Trying to Decide......

[chess]

All:

This may be a long thread so if you dont like long threads you should click the back button

Anywho, I come from a jetski world, and have owned several in the past, now that my son is getting "older" 8 years old, I figured a jetboat
is something I have wanted for a while... Living on the water nearly my whole life (5 minute drive) from the Patuxent, I figured it would be about time to
pull the trigger.

There are several questions I have for some members to get their thoughts on several things.

They are in no order.

1) I am looking at a new AR192. I figured that between me, my son, g/f, and parents thats plenty.

2) If I do look used, what would you suggest. My son and I love the water, so tubing and eventually wakeboarding would be ideal.

3) The reason I am looking at new, is the warranty, to me thats HUGE, granted I will take a huge hit when I buy new, but thats something I need suggestions/opinions on

4) Will Yammy dealerships deal at all ? I havent ever bought a boat new, but I have haggled with salesmen over cars ?

5) I am torn on this one, Do I look for a marina that has a lift, and pay the 3k they want *OUCH* or do I just carry it to and fro ?
There are tons of public ramps around my area, so thats a benefit.

6) When storing in the winter, I planned on just getting it wrapped, covered and leaving it at my buddies house.
How big of a no no is this ? Do you suggest a climate controlled area ? My place I live at now I dont have a garage, so thats an issue

7) What are any suggestions you may have to a "beginner" at a jetboat, but have been in the jetski business for over 10+ years.

8) What are MUST HAVE mods thats always a good one, I know you guys will burn $ in my pocket LOL

9) What exactly does the YES cover ?

10) Any tips/tricks you can suggest

Looking to keep it at around ~35k

The worst part of this is I wont be "looking" to buy until either the winter or spring of next year...
I want to get educated before I go out and do something "silly"
This boat will be 100% salt water use :\ as much as it sucks thats all thats around me

Thanks Everyone

 

[Julian]

I'd look for a gently used 21 footer with a warranty. YES covers most mechanical issues, not wear and tear. Must have mods depends on what you intend to do.....

 

[chess]

I probably should have put my limit I want to spend is -35k

 

[tdonoughue]

I agree on a 21 footer. When I bought mine, I thought I wanted a 21' and a boating buddy said I should get a 24'. Good call there. Whatever size you think you want, go up one. And yes, get the AR.

I totally get the desire to have YES or a warranty. Got one myself, just for safety and with it being my first boat, etc. However, now having one, these boats are so simple, if you have any mechanical skills, you can probably take care of the little things (plugs, oil, etc.) yourself and generally you don't have too many problems after that. So, I am not saying don't get it, but consider not getting it and don't overvalue it.

Dealers generally won't deal on new too much, unless you get a last-year's model. You will get them to throw in a cover or a Coast Guard kit (life vests, anchor, a couple dock lines...) or an extra battery. But don't expect the price to come down much or at all.

And as to storage, I have a storage-shed-type place where they have tractors and valet down to the ramp. So my boat lives on its trailer out of the water, but I can still get it popped in pretty easily without needing a buddy to help drop it in. It works very well for my use profile. Do you have one of those types of places?

 

[chess]

Also I'll be pulling with an 2008 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer

 

[PEARCE]

I agree with Julian on finding a used 21 footer. Finding a 212 would be a bigger bonus because it would have the high output motors from the 23/24 foot boats in a 21 foot package. As for must have mods, you may or may not want fins since you come from a jetski background. I bought my current boat new and have never had or thought I needed fins and this is my first real boat. I had a 16' Hobie Cat sailboat prior to this. The only mod that I've done to my boat is upgraded speakers and added amps and a second battery. I just replaced the original Hydroturf on the swimdeck this past winter with gray and black Seadek. These boats are very easy to maintain and the engines are almost bullet proof.

 

[chess]

I agree on a 21 footer. When I bought mine, I thought I wanted a 21' and a boating buddy said I should get a 24'. Good call there. Whatever size you think you want, go up one. And yes, get the AR.

