Recommend a boat?

[Matt Eldridge]

New here, if I'm doing it wrong please let me know! [wrong forum, wrong questions, read-the-FAQs-dummy, etc]

I don't own a jet-boat yet, I'm inclined to buy a used one this fall for next year.

Things I'd consider factors in the decision:

• I live on the water's edge. From any window in my house (three sides of it anyway) I could throw a penny and get it in the water.
• I have a [floating] dock on which to tie up. I keep the little tin boat I have now in the water 24/7 from May 15 - Nov 1.
• It gets deep fast on this side of the lake, 15 ft deep 20 ft from shore.
• Sandy/gravel bottom, aquatic plants are minimal and only at the very shoreline.
• It's a pretty small lake, ~250 acres.
• There are lots of lakes around though, many that are much larger, about a dozen worth hooking up the trailer to go and play on that are less than a 20 minute drive.
• I'm not particularly handy with engines / maintenance. Things that don't get more complicated than wrenches and screwdrivers I'll do (and enjoy), getting into any kind of specialized tools and I'm going to end up paying someone to do the work.
• I like going fast, primary boating activity will be joy riding / tubing / etc.
• This will be the first "real" boat I've ever purchased.
• With my present set up, filling up with gas would require hauling gas cans or taking the boat out.
  • There's nowhere on the lake that I know where I can tie up and fill up. (It's all private homes.)
  • I'll eventually solve this by putting in a 300/500 gal tank behind the shed (out of sight) that is refilled by a delivery truck once or twice a year so I can just gas up from my dock.

Having said all that I'd really appreciate any suggestions / recommendations folks here would have for me.

Thanks!

- Matt

 

[HidnNOS]

Cruising/enjoying I love me boat. Tubing not so great unless you get a minimum of a 75 foot line but even then, prop boat is best imo. All that said, with the plusses of my boat, I would never want a boat with a prop again! Plusses of shallow, lack of parts to damage with debris etc make the Yamaha a huge plus to me. We do so few tubing/water sports days we just deal with spray, long tow lines etc.

 

[Andy S]

@Matt Eldridge these boats are very simple to work on, change the oil and replace spark plugs, no outdrive oil to replace. For your small lake I would look for a 21' boat, Yamaha now makes a 19' but they are new and might be hard to find used.

Also, welcome aboard and this is the right place to get answers on jet boats.

 

[txav8r]

Welcome to the forum and good luck on the search! These are great all around boats, the swim deck is especially great on the '04 or '05 years forward. Even a guy that doesn't do anything mechanical can do the routine annual maintenance on these boats. A non Yamaha maintenance shop outside "may not" know what they are doing on these, and cause more problems than it is worth. Yamaha is the number one selling boat by volume in the world, and the fastest growing and best selling sport/runabout in the 21' to 24' length in the USA. So you will be among friends. But you simple must learn to understand their systems and characteristics to make your ownership enjoyable, and this forum will make that childs play! Welcome again to jetboaters.net and good luck on the search!

 

[tdonoughue]

Also welcome!

I bought my first boat (this one) a couple of years back and ownership/maintenance could not be easier on these Yamahas. A very good starter boat. The only hicups I see in your situation is the gas (but that is going to be an issue with any boat, I suppose) and the size of the lake. Shallow situations do not pose as much of an issue as with props (though you can suck up some nice junk and make a mess).

I do agree on the spray issue for tubing. However, I have been learning some more skillful driving (from the folks here) that can push a rider outside the wake and (it is reported) gives a much more pleasant ride.

Overall: yep, you need a Yammi (no bias, of course).

 

[Gym]

Welcome @Matt Eldridge. As the guys have stated these boats are relatively simple to maintain as there are no props, no out drives and no transmissions. What part of VT. are you in? I use to live in Williston, just outside of Burlington. Lake Champlain would be a great boating destination for you if it's not too far.

If you happen to be looking at used boats at dealers there is a nice family run dealership at Long Lake Marina in Maine. They don't sell motorcycles or quads just boats and jet skies so they know their stuff. http://www.longlakemarine.com/ I have no relationship with them but have talked to them at their marina and at boat shows and find them pleasant to deal with and very knowledgeable. Good luck with the search.

 

[jdonalds]

The 50 gallon tanks in the twin engine Yamaha boats should help a lot we usually only fill up every third or fourth trip to the lake.

