Tim in MD
Jet Boat Addict
- Messages
- 47
- Reaction score
- 60
- Points
- 97
- Location
- Bush River, Aberdeen, MD
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2019
- Boat Model
- AR
- Boat Length
- 21
My first post to this great forum, after reading for a number of months. This 62-year-old sailor is about to buy my first powerboat. Over the winter we were fortunate to achieve our lifelong dream of a place on the water (river off the Chesapeake), and we have a dock with a lift, which is looking very lonesome right now.
In my research, lots of folks ask about "jet vs prop" - I just thought I'd give a quick comparison of what I saw yesterday. In the morning we (wife, adult son and daughter and I) tested a Yamaha AR210 and an SX190. In the afternoon a Bayliner VR5 w/115 OB and a VR6 w/150 OB (roughly comparable in length to the Yamaha's). Some general impressions:
First Impressions:
- Stepping on the two different brands, there just seemed to be a quality difference. The Yamaha was solid, no-nonsense, everything well-placed, a great layout. The Bayliner was like a Swiss Army knife - you could flip this seat here, that seat there - but everything just seemed kinda cheaply made. I can't really back this up, and it may be all in my head, but it was the reaction of my family as well as me.
- The Bayliner had a huuuge storage compartment where the sterndrive would have gone. A small family could live in there. But it seemed a waste of space - something that cavernous is hard to keep organized where you can reach very much - and the cockpit size suffered as a result.
- My son liked the sundeck on top of that huge storage area - the rest of us preferred more cockpit room
- The Yamaha swim platform is gorgeous. The OB hanging on the Bayliner is just ugly, and the stern is not somewhere you'd want to be lounging.
- So, before getting on the water, the JB was the clear winner.
The test drive:
- Both salespeople were of course experts in handling the boats - I saw what folks on the forum say that when you learn to maneuver a JB, you can make it move anywhere.
- I found the JB challenging to steer in a straight line at no-wake speeds - looked like a drunken sailor. Not a problem with the OB.
- At higher speeds - I only went to 30 mph - the above problem disappeared, but the OB had a more solid feel - the wheel force was heavier so I could stay on a straight course easier. With the JB the steering wheel force was very light, and any little turn of the wheel would turn the boat noticeably.
- At no-wake speeds, the JB noise was not a problem - could have a normal conversation, although voices raised a bit above dinner-table conversation. The single-engine 4-cylinder 190 was a bit quieter than the 2-engine 3 cylinder 210. However, the OB was amazingly quiet - really didn't even notice the noise. I was very surprised (and actually disappointed, because I knew my decision just got harder).
- At 30mph, you're not having a conversation in any of the boats, although the OB was still somewhat quieter than the JB - but not a big difference.
- Unfortunately we took the JB out in rather choppy conditions, and the water was much smoother where we tested the OB, so that definitely affected the comparison (note that the no-wake speeds were in calm water with both boats)
- to use a poor analogy, the JB was like a Camaro, the OB like a Camry. One was more fun, the other a more practical, family vehicle.
Pricing:
- For a given length, and roughly comparably equipped, the JB was a bit cheaper than the OB. Upgrading the OB on the 20-footer from 115 to 150 HP was a $4000 option
- I like the Yamaha approach of providing a well-equipped boat without a bunch of options, but the local Bayliner dealer orders virtually all of their boats with roughly the same common options. I wish the 190 had a better spot for a chartplotter/depth sounder on the dash.
- Both dealers were willing to take something off the list price without my asking - $1500 on the JB, $2250 on the OB (Bayliner has a current $1250 factory rebate on both boats we tried).
Some comments on the 190 vs the 210 - I went to the dealer planning to try an SX210. I ended the morning having decided on an AR190. Why?:
- The 190 had a lot of room for a 19.5 footer - seemed like it would be very comfortable for my typical max of 6 adults, or maybe 8 for a leisurely putter around the river.
- I'm 6'2" and was comfortable in the bow seating (with my legs a bit more angled towards the center in the shorter boat)
- One engine is easier and cheaper to maintain than two. Also, as I mention, slightly quieter.
- The $12,000 difference will buy a lot of beer.
Why the AR rather than the SX?
- The dealer said that in either length, the AR outsells the SX 5 to 1. Since resale value is always important, I wanted the more popular version
- The bimini cover is kinda flimsy, and we couldn't get one of the support straps to quit vibrating in the wind (tho we didn't invest a lot of time in trying). But, note that the SC bimini provides quite a bit more shade than the tower bimini.
- The tower is a solid structure for grabbing onto - entering, exiting, and standing up underway.
- My son tells me that the higher mounting point will make it easier to get a new skier up on skis
- The AR comes with a bench seat rather than a second captain's chair - I much prefer the bench seat - really opened up the cockpit.
- The tower looks COOL
Bottom Line: I'll be buying an AR190 this week - can't wait to get it in the water!
Apologies for the very long first post - this is just some info that I thought other newbies/prospective owners might find helpful. I'll be posting separately with some questions about accessory equipment - glad to have found an informative, friendly forum!
