Beginner Questions

[Gray]

Sirs,

Thank you in advance for any time you spend in reading or contributing. I am a rank beginner, with zero experience with boating. (I have ridden in them but never piloted.)

We are contemplating purchasing a new (18 or 19 when they come out) 242 Limited S E., and optioning it with a galvanized trailer, and hoping to be able to option the trailer with rollers (instead of bunks) and disc brakes.

Our intended use is daytime recreation with our children and grandchildren (adult and younger), day-time cruising lakes and rivers, and maybe dockside martinis at dusk.

We have (mostly) settled on the Yamaha because from as much as we have read, it is almost like the Toyota of this boat genre, with pretty good quality for the dollar spent.

I am soliciting any and all input for anything you think I should know or do as we head into this project.

Thank you again.

G

 

[bronze_10]

List the area u live in. It is very likely someone close to ua may offer to take u out and show u the ropes in the type you are looking at.

 

[Gray]

Done. Thank you.

 

[bronze_10]

Not many people here use rollers for the trailer.. . Someone may

 

[subysti]

Yea I would recommend a trip in one first. They are great boats but have their quirks. Engine sound is different than an I/O or outboard, driving is different but if you're starting from scratch it wont matter. No props is great for young kids. Not the best for rough water but great for martinis at the dock!

 

[swatski]

Sirs,

Thank you in advance for any time you spend in reading or contributing. I am a rank beginner, with zero experience with boating. (I have ridden in them but never piloted.)

We are contemplating purchasing a new (18 or 19 when they come out) 242 Limited S E., and optioning it with a galvanized trailer, and hoping to be able to option the trailer with rollers (instead of bunks) and disc brakes.

Our intended use is daytime recreation with our children and grandchildren (adult and younger), day-time cruising lakes and rivers, and maybe dockside martinis at dusk.

We have (mostly) settled on the Yamaha because from as much as we have read, it is almost like the Toyota of this boat genre, with pretty good quality for the dollar spent.

I am soliciting any and all input for anything you think I should know or do as we head into this project.

Thank you again.

G

Welcome to the club!
These boats really are like Swiss Army knifes of boating, lol.
For the great size and passenger capacity of the 24' Yamahas those are still very light and easy to trailer.
The safety factor of the jets vs props is HUGE, specially with kids around.
Jet drives are also good for simple maintenance and no winterization, basically, but not ideal for wet slipping.

--

 

[renrab]

Welcome to the club!
These boats really are like Swiss Army knifes of boating, lol.
For the great size and passenger capacity of the 24' Yamahas those are still very light and easy to trailer.
The safety factor of the jets vs props is HUGE, specially with kids around.
Jet drives are also good for simple maintenance and no winterization, basically, but not ideal for wet slipping.

--

I wet slipped last year with no issues lol

 

[swatski]

I wet slipped last year with no issues lol

Oh, it can be done of course, just not ideal.
And all the new Yamies leak..., too, lol.

--

 

[AZ Native]

@Grey Welcome to boating. Looks like, based on the forum map, you might be in one of the few places in the US where there may not be a nearby fellow Yamaha owner on this forum. I hope you have a nearby dealer who can take the time to take you through the A-Z of boating. Take a boating safety course and hire, if necessary, someone to spend enough one on one time to get you comfortable. The 242 is ideal for family boating, but it’s a lot of boat without skill and practice.

Like @bronze_10 I don’t think the idea of all roller on the trailer is a good idea. When putting the boat back on the trailer, I actually depend on the bunks to bring me to a stop short of the bow stop (I power on to keep control). Look up boat trailer fails on YouTube and you may drop this idea quickly.

Another thought, my wife misses the passenger captain chair from our old 2005 AR230. The AR240, I think has dual captain chairs which might make lounging on the boat with friends, better.

 

[Gray]

Thank you sir.

From what I have been able to see online, the 242 L S E has dual captains chairs, and they both swivel around.

I was thinking about looking up a CG Power Boating Squadron to find a safety course.

I will examine the trailer fails as you suggest.

Thank you for the welcome. Anytime you want to add more information, please feel free.

 

[Gray]

Welcome to the club!
These boats really are like Swiss Army knifes of boating, lol.
For the great size and passenger capacity of the 24' Yamahas those are still very light and easy to trailer.
The safety factor of the jets vs props is HUGE, specially with kids around.
Jet drives are also good for simple maintenance and no winterization, basically, but not ideal for wet slipping.

--

Thank you sir.

We will be trailering for every use; it will not be moored except during active use, maybe a few days at a time, and only in warm weather.

Yes, we have kids, from 50+ years old all the way down to grandchildren less than 1.

They do not know we are planning this, but will be happy when they do. (Especially on the grandfather's $ )

 

[buckbuck]

Your money couldn't be better spent. A boat is a great tool for getting family and friends to enjoy each others company. How long is your boating season?

 

[swatski]

Thank you sir.

We will be trailering for every use; it will not be moored except during active use, maybe a few days at a time, and only in warm weather.

Yes, we have kids, from 50+ years old all the way down to grandchildren less than 1.

They do not know we are planning this, but will be happy when they do. (Especially on the grandfather's $ )

Sounds awesome! I find boating to be one of the best family activities all around, also a great teaching tool for both younger and older kids.

I would plan on doing some trial runs even before the big purchase, if possible. If not, make sure you can go with someone who is somewhat familiar with these boats first couple of times, or - if that's not available, make sure you start some place that's not busy, and with plenty of room, and an easy ramp - until you get comfortable. With practice, you will be able to drive nails into your docks with the 242, once you get-the-hang of it, but it often takes some trial and error at first. These boats are pretty easy to drive but just a little different.

