SCARAB_CDR
Jet Boat Lover
- Messages
- 17
- Reaction score
- 10
- Points
- 67
- Location
- San Diego
- Boat Make
- Scarab
- Year
- 2018
- Boat Model
- Other
- Boat Length
- 19
Hello to all the Scarab owners. I've been watching this forum ever since I purchased my Scarab in September of 2017, and thought it was time to jump in and introduce myself. Our boat is a black and white 2018 195 HO Platinum with the galvanized Gatorhyde trailer. Interestingly, on the Scarab website, the hull color combination/platinum model isn't available for 2018 so I think I've got a kind of a model year cross-over. We love the color and performance of the boat - this thing is a rocket! This is my 3rd boat (1998 Mariah Talari 179, 1995 Maxum 3200), not to mention 20+ years of experience driving warships, and the slow-speed handling took some getting used to, but now I think docking may be easier than it was with my big twin engine boat. Here's the mandatory pictures:
I have a need to personalize things, and maybe a touch of OCD, so here's the storage mods I've made so far. Some 3M Command hooks for holding lines, and some Gorilla double-sided tape to hold the fire extinguisher all in the starboard side console. It's been 6 months and it all seems pretty secure.
Next I'll add a couple more hooks to hold the First Aid kit and the emergency flare kit. I'm also looking for a way to add a US flag that won't interfere with the towing connection on the tower and also doesn't involve drilling any holes. Any ideas from the group?
Watching this forum I can't help but notice the problems other folks have had, and frankly if I'd read all of this prior to my purchase, I probably would have looked a whole lot closer at the Chaparral or Yamahas. So far our boat's run like a champ, but it hasn't been the completely trouble free experience I expected of an almost $50k purchase.
We purchased our boat in Lake Havasu, and on the trip home to San Diego after spending the weekend on the water I noticed one of the taillights had a broken ground wire. While fixing that, I found that some of the Gatorhyde had not properly adhered to the trailer. The closest dealer to San Diego was Bert's Mega Mall in Covina, so I took it there and had the coating fixed. I also had trouble accessing the neutral adjustment menu, and service techs at Bert's fixed that too by reloading the program. This was all fixed under warranty, but they did comment that they had a hard time getting word from Scarab. Since then it looks like they no longer carry Scarab. Too bad.
I've also noticed the stitching on my travel cover coming apart and contacted Scarab through their website, and got a quick reply from Mike at Scarab, asking for pictures. I sent them and am waiting for his response. Finally, and maybe most concerning, I've noticed that water doesn't seem to drain from my ski locker. At most California, and I think a lot of southwestern lakes, there's an inspection to prevent spread of Quagga or Zebra mussels. If there's any water anywhere in your boat, they don't let you launch and ban you for 7 days. I operate mostly in the saltwater of San Diego bay, but I'd like the opportunity to play in the freshwater. I asked Scarab about this too, and Mike at Scarab said I could "use any local reputable dealer to make the repair and we can reimburse you with a check request. We will need a written estimate. More than likely the hole is not cut to the proper circumference." I'm gonna get a borescope and get a better look first, then see if I can find someone to fix it.
We did suck up a rope on our first outing (stupid!), but it didn't enter the impeller. It got pinched between the shaft sleeve and the impeller nosepiece. After a very slow tow back to the marina and an hour under the boat with a hacksaw blade, long nose pliers, and a long wire bent into a hook I got all the rope out. There wasn't any visible damage to the impeller or nosepiece, so I think we dodged a bullet. Sure wish there was a cleanout port like on the Yamahas.
Lastly, while we do LOVE this boat, the purchase experience was far less than enjoyable. As mentioned, our closest dealer was Bert's in Covina, about 100 miles from where I live. We started emailing and then phone calls about purchasing our boat, but the salesman didn't seem too anxious to sell us a boat. After telling him exactly what we wanted, we couldn't seem to get a price, and the process dragged on and on. I emailed Scarab through their website and the regional rep emailed me with some alternate dealers, all much farther away. We chose to go with JR Motors in Lake Havasu. After talking to the salesman there about what I was looking for, I quickly got paperwork for what I thought was a good deal on the boat I wanted. I told him to order it and sent a deposit. Then they started telling me that the 2018 pricing was different and the price started climbing. I contacted another dealer, and the regional rep again, and after a bit of back-and-forth with JR they agreed to honor their original deal. Turned out that the other dealer that was a little farther away would have beat JR's price by over $1k, but JR had my deposit so I was kinda stuck. Lesson learned - shop around dumbass. We drove out Labor Day weekend excited to pick up our new boat but feeling that the dealer had tried a bit of bait-and-switch on us. The salesman did a short on-water demo with us but had to go meet other customers. Wish we had a longer orientation to show me more of the features of the boat, or maybe the warning about which hoses to clamp when towing, or how to properly flush the exhaust. Fortunately after sucking up a rope, the tow boat didn't get over 5mph, and I read the manual prior to flushing. I do NOT recommend this dealer for those looking for a Scarab - especially if it is your first jet.
