My new Yamaha

[Ronnie]

To me anyway.

1996 Yamaha Waveblaster II. Actually it is my Son's, we are going to work on it together.
It's 9' long, 385 lbs dry and holds 13 gallons of fuel (10 in the main and 3 in reserve). It has a 90 hp 2 cylinder 2 stroke engine. From what I've read, it should too out around 50 mph, and rides like a motor cycle.

I just got back from a 24 hour trip to scal to pick it up. 800 miles round trip. Seeing the big smile on my Son's face when he saw the ski made it worth every mile and we haven't even touched the water yet, maybe be tomorrow.

I also picked up a used pwc dolly/cart on the way home. As it turned out the seller is a yjb member that I've seen on the water before, small world.

Incidentally, I got the waveblaster, 1995 Polaris 3 cylinder pwc and trailer for $1,500. One of those deals that I couldn't turn down.

 

[Gym]

Looks great @Ronnie. Is it all operational or does it need work?

 

[Ronnie]

It starts right up , compression checked showed 120 psi on each cylinder. Funny, I forgot about how much 2 strokes smoke when the are cold. There is plenty of fuel and oil in the tanks. I will top of the battery and if I can get it set up on the trailer with my FX Cruiser tomorrow morning we are going to be taking advantage of the Indian Summer we are experiencing to do a "Sea Trial".

 

[MikeyL]

@Ronnie : LOVE the "story." Everything about it spells SUCCESS !
Big Congrats @ !! Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[Britboater]

Fantastic @Ronnie , I love these old Blasters. I was big into Superjets until back problems forced me to give up, but a lot of guys go onto these Blasters and thats exactly what I'm planning.
There's a lot that want Yamaha to start making some kind of small sit on, Seadoo have the Spark but it's missing the mark.
You can't beat the smell of two stroke and that crisp bbarrrrappp

 

[itsdgm]

Congrats @Ronnie. Sounds like a great deal, those look to be in great shape.

 

[rkluck]

Looks good and great price!

 

[Evildwarf]

Enjoy the new toy!
What a great feeling when you can share an activity with your kids.
My son and I have really connected with the boating and time spent on the water with him is golden.
Good luck

 

[OrangeTJ]

Looks like fun! And what a deal!

 

[Ronnie]

Here are a few pics of it on the trailer next to a '06 Yamaha FX Cruiser HO WaveRunner as well as a video / pic compilation I just threw together.

So despite plenty of issues we managed to get on the water today with the WaveBlaster II.
1. Moving one of the FX Cruisers off the trailer and reconfiguring it for the Wave Blaster was hard, heavy and hard.
2. We couldn't enter the first ramp we went to because they were sponsoring a boat or jet ski race.
3. The next ramp was packed because the first ramp was closed.
4. We ended up at Sherman Island the first place I took my first jetski over 25 years ago. I killed a battery trying to get the Blaster Started (after I got it back on the trailer). I was about to give up since we ran out of starting fluid and was cranking away on the second (spare) battery when my son on the opposite side of the ski asked, "What's that red switch [on this side] do?" He was asking about the fuel switch. It started fine after I moved the switch to "on", go figure, just not used to turning on a fuel switch anymore I guess.
5. We both found it a lot easier to turn and much more apt to steer by leaning.
6. The carbs have been rebuilt and tuned for a higher elevation (Big Bear) so I can tell it's not running optimally (I will probably take it to the shop to be tuned as I learned a while back that properly setting the mixture on a carb for two strokes, especially one with more than one carb like this, is more art than science and I suck at it).
7. We didn't stay on the water long but it was a great day with my Son. He was up and ready to go early. As we hit the road on our return trip he said, "Thanks Dad, I will never forget this day." Then he passed out.

 

[Icatfish247]

Congrats on the buy! If it's tough to start(with the gas on ) removing the choke and adding a primer kit does wonders on older skis. Probably the best "mod" I can recommend on a ski and an easy offseason project.

 

[Ronnie]

Thanks for the suggestion, I recall adding a primer kit to almost all of my past two stoke pwcs that didn't already have one and will do the same to the Blaster this off season. Screw the choke. I told my son to just leave the fuel switch in the "on" position going forward.

Another issue we identified yesterday was that the original lanyard had gotten soft and loose so it would slide off the post at the slightest tug, we switched it with the lanyard from the fx for the day session and it ran fine. I had to maintain pressure on the old lanyard while riding the fx. The old lanyard has since been retired.

Our first mod should be shipping by the close of business today. It's a cover and it's about half of what I paid recently for fx cruiser covers. It is going to be a long off season for my son and I, I'm sure we will have fun working on the ski in the mean time but am glad we got it on the water before the wrenching begins. I needed to evaluate what We are starting with and I didn't want my son to have to wait 4 to 5 months to ride "his ski" for the first time.

He wants to go back to the same place the next time we put it on the water, after we have it tuned and modded. It's a little out of the way but this keeps the water patrol away from there as well. They may not appreciate an 11 year old on his own ski.

 

[PEARCE]

Very cool Ronnie! Congrats on the great find.

 

[rkluck]

Your son's last remark is what makes this all so great!!!! Good job!

 

[Skysurfer2010]

Congrats and glad you pulled the trigger on the buy. How old is the legal riding age for pwc in Cali?

 

[Ronnie]

Congrats and glad you pulled the trigger on the buy. How old is the legal riding age for pwc in Cali?

16 to ride solo. I've never seen anyone get checked for age on a Pwc but my son doesn't look like he could be anywhere near 16, not even close, so I need to find less popular places to go when it's just he and I.

 

[Scottintexas]

You are a lucky man to have heard those words,

 

[Gumbeaux]

Old's cool!

 

[itsdgm]

That's awesome @Ronnie. Congrats on a great first day out.

 

[Ronnie]

Just a follow up to this story.

I refurbed the white ziemann trailer by shuffling tires around so that all were new/unused including the spare, installed new tail lights, wiring and gave it a fresh coat of paint. My wife held a yard sale last weekend and while I was rewiring the trailer with the garage door open she put a for sale sign on it. Fast forward a little and the fourth person she sent my way (she was marketing to guys with trailer hitches on their cars) made me a cash offer of $750, left a $100 deposit and picked up the ski and trailer the next morning after paying me the remaining balance. I didn't touch the ski other than to charge the battery and start it for him.

I probably could have made a few more dollars if I sold them on craigslist and / or separated the trailer and ski but I can't complain since, even after refurbing the trailer the net effect is that the waveblaster only cost me around $900. Also, I didn't have to do any work to sell these things (e.g. taking pics, drafting the ad, making appoints to show the items, dealing with craigslist fakers, etc.). I almost laughed and told my wife not to put a for sale sign on the trailer as I had already heard people haggling over $1 items. "How about 2 or 3 for $1?" "Will you tailor the this (pair of pants) for me (at no additional cost over the $5 ask price)?" The third guy I almost escorted out, "got any tools for sale" no I responded, "what about those crow bars or power tools on your work bench?" No again, "any doubles you want to sell, like pliers, hammers, screwdrivers, etc.?" No man, I don't sell tools, this is a yard sale the only things for sale in this garage are the trailer and pwc on it.

Ironically I may do business with the buyer again. He already has a pwc and a single trailer so I may end up buying his trailer from him. We have tentatively settled on a price ceiling of $300.

I forgot to mention the other benefit or the main benefit as my wife says, she can park her car in the garage again.