I totally get the desire to have YES or a warranty. Got one myself, just for safety and with it being my first boat, etc. However, now having one, these boats are so simple, if you have any mechanical skills, you can probably take care of the little things (plugs, oil, etc.) yourself and generally you don't have too many problems after that. So, I am not saying don't get it, but consider not getting it and don't overvalue it.

Dealers generally won't deal on new too much, unless you get a last-year's model. You will get them to throw in a cover or a Coast Guard kit (life vests, anchor, a couple dock lines...) or an extra battery. But don't expect the price to come down much or at all.

And as to storage, I have a storage-shed-type place where they have tractors and valet down to the ramp. So my boat lives on its trailer out of the water, but I can still get it popped in pretty easily without needing a buddy to help drop it in. It works very well for my use profile. Do you have one of those types of places?

Good stuff to know @tdonoughue I have some mechanical skills, I use to change my own oil and tire rotation but now that the dealer pays for it, then why not let them do it LOL.....

I am sure there is somewhere around here that has it... I would have to check, I know of several marinas that have these devices.. .I am assuming you would have to rent a slip for that to occur right ? leave it on the trailer, they come pick it up with a hoist, and or "tractor" and put it in the water for you ?

Thats a nice service to have...

 

[Glassman]

You wrote:

1) I am looking at a new AR192. I figured that between me, my son, g/f, and parents thats plenty. I would recommend 21' or 23'.

2) If I do look used, what would you suggest. My son and I love the water, so tubing and eventually wakeboarding would be ideal. See above.

3) The reason I am looking at new, is the warranty, to me thats HUGE, granted I will take a huge hit when I buy new, but thats something I need suggestions/opinions on. I never used my Warranty - from day one the boat has never been back to the dealer. Maybe I'm lucky, but if you knew me, you'd know that's not the case.

4) Will Yammy dealerships deal at all ? I havent ever bought a boat new, but I have haggled with salesmen over cars ? Yes they will deal if they can - but buy used.

5) I am torn on this one, Do I look for a marina that has a lift, and pay the 3k they want *OUCH* or do I just carry it to and fro ?
There are tons of public ramps around my area, so thats a benefit. That's your call - 3k is a lot of money.

6) When storing in the winter, I planned on just getting it wrapped, covered and leaving it at my buddies house.
How big of a no no is this ? Do you suggest a climate controlled area ? My place I live at now I dont have a garage, so thats an issue That should be just fine. Just winterize properly.

7) What are any suggestions you may have to a "beginner" at a jetboat, but have been in the jetski business for over 10+ years. It's a big jet ski. You'll be fine.

8) What are MUST HAVE mods thats always a good one, I know you guys will burn $ in my pocket LOL I'll let others spend your money.

9) What exactly does the YES cover ? I don't know, never used it.

10) Any tips/tricks you can suggest I like the disappearing coin trick personally.

Looking to keep it at around ~35k Many gently used boats in that range can be found.

The worst part of this is I wont be "looking" to buy until either the winter or spring of next year... Start looking now.

 

[BoaterGuy]

The Y.E.S. covers anything that is not damaged by sun, sand or wear. And it varies dealer to dealer what they will cover. I've used my warranty a handful of times. Do a search and you should find various threads about warranty coverage.

 

[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

I bought my AR210 last summer. I suggest you go to dealers or boat shows and get on the boats. I thought I wanted an AR190 until I got on it. It seemed really small to me (no offense to you guys that have one). After climbing on the boats at the boat shows, I really wanted an AR240 as the big 24 boats are nice, but you are going to pay big bucks. I ended up with an AR210 for few reasons. 1) as first boat didn't want to overspend my $$ for something I wasn't sure how much we would use. Turns out we are using it a lot. 2) my Honda Ridgeline is pretty maxed out with AR210. If I would have went with AR240 I would need bigger tow vehicle and thus the $$ issue again. 3) couldn't justify an extra $10K for a 212X just to have bigger motors, stainless steel cup holders and two ballast bags. I will say the AR210 has done everything I have wanted it to and has done it well (tubing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding.)

