To prevent sucking up debris, slow or fast?

[Scott Potter]

Just throwing this out there to get some opinions. I was out yesterday on the river and due to it being so early in the season, there was a lot of small sticks and debris on the water. I was able to avoid it all, but a thought crossed my mind. Which would be better at preventing debris from getting sucked up? Slowly gliding over stuff at say 5-12mph, or going fast, say 30+ mph?

 

[MrMoose]

Great question. I asked that same question to someone last year and they told me to go slow enough to allow the hull to displace the debris to the sides. I haven't tried it.

 

[smashedheadcat]

That is a pretty interesting question. I think it's really a matter of finding some sort of balance. On one hand, with an elevated impeller rpm, it should be substantially more effective in passing debris through it when compared to just idling. The caveat is that an increase in impeller rpm will draw a substantial amount of additional water and with it, more debris. The more debris that gets in there, the more chances you have of something sticking. However, it may be mitigated by elevated impeller rpm. It's tough to say, and I would love to hear experiences of jet boat veterans.

 

[txav8r]

It is a question of a good number of things. Size of debris, on surface floating above, or just below surface, grass, wood, or other foreign stuff. And more than two schools of thought on it. If it is just some floating broken up wood, sure, go slow and let the hull push it out of the way. But at 50mph, it has to hit dead center in the intakes to get sucked in, and at that speed, there is a good chance that it can't make the turn into the jet intake and will just glance off and pass by. It is the high angle of attach, high rpm, turns and accelerations that will suck in the most. Over grass or weeds that are connected to the ground below the water, going fast has worked for me more than slow. But if there is sheared off grass/weeds floating, going slow will suck them up. Grass/weeds are not pushed aside as easy as wood debris either, and can literally go straight down the hull with some of the weed on one side of the keel, and some on the other, only to be fought over by the intakes when it gets there. Avoidance all together is the best option.

 

[Scottintexas]

All I know is when TX-DJ was running on plane in 8" going fast worked for him!

http://yamahajetboaters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=24666&start=165&hilit=shallow+plane

 

[swatski]

All I know is when TX-DJ was running on plane in 8" going fast worked for him!

http://yamahajetboaters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=24666&start=165&hilit=shallow+plane

Maaan... Thanks for re-posting that @jcyamaharider - I missed that story.
Brings some painful memories of me getting stuck in muck in the old (not-dredged) part of beautiful Kaskaskia River, IL... But that's another story for another time.

 

[MrMoose]

Maaan... Thanks for re-posting that @jcyamaharider - I missed that story.
Brings some painful memories of me getting stuck in muck in the old (not-dredged) part of beautiful Kaskaskia River, IL... But that's another story for another time.

Does anybody know if "TX-DJ" made his way to this forum? He's a legend!

 

[Julian]

I think going fast for small stuff and weeds works well...but you have to have that spidy sense and hearing to listen for something in the pump that doesn't sound right.....

 

[scokill]

The only times I've sucked something up it was going slow.

 

[dan144k]

Analyze it this way. If a 20' rope was floating on the water. Would you want to go over it fast or slow?

I would want to go fast. The slow vacuumed effect would be sure to suck up the rope.

 

[robert843]

I think at speed is the best but have sucked up stuff both ways. Anything I have ever sucked up at speed though has been able to be cleared by the reverse trick though. The hull displacement effect at slow speeds is reduced on the twin engine boats as the pumps are moved to the outside of the boat but the single engine boats I bet it works fine since the pump is in the middle.

 

[swatski]

Analyze it this way. If a 20' rope was floating on the water. Would you want to go over it fast or slow?

I would want to go fast. The slow vacuumed effect would be sure to suck up the rope.

LOL - for sure!
The key word(s) in that example being "to go over it". If you must go over things - go fast for sure.
But if it is patches of small sticks and driftwood debris (what OP asked) found in rivers after heavy rain etc (the kind that's bobbing on the surface) - in my experience - it is best to go through it in full displacement mode.

__

 

[robert843]

There is s third school of thought if going at speed and you see debris in front of you just before you get to it slam the throttles into reverse and preform a submarine move and then have your crew remove the debris from the inside of the boat. No digging in pumps to get anything out and usually the ladies love it.

 

[txav8r]

Does anybody know if "TX-DJ" made his way to this forum? He's a legend!

I think TXdj sold his boat after the saga. Never again saw him in the place that shall remain nameless. And don't think he transitioned here with us. But he did give all of us a great education. I know exactly where he was stuck. I flew over it before he got it out. And I have watched the water recede a mile from there and then fill back full enough to encourage anyone to venture up that creek. That thread is a classic!

 

[robert843]

I think TXdj sold his boat after the saga. Never again saw him in the place that shall remain nameless. And don't think he transitioned here with us. But he did give all of us a great education. I know exactly where he was stuck. I flew over it before he got it out. And I have watched the water recede a mile from there and then fill back full enough to encourage anyone to venture up that creek. That thread is a classic!

Ok now I'm curious about what happened what would I need to search to find that

 

[MrMoose]

Ok now I'm curious about what happened what would I need to search to find that

@robert843 Just look earlier in this thread. @Scottintexas posted the link. It is quite a good thread.

 

[dan144k]

Yes from that that thread I learned my boat is not a jetski And if I get it stuck I will be screwed.

Our family ( with the jet boat, fortunately going slow) did get stuck once on the rock river, after the fact I looked it up and it was an hold bridge pylon. I try to be so carefully now.

Another tip bit,
I use to go up to the Wisconsin dell's on the river and we would go 300' 500' did not matter thru 2-3" of water at 45mph. It was awesome. But I realized don't try it with the jet boat. We also use to go in the spring when it was flooded and be wandering speeding through the woods kinda like we were on dirt bikes, but we were on Sea doo wave- runnners. Upper dell's.to the first day. Again it was so cool.

 

[BobJohnson]

@robert843 Just look earlier in this thread. @Scottintexas posted the link. It is quite a good thread.

That thread cost me a good hour + this morning. What a story.

 

[Speedling]

At Lake Cumberland i noticed that if i went slow all the sticks and such would get sucked right in and i couldn't go a quarter mile without having issues. If i went just onto plane i could go the whole day with no issues.

 

[swatski]

There is s third school of thought if going at speed and you see debris in front of you just before you get to it slam the throttles into reverse and preform a submarine move and then have your crew remove the debris from the inside of the boat. No digging in pumps to get anything out and usually the ladies love it.

I think @robert843 should write a short manual on handling our boats. He obviously knows his stuff.