Seaweed NIGHTMARE

[PaulyB]

And there is no way to dodge it? I see stuff floating all the time, and as along as I dodge it, it doesnt get inhaled. On the Potomac we have some shit that floats, but as long as i dont rund directly over it while at no wake, I am usually good with it.

 

[Cambo]

Its crazy how much power loss you can have if sea grass gets in there especially very long thick pieces six to ten strands is all it takes . Stopped in a marina for lunch near the Shinicock inlet didn't realize some long eel grass was floating around not large clumps just random pieces. Pulled out and the tide it was really moving tried to power up nothing but cavitation almost was sucked out into the ocean with 3 foot standing waves and boat traffic everyone panicking on the boat . Managed to creep diagonally to a sand bar were it was shallow and less water moving pulled the plugs pulled the grass and full power was back .

 

[ClemsonTiger]

And there is no way to dodge it? I see stuff floating all the time, and as along as I dodge it, it doesnt get inhaled. On the Potomac we have some shit that floats, but as long as i dont rund directly over it while at no wake, I am usually good with it.

lol no bro. I know the Potomac very well...lived in Ashburn, VA for many years. The waters are not comparable at all...if you haven't see it (weed lines) or experienced it, its impossible to understand.

 

[PaulyB]

Yep, definitely havent seen it... Not a big fan of sharks and jelly fish.... so i stick to the rivers and lakes that I'm used to.

 

[I know You know]

Seaweed is floating.

 

[I know You know]

Not an option in my book. If I had weeds and grass to deal with on a regular bases I would never have even considered a jet boat.

Agreed

 

[Ralph MIA]

Ralph are you running your boat in the keys?

Occasionally. We were just there this weekend.

I’ve never seen South Florida with as much seaweed as I have this year.

 

[ClemsonTiger]

Occasionally. We were just there this weekend.

I’ve never seen South Florida with as much seaweed as I have this year.

Then you haven’t seen SoFlo often...

 

[Liveto99]

Holy crap what a pain in the ass!!!!!! One quarter of today was seaweed issues. Over heat from it also. Complete pain in the butt. If you don’t have kids that are going to use the boat I would go to a outboard again. I never had this much trouble with one from seaweed in 35 years. They need to make the intake two feet by two feet and use a finer mesh on it.

 

[I know You know]

Holy crap what a pain in the ass!!!!!! One quarter of today was seaweed issues. Over heat from it also. Complete pain in the butt. If you don’t have kids that are going to use the boat I would go to a outboard again. I never had this much trouble with one from seaweed in 35 years. They need to make the intake two feet by two feet and use a finer mesh on it.

I gather you are posting that on my thread because of all the troubles we also had all summer, I Can Feel Your Pain. Are you having issues on the Bay side or the Ocean side?

 

[Liveto99]

Both last week it was all over because of the wind. I posted on this thread rather than start a new one and rehash stuff. Speed goes from 40 to 35 to 30 to 27 then I had to stop and pull out from clean outs and then get under and clean out the grates.

 

[Liveto99]

Someone cut out the crossbar on the intake I have to find it and see how they did with that done.

 

[Julian]

View attachment 86456 Both last week it was all over because of the wind. I posted on this thread rather than start a new one and rehash stuff. Speed goes from 40 to 35 to 30 to 27 then I had to stop and pull out from clean outs and then get under and clean out the grates.

Have you tried the reverse maneuver?

https://jetboaters.net/faq/i-keep-g...ps-any-tips-to-help-aka-the-reverse-trick.66/

 

[Rainmakr]

Can you add a metal mesh where the jet pump intake is? I wouldn't think it would restrict any flow or cause issues????

 

[MidnightRider]

Can you add a metal mesh where the jet pump intake is? I wouldn't think it would restrict any flow or cause issues????

Maybe not overly restrict flow but most certainly it would disrupt flow and cause major cavitation. You'd be surprise at how little of an object can cause cavitation - something as small as a candy wrapper or sucker stick can disrupt flow enough to cause cavitation. My experience with jets and stopping them from sucking up weeds is... there isn't anyway to stop them from sucking up weeds.
I'd 2nd the reverse maneuver as mentioned above, I've found it to work really well and limit the amount of times I actually have to pull the C.O. plugs. I imagine it depends on the weeds though - most the weeds I get into tend to just create a "matting" over the grate and fall away fairly easily once the motors are stopped and suction is removed. Long stringy weeds that actually get up in and wrap around inside the pumps is more difficult to deal with I'm sure.

 

[2kwik4u]

Where's that thread on the grate that had the electric chopper thing attached to it. This might be the ideal place to post that thing. It's around here somewhere!

 

[Liveto99]

Yes reverse maneuver. Weeds rapped around shaft tons whole tube filled. Then feet to grates to clear those.

 

[Speedling]

I was hit with this grass/seawed on our Bimini trip and I was surprised. Stuff is TOUGH!
On my boat, it seemed to make a big blob around the intake grate "fingers" and that was on plane.
I would stay on plane until it lost so much suction it couldn't anymore. Reverse move worked 50% of the time.
Since it was all on the front of the intake, I dont' think that a sleeve, or a slower or faster pace, or anything of that nature would work.
I think removing the "fingers" is a risk of it's own, and if the stuff wraps around the shaft it would take a ton of it to stop you, and once it did, it would be much harder to get out/off compared to the intake grate.

So, I don't know how other boats perform, but the grass could/does screw them all up.
More screens or bars up front are going to hurt, not help.
A sleeve is too late in the process to help
And a jet boat may not be for you if you drive through one of the worst blooms in history on a regular basis. (source:https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/l...p-florida-beaches-could-set-record/783001002/ )


I would love to see someone use any of the products from :http://repellergrate.com/

But, as too boat in Lake Michigan, I"ll worry about learning to fish with my kids instead.

 

[2kwik4u]

I swear I saw a post on this site with a device that would literally cut something free from the intake grate without having to get wet or pull the plug. It was a new intake grate with an arm that swep across the surface. @swatski replied to the thread. I've spent 20 minutes searching and googling for it. I know I remember seeing it, but can't find it anywhere.

 

[swatski]

I swear I saw a post on this site with a device that would literally cut something free from the intake grate without having to get wet or pull the plug. It was a new intake grate with an arm that swep across the surface. @swatski replied to the thread. I've spent 20 minutes searching and googling for it. I know I remember seeing it, but can't find it anywhere.

Can't find it either, was it this one? http://repellergrate.com/

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