Hard lesson learned last week (read this and avoid same mistake)

[txav8r]

This is what I use, nice wide flat face, that won't mare the hose or create a permanent crease in it. I would agree with @mgabsa or others that have added the "shut off valves", that if you intend to do this often, add the valves. If it is for the occasional emergency single engine issue or tow due to single engine issue, I just keep the clamps on board.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Attention @Yamaha Engineering ..... Please start putting valves on these engines!! Or at least a one way valve .....hmmm maybe that's the solution?
Would a one way valve work??

 

[OperationROL]

This is what I use, nice wide flat face, that won't mare the hose or create a permanent crease in it. I would agree with @mgabsa or others that have added the "shut off valves", that if you intend to do this often, add the valves. If it is for the occasional emergency single engine issue or tow due to single engine issue, I just keep the clamps on board.
View attachment 27268

I agree. I put the valves in my former SX230, but will add the clamps pictured as my solution in the new boat. It is not worth the aggravation. Installing the valves in such a tight space was a pain. In the new boat, I did not look to see how much space is available to work, but I know the engine compartment is much smaller already, due to the wet storage. I can't imagine what kind of a pain that install would be.

 

[gwrace1]

I know this is an old thread but as a new 2020 Yamaha boat owner I really appreciate the lesson learned. Looks like the owners manual recommends at least three feet of water before starting engines. We had a keel guard on our previous bass boat but we did beach that boat bow forward. I don't plan to do that with the Jet Boat. Like the idea of stern towards the shore staked to beach with bow anchored in deeper water.

 

[Julian]

Another important thing to know about the reverse gates is that you can disconnect them without any tools using the spring loaded ball socket on top of the gate. But if you don't know how it works....it can be a PITA to remove!

Below are two photos I took of the connector removed from the end of the reverse gate cable (the cable enters this where my index finger is holding it). You can see that there is a spring loaded sleeve that hold the sleeve over the ball. You have to pull the sleeve back and lift up on the connector at the same time. Something worth learning how to do when the boat is on the trailer vs when everyone is breathing down your neck swearing at you!

 

[treeskier]

I know this is an old thread but as a new 2020 Yamaha boat owner I really appreciate the lesson learned. Looks like the owners manual recommends at least three feet of water before starting engines. We had a keel guard on our previous bass boat but we did beach that boat bow forward. I don't plan to do that with the Jet Boat. Like the idea of stern towards the shore staked to beach with bow anchored in deeper water.

That's how I do it. I'll pull in bow first some what out away from the shore cut the engines and anchor off the bow. Then I go off the bow ladder into the shallow-ish water and turn the boat (by hand) on the anchor line so the stern is now closest to the shore in even shallower water and set my slide anchor on the beach and attach to one of the trailer tie down hooks on the stern. Using danick hooks on the bow and stern lines I can adjust the boats relative position to the shore as the tide/current changes. When its time to go reverse the process.

The end result is I do not run the engines in shallow water but the ladies can exit the boat off the swim platform into water that is about a foot deep. The one thing you will need to keep in mind that if you anchor from the stern you need to mind the tides to make sure you don't pull the stern under. I always try to keep some slack in that rear line.

 

[tabbibus]

That's how I do it. I'll pull in bow first some what out away from the shore cut the engines and anchor off the bow. Then I go off the bow ladder into the shallow-ish water and turn the boat (by hand) on the anchor line so the stern is now closest to the shore in even shallower water and set my slide anchor on the beach and attach to one of the trailer tie down hooks on the stern. Using danick hooks on the bow and stern lines I can adjust the boats relative position to the shore as the tide/current changes. When its time to go reverse the process.

The end result is I do not run the engines in shallow water but the ladies can exit the boat off the swim platform into water that is about a foot deep. The one thing you will need to keep in mind that if you anchor from the stern you need to mind the tides to make sure you don't pull the stern under. I always try to keep some slack in that rear line.

Danik hooks... God's gift to boaters

 

[gwrace1]

How many of those Danik hooks do you guys recommend for a 19 foot boat?. They certainly are not inexpensive. Have two anchors for the boat.

 

[tabbibus]

all of them! ha. I have two for my 242. One for each anchor. If I had more I would probably come up with ways to play with them. Love those little things

 

[Bruce]

How many of those Danik hooks do you guys recommend for a 19 foot boat?. They certainly are not inexpensive. Have two anchors for the boat.

Zero if you can tie a knot.

I have carabiners at 50' and 100' on my bow anchor rode. If I need more adjustability I just wrap the rope around a cleat. At the stern I have carabiners at each end of the rope. Typically I tie those ropes at the length that I want. A taut line knot allows for quick adjustment.

 

[4x15mph]

all of them! ha. I have two for my 242. One for each anchor. If I had more I would probably come up with ways to play with them. Love those little things

Are you using the Danik hook to adjust the anchor line and then attaching the Danik directly to the cleat instead? Doesn't it bang around on the fiberglass?

 

[tabbibus]

Are you using the Danik hook to adjust the anchor line and then attaching the Danik directly to the cleat instead? Doesn't it bang around on the fiberglass?

some times to the cleat, sometimes to the hook eye in the bow. It bangs very little, and only against the metal of the cleat. @Bruce is correct. If you are proficient with knots, you don't NEED the danik. But I just think it is a very nifty device, nicely designed, and fun to use.

 

[jcyamaharider]

They are nice on the river when you have to constantly adjust the rope.

 

[treeskier]

Are you using the Danik hook to adjust the anchor line and then attaching the Danik directly to the cleat instead? Doesn't it bang around on the fiberglass?

