Considering jet boat but not sure

[TimmyH]

I've been a boat owner for 13 years, had a I/O and now outboard. Im strongly considering newer jetboat next season and started research. Many posts on here give nightmare scenerios of sucking up ropes whick killed engined, loose bolts creating thousands of dollars in repairs. Most of my boating is on a seeweed free freshwater lake but sometimes I hit up some fingerlakes which have weeds. I'm going back and forth between Scarab 195G or Yamaha AR or SX 190. Have newer models had the same horror stories as some of the 14's and 15's? I'd hate to buy a boat and have a floating rope cost me lost time and hundreds or thousands $$$ Any advice or feedback would be great.

 

[Sacamano]

Don’t let the rope scare you, just be careful. How often have you driven over a rope with your other boats? Also keep in mind for every post about loose bolts, there are many people who do not have the problem. I grew up on outboards and I/Os. There are pros and cons to each. That said I would not trade my jet boat. Good luck in your search, you came to the right place.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I feel the rope issue is really bad luck with one floating around, or someone not doing their job on the back of the boat while towing. No idea what loose bolt problem is going on though. Love the jet - #1 it is safe for family/friends and more importantly marine life. #2 The draft is very shallow, and when on plain you are almost not even in the water (on top of the fact you can get on plane in a few seconds). Engines are very easy to get to and work on for normal maintenance. The best thing is you get a swim deck. Great for hanging out and partying or relaxing.

 

[Whisky]

We love the jets, we just did some more shopping and stayed Jets for a bunch of reasons including easy maintainence, easy flushing, easy clean out ports (Yamaha), layout, back lounge, and more!

We have not (knock on wood) sucked up a rope

We have sucked up weeds once, slowed us down a bit while I dug then out, but with clean out ports, it didn’t stop the party long.

We have not yet (knock on wood) had a single warranty claim or repair, sure, some folks have had trouble, but many also have not. The same there goes for almost any boat, car, or other purchase

Hope those thoughts help to put your mind at ease a bit!

 

[McMark]

Our jetboat has been fantastic. 2015 AR240. Like any boat you will need to occasionally go through and tighten things but these are easy to own boats for sure. I vote for something with clean out plugs. Just makes sense to be able to get in there from the top.

-Mark

 

[brddog]

First time jet boat owner (coming from an outboard) with 50 hours so far this season and am loving it. My reasoning is same as has already been stated above. Coming from an outboard there is a learning curve on maneuverability, which didn't take long. I think I now have the hang of it no better or worse than I did with the outboard.

 

[Midnight2V]

I have not sucked a single rope in 3 seasons on my jet boat. My last boat was a Malibu mid-engine direct drive and I wrapped no less than 3 ropes up around that prop. You want to talk about a major PITA - try having to swim 4 feet completely underneath the boat to get a rope off.

 

[Eric Ballard]

DO IT!!!! I recently read a report that proved jetboat owners are better people... LOL

 

[merlinjet]

Second season with my SX190, no rope issues. IMO, the rope concern on this boat is really not that much more than on any other type of boat...you just have to watch it. We also motor through a lot of tall grass in the shallows of Lake Havasu and we've had no issues with that either. I'd wait for the end of the season now and pick up a good deal on a gently used preowned, boat. Let someone else pay the commissions, taxes and fees. Scarab or Yamaha? Well, I'm bias, but for good reason. This is a great boat, well made and easy to maintain yourself. And as someone mention mentioned earlier, cleanout pugs are a must.

 

[Arcadyus]

I sucked up a rope my first time using our tube due to my wife and I being new owning a jet boat. It was really wrapped to and seemed super fucking stuck. But within 5 min we were pulling the next tuber. No damage done to the rope. The clean out port is awesome. The walk around room if you have a family is imo a must. My kids are 3 and 5 and without that walk around room they would be giant PIA's.

 

[Zonie]

In my very limited Finger Lakes experience the only thing I've seen is milfoil. We have it in Saratoga Lake as well and even some in Lake George. Milfoil usually breaks apart quickly and is mostly a nuisance for us with the Jet. I've never had to pull a cleanout plug to clear it and can easily get rid of it either by a short full-throttle or the reverse maneuver.

There are places on the Mohawk that have water chestnut and that is bad. It's like poison ivy however, I've learned to know what it looks like and stay out of it.

 

[2kwik4u]

@TimmyH why are you considering a move to a jetboat instead of an upgrade to another I/O or Outboard? I don't want to steer you one way or the other, just provide some honest answers to the questions you have.

The wife and I moved to a Yamaha AR190 from a Rinker 182BR. Rinker was a 3.0L/Alpha1 setup, Yamaha is a 1.8L/Jet setup. Our move to Yamaha was more predicated on layout, value, and maintenance than drive type. Yamaha got us more boat for our $30k than other brands. It has as low or lower maintenance than an outboard, and an unmatched layout in the 19ft class. The fact that it's a jet drive is secondary for us.

Some things we have learned to love are the storage, the lack of prop/outdrive/draft, and the simplicity of operation. Some things we have had to adjust to are the handling around docks (it's different, not bad, arguably better now that we have our heads wrapped around it), and the sound.

Overall, we are very happy with our purchase, and promote the brand often when asked (and sometimes just for fun). The reliability, ease of use, and ultimately the smiles per dollar spent will keep this boat around for awhile with us.

 

[Beachbummer]

On the rope concern, with a Yamaha the rope pain is slightly higher than a rope on a prop or inboard boat. between 5 and 30 minutes. Just don't run over the ropes and everything will be fine. Why are you trading in your boat? Just want something newer, or are you looking for different features? or..?

