We only started getting serious about buying this April (22’) and began looking at local dealers (there are only two on our side of the state) and making phone calls. First thing we noticed was one dealer didn’t really appear to have any inventory and the other had every single Yamaha priced $10,000 over msrp! So we found a dealer across the state, made a phone call, and drove 4 hours just to look and hopefully bring one home (that’s cute. I thought it would be like a car where you go to the lot and tow it home ?).
We showed up with the thought of picking up an AR190 and marveled over the storage and width of the thing. We sat down, worked out a price, and then the wife went to the bathroom. She came back and said “can we se the 21’”. I was flabbergasted! That was my idea in the first place but we were trying to keep the expenses down. So we leave the desk and walk through the AR210 where the boss/better half/bread winner states......”this is the one I want, if we are going to upgrade and spend money on a new boat I want this one”. I may have said those exact words all along but I wisely kept my mouth shut and just nodded at her wisdom.
The salesman informed us the one we were aboard (the only one on the lot) was spoken for but they had another and last one coming. So again we sit down, run numbers, discuss approximate delivery dates, etc.... looked like mid-June at best but by then it dawned on me buying a new Yamaha was NOT like buying a motorcycle or car and the wait was fine. Fast forward to this week and the salesman calls us and says.......the people that are on the list for the boat on the lot need more time and would like to swap places with you (I fist pump in the air and silently mouth HELL YEAH to the wife as we are speaking). So needless to say we walked in “wide eyed stupid” and will be getting our new boat before Memorial Day after starting our search last month.
So that has been our journey into jet boating so far and I hope this experience is the “meant to be” situation it feels like. We plan to enjoy the boat, get a feel for everything, and see what she needs as I finally get everything down as well as I can in stock form. Good information and posts here guys, wish I would have discovered this site BEFORE I started looking but then again I might have over thought the whole process and not been on a new boat until next winter ?.
 
@YoDaddy292, you are extremely lucky.... count your blessings, say your Hail Mary's, and skip over every crack on the ground. You hit the mother load of good luck...lol We have been waiting since Feb of 21 for our 22' and we got bumped to 23'. I will not complain we have our 18 and it treats us well, its just the upgrade and the excitement of stepping up. Good luck and Congratulations. You will love the boat! Have you ever run a jetboat before?
If not the major differences are going to be in your no wake or slow speed controls. It will handle much differently then your traditional I/O or Outboard. If you find that to be an issue there are companies out there offering products to help. @JetBoatPilot has Thrust Vectors which I personally use and have helped in teaching my son, my daughter and neighbor how to pilot our boat. There are also products from @Cobra Jet Steering LLC which some of the guys in our club have and swear by as well. Both are great products and both vendors will treat you well. There are some great cleaning products that will help too. You should check out a good mooring cover, unless they let you keep the transport cover. Make sure to pick up a fuse pack, a small tool kit, a good fire extinguisher and pick out a great name! Enjoy it, best of luck and congratulation....welcome to the addiction.
 
@YoDaddy292, you are extremely lucky.... count your blessings, say your Hail Mary's, and skip over every crack on the ground. You hit the mother load of good luck...lol We have been waiting since Feb of 21 for our 22' and we got bumped to 23'. I will not complain we have our 18 and it treats us well, its just the upgrade and the excitement of stepping up. Good luck and Congratulations. You will love the boat! Have you ever run a jetboat before?
If not the major differences are going to be in your no wake or slow speed controls. It will handle much differently then your traditional I/O or Outboard. If you find that to be an issue there are companies out there offering products to help. @JetBoatPilot has Thrust Vectors which I personally use and have helped in teaching my son, my daughter and neighbor how to pilot our boat. There are also products from @Cobra Jet Steering LLC which some of the guys in our club have and swear by as well. Both are great products and both vendors will treat you well. There are some great cleaning products that will help too. You should check out a good mooring cover, unless they let you keep the transport cover. Make sure to pick up a fuse pack, a small tool kit, a good fire extinguisher and pick out a great name! Enjoy it, best of luck and congratulation....welcome to the addiction.
Thank you for the welcome and advice. I plan to spend the entire first trip just getting used to everything and practice the dreaded “slow speed maneuvering “. I have already bought the padded guide posts for the trailer, new fenders, anchors, dock ropes, etc....but in my teenage excitement I seem to be forgetting the tool kit, extinguisher, fuses, etc..... so thanks for the reminder on that ?. Struggling with a name but it is fun tossing them around (almost like naming a child). Sorry about your wait for the new boat......(and here I am bragging about my “sheer ignorance” luck). Hopefully the 23’ comes with some cool new features that didn’t exist on the 22’s and the wait was for a reason. I am REALLY starting to get the feeling that the thrust vectors will be our first after purchase item bought.
 