So bottom line after this long post - I'm happy to be a Scarab owner, and we love our boat. We'll keep an eye on those hose clamps and that carbon seal, and be super cautious around the tow ropes.
I have a need to personalize things, and maybe a touch of OCD, so here's the storage mods I've made so far. Some 3M Command hooks for holding lines, and some Gorilla double-sided tape to hold the fire extinguisher all in the starboard side console. It's been 6 months and it all seems pretty secure.
Next I'll add a couple more hooks to hold the First Aid kit and the emergency flare kit. I'm also looking for a way to add a US flag that won't interfere with the towing connection on the tower and also doesn't involve drilling any holes. Any ideas from the group?
Watching this forum I can't help but notice the problems other folks have had, and frankly if I'd read all of this prior to my purchase, I probably would have looked a whole lot closer at the Chaparral or Yamahas. So far our boat's run like a champ, but it hasn't been the completely trouble free experience I expected of an almost $50k purchase.
We purchased our boat in Lake Havasu, and on the trip home to San Diego after spending the weekend on the water I noticed one of the taillights had a broken ground wire. While fixing that, I found that some of the Gatorhyde had not properly adhered to the trailer. The closest dealer to San Diego was Bert's Mega Mall in Covina, so I took it there and had the coating fixed. I also had trouble accessing the neutral adjustment menu, and service techs at Bert's fixed that too by reloading the program. This was all fixed under warranty, but they did comment that they had a hard time getting word from Scarab. Since then it looks like they no longer carry Scarab. Too bad.
I've also noticed the stitching on my travel cover coming apart and contacted Scarab through their website, and got a quick reply from Mike at Scarab, asking for pictures. I sent them and am waiting for his response. Finally, and maybe most concerning, I've noticed that water doesn't seem to drain from my ski locker. At most California, and I think a lot of southwestern lakes, there's an inspection to prevent spread of Quagga or Zebra mussels. If there's any water anywhere in your boat, they don't let you launch and ban you for 7 days. I operate mostly in the saltwater of San Diego bay, but I'd like the opportunity to play in the freshwater. I asked Scarab about this too, and Mike at Scarab said I could "use any local reputable dealer to make the repair and we can reimburse you with a check request. We will need a written estimate. More than likely the hole is not cut to the proper circumference." I'm gonna get a borescope and get a better look first, then see if I can find someone to fix it.
We did suck up a rope on our first outing (stupid!), but it didn't enter the impeller. It got pinched between the shaft sleeve and the impeller nosepiece. After a very slow tow back to the marina and an hour under the boat with a hacksaw blade, long nose pliers, and a long wire bent into a hook I got all the rope out. There wasn't any visible damage to the impeller or nosepiece, so I think we dodged a bullet. Sure wish there was a cleanout port like on the Yamahas.
Lastly, while we do LOVE this boat, the purchase experience was far less than enjoyable. As mentioned, our closest dealer was Bert's in Covina, about 100 miles from where I live. We started emailing and then phone calls about purchasing our boat, but the salesman didn't seem too anxious to sell us a boat. After telling him exactly what we wanted, we couldn't seem to get a price, and the process dragged on and on. I emailed Scarab through their website and the regional rep emailed me with some alternate dealers, all much farther away. We chose to go with JR Motors in Lake Havasu. After talking to the salesman there about what I was looking for, I quickly got paperwork for what I thought was a good deal on the boat I wanted. I told him to order it and sent a deposit. Then they started telling me that the 2018 pricing was different and the price started climbing. I contacted another dealer, and the regional rep again, and after a bit of back-and-forth with JR they agreed to honor their original deal. Turned out that the other dealer that was a little farther away would have beat JR's price by over $1k, but JR had my deposit so I was kinda stuck. Lesson learned - shop around dumbass. We drove out Labor Day weekend excited to pick up our new boat but feeling that the dealer had tried a bit of bait-and-switch on us. The salesman did a short on-water demo with us but had to go meet other customers. Wish we had a longer orientation to show me more of the features of the boat, or maybe the warning about which hoses to clamp when towing, or how to properly flush the exhaust. Fortunately after sucking up a rope, the tow boat didn't get over 5mph, and I read the manual prior to flushing. I do NOT recommend this dealer for those looking for a Scarab - especially if it is your first jet.
So bottom line after this long post - I'm happy to be a Scarab owner, and we love our boat. We'll keep an eye on those hose clamps and that carbon seal, and be super cautious around the tow ropes.
