prop or jet boat?

[William_Philipp]

I am currently in CT, but will be relocating to Moultonborough, NH in late summer thanks to work. It looks beautiful up there, but I want to get a boat again. I had a small 17' Bayliner in FL and I navigated the intercoastal without a problem, and I loved it, but unfortunately I had to leave it behind when I moved back. Now I am in the market again and I am curious what you guys would buy..would you go with a bowrider with a prop such as a stingray, bayliner..ect or would you prefer a jet boat. I have been looking at both and they both seem in my price range. I am figuring a jet boat weighs less which may cause some unsafe travel, but they look fun.

Any ideas and tips would be much appreciated. Also I will be docking this boat, not trailering till the winter of course.

[Dave R]

I like Jets a lot but they use quite a bit more gas for a given speed than the same sized prop driven boat. Therefore, I have a prop driven boat. I think a heavier built older bow rider (used Cobalt comes to mind...) would be a better Winnipesaukee boat than a brand new lightweight boat like a Stingray. Stingrays tend to trade ride quality for speed. Not a problem if there's little chop to deal with.

The Yamaha SX230 is a big, nice riding, jet boat that, in my opinion, oozes quality and nice features. I think it would be fine in pretty much any chop you'd find on the lake barring a violent storm, a gale or a flotilla of Carvers at plow speed. They seem to be nicely priced as well.

[William_Philipp]

Thanks for the tip. I was looking at the yamahas and I also like the new sea doo Utopia model.

[tis]

We had two jet boats, a Donzi and a Seadoo. We had nothing but trouble with both of the engines. We finally got fed up and replaced with a Crownline which has never ever had a problem.

[SixStars]

I had a 20' Stingray in the past. It was not a pleasant ride on busy or windy day on the lake. It got thrown around a lot and I really had to keep my speed down. I wouldn't recommend this type of boat for Lake Winni. A larger/heavier boat with a deep V and more deadrise would be a better choice. As Dave R said, you might want to consider a used Cobalt, Regal, Crownline, etc. in the 23'-25' range. I have a 26' Regal bowrider with a 24 degree deadrise at the transome and I love how it performs on the lake.

[codeman671]

I have owned the Yamaha XR1800 and a friend owns the AR210. Both are very fun to play with but I certainly would not want to use either as our main boat. Our small boat last year was a Monterey 214FS which gave a decent ride, of course there are still days that you would get beat up but chances are if it is that bad you should not be out anyway.

This year we went to the Rinker RX-1, based on the 226 captiva. I think that fit and finish that Rinker does on these in the 06 models is far better than the 05's or earlier. I looked at it side by side with an 05 and the changes were numerous. For a 22' boat the ride quality is very good. There is no doubt that the bigger the boat and the steeper the deadrise the better the ride quality but from your email I am under the assumption that you want to stay with a smaller boat.

Bayliner has and always will be the "Ford Escort" of boats, they tailor to a client that wants to get out on the water and not spend a lot of money, similar to how Suntracker is to pontoon boats (although I own one and it has been good to me!). My uncle rep'd Bayliner for a while and even though he represented it he would still say in confidence that the quality is not there. Stingrays are decent but are built for smaller lakes, light and fast. If Bayliner is something that you would like to look at again talk to Bill at Glendale Marine. Tell him that the customer that just bought his party barge 240 sent you in, he is a good guy.

[GusMan]

Excuse my ignorance here, but can someone tell me the advantage of a jet boat over a propped boat???? I guess they can navigate the shallows a bit better, but other than that I cannot see any advantages.

As mentioned before, they are less efficient, are harder to steer (especially in reverse) and tend to be louder (though newer models have been improved).

Any insight??

Cheers....

Gusman

[William_Philipp]

I have been looking around many of the marina sites and some boats are beautiful boats, but I just cant afford them now. But Bayliner has been good to me in the past and it is something I am definetly considering. I will mention your boat, maybe you will get some free gas or something:laugh: . Anyways thanks for all the tips I may shy away from the stingrays and stick to a cobalt crowline or bayliner. What about four winns are they good?

