Question from a "newbie"

[Everett]

First off, apologies if this has been addressed before.......I am anticipating purchasing a new Jet Boat later in the year (2017) and am definitely leaning toward a Yamaha.......My only concern is that I would like a dealer installed GPS unit prior to purchasing.....Will Yamaha do this?? Also, this boat will ONLY be used in salt water.....I am aware the Yamaha engine does NOT utilize a closed loop coolant system (unlike another dealership which I have researched) - Will this present any major problem?....I understand that the system should be rinsed with fresh water upon drydock, and the closed loop system has it's own set of problems, but I am leaning toward the Yamaha due to it's reputation and history.....

Any feed back would be happily appreciated!!!

 

[Drift Away]

First off, apologies if this has been addressed before.......I am anticipating purchasing a new Jet Boat later in the year (2017) and am definitely leaning toward a Yamaha.......My only concern is that I would like a dealer installed GPS unit prior to purchasing.....Will Yamaha do this?? Also, this boat will ONLY be used in salt water.....I am aware the Yamaha engine does NOT utilize a closed loop coolant system (unlike another dealership which I have researched) - Will this present any major problem?....I understand that the system should be rinsed with fresh water upon drydock, and the closed loop system has it's own set of problems, but I am leaning toward the Yamaha due to it's reputation and history.....

Any feed back would be happily appreciated!!!

There should be no problem getting a GPS depth finder installed. The dealers are more than happy to sell you all kinds of things before you take the boat for example new speakers Yamaha JL Aufio slam pack, Hydro-Turf to replace the carpets that come with most boats. It's best to go ahead and get all that when you buy the boat most of the time you get a better deal on the stuff you're buying. Most dealers call it good guy pricing. You pretty much get it at cost. As far as the salt water goes that's all I run my sx240 in. You will definitely need to flush it and wash it every single time it comes out of the water. When you flush it you're going to want to use something like salt Eliminator or salt Terminator to get all the salt build-up out of the channels in the motor. Most dealers have attachments similar to a weed spreader feeder thing that you can fill up with the salt Eliminator and flush it just like you would a normal jet ski motor. I have a Yamaha so I'm a little biased but I don't think any of the other jet boats on the market can hold up to a Yamaha. What model are you looking at?

 

[GiddYupJoe]

Welcome @Everett The search for the right boat is almost as fun as owning one! Any dealer should have no issue installing a GPS/Plotter for you. It just depends on how much you want to spend. You may even be able to work it into the deal if you are buying new. There have been a lot of members here that have installed their own and you could definitely do it your self should you choose to go that route.
I will let someone else chime in on the salt question but in a nutshell, as long as your not leaving in a wetslip in saltwater you will be just fine assuming you take the necessary precautions.

Good luck on your search!

 

[swatski]

@Everett Welcome to the club!
I'm sure any dealer will install a GPS unit, for a fee.

Keep in mind that a closed cooling system is not completely closed. Assuming we are talking Rotax, the exhaust is still raw water cooled.
I have gone through a similar decision making process earlier last year, I think Yamaha still has the best offering. If you go that way, you will LOVE the keeled hull on the new 240/242s, makes a HUGE difference in handling rough water.

Salt water is not more of an issue than it would be in an outboard, in general. With one major exception: these jet boats do not do very well when wet slipped in salt. I personally wouldn't wet slip a jet boat, period.

--

 

[robert843]

Welcome aboard! You will likely enjoys either boat. As to reference to your question on salt water both boats the Yamaha and the other brands with BRP engines will still both require a flush after salt water use as the BRP engine still uses raw water to cool the exhaust. So you post procedure on both boats will be the same. As long as you flush the engine after use the Yamaha will still hold up well.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I add zinc anodes to my pump and ride plate, the boats come with magnesium anodes.
I run in salt water 52 weeks a year putting on hundreds of hours each year.
I also rinse the cooling system with car wash soap after each use. I build a short pig tail to connect to the flush outlet, I connect the pigtail first then squirt in some of the soap using a dish soap squeeze bottle and then I connect the hose using a quick coupler equipped with an on off switch.
I start the engine then turn on the water and watch for the soap suds to stop coming out the exhaust. Car wash soap has soap and liquid wax to coat the engine cooling passages with a slight film .
Salt water is rough on things but it is not that difficult to deal with. You can also use a car wash sprayer attachment to wash off the hull while applying a wax film on it at the same time .

