The official "What did you do to your jet boat today" thread.

[suke]

Pulled my interior out of my shed where it spent most of the winter wrapped up in a tarp. I'm guessing the seats were "wet" from prior to me purchasing it being stored outside some without a cover. So some "mildew" started to form on some of the cushions. I do detailing on the side so had all the necessary stuff to tackle this. Fortunately it didn't take much other than some leather and vinyl cleaner, then topped with some protectant. Then placed it carefully back in the shed and not covered for now.

 

[Julian]

installed LED's for the busted white lights

You mentioned you aren't comfortable with wiring...I noticed your added light in the storage compartment has no insulation on your connections....perhaps that wasn't the finished wiring? Those wires are destined for a short.

 

[seanmclean]

You mentioned you aren't comfortable with wiring...I noticed your added light in the storage compartment has no insulation on your connections....perhaps that wasn't the finished wiring? Those wires are destined for a short.

Good catch. A short, and potential fire if not properly fused.

 

[suke]

You mentioned you aren't comfortable with wiring...I noticed your added light in the storage compartment has no insulation on your connections....perhaps that wasn't the finished wiring? Those wires are destined for a short.

That was a test. When I initially installed them none of the lights worked. I have a buddy that's a product manager for OEM type switches, and he said I 100% bet you that the connectors are the problem. I said NFW! As a test real quick I cut out the connector and just twisted the wires together to test. I'll be damned!!! He was right. After that I used the heat shrink solder connectors, then wrapped it in electrical tape and tucked it into the stock wire loom.

I'm totally comfortable with wiring, just not electrical troubleshooting. Or the complexity of multiple piecing together of electrical components that aren't already packaged for me with instructions. LOL!

 

[msavold]

Fixed a bit of a mess from haul-out last fall. Cross wind to the dock and about a 2' chop but it was the only day we could get the boat out for the winter so had to go for it.
And then there was that sickening moment we've all had when, as I'm trying to power up the trailer in the cross chop I see two of the three fenders pop up into the air as the boat hits the dock...
With the boat in storage, it's been bugging me all winter! Gel coat repair? Touch up paint required?
I wish I'd taken 'before' pictures of the pinstripes down the side but, boy, was I thrilled when it buffed out!!! A bit more cleaning, new plugs, and it's the start of the 2019 season!

 

[DavisAR195]

Time for the annual oil change and new plugs. These little beauties showed up the mail as well today. Come nice weather and @JetBoatPilot for my Thrust Vector Wake, so I can start dialing in my wave.

 

[jb32566]

my rejex finally arrived. i'll start getting a coat on her tomorrow.

yesterday was our maiden voyage.
---
so much to say...
just some highlights i guess:
1st, launch. (this is kinda funny now, but not then.) thank goodness there was nobody at the ramp when we got there.
after double checking the plugs, unhooking the transom straps and putting about 2 feet of slack in the bow line i backed in.

omg omg omg she's floating! yay.

