Scarab 285 vs. Yamaha 275SD

[rpm242LS]

I currently own a Yamaha 242 LS but toying with the idea of getting a bigger boat. the Yamaha 275 and Scarab 285 are on our short list. I'm somewhat aware of potential issues with Beneteau no longer producing Scarab boats, I feel/hope someone will take over the name and continue with production and cover warrantee claims. Aside from that I'm looking for current 285 owners to chime in on what they like about the boat and what issues they may have run into. I'm particularly interested in the noise level of these boats compared to the 275. I had an opportunity to test out a 2019 275 SD and at cruse speed the engines were so loud we had to almost yell to hear one another. It was much louder than our current 2013 242LS and all I have done to my boat was to put pipe insulation around the engine hatch to reduce the noise level.

On the 275SDs I was told by a dealer the 2021s would have thicker bulkheads and more sound absorption so they are quieter, don't know if I buy this 100%, seems like a lot of the noise was bouncing off the hardtop and amplifying the sound. The 285 Scarabs also have a hard top option though don't look as long in the photos (no dealer has them to look at) so I wonder if this makes a difference.

I know there probably will be more Scarab owners with smaller boats that have the same 300HP engines in them, even though it would not be a direct comparison I'd still like feedback from owners on noise levels and overall ownership.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Definitely can't help you on those models. I live in a far, far away land of the 165 with a tiny 150HP engine. lol

But apparently Beneteau has decided to keep Scarab for the time being with record sales this year. Obviously we don't know what the future holds, but I also suspect Scarab could just transfer ownership hands with minimal to zero difference to owners. So I wouldn't worry about that just like you mentioned.

The engines are great frankly. Minimal issues assuming you maintain them. I do all of my own maintenance personally, they are a joy to work with. Obviously every brand has lemons, or specific issues related to their design. But overall, I have no complaints about the power train. It works well.

I realize this is a whole other class.. but I did do some soundproofing on my 165 AND took noise measurements before and after. In case you feel like reading a bit. But obviously very different worlds between a 165 whereby you sit right beside the engine and a 285. lol https://jetboaters.net/threads/scarab-165-mods.17479/page-2 Posts 34 is the work and post 39 are the results.

 

[rpm242LS]

Thanks for the reply, even though the 165 is a very different boat I appreciate the feedback and info!

 

[BGN123]

I currently own a Yamaha 242 LS but toying with the idea of getting a bigger boat. the Yamaha 275 and Scarab 285 are on our short list. I'm somewhat aware of potential issues with Beneteau no longer producing Scarab boats, I feel/hope someone will take over the name and continue with production and cover warrantee claims. Aside from that I'm looking for current 285 owners to chime in on what they like about the boat and what issues they may have run into. I'm particularly interested in the noise level of these boats compared to the 275. I had an opportunity to test out a 2019 275 SD and at cruse speed the engines were so loud we had to almost yell to hear one another. It was much louder than our current 2013 242LS and all I have done to my boat was to put pipe insulation around the engine hatch to reduce the noise level.

On the 275SDs I was told by a dealer the 2021s would have thicker bulkheads and more sound absorption so they are quieter, don't know if I buy this 100%, seems like a lot of the noise was bouncing off the hardtop and amplifying the sound. The 285 Scarabs also have a hard top option though don't look as long in the photos (no dealer has them to look at) so I wonder if this makes a difference.

I know there probably will be more Scarab owners with smaller boats that have the same 300HP engines in them, even though it would not be a direct comparison I'd still like feedback from owners on noise levels and overall ownership.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

I have a 2021 275SD - best boat ever for so many reasons but it is LOUD. For example there is no reason to turn on the stereo even in no wake unless you want to blast it. When I don’t have little kids anymore swimming all around the boat I will probably have outboards. But for now the trade off is worth it. So much room, so fast, such a shallow draft, so much fun. Great for a day out with 2-3 families hitting a sandbar, tubing, wakeboarding, even going in the ocean if around 2 feet. And it looks awesome get so many comments.

 

[Ronnie]

Happy New Year everyone. This is my first post of 2021 and I hope you find it helpful.
I couldn’t find an apples to apples comparison because the 285 scarab and 255 Yamaha have not been reviewed by boattest.com yet but here are a few screenshots of test results, emphasis on the DBA readings, that i did find on that site as a non-member/non-subscriber. Also attached is a decibel scale/chart of sorts for baseline purposes.