I primarily use it on the stern anchor line although I have one for the bow as well. The one on the stern is at the end that attached to the slide anchor so it is not in contact with the boat. The bow anchor I typically adjust from the cleat but it generally requires less attention.

 

[Julian]

I use smaller Danik hooks to easily hang and adjust fenders off my tower support posts.

 

[mark_m]

Zero if you can tie a knot.

I have carabiners at 50' and 100' on my bow anchor rode. If I need more adjustability I just wrap the rope around a cleat. At the stern I have carabiners at each end of the rope. Typically I tie those ropes at the length that I want. A taut line knot allows for quick adjustment.

Can you share a bit more about the carabiners and how they are integrated with the anchor rode please?

 

[Canuckjetboater]

This is a long post, but hopefully educational and not too boring.

we took a family vacation to a friends lake in Wisconsin last week. Pulled the boat about 600 miles, which went well behind my 2001 suburban. His cabin is on an 1,800 acre sand bottom lake. Fairly shallow, max depth 24' with an average around 9' I think. First day after launching I lost my new American flag and pole. It was a 2'x3' flag on an aluminum Rod that I had just installed. It is removable from the base, and in my rush to get going I forgot to tighten the locking screw. $60 down the drain. But that's not the lesson.

Everything else went fine the first day except when I was coming in to dock I heard kind of a thud from the rear and then got grounded. Put it in reverse and got off the sand, found the deeper Chanel, by deeper I mean 3.5', and got docked. Couldn't figure out what thud sound was at this point.

Next day was another nice day, took our kids and friends kids tubing and had a blast. After dinner we decide to all go out for boat ride. We decide to stop at an island and beach it. This is my first time beaching this boat. No problems so far and the kids get out and play on the island until it starts getting a little dark. Time to go. Get loaded up and pull the rear anchor. This is where I made my mistake. We did not push off the sand bar from the bow to get in deeper water. Stupid rookie mistake and will never happen again. Put it in reverse and gave it some power and we were off. But now it will not come out of reverse. It's stuck. End up spinning a circle, shutting her down and re beach so I can try and figure this out. How embarrassing. Brought this new boat up a long ways to show my lifelong friends and we are stuck in the middle of the lake with four kids and our wives, and it's getting dark. Very bad words were running through my head. After trying to figure out what was wrong for about 15 minutes I make the de ion we will need a tow, but there are no boats around and it's getting pretty dark. My friends wife starts calling neighbors on the lake, but it's Monday and most have gone back home. I get out the spotlight and start Sending an SOS towards shore at houses with lights on. My friends wife is able to get ahold of someone but they are not at the lake, however, they know someone that is and will call them. While we are waiting we see flashes back from shore and see boat lights heading our way. Then we get a call back saying another boat is on the way. Things are looking up.

The boat we signaled arrives and we load the women and children onto that boat. A couple of guys who were on a fishing trip. They saw our engine cover up and then saw the SOS and came over. Said they had been rescued in the past so they didn't hesitate. The plan now was to get the women and children back to the cabin and my wife drive the trailer to the boat ramp and pull the boat. Now another error on my part. I had one hose clamp vice grip in the boat, and I had bought a second one but had failed to get it from the suburban into the boat. Stupid. Wasn't long and the second rescue boat arrived. Very nice retired guy who lives on the lake. He said he would tow us to the boat ramp. I told home we had to go real slow, and we went very slowly. Don't think it was fast enough to cause problems, probably less than 5 mph. Haven't had the boat back in yet but I'm pretty confident we went slow enough. Well we made it to the boat ramp and my wife was waiting with truck. We had to run back and hook the trailer back up while my friend held the boat. Got it all loaded up without any problem and pulled her out. Wanted to inspect the jets before we left to see if I could find the problem. After a few minutes of looking and feeling around I found the problem. Evidentaly in with the sand are all kinds of small rock pieces. Not round gravel but kind of shards, and wedge shaped pieces. when I had powered off the beach they got sucked up and wedged between the reverse gate locking it in place. The next day in the light I was able to use a screwdriver to kind off flex the plastic reverse gate and allow the rocks to fall out. Problem solved, throttle now moves in and out of reverse smoothly. While under the boat I also inspected the intake grates and the impeller for damage and I think I found the source of my earlier this noise. My starboard impeller has a ding in it. The small rocks I sucked up probably wouldn't have done the damage so I think I must have sucked up a larger rock when I heard the thud and it caused the damage. I haven't had the boat in since the incident but will this weekend so will find out then if everything is OK. May crawl under and take some pictures in the next couple of days and post on a new thread with questions about the damage.

Sorry for the long story, but hopefully there are lessons for others so that they can avoid what I went through. Luckily we have great understanding friends and had help from a few awesome people, both of which said they had been rescued in the past so where happy to help. All in all, my damage seems minimal, other than me being greatly embarrassed.

@Huskerjetboat thanks for the tip and remember if embarrassment killed we'd all likely be dead. It's just someone else's mistake until it happens to you!

 

[gwrace1]

Two things I learned a long time ago. Never run engines in less than 3 feet of water. And make sure all ropes are accounted for before you start engines. These boats will run in shallow water but in anything less than 3 feet of water you risk pump damage. We've had the new 195S out 5 times now and luckily no incidents other than a learning curve for putting in back on the trailer in windy conditions.

 

[treeskier]

It’s always challenging when operating in unfamiliar waters...unfortunately one of the only ways to get familiar is to make some mistakes.

When we beach we coast in or walk it in if it’s more crowded and we always walk it out. Additionally the walking part will give you an insight into what’s on the bottom.

Even in my 8th summer on my second jet boat we learn something new every time out ... enjoy it.