Feedback from a new and first time YJB owner

[Stevenpigsooie]

Bought our 2016 AR240 in March and have been actively reading the forum since that time. I was nervous and at times reluctant to do much to the boat for fear of messing something up or getting in over my head. However, because of this forum and the information provided by experienced YJB owners I've had several positive experiences with many after market product recommendations and doing mods and maintenance on my own. I wanted to write this post so perhaps other new owners will feel confident to pursue projects on their own.

Cobra Magnum AK steering with fangs: was a huge difference for me in slow speed steering around the dock and during retrieval. The boat does not wander as much at no wake speed and turns very tight on plane. I'm completely satisfied, the build quality is excellent, it looks OEM, and was easy to install. Easy purchase experience and fast shipping.
http://cobrajetsteering.com/cobra-venom-magnum-akseries.html

EZ locks: peace of mind to prevent plug blow outs. Easy to install.
http://cobrajetsteering.com/ezlock.html

Stoltz bow roller: this would be one of my first mod recommendations for new owners. I got the 3.5" center roller designed for shorelandr trailers and it fits just right. The manufacturer installed roller is so hard that like others I had some superficial scratches that required buffing out.
http://www.sturdybuiltonline.com/35...maha-Jet-Boat-Shorelandr-Trailers_p_1493.html

CE smith 60" guide posts with black pads: this would be another one of my first mod recommendations for new owners. Made retrieval much easier and less stressful for me.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00144782Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CPG0BU0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Seadek for boarding steps and engine step-over: bought these from JBP and they installed no problem, look good, and made those slippery surfaces safe. Eventually I plan to replace the carpet with Seadek.
https://www.jetboatpilot.com/index....ek_a_e_colors-mocha_over_black_two_color_only

Swim platform seat cushions: didn't think I would care about this then I spent about 30 minutes sitting there while the kids played and my rear end got sore so I went home that night and ordered them from JBP.
https://www.jetboatpilot.com/index....r_oem_look/518-boat_and_year_model-2014_sx240

Amerex B386T fire extinguisher: residue free for the engine compartment. I mounted it to a board and used velcro on the back of the board to keep it from sliding side to side and the bottom of the extinguisher sits on the compartment floor
http://amerex-fire.com/products/halotron-i-clean-agent-extinguishers/

Wakeboard rack: purchased the Yamaha OEM swivel rack during the Memorial Day sale. One of my favorite mods and it's big enough to hold a surfboard. The swivel is nice because we often pull the boat through campgrounds and last weekend I forgot to swivel it back inside and clipped a small tree branch. No harm done but thankful I could swivel it back inside the boat and out of the way. Excellent quality and looks good.
https://www.shopyamaha.com/product/details/removable-deluxe-swivel-wakeboard-rack

Wake wedge: haven't used it yet but the build quality is very good, order process easy, and fast shipping. Plan to try it out for the first time next weekend. I have some before pictures and videos of us surfing and will post some after pictures and videos for everyone to see. We are using ballast and several passengers as weight so I hope to get ropeless soon.
http://www.gantlinproducts.com

Yamaha mooring cover: works well, easy to install, and fits like a glove. It was expensive but worth it to me.
https://www.shopyamaha.com/product/details/deluxe-premium-tower-mooring-cover?b=Search

Keel guard: we plan on beaching and forum members insisted this was a must. Blends in black on black and good quality. (this was one I didn't do but had the dealer do before I ever picked up the boat)

Booster ball for towing: helps keep the rope up especially from diving under during turns.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Q98TNY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Danforth anchor: fits just right in the bow anchor compartment and works well on our lake.
https://www.shopyamaha.com/product/details/yamaha-deluxe-anchor-kit?b=Search

Anchor compartment drain plug repair: didn't have the inner hull gap like some others but there was no caulking and it looked bad. Got it filled in with caulk and doesn't seem to be a problem now.

10 hour engine oil change, plug inspection, and greasing: I was for sure going to have the dealer do this no question in my mind. Then after reading through the forum and watching videos I decided to give it a go. Purchased the 2 kits from my local dealer, ordered an extractor on Amazon, purchased spark plug socket, and used all the tips I learned on this forum. Did it all yesterday with no problems and feel great about spending less than $200 total for the kits and tools versus the $500 my dealer was quoting. I would have never tried it if this forum didn't exist.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GU0MMU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Practically everything on this list was an idea I got from this forum. You guys are really good at spending other people's money.
The 10 hour service was a big worry of mine and I'm very appreciative of all the work you guys do to help other boat owners. Hope this post provides some useful information for someone else.

 

[fireflymedic]

The only mod I went another direction on is the swim Deck seat cushion. I did not like them covering up the compartment lid latches. Will from jetboatpiolet replaced them with like one inch thick seadeck that matches all the other floor covering but being so thick it's soft and makes easy access to the claen out plugs.

 

[haknslash]

Nice write up!

Also nice to see you dropped a little extra coin on getting a clean agent extinguisher and manufactured from where I work no less! Just want to point out that is not our official website but rather a company that is a distributor of ours and its confusing to people out there thinking it is our website. Here is a direct link to our Halotron hand portables http://amerex-fire.com/products/halotron-i-clean-agent-extinguishers/ for more in-depth info of the product. What size or model did you go with? Did the nozzle fit fine through the fire port?

 

[Stevenpigsooie]

Nice write up!

Also nice to see you dropped a little extra coin on getting a clean agent extinguisher and manufactured from where I work no less! Just want to point out that is not our official website but rather a company that is a distributor of ours and its confusing to people out there thinking it is our website. Here is a direct link to our Halotron hand portables http://amerex-fire.com/products/halotron-i-clean-agent-extinguishers/ for more in-depth info of the product. What size or model did you go with? Did the nozzle fit fine through the fire port?

Thanks for clarifying, edited the OP with your website and the model. Got the B386T and the nozzle fits through fire port well.

 

[haknslash]

Glad to hear it fits in there. I've been meaning to measure my fire port and compare it to various nozzles and horns at work.