[Mee-n-Mac]

I have been looking around many of the marina sites and some boats are beautiful boats, but I just cant afford them now. But Bayliner has been good to me in the past and it is something I am definetly considering. I will mention your boat, maybe you will get some free gas or something:laugh: . Anyways thanks for all the tips I may shy away from the stingrays and stick to a cobalt crowline or bayliner. What about four winns are they good?

My sister has had an 18' Stingray bowrider for years, never had any real problems with it. They're fast for their size and power. As for other boats I'd first take a realistic look at how much $$ you want to spend. Cobalt and Crownline are definitely more $$ (and higher fit 'n' finish) than a Bayliner. Whether you "need" or want the extra quality is up to you. I would include SeaRay in that same catagory. Four Winns definitely makes a good boat for less $$ and you might want to look at Rinker as well. Heck there's a lot of boat dealers on the lake and a drive from Alton to Meredith will pass you by most of them (though not Four Winns). Most of them also have websites showing the new and used boats they offer. I'd start there myself. Depends a lot on what type of boat (bowrider, deck, cuddy, fishing, ???) you want. Jet boats are nice if you want shallow draft or high spin factor. They'll accelerate faster than a comparable prop boat but be a bit slower on the top end. Not sure how well, relatively speaking, they do for skiing and/or boarding.

[William_Philipp]

Well I do alot of fishing, but I also like tubing and skiing. I would like a bowrider because of the open plan and would like to stay around 14-15k if I could. Sea-ray was the other brand I was trying to think of and I just could not come up with it :). Thanks for all of your tips. The only reason I really liked the jet boats was because of the shallow aspect, Moultonborough bay isnt the easiest thing to Nav out of I hear.

[codeman671]

I have been looking around many of the marina sites and some boats are beautiful boats, but I just cant afford them now. But Bayliner has been good to me in the past and it is something I am definetly considering. I will mention your boat, maybe you will get some free gas or something:laugh: . Anyways thanks for all the tips I may shy away from the stingrays and stick to a cobalt crowline or bayliner. What about four winns are they good?

M-N-M beat me to the punch, the Cobalt and Crownline are definitely pricey, to give you an idea a rinker that I looked at was around $40k, the equivalent Cobalt was pushing $60k...

[fpartri497]

I have been looking around many of the marina sites and some boats are beautiful boats, but I just cant afford them now. But Bayliner has been good to me in the past and it is something I am definetly considering. I will mention your boat, maybe you will get some free gas or something:laugh: . Anyways thanks for all the tips I may shy away from the stingrays and stick to a cobalt crowline or bayliner. What about four winns are they good? william-philipp:

after owning a 19 ft. and a 22ft. stingray, for years, 07/01/05 I bought a new Azure 20 ft. deck boat built by bennington.very heavy, very fast, loves the rough water. 5.0 L volvo penta. the ride from the stingrays Is awfull. I think the Azure Is wonderfull.:D

[Dave R]

Excuse my ignorance here, but can someone tell me the advantage of a jet boat over a propped boat???? I guess they can navigate the shallows a bit better, but other than that I cannot see any advantages.

As mentioned before, they are less efficient, are harder to steer (especially in reverse) and tend to be louder (though newer models have been improved).

Any insight??

Cheers....

Gusman

Comparing them to the average stern drive boat:

In addition to the shallow draft, they offer: Much less maintenance and much less to break. No rubber impellers to change, no U joints to worry about, no bellows to crack, no drive oil to change, no running on muffs, no worries about starting them dry, I don't know of any corrosion issues (might just be ignorant though), and they offer very simple Winterization.

Then there's the safety factor, no one is gonna get cut to bits by a jet. Might get injured by the blast, but I'd think it still beats the blender aspect of a prop.