so i backed in a little more, hopped out, released the bow from the winch and climbed in.
i sat down took a deep breath and started the machine.
the engine came to a loud idle and the whole boat gently vibrated.
i put the boat into reverse
...
..
.
omg omg wtf omg omfg
the bow swung around to the left.
before i knew it i was turned more than 90 degrees port
at this point i didn't completely panic. (only a little.. on the inside.)
i shifted into forward cranked the wheel and applied some throttle.
the boat moved out of the launch area. thank god
phew.
---
the bow swing to port was completely unexpected.
the mrs. said that she thought "damn he's got some balls."
i don't know if i was close to tapping the dock, but it felt like it.
and if there had been someone in the middle lane, i'm sure i would've had and insurance claim today.
sigh
ok launch completed. shorts not soiled. so far so good.
the wife parked the truck, i picked her up and we just mainly cruised around varying the rpm periodically and just enjoying the day.
the sun was out and it was mostly calm all day.
we took a brief ride west just listening to music and trying to get a feel for how she moves and responds in the water.
after that, we took a short stop at a beachhead that we like and had a chat.
at this point was when i learned that she thought the bow swing was intentional and i told her, no i nearly pooped my pants and crashed our boat.
we decided to put on some sunscreen on the areas we left exposed. (both of us only did our faces because we wanted a little sun everywhere else to wake up our pigment.)
then we headed back out for another cruise.
a rented waverunner passed us.
"you know i can catch that guy?"
"you better not."
i throttled up for a second, then back to nearly idle again.
after that we just cruised east to another beach head that we like. stopped there and had a soda and watched some herons that nest there.
--
so it's been about 2.5 hours at this point.
the water is still cold, but she needs to pee.
she wont pee on shore and the water is just not letting her get it done when she squats in there.
(tmi?)
so there are lots of days left in summer we decide to go load up
--
i have NO idea how deep or shallow i need to put the trailer in.
i put it in deeper than i would for a wave runner and wonder if it's too deep.
i go get the boat and thank goodness for the trailer guide posts i installed a few days ago.
the boat goes on the trailer, but much to my surprise it's not deep enough.
--
how can this be?
no. way.
"hey baby. i need you to back the truck up about 2 feet."
"who me? do what? are you serious?"
so after about 10 or 15 times of her barely releasing the brake i can get the bow correctly positioned on the bow roller.
i pulled out and the damn thing is slightly canted.
it's not more than a few degrees from level and not bad enough to try and reseat it.
i prepare the boat and trailer for road travel and we go home.
--
all that said, it was a successful day.
stressful at launch and recovery, but good overall.
going to wait until tuesday to try again. i really need some work on launch. at this point, i might walk it down the dock a bit. probably going to scour threads about jet boat launch. it was soooo easy with waverunners.

 

[KyleP]

my rejex finally arrived. i'll start getting a coat on her tomorrow.

yesterday was our maiden voyage.
---
so much to say...
just some highlights i guess:
1st, launch. (this is kinda funny now, but not then.) thank goodness there was nobody at the ramp when we got there.
after double checking the plugs, unhooking the transom straps and putting about 2 feet of slack in the bow line i backed in.

omg omg omg she's floating! yay.

so i backed in a little more, hopped out, released the bow from the winch and climbed in.
i sat down took a deep breath and started the machine.
the engine came to a loud idle and the whole boat gently vibrated.
i put the boat into reverse
...
..
.
omg omg wtf omg omfg
the bow swung around to the left.
before i knew it i was turned more than 90 degrees port
at this point i didn't completely panic. (only a little.. on the inside.)
i shifted into forward cranked the wheel and applied some throttle.
the boat moved out of the launch area. thank god
phew.
---
the bow swing to port was completely unexpected.
the mrs. said that she thought "damn he's got some balls."
i don't know if i was close to tapping the dock, but it felt like it.
and if there had been someone in the middle lane, i'm sure i would've had and insurance claim today.
sigh
ok launch completed. shorts not soiled. so far so good.
the wife parked the truck, i picked her up and we just mainly cruised around varying the rpm periodically and just enjoying the day.
the sun was out and it was mostly calm all day.
we took a brief ride west just listening to music and trying to get a feel for how she moves and responds in the water.
after that, we took a short stop at a beachhead that we like and had a chat.
at this point was when i learned that she thought the bow swing was intentional and i told her, no i nearly pooped my pants and crashed our boat.
we decided to put on some sunscreen on the areas we left exposed. (both of us only did our faces because we wanted a little sun everywhere else to wake up our pigment.)
then we headed back out for another cruise.
a rented waverunner passed us.
"you know i can catch that guy?"
"you better not."
i throttled up for a second, then back to nearly idle again.
after that we just cruised east to another beach head that we like. stopped there and had a soda and watched some herons that nest there.
--
so it's been about 2.5 hours at this point.
the water is still cold, but she needs to pee.
she wont pee on shore and the water is just not letting her get it done when she squats in there.
(tmi?)
so there are lots of days left in summer we decide to go load up
--
i have NO idea how deep or shallow i need to put the trailer in.
i put it in deeper than i would for a wave runner and wonder if it's too deep.
i go get the boat and thank goodness for the trailer guide posts i installed a few days ago.
the boat goes on the trailer, but much to my surprise it's not deep enough.
--
how can this be?
no. way.
"hey baby. i need you to back the truck up about 2 feet."
"who me? do what? are you serious?"
so after about 10 or 15 times of her barely releasing the brake i can get the bow correctly positioned on the bow roller.
i pulled out and the damn thing is slightly canted.
it's not more than a few degrees from level and not bad enough to try and reseat it.
i prepare the boat and trailer for road travel and we go home.
--
all that said, it was a successful day.
stressful at launch and recovery, but good overall.
going to wait until tuesday to try again. i really need some work on launch. at this point, i might walk it down the dock a bit. probably going to scour threads about jet boat launch. it was soooo easy with waverunners.