The way a read the results the best cruise speed for the supercharged scarab is 21.5 mph at 5k rpm for 89 Dba. Whereas the best cruise speed for the supercharged yamaha is 26.9 mph at 5.5k rpm for 97 Dba. As you see from the chart the additional 8 Dba matters a lot since the scale is not linear but rather (the term escapes me) more like a Richter scale.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Logarithmic. I'm a geophysicist by trade. lol

 

[Ronnie]

Logarithmic. I'm a geophysicist by trade. lol

Lol, I actually knew the word just not how to spell it, kept trying with “rhythmic”

 

[mrcleanr6]

So i jave a 2021 275 as well. Indont know how it compares to the 2019 model. I know someone that has one of the first 19 models off the line and he said that it was really rough when he got it. Many issues needed to be worked out so not sure how the 19 and 21 compare sound wise. Is the boat loud...yeah i guess. It louder than an outboard for sure but i dont find it excessive. I can talk to the people in the boat while at cruise but i have to speak loudly. Honestly i find the wind noise standing up to be worse than the engines. On a personal note, i looked into the 285 while looking at the yamaha and imo there is no comparison. I just feel the 275sd is so much nicer. Never heard one though so i cant compare that.

 

[rpm242LS]

Thanks for all the replies! Its just a waiting game to be able to test a 2021 275. Not sure about the Scarab, looks like I'll need to go out of state to see /test one. I also have confidence with Yamaha's 1.8 engines, not so much on Scarab's 300s, I just don't know much about them. With the Yamahas I can see putting 8-900 hrs on them and having no issues as long as you maintain them. Longevity with the Scarabs I just don't know about.

 

[Don Hector]

I currently own a Yamaha 242 LS but toying with the idea of getting a bigger boat. the Yamaha 275 and Scarab 285 are on our short list. I'm somewhat aware of potential issues with Beneteau no longer producing Scarab boats, I feel/hope someone will take over the name and continue with production and cover warrantee claims. Aside from that I'm looking for current 285 owners to chime in on what they like about the boat and what issues they may have run into. I'm particularly interested in the noise level of these boats compared to the 275. I had an opportunity to test out a 2019 275 SD and at cruse speed the engines were so loud we had to almost yell to hear one another. It was much louder than our current 2013 242LS and all I have done to my boat was to put pipe insulation around the engine hatch to reduce the noise level.

On the 275SDs I was told by a dealer the 2021s would have thicker bulkheads and more sound absorption so they are quieter, don't know if I buy this 100%, seems like a lot of the noise was bouncing off the hardtop and amplifying the sound. The 285 Scarabs also have a hard top option though don't look as long in the photos (no dealer has them to look at) so I wonder if this makes a difference.

I know there probably will be more Scarab owners with smaller boats that have the same 300HP engines in them, even though it would not be a direct comparison I'd still like feedback from owners on noise levels and overall ownership.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

I'm currently have a 2017 Yamaha 242 e series and I'm looking into a Scarab 285 ID not much online about them but it is a very luxury looking boat I wish Yamaha had most of the features the Scarab has even a built-in toilet. Hope there are more people that have answers to your question but I know there are available now in Scarab dealers, I'm planning on seeing one this coming Monday in Fort Lauderdale I will keep you posted on my findings.

 

[mrcleanr6]

Don, give serious thought to the toilet. A built in can be nice for some but bad for others. I personally dont think i would want a built in. The toilet in my old boat would rarely get used, couple times a season, so having to deal with a tank and pumping out very little would be a pia. If you use it all the time then built in might be better, who knows.

 

[Don Hector]

Don, give serious thought to the toilet. A built in can be nice for some but bad for others. I personally dont think i would want a built in. The toilet in my old boat would rarely get used, couple times a season, so having to deal with a tank and pumping out very little would be a pia. If you use it all the time then built in might be better, who knows.

I wouldn't use it much but my wife nags me on how she wish our boat had a real one instead of a porter potty, So you know what they say happy wife happy life.

 

[Dean P]

I'm currently have a 2017 Yamaha 242 e series and I'm looking into a Scarab 285 ID not much online about them but it is a very luxury looking boat I wish Yamaha had most of the features the Scarab has even a built-in toilet. Hope there are more people that have answers to your question but I know there are available now in Scarab dealers, I'm planning on seeing one this coming Monday in Fort Lauderdale I will keep you posted on my findings.

A Yamaha dealership close to me (Cycle Springs) now services Scarabs jet boats. Food for thought...

to the forum!!! Tons of good stuff here. Let us know if you need anything. We're really good at spending OPM.