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Haha. There’s gotta be more. I live out in Burnsville, not too far from a few major lakes. Are you in the TC or further out where’s its more quiet and peaceful? What has your experience been with owning a jetboat in MN? Any tips or pointers?
More Jetboaters from MN. Still doesn’t seem like there’s many owners in MN.
I’m down in the SE CORNER, south of Rochester.
No Doubt, we just lost ice on our bay a couple weeks ago. I'm just trying to get my dock/lifts in before the holiday weekend.
Thanks Jerlane for your feedback to my questions. Because our winters are so harsh, are there any additional preventative measures you take when winterizing that is not indentified in the owners manual? I trailer my boat around and will winterize in our garage as well. Have you ever had to go to a local marina for any work completed? If you have, which one and why? And do you recommend River Valley Powersports?
You've got yourself a boaters playground out in Pelican Rapids. There are so many lakes of varying sizes. I'll make a bet the sweet quiet sound of peacefullness makes for a perfect boating experience.
Is there any specific lake you give preference to in the TC? I've been to Prior Lake, but thats about it. I'll have to try out Minnetonka one of these days. I think I'll wait until I am ready to launch by myself and get my routine down.
Minnetonka is rough for our small boats, the smaller bays are better. Minnewashta is nice.
This is our first boat as well and it has been very user friendly. That’s one of the reasons we bought it. I have done all the work on it myself so far and haven’t needed to use a shop yet, so I can’t comment on that. In the fall I top the tank off and add marine Sta-bil and fog the engine. I’ve heard of people flushing with antifreeze, but it doesn’t seem to be necessary. I change the oil and spark plugs in the spring (might rethink changing oil in the fall instead).
I've enjoyed Prior Lake for the most part. Its a bit choppy, but that may be a cause of windier days and being a larger lake. Parking has been okay for the most part, I've gotten to the lake at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday with plenty of parking available. I park at the DNR ramp which has two parking lots available. As the warmer days near I expect parking will become more difficult. But as of a week ago, it wasn't overly busy. The lake is mostly clear of any weedy vegetation and is relatively large with 1 marina and a restaurant that you can dock your boat.
I’ve read other peoples experiences very similar to yours, especially last year when the whole world and decided to go boating. I’ve also heard from other experienced boaters about their frustrations with new boaters that didn’t take the time to learn common courtesy and etiquette at the ramp. I began practicing my skills with launching/loading at Crystal Lake in Burnsville after work. Mainly because there’s almost nobody at the lake on week days at 3 pm, which is good for me to make mistakes and not hold people up. I bet their are still shot shows, but hopefully not as often. And if there are, it’s not going to happen because of something I did. Haha.
We are very blessed. I grew up in Wadena, with lakes 30 minutes in all direction. Then lived in the Fargo/Moorhead area most of my life having the Detroit Lakes area only 45 min away. Just prior to COVID lock down, we sold our home and moved to Franklin Lake between Pelican, Lizzie, Lida, Crystal. Never looked back. The best 2.5yrs ever, and will only get better.
Sign me up! Peace of heaven on earth.We are very blessed. I grew up in Wadena, with lakes 30 minutes in all direction. Then lived in the Fargo/Moorhead area most of my life having the Detroit Lakes area only 45 min away. Just prior to COVID lock down, we sold our home and moved to Franklin Lake between Pelican, Lizzie, Lida, Crystal. Never looked back. The best 2.5yrs ever, and will only get better.