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[Don R]

I just had my first season last year... this is what I can tell you

1. I would not like roller trailer with docking the boat in a river with current, I feel the rollers would hurt the hull over time, the bunks are great for guiding
2. I would look into the 242x, I bought the 242 limited eseries, and everyday I wish I would went with the X, reason being we found that wake-surfing is our new thing to do, we have teens and 20s in our boat, they like that kind of stuff, its a change from the banging of tubing/wakeboarding. Now I have to do aftermarket ballast bags and I am stuck with a subpar stereo.
3. The flexibility of no props is like HUGE+ for me, set my depth warning to 3 ft and i don't look back, before I always worried about prop.
4. Swim platform is so much fun for anchoring
5. Make sure you put a keel guard on, you won't regret it when you beach it the first time and it sands the bottom of your boat and you have to go wax / scrub it.
6. I'd look at the aftermarket fins (Research Cobra's or thrust's) these will help a ton at slow speeds
7. I have not looked into the lateral thruster's yet myself, next season most likely, as im doing the fins this summer
8. Interior lighting at night is so relaxing!

Those were my thoughts after my first season

 

[Gray]

Your money couldn't be better spent. A boat is a great tool for getting family and friends to enjoy each others company. How long is your boating season?

Thank you for the encouragement.

We have a good 4-5 months of warm air...not as much warm water season. Our lakes (Pend Oreille and Coeur d'Alene) and rivers (Snake River) are fed by snow-pack, and take quite a while to become comfortable.

 

[Gray]

I would plan on doing some trial runs even before the big purchase, if possible. If not, make sure you can go with someone who is somewhat familiar with these boats first couple of times,--

The local Y dealer said that they routinely take all new purchasers out on the river for as long as they want (for instruction). That seems like a good practice.

 

[Gray]

I just had my first season last year... this is what I can tell you

1. I would not like roller trailer with docking the boat in a river with current, I feel the rollers would hurt the hull over time, the bunks are great for guiding
2. I would look into the 242x, I bought the 242 limited eseries, and everyday I wish I would went with the X, reason being we found that wake-surfing is our new thing to do, we have teens and 20s in our boat, they like that kind of stuff, its a change from the banging of tubing/wakeboarding. Now I have to do aftermarket ballast bags and I am stuck with a subpar stereo.
5. Make sure you put a keel guard on, you won't regret it when you beach it the first time and it sands the bottom of your boat and you have to go wax / scrub it.
6. I'd look at the aftermarket fins (Research Cobra's or thrust's) these will help a ton at slow speeds
7. I have not looked into the lateral thruster's yet myself, next season most likely, as im doing the fins this summer
8. Interior lighting at night is so relaxing!

Those were my thoughts after my first season

1. Got it! Second response saying the same think, so I will forego those.

2. I would say that 95% of our use is going to be without the kiddos; they will undoubtedly love the experience but are geographically too distant to become proficient. So for us oldsters, the "sedan instead of the sports car" feels like a better fit. The stereo thing would not be problematic as long as Herbie Mann or Coltrane work well.

5. Keel guard is on my list.

6&7 From Jerry Benton's review (He does both company's products, and then a final review here; I hope that I am not violating a forum rule by linking this:

) I think that I would like the JBP Thrust Vectors AND the Cobra Jet Magnum AK. The JBP for low speed reverse thruster use, and the AK's for higher speed and coming off-plane steering.

8. What did you do for interior lighting?

Thank you for your detailed response.

 

[PeterB]

@Gray jazz sounds a little weak on the se radio - won't do justice to John Coltrane, but it's still a great boat for what you describe as your expected boating use! Be forewarned that your grandchildren will likely figure out how to "hijack" control of your radio via Bluetooth and play much different genres! And you'll still just love having great times with them on the water!
On the roller vs bunk issue - talk to the dealer about your local waters. If the ramps are shallow, the rollers can be helpful, but it would mean getting a different trailer than stock, and not necessarily beneficial. I've had both - they each have their benefits.
On steering - yes it can be a sensitive issue on this forum - I have the Cobra AK's and the JBP lateral thrusters as you mentioned. I have not tried the lateral thrusters yet, but should be in the water within the next two weeks. I am very happy with the added control the Cobra AK's added.
The stock interior lighting on the se series is nice on its own, though I found it a little too bright on night runs, and use it when sitting at a dock mostly.
Bottom line - we would buy the same boat again - no regrets, and anxious for this season to get going.
For learning to handle the boat, you tube has lots of video on Yamaha boats which you may find useful. Getting time on the boat of course is the real learning time.
Good luck with the purchase!

 

[Gray]

Be forewarned that your grandchildren will likely figure out how to "hijack" control of your radio via Bluetooth and play much different genres!

On steering - yes it can be a sensitive issue on this forum - I have the Cobra AK's and the JBP lateral thrusters as you mentioned. I have not tried the lateral thrusters yet, but should be in the water within the next two weeks. I am very happy with the added control the Cobra AK's added.

The stock interior lighting on the se series is nice on its own, though I found it a little too bright on night runs, and use it when sitting at a dock mostly.

Probably no hijacking yet; they are still young enough and smart enough to have a little fear of their elders.

Please keep me in the loop when you try the thrusters; I am very curious regarding their potential benefits.

Did you, or do you plan to add different/additional dimmable interior lighting?

Thanks for the conversation.

 

[Coheeba]

Congrats on the new boat (soon). I have older kids and grandchildren as well and it is a great family time boat. I have years of experience on outboards, inboards, large and small, so I had no issues transitioning to jets. Just take your time to learn the boat, and remember when docking don't go any faster than you are willing to hit the dock. Patience is key to learning, it just takes time. Enjoy and post pictures when you get them.