 

[OCMD]

Don't sweat the tubing. The Yamaha's work great pulling the tube. As for spray? You're in the water. Expect it. If you don't like the spray, get a pair of goggles. You can also put the tube outside and out of the spray. Just takes a little bit of skill to position the tube "in the slot" as we call it. Then? No spray. There are some tubing shots in my video of my SX230.

And more tube wrecks in my LS video:

These boats are easy to handle. My brother rented a prop boat last week in SC and when he was back on the Yamaha, stated it was a real PITA to drive a prop boat, after having only driven my Yamaha jets over the past ten years. That's a unique comment rarely heard. You usually hear how hard a jet is to master - unless you grew up on jets! Jets are a breeze to handle. Finless! As for gas? Last week I made about a 40 mile run up and back my river and only burned 22 gallons. In my opinion, my SX230 sips gas, compared to a 2 stroke. Stay away from a 2 stroke if you don't like working on things. A 4 stroke is minimal maintenance. 2 strokes not so much. Good luck in your search, and keep us posted.

 

[ScarabMike]

Welcome!

Do your homework, and now that there are other players in the game, look at all brands. There are hits and misses across the board. You have to see who can fill your "needs" list, and then something that wont break the bank. Make sure sure you check out the trailer thoroughly. That may be the most important, and forgotten piece of equipment. It carries your 3k lbs investment, and keeps you safe while going from place to place.

You in the right place. Plenty of good people here to learn from, and I don't think anyone here will turn any question away. Good luck with your purchase, and enjoy!

 

[MOA_Chaser]

I'd consider getting a boat lift or something to keep the boat out of the water rather than letting it float at a dock.

 

[Yamborghini]

212ss fits the bill it sounds like. 21foot and go fast! There are two versions. 08-10 and 12-14. The difference is a redesigned interior and new motor. The new 1.8 motor has a lower rpm but higher speed.

 

[Matt Eldridge]

Wow! Thanks everyone for all the replies, very welcoming community here. I've got a lot to consider and will update this thread with any questions and/or thoughts as I figure this out.

 

[Matt Eldridge]

Can anyone tell me why it appears that the Sea Doo jet boats (Speedster, Challenger, etc) seem to be so absurdly cheap as used boats? It's a bit surprising to me that I'm seeing lots of postings in various places for those boats that are 5 - 7 years old and the asking prices are ranging from $2500 - $6500.

Are they just lower-end and not as luxurious / comfortable? Or do they have terrible mechanical reliability? Something seems not to add up with it and I'm curious what's going on with them.

 

[jonw9]

I would assume that the SeaDoo boats are currently "cheap" mainly due to the fact that they are no longer being manufactured. I mat be difficult to source certain parts at this point (or in the future) but the engines themselves are still being used and well supported. Some of the older ones are 2-stroke, and many may be choosing or forced to go to the 4-stroke.

Aslo, some/many models are not entirely spacious. Looking a Speedster, the typically seat 4 or so people and aren't great for long days on the water (coolers, toys, etc.). However, living on a lake (as I do) it isn't as much of an issue.

My first boat was a SeaDoo, and my current one would have been a SeaDoo if they were still being made. Instead I went with a SeaDoo (Rotax) engine.

 

[Yamborghini]

Don't tell the sea doo 210 wake crowd that other sea doos are cheap. They want a mint for their boats.

 

[jdonalds]

As for Seadoo I think there are two things to consider.

1) as others have said they are out if production.

2) in my experience Sea Doo is at the bottom of the list for reliability. Many people have had good luck with then but on average they fall short. Ask your local boat or jet ski mechanic for another opinion.

 

[SCSTWG]

IMO, this forum is the single best reason to own a Yamaha. Virtually any problem can be solved with the assistance of this board and there will never be a reason to bring the boat to the dealer except for warranty work or the most extreme issue. Generally speaking, I would say to go with the largest model that fit within your budget, but given the size of the lake, I might scale it back to a 21' in this case.

 

[txav8r]

I have to agree with @SCSTWG , while we have forums for all makes and models of jet boats, and other boats too, the real expertise in volume here is on Yamaha jet boats. And it is hard to get a question typed and posted to a new thread, and go get another cup of coffee, hit the head, and come back before the answers start to roll in. The core group that has migrated along with some guys and gals that have joined the cause, add new capability and knowledge almost hourly, let alone daily. With that base, owning a Yamaha is almost a no brainer. Precisely the reason when I had it to do all over again...I bought another Yamaha! You can't beat the support!