They turn very sharply and can stop on a dime. I don't find the low-speed handling to be a problem at all, but my experience is fairly limited. I can say I was able to bring one alongside my own boat and place it perfectly where I wanted it to be the on the very first try.

For me, the advantages don't work in my favor enough to have one. But I have to admit to a bit of envy when I see how it takes about 10 minutes for my buddy to Winterize his Yamaha... If had a small fleet of boats, there'd be a jet or two. 'Course one would have to be a Hinckley picnic boat...

[Rattler]

I'm a relative newbie to boating. I originally had a 17' Bayliner, but after buying a place on Rattlesnake, was told that I should upgrade to something bigger. After looking around I purchased a Yamaha SR230 jet boat three summers ago.

I love the SR230. For all the positive and negative comments about jet boats made in this thread, you can't beat the price. There's no prop boat that, feature-for feature, compares price-wise with the Yamaha 230 line of jet boats.

For me the biggest negative of my jet boat is the low-speed maneuvering. However, with a little practice, you can get the hang of it. The other issue is the fact that you need to be cognizant (especially in the spring on Winnipesaukee) of sucking up debris into the impellers, but I've never encountered a major issue with this.

I guess if I had been prepared to spend $40-$50K I would have looked seriously at prop boats. There are certainly some nice ones out there in this price range. I just was sold real early on the value I was getting for my $30K -- and I'd buy another jet without giving it much thought.

[Dave R]

The SR230 is the one with the huge freeboard and really cool aft facing seating area on the swim platform, right?

[William_Philipp]

I think if I had to go with a new boat I would go with this boat, just looking it over in other tests and reliability I would have to say it performed the best.

[ossipeeboater]

The SR230 is the one with the huge freeboard and really cool aft facing seating area on the swim platform, right?


it is, I've been thinking of an AR230 which is the same boat with a waketower. Just need to sell my Chaparral this winter.

[Rattler]

The newest model is the SX230 -- with the tower version being the AR230.

There have been only minor tweaks in the line since the SR230 was introduced in 2003. They're powered by two Yamaha MR-1 engines -- the same engine used in the WaveRunner FX Cruiser PWC, so my marine mechanic has had no problems with servicing. There's a SX230 "High Output" variant that provides 40 more horsepower than the standard 280 hp on the SX230.

Yamaha introduced a 21' version of the boat this year -- the SX210. Not sure why -- but obviously their marketing people saw a need that wasn't being met.

Because the jet nozzles are tucked underneath the stern, it does have a pretty expansive swim platform.

[Good N' You?]

Hello All...I have an SX 230 and absolutely love it for this lake. There is almost no issues with debris in my impellers. Which if I do, Yamaha offers an access from the top of the boat to clean them out. No getting in the water needed. Also, the handling of these boats are compared to a porshe rather a cadillac. They can turn 180 degrees at 50 mph. Try that in a I/O. Not to mention you can throw it in reverse at 50 mph and you have brakes. No damage to boat at all. The draft is 18", but if you push those limits, the worst damage is a scape along the hull, with no damage to the props. The lower profile motors allow for better use in the boats cockpit and rear swim deck area. There is a remote and table and 4 seats on the back "Patio". Like rattler said, there is NO value better than a yamaha. Since they started making them in 2003, they have since switched to a binacle style throttle system. Allowing you to put one in forward and one in reverse and you can rotate in your place when docking. I have amazed some people while docking, so slow speed handling is better than most single engine boats. The saftey and ease of not having a propeller and outdrive to worry about on while climbing aboard is definelty one of the best features.

I am up at the Lake every weekend. If you want a ride, PM me. I'd love to show you how it drives.

[Airwaves]

A friend of mine has a 21 or 23' Yamaha and we've been out a few times. I've never been out in it in chop but as a fair weather boat it's good.

The only complaint that I and my friend have with it, is that although it has twin engines and two jets, you can't operate them independently like you can with a twin engine prop boat.