@YoDaddy292 Anytime....the fun items always end up being the first to be purchased. We did the same thing....ask me how I know about the fuses...lol
No foul in bragging...you have all the right. I would be over the moon had I gotten that lucky. For your tie downs, we opted for two different types, we did some bungee for short term and some long lines with snugs for long term. If you plan on doing any boat chains big fenders or Buoy balls work great. The vectors work great, we love them. We may end up taking our current boat name and using on the new one as well...(Worth the Wake) as we have to wait just a little bit longer. The upgrades in the dash and controls are what we are looking for...so I'm hoping I'm not disappointed once we finally do get it. Enjoy and look forward to seeing you on the forums. Congrats again!
 
I just checked in as I'm heading out for an over-nighter and that is a great tale. Sometimes fortune pops out of no-where and synchronicity places all points in a direct line to our front door.

No worries about the slow speed maneuvering, I'm still stock and learning the boat can make you a better pilot whether you go for the accessories or not.

Good Luck and Boat On!
 
I just checked in as I'm heading out for an over-nighter and that is a great tale. Sometimes fortune pops out of no-where and synchronicity places all points in a direct line to our front door.

No worries about the slow speed maneuvering, I'm still stock and learning the boat can make you a better pilot whether you go for the accessories or not.

Good Luck and Boat On!
Congratulations! I agree that you should definitely try the boat with stock steering. It's really not that bad and you'll get the hang of it in no time.
 
Agreed, that's why I was saying if you have difficulties there are companies to help.... I always suggest running them first.
 
So great that things worked out for you. You will LOVE your Yamaha. We came from a 21 foot I/O and never looked back. I totally understand your excitement! We picked ours up on Memorial Day 2016! Congrats and welcome to the forum! :Welcome::Welcome::Welcome:
 
"I wisely kept my mouth shut and just nodded at her wisdom."
Smart man! :D
Congrats! Enjoy! Heck of an upgrade from the Magnum.
 
"I wisely kept my mouth shut and just nodded at her wisdom."
Smart man! :D
Congrats! Enjoy! Heck of an upgrade from the Magnum.
Thanks man. It only took me 28:years of marriage to learn.
 
This was kinda the same for us. We definitely wanted te 24 foot, but I was trying to be economical and go for the AR240.... at the time, about $50K. But the wife saw the 242 Limited SE and loved the huge Bimini, the extra features, and the cruise control option, etc. Like yours, she said "I want this one!" Who was I to argue :cool:. $65K plus TT&L later and we had a boat! Just glad it wasn't today's prices, or we would have probably stayed in our old Four Winns! Be tough to even afford a used one these days!
 
This was kinda the same for us. We definitely wanted te 24 foot, but I was trying to be economical and go for the AR240.... at the time, about $50K. But the wife saw the 242 Limited SE and loved the huge Bimini, the extra features, and the cruise control option, etc. Like yours, she said "I want this one!" Who was I to argue :cool:. $65K plus TT&L later and we had a boat! Just glad it wasn't today's prices, or we would have probably stayed in our old Four Winns! Be tough to even afford a used one these days!
Today’s prices are definitely tough to swallow. It’s probably why I didn’t point at the 250 and go “sooooooo how about THAT one?”.
 
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The old girl is cleaned up and ready to go to her new home. Sad and glad to see her go. Pick up the Yammie next week.D41FF49D-7914-4CFF-A3BC-5117AC13C1F3.jpeg
 
That's a good looking boat!
 
Going to throw in a word of caution on your new boat trailer, if it is a Shorlandr' and you will be using it in salt water. My lighting system rotted out within six months due to the multiple connectors inside the frame rails. The OEM connectors IMHO are not made for boat trailers but rather land based trailers. If your lights suddenly stop working suspect a situation similar to the pics below. I pulled out all the wiring and strung LEDs on the outside of the frame rails and its been almost bliss ever since. Still though the Shorlandr trailer is great.


Shorlandr Trailer Wiring 2.jpgShorlandr Trailer Wiring 1.jpg
 
Going to throw in a word of caution on your new boat trailer, if it is a Shorlandr' and you will be using it in salt water. My lighting system rotted out within six months due to the multiple connectors inside the frame rails. The OEM connectors IMHO are not made for boat trailers but rather land based trailers. If your lights suddenly stop working suspect a situation similar to the pics below. I pulled out all the wiring and strung LEDs on the outside of the frame rails and its been almost bliss ever since. Still though the Shorlandr trailer is great.


View attachment 178154View attachment 178155
Thank you for the heads up. I avoid salt water nowadays. The one major purchase I had to make with that little Maxum was the buying of that Karavan trailer under it because it was a salt water boat it’s entire life and the trailer was rotted out. I got home from the lake one day and noticed that the rear of the trailer rails were about an inch from the ground due to rot and buckling at the axle. In the three years we’ve owned it it’s been thoroughly flushed by lake use only ?.
 
 
Tell us where you would like us to start spending your money, so we can get a plan together for you. ;) ?
[/QUOT
My lord it is really hard not to be spending money on upgrades before I even turn the engines over!
 
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