 

[Mainah]

When I bought my boat last year I was considering a used 2012 242ls. It had obviously not been taken care of very well and it was obviously a salt water boat (beyond the other obvious signs it was bottom painted). Putting aside that it was not taken care of in just 4 years it needed thousands of dollars of stuff replaced from upholstery to hardware. The seats for the clean out plugs looked like a science project. The gel coat was already chalked as well. Needless to say I reconfigured the leisure and entertainment budget for last year to allow me to buy a brand new boat after seeing that one. Point being is that salt water is very abusive in a very short period of time and you may not be happy just a few years down the road.

Now I do think Yamaha and Chapparal both make great jack of all trades jet boats. I think both make for great primary fresh water boats with occasional salt water usage. If I were buying a boat for salt water only use there is no way in heck that any consumer marketed jet boat or even wakeboard boat for that matter would make the list. For the same money I would buy something used that is intended to be stable in 5 foot rollers and moderate chop not to mention designed to take the salt abuse better like a boston whaler or any of the other seafaring brands out there.


I may get flammed for that but just my honest .02.

 

[robert843]

When I bought my boat last year I was considering a used 2012 242ls. It had obviously not been taken care of very well and it was obviously a salt water boat (beyond the other obvious signs it was bottom painted). Putting aside that it was not taken care of in just 4 years it needed thousands of dollars of stuff replaced from upholstery to hardware. The seats for the clean out plugs looked like a science project. The gel coat was already chalked as well. Needless to say I reconfigured the leisure and entertainment budget for last year to allow me to buy a brand new boat after seeing that one. Point being is that salt water is very abusive in a very short period of time and you may not be happy just a few years down the road.

Now I do think Yamaha and Chapparal both make great jack of all trades jet boats. I think both make for great primary fresh water boats with occasional salt water usage. If I were buying a boat for salt water only use there is no way in heck that any consumer marketed jet boat or even wakeboard boat for that matter would make the list. For the same money I would buy something used that is intended to be stable in 5 foot rollers and moderate chop not to mention designed to take the salt abuse better like a boston whaler or any of the other seafaring brands out there.


I may get flammed for that but just my honest .02.

You wont get flamed on this as most agree. If my intent was offshore salt water use even just 25% of time no way I would buy this boat but coastal in water use intercoastal and bays it will do just fine. If I was leaving the boat in the water again no way I get this boat it will be beat up in a few years from sitting in salt water. This does lead to a great question though. @Everett what is your location and your intended water usage of the boat? Will it be primarily be coastal inland use or offshore use?

 

[blackhawkpilot]

You can't go wrong with the Chaparral Vortex - I am a bit biased, though. I researched the Yamahas for years and can tell you everything about them, but in the end, I went with Chap. It does have the closed loop cooling and a factory installed GPS.

 

[FloJet]

Grabs seat and drink too learn what @blackhawkpilot says about yamaha with my devil eyes. But I do have to say I think I like the look of the Chap over the Yammi. But performance wise, shoot not even close. We eat Chaps for dinner.

 

[Everett]

There should be no problem getting a GPS depth finder installed. The dealers are more than happy to sell you all kinds of things before you take the boat for example new speakers Yamaha JL Aufio slam pack, Hydro-Turf to replace the carpets that come with most boats. It's best to go ahead and get all that when you buy the boat most of the time you get a better deal on the stuff you're buying. Most dealers call it good guy pricing. You pretty much get it at cost. As far as the salt water goes that's all I run my sx240 in. You will definitely need to flush it and wash it every single time it comes out of the water. When you flush it you're going to want to use something like salt Eliminator or salt Terminator to get all the salt build-up out of the channels in the motor. Most dealers have attachments similar to a weed spreader feeder thing that you can fill up with the salt Eliminator and flush it just like you would a normal jet ski motor. I have a Yamaha so I'm a little biased but I don't think any of the other jet boats on the market can hold up to a Yamaha. What model are you looking at?

 

[OCMD]

Salt is only an issue if you wet slip. So long as you religiously flush the engines after EVERY outing, and wash the boat after EVERY outing, and remove the plugs after EVERY OUTING, you will be perfectly fine. It all becomes a part of the routine. It is not a big deal at all. My first Yamaha was a 2 stroke LS. The photos below are the week I sold it, at 12 years old. This was a primarily used in salt water boat, and as you can see, I got top dollar on it when I sold it. You could eat off the engine compartment. The point is, as long as you are meticulous in the care, you will have a boat that will stand the test of time. Mechanically speaking, there is none better than Yamaha as far as maintenance. Change the oil at end of season and winterize if necessary. Lube the cables. Remove batteries. In the spring? Blow out the fogging oil with the old spark plugs. Install new plugs for the season. Repeat yearly. If you do this? You will simply turn the keys on and go - worry free. This is the beauty of a Yamaha they are virtually maintenance free. Use in salt water? Do as instructed above. When you flush, I use Jeff's method of car soap for ten minutes per engine. Then, a second 2 minute flush with Salt Away (or similar). Why only 2 minutes with Salt Away? Because you do not want to continue to run fresh water, after the Salt Away has been used up, as you are just washing the product out of your system. These "salt away" products actually build up a protective film over time, so no sense "washing it out of there" with a ten minute run on the hose. Clean the crap out with the car soap. Then use the salt away for 2 minutes. You can see by my LS2000 photo what meticulous care will do for a boat.

