Next boat question

Mark W

Mark W

Well-known member
Still a rookie here so questions are many and still undecided on a boat. Still cannot find an outboard 19-21' boat anywhere near here that is previously owned.


Lately I have been reading quite a bit about the newer Yamaha jet boats. There are many things about this boat that are appealing. First - it is a 19' boat that weighs under 2500#'s but has the interior space of a 21' boat. Because the motor is compact, it can fit where I/O's cant. The rear swim deck and sitting platform are in the space of what would typically be a sundeck which is something I would probably not use.


It is a minimalist boat which is what I am looking for. I can trailer it, it can fit in the garage and so on. They are relatively inexpensive (could be because they are built cheaply but that is not what I am reading) and they hold their value real well. Considering I'll probably only have it a short while (3 years or so before wife realizes we should have got a pontoon boat), resale is important to me. They are also quite popular up here. Winterizing and maintenance seem to be easy compared to an I/O.


Here are my concerns. It is a jet drive and if it is like a jet ski, slow speed maneuvering could be a concern. Watching videos of the boats that have the thrust vectoring makes the jet boat look easier to use than an I/O. Slow speed wake zones seem to be a breeze with the no wake cruise feature on these boats. Once again, no experience, only what I have read and watched. How maneuverable are they?


How are these boats on gas? From what I can read, they do use gas. Is it worse than an I/O


And finally, how load and how much vibration does these boats have. I have read they are loud. People are pointing to them only being 3db or a little more loud than a typical I/O but 3db is a doubling of the noise level. The noise issue is a major concern.


If anyone has experience with these boats, I'd love to hear from you. On paper and in the videos thy look very appealing.


Mark
 
Jet drives are usually bad on gas compared to prop drive. I'm a bit surprised that your having trouble finding an outboard in a 19ft. boat. I guess it depends on what the local dealers have gone with in new boats which would affect the used boat market. I always thought outboards were more popular in Minnesota. I/Os aren't a bad design. They just typically require more regular servicing. On the other hand if you go the pontoon then a outboard is a given. Take her to a good boat show so she can see the real differences between a speed boat and a pontoon. Maybe then she might see the advantages of the pontoon over the speed boat. Going fast in a boat that really doesn't have the room you would like gets old fast.

Tom
 
19' runabouts are about as big as one can find up here with an outboard. Fishing boats pontoons and deck boats will have them but rare on a bowrider.

Bob Minne, owner of Premiere Pontoons has three 300 hp motors on his current pontoon. He is quite proud of it. Spoke with him recently and he was telling me how fast it goes and all I recall is my jaw dropping.

I know full well the speed boat will get old. I figure 3 years and a pontoon will be in the works. I have tried many times to show Diane the benefits of the pontoon but it is no use.

I do have a busget for a boat and it was under $20k. Would go a little higher for a newer boat with semi reliable and predictable resale.

Mark
 
it is always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

if you don't mind driving a bit there are always deals somewhere on craigslist, I'm always looking just for shiggles. give it another month and everyone will be in the boating mindset and used boats will be everywhere.

plus like everyone on here says no boat is perfect thats why you can never have enough of them
 
it is always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Click to expand...

Clearly, Chris is still a newlywed! LOL

Chris, that card can be played a time or two, but not infinitely. USE IT WISELY, you don't get it back. Spent my last "one more boat" card on a project canoe that still needs new gunwales, and now I'm out of cards.
 
Mark, drive around the marinas and look at the boats with torn tarps and expired stickers. I went to the marinas around July and saw what was still sitting there.
My buddy found a project boat and got it for storage fees. also check Craigslist.
 
it is always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

if you don't mind driving a bit there are always deals somewhere on craigslist, I'm always looking just for shiggles. give it another month and everyone will be in the boating mindset and used boats will be everywhere.

plus like everyone on here says no boat is perfect thats why you can never have enough of them
Click to expand...

Good idea if I didn't already have 3 duck boats and have used that line to get the last two.

Believe me, there is negotiation going on around the boat. Diane also thinks we need a PWC which I am totally against so I have bargained that out of the equation. I countered with getting a side by side, for the kids naturally, so we can extend the season at the cabin when it is too cold to be on a recreational boat. So far she is in agreement. So I figure a speed boat for her to get what she thinks we need and then I threw out the idea, once again only for the kids, to get a SXS.

Win the small battles but always keep the war in mind.

Thanks all for the opinions.

Mark
 
Win the small battles but always keep the war in mind.

Thanks all for the opinions.

Mark
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I hope Diane is not reading this thread,,,,,,,,,, you are giving away your playbook. In regards to a side by side, You may be able to bolster your argument if the local laws allow you to run down the city streets with one. Handy to pop down to the grocery store real quick as well as transportation back and forth to the ice castle you'll have on the lake in the winter.
 
it is always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Click to expand...

Clearly, Chris is still a newlywed! LOL

Chris, that card can be played a time or two, but not infinitely. USE IT WISELY, you don't get it back. Spent my last "one more boat" card on a project canoe that still needs new gunwales, and now I'm out of cards.



ASK??? A Man doesn't need to ASK!!!
Click to expand...
 
Mark,
FWIW. I had a jet drive and got rid of it quickly, if you are hunting here in Mn they are worthless, too much vegetation, and they don't plane out worth a darn.
Good luck with the purchase
 
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