Sounds like a solid first day. Pretty sure most here have had the exact same struggles on the first day out. I try to position my weight more toward the center of the boat when loading it on the trailer to avoid it being canted as you described, but sometimes it still takes a try or two. Enjoy your new boat!

 

[Scuba_ref]

My boat self centers on the trailer if I come out of the water slow enough. I would image that most do if you leave enough water between the boat and the bunks.

 

[DutchBoy17]

I saw my SX190 up close for the first time since last October, and switched out the steering enhancements.

Hello!


Objective: switch out Cobra Jet Steering for Lateral Thrusters + Thrust Vectors.

Background: last year was my second season boating, and my first full season. During my short first season I decided I'd like to reduce the low-speed vagueness I was experiencing, so I put the CJS on over the winter and ran them all last season. I like them, but I have a tricky approach to the (offset) pickup point where the marina forklift pulls the boat out of the water (135-degrees to port; full stop; reverse; kick the stern to the dock) and decided to give the lateral thrust vectors a try this season.


Approaching the stern I saw that all wasn't well. During a winter on the third level of the marina dry stack my boat was discovered by birds, who crapped all over the jet assembly.


I lifted the reverse gate to find that the birds didn't just poop on my jet: they had a little love shack in there... This is the most stuff I've pulled out of the jet for sure.


Back to the task at hand, with my trusty brand-new snap ring pliers, I set about removing the CJS and my articulating keel. That's when I found that 5.5" plier handles are a bit short for the job of reaching through the deflector nozzle. In addition one of the tips (the one on the right below) on the pliers snapped off right away (more on that later*).


Having watched each of the Jet Boat Pilot install videos twice the rest of the lateral thruster mounting was pretty smooth (except of course the snap ring re-install, given the broken too-short pliers) and soon I had it in place and "95%" tight. Per the lateral thruster video I did need to chase the starboard-side threads before attaching the mounting strap. I can't remember if the video has you do this, but I also grabbed a 17mm wrench and removed the keel guide plate to simplify the process of removing the keel.


With the lateral thruster unit in place, getting the thrust vectors installed and all bolts to "100%" tight was a piece of cake. Port-side view.


Starboard-side view. If you look closely you can see the thrust vector spring arm routing around the steering arm. I followed the video instructions and routed before tightening things down; I'm pretty sure you don't want to tighten before routing..


"Beauty" shot.


* since I had only the broken snap ring pliers to work with I ended up wrestling the original snap ring back on, since I couldn't get the leverage needed for my puny muscles to open the new snap ring enough to get it into place. I ordered a set of longer-handled snap ring pliers (and some extra snap rings) when I got home, so next time I go to the marina I'll work on properly installing a new snap ring in place (I'd prefer not to have to replace the articulating keep and pivot hardware, as they sum up to a noticeable price!).

 

[drewkaree]

Pics, what pics?

I want to see them, but I can't.

 

[DutchBoy17]

I want to see them, but I can't. View attachment 91829

Sorry, I had an issue with posting them. Hopefully they're there now.

 

[drewkaree]

Sorry, I had an issue with posting them. Hopefully they're there now.

Yep, all up and working now. HOLY CRAP, what's the deal with those Knipex pliers failing on you like that? They make some pretty quality stuff, at least in my experience. Was it a case of an undersized set of pliers for the job, or just the random bad tool?

