Pickle Fork JET Hydro's

« **on:** May 17, 2008, 02:44:34 PM »

I am looking at buying a 1979 19' Sanger Pickle Fork JET Hydro, but I am trying to get info on them before I do.

I have heard that Jet hydro's are difficult to make pretty fast is this true? 80 is my mind is fast enough so would that be possible?

How do these boats ride? Are they rough like a flat or sketchy at all?

Any info would be great. Thanks for your help!

« **Reply #1 on:** May 17, 2008, 02:58:01 PM »

Not much info but it's better than no reply.

A friend of mine used to own a jet hydro. It's basically a complete mis-match (jet - hydro). He had a 1,000++ HP blown BBC in his and I'm pretty sure he said it topped out in the mid 90's. His engine (he still has the engine) in a Daytona or other tunnel type hull should be 110++ mph. Another "factor" about his hydro was the lack of freeboard and it sank twice because of that lack of freeboard. It sank a third time as well but it had nothing to do with the boat itself and had everything to do with not having the boat's plug in.

IMO

« **Reply #2 on:** May 17, 2008, 03:01:19 PM »

Thanks for the reply. What exactly is "freeboard" though?

« **Reply #3 on:** May 17, 2008, 03:02:38 PM »

. . . not having the boat's plug in." YUP that'll do 'er!

« **Reply #4 on:** May 17, 2008, 03:10:45 PM »

Quote from: Double Clutch on May 17, 2008, 03:01:19 PM

Thanks for the reply. What exactly is "freeboard" though?

I'm not even sure if that's the correct term, I've only heard the area of the boat I'm talking about called freeboard once.
This boat has a lot of freeboard when it sits in the water.

This boat has almost no freeboard.

Wakes come over the gunnel's (top sides of the boat) because it has very little freeboard and sooner than you can say "Oh sh!t, it's going to sink, grab me a beer" it has sunk.

My friend's hydro was a Hondo hydro.

If anyone who reads this and knows that I have the description of freeboard incorrect please let me know. Thanks.

« **Reply #5 on:** May 17, 2008, 03:14:33 PM »

All I can add about how they ride, "sketchieness", etc.. is (qoute) "It rode like sh!t". You don't buy a jet drive hydro for anything other than looks, it's a mis-match. A complete guess to get it into the 80's would take ? 750 ? HP which will put a properly set up tunnel hull ivery close to triple digits.

« **Reply #6 on:** May 17, 2008, 03:17:18 PM »

Thanks for the information...I will deffently take it into consideration!

« **Reply #7 on:** May 17, 2008, 03:35:19 PM »

Freeboard is the distance from the waterline to the upper deck level, measured at the lowest point where water can enter the boat.

« **Reply #8 on:** May 17, 2008, 06:29:11 PM »

Just my 2 cents. A hydro was really built to do straight line drag racing and for speed records. Someone got the wild idea to put skegs on the inside of one of the sponsons to make it a circle boat. The design itself is made to ride on high the prop blade and 6" to 9" of the very rear of the hull and sponsons. Since the prop is driven via "V" drive, it hangs the prop a lot lower in the water than a jet pump can be extended downward. If you did extend the pump that low it would cause a lot of drag.

« **Reply #9 on:** May 17, 2008, 06:52:07 PM »

This is a picture of a Jet hydro . If you look really really hard , you can see that there is a pod that hangs down for the intake . In a jet hydro , with enough power of course , that pod and the two front sponses are the only thing in the water which IMO is less drag than a tunnel that has three surfaces always running in the water . This design is very effective . Assuming you have tons of power . If my memory serves correct , there was a black and green Hondo Jet Hydro that was insane fast . Somebody put up a picture of it or another Jet Hydro running on just the pod itself . I would say they are probably not to much fun as a lake boat

-beerjet-

« **Reply #10 on:** May 17, 2008, 07:52:28 PM »

I called my friend that used to own that Hondo Hydro jet drive, 1,100 dynoe'd blown BBC, it did 87 mph on radar.

« **Reply #11 on:** May 17, 2008, 08:05:23 PM »

After having a jet boat I would never buy another one. Get a v-drive!!!

« **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2008, 08:15:26 PM »

The reason I went jet is because I didn't want a prop and being able to run a little more shallow water. I got grand kids and a great grand son and another on the way. I don't like the idea of anyone getting into a prop. My racing days ended back in the 70's, otherwise I would have "V" drive but for only racing and a jet for the family.

« **Reply #13 on:** May 17, 2008, 09:37:45 PM »

IMO, A jet hydro would take way more power to go fast than a jet tunnel . Reason beeing the tunnel can hold the trapped air all the way to the transom (creating more lift) and the hydro cant, it will escape from the sides behind the front sponsons (less lift aft of the sponsons). Hydros work best with a prop that can create lift to fly the hull. Think flatbottom with training wheels (the little front sponsons). I'm not saying it cant be done (anything is possible with enough power), but again IMO an 18/19 ft tunnel or gullwing will out perform the jet hydro easily .

If I'm thinking about this wrong let me know.

« **Reply #14 on:** May 17, 2008, 09:55:51 PM »

Quote from: propless on May 17, 2008, 09:37:45 PM

... I'm not saying it cant be done (anything is possible with enough power)...

If I'm thinking about this wrong let me know.

1,100 HP = 87 mph, it's gonna take a LOT of power. BTW, I agree with you Propless on the air entrapment of tunnel and gull wing hulls. If the jet driven hydro was good for speed then you'd see a lot more of them. I've seen pics of less than 10 jet driven hydro's but maybe that's because I haven't been looking for them. Jet driven hydro's are only for looks and you can easily get more speed out of a v bottom, tunnel, or gull wing hull. IMO

« **Reply #15 on:** May 17, 2008, 10:09:39 PM »

I don't think I've seen more than 4 or 5 hydro jets. The ones I did see were Sangers.

« **Reply #16 on:** May 17, 2008, 10:55:38 PM »

I've seen 1

. It was a Sanger "ski hydro", I think thats what the guy called it ? Looked cool, but I wouldnt want to be out on the lake in it on a holiday weakend

.

« **Reply #17 on:** May 17, 2008, 11:42:13 PM »

We have a brand new one in the shop. It's a Hondo Drag Hydro. Have been planning a blown alky. deal. Dale has sold and built a couple that run very very very hard. I won't ride in one on a busy or windy day. I will snap some pics of the one sitting in the shop.

« **Reply #18 on:** May 17, 2008, 11:43:33 PM »

This is a Hondo Hydro jet boat, it's been for sale for a long time, 10K

« **Reply #19 on:** May 18, 2008, 02:14:29 PM »

Thank you all for you advice and input! I think I am going to continue looking for a boat that will have the ability to go fast and be lake friendly!

« **Reply #20 on:** October 04, 2009, 03:56:38 PM »

I would think that even the worst tunnel is better than one of the old jet hydros.
I don't recall seeing a Hondo jet hydro run, but I watched Dean Willis (who developed the Sanger jet hydro) pretty much almost crash it every time he shut down. Granted, it was faster than most of the BFJ v-bottoms at the time, but it was just plain scary. When he shut it down it just bucked, bouncing from the sponsons the to tail very violently. Rated X ran one also, a v-bottom grafted onto a Howard hydro. It was never even fast. As soon as the Southwind tunnel came out, the jet hydro experiments pretty much disappeared.

God, I'm old.

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