I will tell you with just me, wife & 2 kids the AR210 has plenty of room. But get 2 families on there and you feel like rats backed in a box, climbing all over each other. There is always someone in the way of something.

But given all this info, my wife says to me during our last outing, "you really should have gotten the bigger boat. It was only 10 grand more." This after she didn't want any boat to begin with.

Come next winter/spring if you are still shopping shoot me a PM and see if I'm ready to buy that bigger boat yet. I may make you a good deal on a nice 2014 AR210 with lots of upgrades (see tag below).

Good luck in your searches.
Josh

 

[0627Devildog]

Comments embedded below and underlined in bold:

All:

1) I am looking at a new AR192. I figured that between me, my son, g/f, and parents thats plenty.

5 people on a 192 will feel small once you add gear for the day. . . .You can't add feet to the boat once you buy it. Get the biggest boat you can afford now and avoid upgrading later.

2) If I do look used, what would you suggest. My son and I love the water, so tubing and eventually wakeboarding would be ideal.

Used 212X if watersports are in your future and you don't foresee more than 5 or 6 passengers at time.

3) The reason I am looking at new, is the warranty, to me thats HUGE, granted I will take a huge hit when I buy new, but thats something I need suggestions/opinions on

Find a few years old version with a current warranty and extend it through dealer

4) Will Yammy dealerships deal at all ? I havent ever bought a boat new, but I have haggled with salesmen over cars ?

Depends on the dealer and the current market environment. . . . but I always say EVERYTHING is up for negotiation
Bought my AR240HO $7K under MSRP last year, but I made the purchase in January. By your comments below time is on your side which means $$$$ in your pocket and PLENTY of time to shop used if needs be.

5) I am torn on this one, Do I look for a marina that has a lift, and pay the 3k they want *OUCH* or do I just carry it to and fro ?
There are tons of public ramps around my area, so thats a benefit.

Again, it depends entirely on how much you will use your boat, distance to the ramp, comfort level with launch/retrieval, etc. . . . . But in the water ready to go is always preferred if available and can be afforded.

6) When storing in the winter, I planned on just getting it wrapped, covered and leaving it at my buddies house.
How big of a no no is this ? Do you suggest a climate controlled area ? My place I live at now I dont have a garage, so thats an issue

Southern MD sees it fair share of freezing temps. . . . . While you don't need a climate controlled environment, you should have it PROPERLY winterized, which includes having the water drained down and then filling it with RV antifreeze.

7) What are any suggestions you may have to a "beginner" at a jetboat, but have been in the jetski business for over 10+ years.

Keep reading through all of the great info on here. . . .

8) What are MUST HAVE mods thats always a good one, I know you guys will burn $ in my pocket LOL

There are plenty of people that will help you spend your money on this one, so I will refrain save this: The one must have mod, especially if you decide to trailer to the ramp is Guide Posts.

9) What exactly does the YES cover ?

Same thing the factory warranty covers, only longer. If you buy new, in winter, you should get them to throw in an extended warranty.

10) Any tips/tricks you can suggest

Don't piss into the wind with your mouth open. . . . .

Looking to keep it at around ~35k

The worst part of this is I wont be "looking" to buy until either the winter or spring of next year...
I want to get educated before I go out and do something "silly"
This boat will be 100% salt water use :\ as much as it sucks thats all thats around me

Plenty of folks on here use their boats exclusively in Salt Water. . . . . While it is a bit more work from a maintenance standpoint, you will see many years of reliable service out of your yammie if properly maintained.

Thanks Everyone

 

[Skysurfer2010]

All:

This may be a long thread so if you dont like long threads you should click the back button

Anywho, I come from a jetski world, and have owned several in the past, now that my son is getting "older" 8 years old, I figured a jetboat
is something I have wanted for a while... Living on the water nearly my whole life (5 minute drive) from the Patuxent, I figured it would be about time to
pull the trigger.

