Proud new owners! What's the 1st thing you did to yours?

[Julian]

I have a short list of things I've done to my boat (also linked in my signature under the Yamaha 242X link). These are in no particular order:

1. Xintek Fume Detector with blower control - my favorite safety mod
2. 60" CE Smith Guide posts for trailer (needed these brackets to make them fit)
3. 48" pads for guide posts
4. Garmin GPSMAP 541 (now replaced with a Garmin Echomap Plus 94SV)
5. RAM mount for GPS
6. 4 New Taylor Made blue swirl fenders and 4 blue fender lines
7. 4 new dock lines
8. New Anchor line (x2 now...since I donated one to Zeus in Bimini)
9. Deluxe Yamaha mooring cover
10. Vinyl boat name (dimensions for my boat) from doityourselflettering.com
11. Jetboaters.net spare tire cover (had to give the old one away to the new owner!)
12. Stoltz bow roller
13. 2 Dual USB charging ports (one at helm, one at passenger chair)
14. 2 Blue Sea ST Blade fuse blocks-one for behind the helm, one for the battery compartment
15. Wet Sounds HT-4 Amplifier for mid cabin speakers and also connected the sound bar too! (also covered some in this thread) -eliminating the speakers in series stopped the amp from cutting out!
16. Pair of JL MX 650 Speakers for the mid cabin.
17. Blue Sea Systems Common 150A BusBar with Four Terminal of 20 1/4-Inch Studs with Cover, & lots of wire, ring connectors, and fuses!
18. Helm storage Rod for hanging life jackets
19. Target garbage can for copilot bungee spot
20. 2 Flag poles and holders for the tower (Kwik Tek FWT-1 Wakeboard Tower Flag Holder)
21. Mesh pocket organizers for storage closet
22. 2nd table leg that I insert the grill into on the stern
23. Guest Dual bank onboard charger
24. Cable wrap to make cable runs look stock
25. Paper towel holder in storage area
26. 2 Amarine-made Stainless Tournament Style Clamp on Fishing Rod Holder for Rails 1-1/4" to 2"
27. 2 Amarine stainless gunnel rod holders (30 degree...I'd go 15 next time)
28. 25 Watt Standard Horizon Explorer GX 1600 marine radio, and Shakespeare Stainless Steel Quickconnect rail mount antenna - photos here.
29. External VHF Speaker
30. Portapotti (never been used...hope it stays that way!)
31. Made my own windshield/Rainshield...and it got tested in Ft. Lauderdale and worked well!
32. Stern Seadek added to cover more of the stepping points than stock.
33. Inexpensive Ballast bags from Aerial ( I have their 500lb bags too)

Considering/Yet to buy:

1. Aluminum anchor?
2. Bow and Cockpit covers?
3. Keel guard?
4. Fender Locks?

 

[BigAbe75]

I have a short list of things I've done to my boat (also linked in my signature under the Yamaha 242X link). These are in no particular order:

1. Xintek Fume Detector with blower control - my favorite safety mod
2. 60" CE Smith Guide posts for trailer (needed these brackets to make them fit)
3. 48" pads for guide posts
4. Garmin GPSMAP 541 (now replaced with a Garmin Echomap Plus 94SV)
5. RAM mount for GPS
6. 4 New Taylor Made blue swirl fenders and 4 blue fender lines
7. 4 new dock lines
8. New Anchor line (x2 now...since I donated one to Zeus in Bimini)
9. Deluxe Yamaha mooring cover
10. Vinyl boat name (dimensions for my boat) from doityourselflettering.com
11. Jetboaters.net spare tire cover (had to give the old one away to the new owner!)
12. Stoltz bow roller
13. 2 Dual USB charging ports (one at helm, one at passenger chair)
14. 2 Blue Sea ST Blade fuse blocks-one for behind the helm, one for the battery compartment
15. Wet Sounds HT-4 Amplifier for mid cabin speakers and also connected the sound bar too! (also covered some in this thread) -eliminating the speakers in series stopped the amp from cutting out!
16. Pair of JL MX 650 Speakers for the mid cabin.
17. Blue Sea Systems Common 150A BusBar with Four Terminal of 20 1/4-Inch Studs with Cover, & lots of wire, ring connectors, and fuses!
18. Helm storage Rod for hanging life jackets
19. Target garbage can for copilot bungee spot
20. 2 Flag poles and holders for the tower (Kwik Tek FWT-1 Wakeboard Tower Flag Holder)
21. Mesh pocket organizers for storage closet
22. 2nd table leg that I insert the grill into on the stern
23. Guest Dual bank onboard charger
24. Cable wrap to make cable runs look stock
25. Paper towel holder in storage area
26. 2 Amarine-made Stainless Tournament Style Clamp on Fishing Rod Holder for Rails 1-1/4" to 2"
27. 2 Amarine stainless gunnel rod holders (30 degree...I'd go 15 next time)
28. 25 Watt Standard Horizon Explorer GX 1600 marine radio, and Shakespeare Stainless Steel Quickconnect rail mount antenna - photos here.
29. External VHF Speaker
30. Portapotti (never been used...hope it stays that way!)
31. Made my own windshield/Rainshield...and it got tested in Ft. Lauderdale and worked well!
32. Stern Seadek added to cover more of the stepping points than stock.
33. Inexpensive Ballast bags from Aerial ( I have their 500lb bags too)

Considering/Yet to buy:

1. Aluminum anchor?
2. Bow and Cockpit covers?
3. Keel guard?
4. Fender Locks?

@Julian if you ever see the Taco or Phender Pro locks on sale, be sure to post it. Those are high on my list before next season.