Given all the animals that like to play havoc around our place up north, I save as many old things that I can to stuff into any hole that an animal may use for shelter over winter, dunno if that would be a hassle for you depending on how often you use the boat, but stuffing an old shirt or noodle in there might be just enough to prevent that again.

 

[DutchBoy17]

Yep, all up and working now. HOLY CRAP, what's the deal with those Knipex pliers failing on you like that? They make some pretty quality stuff, at least in my experience. Was it a case of an undersized set of pliers for the job, or just the random bad tool?

Given all the animals that like to play havoc around our place up north, I save as many old things that I can to stuff into any hole that an animal may use for shelter over winter, dunno if that would be a hassle for you depending on how often you use the boat, but stuffing an old shirt or noodle in there might be just enough to prevent that again.

I think the pliers were too short for the task and yes maybe a random bad tool. I picked Knipex specifically to get quality, and other than the tip snapping off the tool seems well-made. 5.5" handles means your hand is inside the nozzle deflector so it's a cramped working space, and it's hard to get good position and leverage. Once most of the tip snapped off it was really a challenge!

This was our first winter leaving the boat on a dry stack, and we didn't know any better. At least the Yamaha boat cover seems to have kept the interior free of anything larger than maybe spiders. Next winter we'll definitely make the jet assembly less accessible to wildlife!

 

[jb32566]

Rejex coating completed.
2nd lanyard arrived and i put it in the emergency kit along with the spare key. A pair of the notorious relays arrived yesterday. I put those in there too.

I think the only thing i forgot was where i put my anchor shackle for the bigger anchor. guess i'll go back to the store tomorrow.
sunny day today, but way too windy for a novice captain to go out. looking at tuesday to finish break in

 

[JMDyamota]

After putting 20+ hours on the boat, I decided a steering upgrade was in order so I ordered the Cobra Venom SUPER ULTIMATE AK-19 from Cobra Jet. I installed it yesterday and, overall, the install was pretty easy. I had one question and fired off an email to Jeff. Within half an hour - on a Saturday - I had two emails and a voicemail from Jeff answering my question and providing guidance. Thumbs up for the customer service.

I was anxious to test it so we took the boat out today. I was expecting some wind and new the day would not be ideal, but as the day progressed it got quite a bit windier than expected and the water got big enough to counsel an early departure. Although we did not get to put the boat through its paces like we would have liked, I could definitely feel the difference. The boat tracked better at slow speeds, and slow speed handling - forward and reverse - is better. So far, I'm liking this addition.

 

[Scottie]

I got a large part of my ballast upgrade completed this weekend. 3 new 1" intakes to accompany the existing factory 3/4" intake. 4 new ballast King pumps, timers, 1" lines. 3 x 800lb bags. Still some electrical to do, but getting there. I underestimated the size of this job, and the slowness, due to the cramped spaces. I didn't take as many pics as I would like, but I'll get more. Pic below is the new intakes. I added a piece of 1/2" starboard to support the hull, with a healthy dose of 5200.

 

[mdwarchichoke]

oil change yesterday. Summer time is comiing!

 

[ZippyBoater]

Installed the SS Scupper valve and on-board battery charger.

 

[scubasteve87]

Completed my first oil change on my '18 SX195 (Dealer included the 10hr service during purchase). Super easy, boat started right up on the first crank after being winterized at the end of October.

Went through the boat tightening fastners and then messed with some plumbing. I ran some tubing from the rear cup holders (back and swim platforms) into the lower part of the bilge by the pump as I kept getting some wet carpeting throughout last summer (mostly after I washed the boat after each use).

Also took the time to re-wire the entire trailer as the OEM wiring was pretty shitty and constantly kept shorting out. Now I have a 7 pin plug instead of a 5 and I am rid of all the adapter non-sense. Took most of the morning/day to get everything set up but mechanically the boat is all set to go. This upcoming weekend is when I have time set aside to do full cleaning, detail, waxing of the entire boat as well as prepping and installing the new seadek I order during the winter.

After that, add in life jackets, safety gear and head down to the ramp for a shakedown cruise and get set to enjoy the summer.