There are several questions I have for some members to get their thoughts on several things.

They are in no order.

1) I am looking at a new AR192. I figured that between me, my son, g/f, and parents thats plenty.

2) If I do look used, what would you suggest. My son and I love the water, so tubing and eventually wakeboarding would be ideal.

3) The reason I am looking at new, is the warranty, to me thats HUGE, granted I will take a huge hit when I buy new, but thats something I need suggestions/opinions on

4) Will Yammy dealerships deal at all ? I havent ever bought a boat new, but I have haggled with salesmen over cars ?

5) I am torn on this one, Do I look for a marina that has a lift, and pay the 3k they want *OUCH* or do I just carry it to and fro ?
There are tons of public ramps around my area, so thats a benefit.

6) When storing in the winter, I planned on just getting it wrapped, covered and leaving it at my buddies house.
How big of a no no is this ? Do you suggest a climate controlled area ? My place I live at now I dont have a garage, so thats an issue

7) What are any suggestions you may have to a "beginner" at a jetboat, but have been in the jetski business for over 10+ years.

8) What are MUST HAVE mods thats always a good one, I know you guys will burn $ in my pocket LOL

9) What exactly does the YES cover ?

10) Any tips/tricks you can suggest

Looking to keep it at around ~35k

The worst part of this is I wont be "looking" to buy until either the winter or spring of next year...
I want to get educated before I go out and do something "silly"
This boat will be 100% salt water use :\ as much as it sucks thats all thats around me

Thanks Everyone

As everyone else said, but as big as you can afford first. I have a 24' boat and never have o wished I went smaller. If they made a larger boat I'd be upgrading! The more room the better when out on the water.

I bought Yamaha because I wanted to buy reliability. If my warranty wasn't included there is no way I would have paid for it. Most never use it. Some it has saved. Others Yamaha has refused to cover under warranty. I don't like to gamble and if I thought there was a decent chance of this boat needing more than $3k in repairs in the first five years I wouldn't have bought the boat. Again, I think Yamaha is extremely reliable and that's why it has earned my business since the early 90s.

The only thing I have to add is the only mod that in my opinion is a must. These boats need some type of plug locks. Cobra EZ locks are cheap insurance and they work. Mine were installed before my boat even hit the water.

 

[0627Devildog]

As everyone else said, but as big as you can afford first. I have a 24' boat and never have o wished I went smaller. If they made a larger boat I'd be upgrading! The more room the better when out on the water.

I bought Yamaha because I wanted to buy reliability. If my warranty wasn't included there is no way I would have paid for it. Most never use it. Some it has saved. Others Yamaha has refused to cover under warranty. I don't like to gamble and if I thought there was a decent chance of this boat needing more than $3k in repairs in the first five years I wouldn't have bought the boat. Again, I think Yamaha is extremely reliable and that's why it has earned my business since the early 90s.

The only thing I have to add is the only mod that in my opinion is a must. These boats need some type of plug locks. Cobra EZ locks are cheap insurance and they work. Mine were installed before my boat even hit the water.

x2 on the plug lock. . . . . . that was my first official mod and I almost forgot about it.

 

[Skysurfer2010]

My typos were painful. Typing on an old iPad!

 

[msavold]

1) I am looking at a new AR192. I figured that between me, my son, g/f, and parents that's plenty.
Hmm. When we started looking, I was going by the oft quoted axiom "buy your second boat first" and was looking to the bigger boats while my wife was leaning towards the smallest. That ended when we saw three of them side by side (at the OC boat show). IMO, hard to spread out 5 on the 19' - and remember that you WILL have friends that want to go too, starting from your son's, so your 5 is now 6 or 7. Like others have said, you really should look at the 21's and the 24's. (As I'm sure you know, a big part of the difference in usable space between the 21 and 24 is the head, or storage, compartment, not just 3' extra seating space as one might expect by the length difference.) I'm guessing you've seen the overhead shots and feature comparisons in this thread? https://jetboaters.net/threads/differences-between-the-newer-4-cycle-yamaha-jet-boats.29/

2) If I do look used, what would you suggest. My son and I love the water, so tubing and eventually wakeboarding would be ideal.
We went with an SX240 because of all the low bridges where we boat. A tower to raise/lower would be a PITA (2015s are much easier than the previous ones but still...). That said, if it weren't for the stupid bridges I would have bought a boat with a tower in a heartbeat. If you're considering wakeboarding, I think you'll find lots of confirmation here that a tower is the way to go. That's true new or used. (How old is your son BTW?)