 

[Farmdog267]

I have a 2018 SX 190 that I picked up in April. It has slightly over 25 hours on it. 90% of the use has been in the Delaware river and I did have 1 trip for inshore fluke fishing in the Atlantic ocean. I came from a 2005 Four Winns Horizon 17.5 bowrider. The jet drive takes some getting used to but its nice in shallower water not needing to worry about the prop which i had a few issues with my previous boat. I like the new boat alot. I've only had a few issues with sucking up seaweed or branches that required me to utilize the cleanout port. Boat is fairly fuel effiecent and even in 1.5' seas it did well without getting bounced around too bad, something I couldn't say about my previous boat. I love the extra space that the swim platform provides for ease of boarding and also space to sit out and relax or to it there while fishing.. My dog really likes that area too! Good luck in your quest!

 

[Evil Sports]

5 years of river and lake boating, only had to open the cleanout ports 2 times. I really wish higher end boat companies could put Yamaha jet power in their boats as I believe its the best option

 

[Jameson Clark]

I just moved from I/O to jet this season and overall, I do not regret it at all! The boat is so roomy for it's size and the stern area is to die for! As for sucking up ropes, I sucked up my first one about a month ago or so and here is the one thing that I have to keep remembering... When I had my I/O boats and was getting skiers/tubers in or out of the water or swapping riders or whatever, as long as I was in neutral, I didn't care where the rope was. I made sure it was clear before putting it in gear and I was good to go. The way I sucked up my one rope so far is I failed to remember that neutral doesn't mean a thing in a jet drive. So, while getting people shifted in and out of the boat, the rope drifted near the back and it pulled it right in. But, the good news is with the clean out port, we were back going in 15 minutes and this one was really sucked up in there.

 

[Matt Phillips]

As others see have said, the rope sucking routine is part of it...even with prop drives. One thing I always do (that seems to help) is always explain to noobs that getting a rope under the boat is a bad thing that can lead to it winding around the shaft and stopping the fun for an hour while, "you get to hear me cuss about cutting up a $70 rope." Thus, I always ask "Rope clear?" before starting the engines. I then don't start them until I rear "Rope clear" in return. Yes, there's been more than once when we've sat there for a few minutes and people ask me why we're not going. My response is then, "I'm waiting for a rope clear." Again, this is my little system but it seems to work.

In Tahoe my biggest nemesis is milfoil. it grows in the marina and it can cause some cavitation once out on the lake. Usually this is just a late season thing. The cure is to stop, open the clean out ports and pull the milfoil out. Then we are on our way in less than 5 minutes. Usually the milfoil breaks up and doesn't cause many problems...but I've noticed the cavitation happens when there's a lot of it that gets stuck on the intake grates.

I hope that helps.

 

[cameron.sprinkle]

I have boated for years with friends and family. Been on and driven, multiple boats from pontoons to 30ft fishing boats in the ocean, pleasure boats to pure ski boats. Having said that, I have never bought a boat until now. I looked at several sterndrives. Only took me once on a Yamaha to all but get hooked on it. I fell in love with the idea of no props in the water, the back end of the Yamaha, and after a lot of research the ease of maintenance. I have owned the boat for a month now and I am still learning to drive, pull people, and dock the boat.

Having said that, I don't think I would do it any different if I started over again. Don't be afraid of ropes and such. Haven't sucked one up yet, just have to pay attention. I am not going to give you any technical details as I am still learning, but I will say that the boat is just plain fun! If you haven't rode in one yet, then you need to. You will like it, I did. Had my mind set on a Regal, till I drove the Yammie. Hope this helps.

 

[props2you]

Here are a couple of diagrams that might be helpful. Although prices have probably gone up, but the difference is still accurate.

 

[Anthony909]

I have a Scarab 195 and love it. We bought it in 2016 but it was a 2015. We actually haven’t had and major issues. A few little things here and there but they were all covered under warranty. I feel that the Scarab 195 handles better than the Yamaha 190s. It is most likely because of the design of the bucket that directs the jet stream when going in reverse or at slow speeds. There could be other factors and I have heard the hull design creates a better ride while on plane. I have a video of how easy it is for my girlfriend and I launch at the ramp. I have yet to see, in person, another jet boat launch that easily and let’s just say we are the only Scarab where we go. Of course I have to give credit to my girlfriend for being helpful enough to back down the boat on the trail on her own but that’s aside the point.

Link:

We haven’t sucked up a rope and we have put almost 90 hours in the boat in the last 2.5 seasons. Maybe clean out ports would prove useful one day but I haven’t had a need for then so far. I know my boat has some kind of sheeth that reduces how badly a rope wraps around the impeller shaft. I think this is true for other boats with Rotax engines. You might want to verify that part and get the specifics. Either way, ropes have not ever been an issue for me. It will take some attention to where a rope could be and a little luck.

I like the bench seating in the Yamaha and wish our Scarab had that kind of seat vs. the two buckets seats. I do prefer the rear seating in the Scarab though. It feels like there is more space and there are actual seats at the rear deck.

A big part for us was the dealer service. The local Yamaha dealer should not be in business. The owner/manager is a horrible person and the salesman I was dealing with is also worthless. They are known for giving bad service. The Scarab dealer was actually helpful and professional. I couldn’t imagine the problems I would have encountered if I bought a Yamaha from that dealer and had to bring it in for service. The Scarab dealer has gone above and beyond every time I have needed something. This could go either way for either brand, and if you are in a place where there is only one local dealer I would weight their customer service heavily.

Good luck and have fun deciding on your new boat.