Aluminum Jet boats school me im slowly looking ... and considering one

[MADMAX]

Have had 3 aluminum boats

I had 1 jet a "NW jetboat" 20 ft nice loud flashy 351 HO with a 212 hamilton pump shock seats, 3/4 hardtop
Loved it, it loved gas.

Gas goes to 2 bucks a gallon so I get a 22 ft Hewescraft searunner with a 150 Honda
sips gas
Just a little big for one guy handling at the ramp

dropped to an 18ft duckwork with a 115 yammie
love it, handles easy at the ramp and sips gas

so my 2 cents is as follows
If you positevly have to have a jet
look at NW jets
otherwise consider aluminum with a prop

[Rick]

 consider aluminum with a prop

I agree.

Unless you run a lot of shallow water a jet doesn't make much sense.

You'll need to buy 30% more engine than a prop and burn 30% more fuel.

The hull design you'll want with a jet won't ride well in any kind of chop.

Tubing and boarding behind a jet sucks.

[Cap.Silver]

As you can see here on this picture the dog house on the TJ was just huge .......

[benbo30]

Engine size doesn't matter to me as far as power I'll go big block if I have too , my boat has a 454 in it  so I know all about fuel guzzling....... Not.really wanting the prop , id prefer jet for the simple.reason of when I want to go shallow i.can

[huntnphool]

Engine size doesn't matter to me as far as power I'll go big block if I have too , my boat has a 454 in it  so I know all about fuel guzzling....... Not.really wanting the prop , id prefer jet for the simple.reason of when I want to go shallow i.can

Mine burns about 8 gallons per hour at 3200rpm's.

[benbo30]

So is there anyone here in eastern washington that has a jet one that would be willing to take me out so I can get a feel for one? I live in ellensburg .

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Maybe check with some dealers.  Some will take you out to show you what these boats can do.

[MADMAX]

NW jets in Pasco will take you out and let you drive one I am sure.

http://www.nwmarineandsport.com/New_Boats.htm

[Rick]

So is there anyone here in eastern washington that has a jet one that would be willing to take me out so I can get a feel for one? I live in ellensburg .

Buying a boat is no different than buying a car. You'll want to test drive both before you buy.

If a dealer is worth doing business with,they'll launch a boat and go on a test drive with you.

[Craig]

Get the best of both worlds. Get a Yamaha boat. they have 19'-24' boats. duel 160HP jets and comfort for the family. We tube and do light fishing ( trout, bass ).

my boat


my same boat with the tower I hope to get soon. The kids want to learn how th wakeboard

[huntnphool]

A buddy of mine has one of those AR 230's, fun little boat. Over the river and through the woods AR230

[benbo30]

Get the best of both worlds. Get a Yamaha boat. they have 19'-24' boats. duel 160HP jets and comfort for the family. We tube and do light fishing ( trout, bass ).

my boat


my same boat with the tower I hope to get soon. The kids want to learn how th wakeboard

after i bought my baja boat i seen one of these yamahas and really liked them  , wakeboarding is fun once you learn to get up 

[KFhunter]

If you want to ski, tube, wakeboard get something else.  big globs of water in the face sucks.  The wake sucks, everything sucks about being pulled behind a jet.

Stay away from that yellow duckworth its old school for new school price. That berkley pressure pump is ancient and won't pop you out the hole like a newer volume pump.  And a 4bbl carburated redline engine will suck fuel like no one's business. And stay away from most duckworths for that matter.  There are better boats for the $ than a duckworth.  Not that they are bad boats, they are just over priced for a 7 step polish job and a name with die hard fan base.

I'd also stay away from hewes craft unless you are a budget minded fisherman. 

You haven't convenced me you need a jet, everything points towards a glass boat.
your wife will hate the aluminum, and when all you can hear is chop banging the side of your boat like a hammer and you can't hear AC/DC rocking through the speakers you'll hate it too.

You can beach a glass boat, just can't go banging it in like a jet.  Trim up and take your time and pick your spot, or better yet anchor it out and tie off - that'll force people to not track mud and gunk in anyways.

Also, just because you have a jet doesn't mean you can go screaming through the shallows, you'll suck up gravel and weeds and plug your grate, and unless you have a stomp out you'll be going for a swim to pull the weeds so that pump can get some water - that sucks in the winter, trust me, I've come out blue lipped doing that more than once.

[Craig]

You can get a pretty good wake off a Yamaha. put some fat sacks in and the right length of rope and you dont get faces full of water. Its not going to be nearly at good as the wake from a $100,000 Mastercraft or Tige wakeboard boat. but for $30,000 and just messing around it works.

If something gets sucked into the jet you can access it from the swim deck. no need to go for a swim.

[KFhunter]

I've skied behind a 14' jet race (sprint boat) well in excess of 500 HP doing more than 80 mph on the water.  The boat had open headers and the sound behind that thing at 80+ was, inspiring 

you had to hold off to the side as the water balls would have tore your skin off

only did it once, to say I did


it was kinda like this one