3) The reason I am looking at new, is the warranty, to me that's HUGE, granted I will take a huge hit when I buy new, but that's something I need suggestions/opinions on
As you know, we were able to find a 2012 with three years of YES on it so I would not necessarily make that your sole criteria for the new/used decision... New boats come with one year - unless there is some sort of boat show special (which happens often it seems - see 4 - but will NOT happen now until the fall. There are plenty of (used or new old stock) boats available with warranty. CALL YES with the hull number [866-YES-EXTD (866-937-3983)] and confirm that everything is good to go as far as they are concerned. There was a problem with the registration on the boat we picked - and in the end it worked out very much in our favor.

4) Will Yammy dealerships deal at all ? I haven't ever bought a boat new, but I have haggled with salesmen over cars ?
Ummm, not exactly! There's lots of info on here (example: https://jetboaters.net/threads/what-kinda-deals-are-people-getting-on-15s.4424/) but basically there's little or no movement (again, seems to depend on time of year) on the base price BUT they discount or throw in "extras". (Different from a lot of the other boat manufacturers where you see "show specials" like "MSRP $90,000, show price $60,000"

5) I am torn on this one, Do I look for a marina that has a lift, and pay the 3k they want *OUCH* or do I just carry it to and fro ?
There are tons of public ramps around my area, so that's a benefit.
Where are you thinking of boating again? How far is it from home to water?
We're still waiting for the permit for our lift (sigh...) and the novelty of going to the ramp is wearing off quickly. (Last time I got into an argument with four teenagers that insisted on crabbing and standing on the damned boat ramp!! And, according to them, all I had to do to not run them over is to "learn how to back up the f'n trailer". (For the record, I have threaded trailers into spaces mere inches wider than the trailer - so it wasn't the trailer that was worrying me!)
The tradeoff to having the boat on a lift instead of your driveway at home is that it won't be around for you to modify during the season!

6) When storing in the winter, I planned on just getting it wrapped, covered and leaving it at my buddies house.
How big of a no no is this ? Do you suggest a climate controlled area ? My place I live at now I don't have a garage, so that's an issue
That was my thought too - snow load not a big factor around here, boats are easy to winterize...
But then I found out that shrink wrapping is about $12/ft or about $275 to $300. And OCMD pointed me in the direction of a place nearby where we boat that does inside storage for $90 a month. for 5 months, that's $450 - and to me the extra $150 is worth it. (NB: I've heard prices from $70 to $120...)

7) What are any suggestions you may have to a "beginner" at a jetboat, but have been in the jetski business for over 10+ years.
"Beginner" too so I'll defer to the "pros" on here. That said, it's a BIG and MUCH more powerful jetski! All I can say is that I have NOT found it as difficult as some.

8) What are MUST HAVE mods thats always a good one, I know you guys will burn $ in my pocket LOL
Step one, IMHO, is to replace the factory trailer roller - whether you buy new or used, and even if you only use the trailer to tow it from where you buy it to the marina - with a Stolz roller. That POC will make a mess of the bow of your boat in no time. Plug locks. And then a keel guard if you ever consider beaching the boat (I would think it would also protect the keel if you use a floating lift. Of course there is the fin/no fin debate. (Beyond that - this site can cost you hundreds, if not thousands is essential mods!