 

[blackhawkpilot]

Grabs seat and drink too learn what @blackhawkpilot says about yamaha with my devil eyes. But I do have to say I think I like the look of the Chap over the Yammi. But performance wise, shoot not even close. We eat Chaps for dinner.

Challenge accepted.

 

[2nazt]

I can agree partially with @Mainah as my 230 did great all spring and summer in saltwater. I traded for a more bluewater boat as we do to much offshore and felt limited by the boat. Granted the boat could do it and I can but my wife and family could not. @robert843 and I have talked multiple times about different boats and uses. So location and primary use are everything. If all I did was hang out and Sandbar and cruise the ICW and do river runs I would never got rid of it. But my use and purpose changed. I still love jetboats though and the group of people on this site.

 

[Bennie]

I agree with @robert843 - we need to know the location and general projected use that @Everett has in mind.

Personally I have been boating for the last two seasons in the Gulf of Mexico, ICW and brackish nearby bays/waterways. I ALWAYS flush my engines, remove/check/clean my plugs and rinse/wash the hull after EVERY use. We also trailer our boat and would not keep it in the water for more than a few nights at a time. (ie: wet slip while on vacation).

I do not have near the experience as some of the other owners on here but I will tell you that with proper care you should not have any problems.

I'm in agreeance with @Mainah that depending on your location you really need to reevaluate your boat list. That being said we operate in 2-3ft seas quite often with no problems. However we don't take our boat our very far or into rough seas. You will want a deep V hull for that kind water enviroment. Again it all falls into your location and projected/desired use. If you check out our map you can get information from other owners that live near you that can provide more site specific information.

Most importantly welcome aboard!!

 

[Mainah]

I should say that I have never boated on an ICW and did not consider that in my earlier comment. My salt water captain experience is limited to the rocky coast of Maine. I did take my new boat out on the Atlantic a few times last year for some very scenic trips on the mid coast of Maine. Last summer I was able to tie up and eat in Bar Harbor, Belfast Harbor, Bucksport Harbor, Camden Harbor, Castine Harbor, and Rockland Harbor. I always dumped my boat right back in the lake afterwards and took it for a loop to make sure she was flushed good before breaking out the pressure washer.

I only did this on the best days for it as even a 24 foot jet boat becomes uncomfortable in short dominant period 3 footers. ICW boating is likley very different but I imagine wakes from pocket crusiers on up can be an issue.

The roughest ride I had last summer was actually on Moosehead Lake which is a huge lake. The weather came in faster than predicted and I got pounded on my way back to the dock.

So where am I going with this? I want to say that I agree with all of the comments about needing to know more about location and use case. Obviously I enjoy taking my Yamaha out on the ocean and it is a lot of fun however that is not my primary use case. The consumer jet boat hulls tend to be thinner than something designed for ocean use not to mention the hull design being less forgiving in rough seas so ICW boating aside I stand by my previous post.

Oh yeah if you ever get a chance to boat on the mid coast of Maine ....it is beautiful!

 

[Matt Phillips]

As others have said, with care, your boat will last a long time and you quickly develop a routine.

If you're boating in any ICW, also think about how much seaweed will be in the area. I boat primarily in Lake Tahoe which is about as pristine clean as you can get. I do however, wet slip it for about 10 weeks in the summer where there is a lot of milfoil. One advantage of the Yamaha over every other boat is the clean out plugs. I can guarantee you for the last six weeks the boat is in the lake every summer, I have to clean milfoil out of the impellers once we are on the lake. Again, to me this is a simple 3-4 minute part of the routine. It's become so normal, that I don't even tell my crew any more...I just stop and do it. If there's a noobie on the boat who doesn't know the routine, the crew explains what I'm doing to them. Without these plugs, it'd be HELL for me to own a jet boat where I do.

Just another point to ponder with your decision process...