[Good N' You?]

Airwaves.
That is no longer the case. You can operate both engines seperately. See my post above.

[dpg]

Are Sea Doo's not allowed on lakes that Wave Runners are not cause of the "Jet" I would assume tha's the case.

[ossipeeboater]

Are Sea Doo's not allowed on lakes that Wave Runners are not cause of the "Jet" I would assume tha's the case.


jet boats and 3 seat sea doo's are registered as a boat and can go anywhere a boat can it's one of the reason most people buy a 3 seater. A ski craft can be banned which is a 1 or 2 seat jet ski but if a boat is allowed without HP restriction a 3 seat Sea Doo can go there. I take mine up to Danforth Bay on ossipee lake regularly which is a no ski craft permitted area.

[Mboro_Bill]

Went for a test ride in a SX230 HO (320 HP) Yamaha this past Saturday at HK Powersports in Laconia (http://www.hkplaconia.com/). I have not done business with these folks in the past. They did have one new one (red) and one demo left plus at least one 210. My wife and I liked the 230 cockpit layout very much and it handled fine. Forward/reverse and throttles are independent so you can actually spin it around in place. It did seem to be noisier that my 25' I/O and the top speed was slightly less than mine which has a 300 MPI Mercruiser and is about 1700 lbs heavier. Low speed maneuverability does seem to be an issue since the sales person who took us out crashed into the dock when we came back :rolleye2: .


Here's a link to the Yamaha jet boat forum that lists the 230 series issues:
http://yamahajetboaters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3199

Bill V

[William_Philipp]

Seems like the low speed maneuverability is the only issue:rolleye2: ..Thanks for the reply.

[Mboro_Bill]

Seems like the low speed maneuverability is the only issue:rolleye2: ..Thanks for the reply.


Users on the Yamaha boat forum claim a major improvement in low speed maneuverability when using Cobra Jet steering fins - http://www.cobrajetsteering.com/Photo/JetboatPhoto.php.

Not sure if anyone else makes these. Not cheap at $149 per unit - you would need one for each jet nozzle.

Bill V

[wildwoodfam]

Heck there's a lot of boat dealers on the lake and a drive from Alton to Meredith will pass you by most of them (though not Four Winns).


:rolleye2: If you head from Alton through Wolfeboro to Tuftonboro to Moultonborough to Center Harbor to Meredith you WILL pass a Four Winns (the only one on the lake) in Melvin Village....;)

By the way - ours is a 19 foot runabout by Mariah - no problems handling the chop - and good ski/tube power for sure. Nice way to travel round the lake -and when it is too choppy - we are content to sit on the deck and watch the waves roll by. Wouldn't buy another Mariah for a variety of reasons - A) the company went out of business in 199?- and were bought by Seafox and re-opened with different designs etc...and B) there is not a dealer around the lake - Wards used to but I wouldnt buy from Wards anyway and C) you'll get a better boat in Four Winns for a tad higher price than we paid on our Mariah.

When I do this again (next season) I am going to go with Four Winns!

[Rattler]

I installed the Cobra Jet steering fins on my SR230 and, much to my disappointment, didn't see a whole lot of difference in the low-speed handling.

[LIforrelaxin]

:rolleye2: If you head from Alton through Wolfeboro to Tuftonboro to Moultonborough to Center Harbor to Meredith you WILL pass a Four Winns (the only one on the lake) in Melvin Village....;)


Not to far away on Winnisquam in Laconia....there is another Four Winns Dealer...whom I have had much better dealings with then the Guys in Melvin Village.... Bottom line.... it always pays to shop around..........

[William_Philipp]

Not to far away on Winnisquam in Laconia....there is another Four Winns Dealer...whom I have had much better dealings with then the Guys in Melvin Village.... Bottom line.... it always pays to shop around..........


I just saw they have a website and im checking it out, they have some wonderful pre-owned deals. Thanks for the tip :)