9) What exactly does the YES cover ?
http://www.yamaha-motor-yes.com/docs/Yamaha_YES_Highlights_color.pdf
Note: the most common failure point seems to be the audio system - and it's not covered! (In any case, most people here will tell you that the best thing to attach to the stock radio head unit is an anchor rode...)

10) Any tips/tricks you can suggest
Other than reading all sorts of stuff on jetboaters.net?

Looking to keep it at around ~35k
Ah THAT is easy! That's about $5k above our target for used and we ended up with a pristine, warranted, inspected, low time 2012 SX240 (after a lot of hunting). A quick look on BoatTrader tells me that for that budget you can get a new 2015 AR192, a 2014 AR210 (both zero time), or a 2012 AR240 (such as http://tinyurl.com/npc59z2 for example) but that option may involve some driving! (2011, OTOH, easier to do but harder to find with warranty).

 

[Noko]

I started looking at the 192 and ended up with a 2014 AR 240. Someone here said get the biggest boat you can. I think you'll find 5 people in the 192 will fill up the boat more than you'd think. I agree with the others on looking at a used 212 or maybe a last yrs model 212 or 240. Good luck and I think you'll enjoy what ever boat you chose.

The only mods I have done were done by the dealer. I had an extra battery and a Minkota Dual Charger put on. I also got the Keel Guard which I use a lot. The charger and battery you can do yourself but it was worth the money to have the dealer do a nice job and not have to waste my time doing it myself. I added a plug outlet to the side of the boat which I did myself. Its for the battery charger. I'm adding a stereo amp in a few weeks, a sub woofer and probably another float operated bilge pump. I'm going to add a fume detector also.

As for learning to drive the boat, its a quick learning curve. It takes time to become really good but I got comfortable in docking in about 3-4 outings. But, I added rubber fenders to my dock so I don't scratch the boat docking.

 

[OrangeTJ]

I get the appeal of a warranty, but honestly you're looking at spending a lot of money for that piece of paper. The likelihood of having several thousand dollars worth of repairs is pretty low. Why not just put the money that you'd otherwise spend on the warranty in the bank. That way, if you need it to fix your boat it's there...if you need it for something else, it's also there!

 

[ravi4l]

I would call holly acers in wood bridge they have good deals on 2014 selling at cost almost I just picked up 2015 LS love it 3 weeks and got 12hrs. I live on potomic by the power lines MD side send me text with ur no if u need help. Good luck

Thanks
Ravi

 

[tdonoughue]

I am sure there is somewhere around here that has it... I would have to check, I know of several marinas that have these devices.. .I am assuming you would have to rent a slip for that to occur right ? leave it on the trailer, they come pick it up with a hoist, and or "tractor" and put it in the water for you ?

No slip rental required! No, this is literally a storage shed, big enough to fit the boat. I pull in, load up the boat and call them. They come with a tractor--no, a real tractor (like from the farm), with towing balls on the back, pick up the tongue of the trailer and tow it the 2 blocks or so (on their own property--just long enough for me to put up the tower, prep the rest of the boat) down to their private boat ramp and drop me in the water. They put the trailer to the side while I play. When I come back, I call them up, they come down, get the trailer, I put the boat on and they back my boat into the shed. I lock it; I keep the key.

Really all very simple, actually.

 

[spaz1868]

We bought our boat used at the beginning of last season and have really enjoyed it. I would have liked to go with a 24 footer but the 21 was at the max range of what I was comfortable towing with our tow vehicle. Coming from a 18 I/O, the space we gained in the AR210 was huge. I was initially leaning at the Yamaha 19 footers but my wife said she wanted bigger so 21 it is. I am glad we did.

We bought our boat from a dealer that took it in as a trade for a new Malibu...we got it for a great price and they even threw in a 2 person tube and delivered it to our door which was around a 2 hour drive. Another thing that we found out at the end of last season was it had YES warranty (BONUS!!!) left over and the selling dealer did not know about it. I quickly transferred it to my name and had some repairs done in the off season to get ready for this season. I actually used it for about $1200 worth of repairs like torn cushions, and new captains chair being the high dollar item.