We have noticed that the fender rope is rubbing the powder coat on our newer style tower making it dull.

 

[Dean P]

I have a short list of things I've done to my boat (also linked in my signature under the Yamaha 242X link). These are in no particular order:

1. Xintek Fume Detector with blower control - my favorite safety mod
2. 60" CE Smith Guide posts for trailer (needed these brackets to make them fit)
3. 48" pads for guide posts
4. Garmin GPSMAP 541 (now replaced with a Garmin Echomap Plus 94SV)
5. RAM mount for GPS
6. 4 New Taylor Made blue swirl fenders and 4 blue fender lines
7. 4 new dock lines
8. New Anchor line (x2 now...since I donated one to Zeus in Bimini)
9. Deluxe Yamaha mooring cover
10. Vinyl boat name (dimensions for my boat) from doityourselflettering.com
11. Jetboaters.net spare tire cover (had to give the old one away to the new owner!)
12. Stoltz bow roller
13. 2 Dual USB charging ports (one at helm, one at passenger chair)
14. 2 Blue Sea ST Blade fuse blocks-one for behind the helm, one for the battery compartment
15. Wet Sounds HT-4 Amplifier for mid cabin speakers and also connected the sound bar too! (also covered some in this thread) -eliminating the speakers in series stopped the amp from cutting out!
16. Pair of JL MX 650 Speakers for the mid cabin.
17. Blue Sea Systems Common 150A BusBar with Four Terminal of 20 1/4-Inch Studs with Cover, & lots of wire, ring connectors, and fuses!
18. Helm storage Rod for hanging life jackets
19. Target garbage can for copilot bungee spot
20. 2 Flag poles and holders for the tower (Kwik Tek FWT-1 Wakeboard Tower Flag Holder)
21. Mesh pocket organizers for storage closet
22. 2nd table leg that I insert the grill into on the stern
23. Guest Dual bank onboard charger
24. Cable wrap to make cable runs look stock
25. Paper towel holder in storage area
26. 2 Amarine-made Stainless Tournament Style Clamp on Fishing Rod Holder for Rails 1-1/4" to 2"
27. 2 Amarine stainless gunnel rod holders (30 degree...I'd go 15 next time)
28. 25 Watt Standard Horizon Explorer GX 1600 marine radio, and Shakespeare Stainless Steel Quickconnect rail mount antenna - photos here.
29. External VHF Speaker
30. Portapotti (never been used...hope it stays that way!)
31. Made my own windshield/Rainshield...and it got tested in Ft. Lauderdale and worked well!
32. Stern Seadek added to cover more of the stepping points than stock.
33. Inexpensive Ballast bags from Aerial ( I have their 500lb bags too)

Considering/Yet to buy:

1. Aluminum anchor?
2. Bow and Cockpit covers?
3. Keel guard?
4. Fender Locks?

LOL, Damn you've been busy. Might be better/easier/shorter to list the mods you haven't done.

 

[Dean P]

210 hp

 

[usnagrad1988]

Just bought a 2015 AR210. First thing I did was buy a cover and Seadeck. Last weekend I took out the snaps and filled with epoxy, then started the difficult chore of removing the old cushions. Finally got all those out - very challenging to get in the battery hold area to get to screws - especially at 6'-4" 215lbs! Put the Seadek on the stern yesterday and will do the cabin and bow this weekend.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Hi All! We are proud new owners of a 2019 Vortex 203VRX! This is our first jet boat and we don't know too much about the accessories or add on market.
So, what is the first thing you did to yours when you got it? What mods or accessories are a must have in your opinion?

Thanks!

As others have stated, depends on what you are going to do with the boat.

I bought my boat as a do it all type of boat, leaning more towards fishing. So, I got a great fish finder / GPS plotter and a great trolling motor with an on board battery charger for the trolling motor bank. Later, after I discovered that my house battery was not getting a full charge from the engines because my transit times are so short I added another on board charger for the start and house batteries, both on board chargers have a single connection for shore power. So when I leave for the lake all batteries are fully charged. I’ve had 5 guests on board for fishing and cruising and the boat does all that with aplomb.

I have some additions planned for the future such as:
-wake booster kit, that looks like fun so I‘d like to try it.
-electric pump for to enhance the raw water wash down ( stock jet pump powered one works pretty good I just would like to have that wash down without having to run the engine),
-VHF radio,
-Jet Boat Pilot bow filler table with cushions.
-bow shade / rain fly
-Also want to set my boat up to be able to camp out on it as there are some large lakes I’d like to go and explore.

Also, as others have said, put gas in it and go use it. On that note, just get the things that you really need to enjoy what you are going to use the boat for.

RTM or Read The Manual

If you can find non ethanol gasoline run that at the octane level the manufacturer states. If you don’t have access to non ethanol fuel, be sure and use a fuel treatment like Star Tron to keep phase separation at bay.

Above all apply the KISS principle- Keep it simple stupid. It is my opinion that the simpler it is the more enjoyment you are going to have with it.

 

[Miitch]

Aside from the Jetboaters.net stickers (which add 10hp each)
Wakeboard racks were my first mod.

Love the boat btw.

 

[Whisky]

Realized we forgot to check the fuel level before launching by the super expensive private club fuel pump with no other options with range

Then vomited anxiously off the side......

It gets better haha!

Congrats, she’s a beaute!

 

[Sotally Tober]

added a stripper pole.