In my research, lots of folks ask about "jet vs prop" - I just thought I'd give a quick comparison of what I saw yesterday. In the morning we (wife, adult son and daughter and I) tested a Yamaha AR210 and an SX190. In the afternoon a Bayliner VR5 w/115 OB and a VR6 w/150 OB (roughly comparable in length to the Yamaha's). Some general impressions:
First Impressions:
- Stepping on the two different brands, there just seemed to be a quality difference. The Yamaha was solid, no-nonsense, everything well-placed, a great layout. The Bayliner was like a Swiss Army knife - you could flip this seat here, that seat there - but everything just seemed kinda cheaply made. I can't really back this up, and it may be all in my head, but it was the reaction of my family as well as me.
- The Bayliner had a huuuge storage compartment where the sterndrive would have gone. A small family could live in there. But it seemed a waste of space - something that cavernous is hard to keep organized where you can reach very much - and the cockpit size suffered as a result.
- My son liked the sundeck on top of that huge storage area - the rest of us preferred more cockpit room
- The Yamaha swim platform is gorgeous. The OB hanging on the Bayliner is just ugly, and the stern is not somewhere you'd want to be lounging.
- So, before getting on the water, the JB was the clear winner.
The test drive:
- Both salespeople were of course experts in handling the boats - I saw what folks on the forum say that when you learn to maneuver a JB, you can make it move anywhere.
- I found the JB challenging to steer in a straight line at no-wake speeds - looked like a drunken sailor. Not a problem with the OB.
- At higher speeds - I only went to 30 mph - the above problem disappeared, but the OB had a more solid feel - the wheel force was heavier so I could stay on a straight course easier. With the JB the steering wheel force was very light, and any little turn of the wheel would turn the boat noticeably.
- At no-wake speeds, the JB noise was not a problem - could have a normal conversation, although voices raised a bit above dinner-table conversation. The single-engine 4-cylinder 190 was a bit quieter than the 2-engine 3 cylinder 210. However, the OB was amazingly quiet - really didn't even notice the noise. I was very surprised (and actually disappointed, because I knew my decision just got harder).
- At 30mph, you're not having a conversation in any of the boats, although the OB was still somewhat quieter than the JB - but not a big difference.
- Unfortunately we took the JB out in rather choppy conditions, and the water was much smoother where we tested the OB, so that definitely affected the comparison (note that the no-wake speeds were in calm water with both boats)
- to use a poor analogy, the JB was like a Camaro, the OB like a Camry. One was more fun, the other a more practical, family vehicle.
Pricing:
- For a given length, and roughly comparably equipped, the JB was a bit cheaper than the OB. Upgrading the OB on the 20-footer from 115 to 150 HP was a $4000 option
- I like the Yamaha approach of providing a well-equipped boat without a bunch of options, but the local Bayliner dealer orders virtually all of their boats with roughly the same common options. I wish the 190 had a better spot for a chartplotter/depth sounder on the dash.
- Both dealers were willing to take something off the list price without my asking - $1500 on the JB, $2250 on the OB (Bayliner has a current $1250 factory rebate on both boats we tried).
Some comments on the 190 vs the 210 - I went to the dealer planning to try an SX210. I ended the morning having decided on an AR190. Why?:
- The 190 had a lot of room for a 19.5 footer - seemed like it would be very comfortable for my typical max of 6 adults, or maybe 8 for a leisurely putter around the river.
- I'm 6'2" and was comfortable in the bow seating (with my legs a bit more angled towards the center in the shorter boat)
- One engine is easier and cheaper to maintain than two. Also, as I mention, slightly quieter.
- The $12,000 difference will buy a lot of beer.
Why the AR rather than the SX?
- The dealer said that in either length, the AR outsells the SX 5 to 1. Since resale value is always important, I wanted the more popular version
- The bimini cover is kinda flimsy, and we couldn't get one of the support straps to quit vibrating in the wind (tho we didn't invest a lot of time in trying). But, note that the SC bimini provides quite a bit more shade than the tower bimini.
- The tower is a solid structure for grabbing onto - entering, exiting, and standing up underway.
- My son tells me that the higher mounting point will make it easier to get a new skier up on skis
- The AR comes with a bench seat rather than a second captain's chair - I much prefer the bench seat - really opened up the cockpit.
- The tower looks COOL
Bottom Line: I'll be buying an AR190 this week - can't wait to get it in the water!
Apologies for the very long first post - this is just some info that I thought other newbies/prospective owners might find helpful. I'll be posting separately with some questions about accessory equipment - glad to have found an informative, friendly forum!
We bought our 07 AR230 3 years ago and love it. Very low maintenance, as compared to our Sailboat. Sure it is louder than the sailboat, but it goes a lot faster. Do you still sail? Or are you done heeling. Welcome to the Best Forum for everything jetboat and more. Remember, buy your second jetboat first. Nice write up. Mods/Add ons like steering fins and trim tabs will make a huge difference.
