Hey everyone!

So I am new to boats (at least having one of my own...I've taken trips to the river and to mead and mojave several times), which by definition means I'm new to jet boats.  I'm interested in learning a thing or two before jumping in and getting one.  I've been working on classic cars for years and a dedicated DIYer.  I've looked around for a sticky that talks about things to avoid/look for when first getting into boating, but haven't found anything.  Am I missing it?  Or should I just poke around more and see what info you guys have offered to newbies like me?

I plan on going to the river, lake perris, maybe mojave, mead or powell.  I'm not looking for super flashy or fast, just something fun. 

If I were talking about a classic car, I'd say I'd be looking for a daily driver mustang--common, easy, and fun.

I'd be making trips with my wife and daughter.

We go to mead and the river, had a 25' and then went to a 19 jet. 19 is to small for the lake unless your really good at watching the weather and even at that your trips will be limited. We now have a 21 spectra which I hope will be a happy medium for both

sent from my garage drinking a cold beer!

So if I start to go and look at boats, what are some of the things that I should keep an eye out for.  I know motors, but very little about jets or boats. 

I plan on going to the river, lake perris, maybe mojave, mead or powell.  I'm not looking for super flashy or fast, just something fun. 

If I were talking about a classic car, I'd say I'd be looking for a daily driver mustang--common, easy, and fun.

I'd be making trips with my wife and daughter.

Going with classic car analogy, I will list a few my favorite hulls.

Probably by far the most popular would be the 19' Gullwing.  I would equate these to the classic styling of a first gen Mustang with the performance a versatility of a Fox Body, a damn good platform to build on.  These are very efficient hulls with aerodynamic lift.  You can have great performance and a back seat.

I'm not including the 18' Gullwing because that would be more like a Cobra or a pissed off 60s Corvette.

The 19' Rogers/Advantage Bonneville just screams classic styling with its barrel back transom and bubble deck.  This hull incorporates a very deep V with a dropped chine that packs a lot of aerodynamic lift.  Being a favorite in Comp Jet Racing, it has proven rough water capability if you happen to find yourself out when the weather comes up.  The deep V will produce one of smoothest ride qualities for its size.

I would have to label myself as a Hallett guy.  From a performance standpoint, the Hallett 19' Bubble Deck.  The quality of workmanship is top notch.  They can handle big power and fare well in rougher water.  I would liken this hull to a '67-70 Mustang, a little heavier and more family oriented than performance bread.

If you wanted a little more "lake"worthiness, yet still be in the muscle car, uhm boat, realm, you can step up into the Fairlane or Galaxie, some 19.5' and 20.5' mini-day cruisers have a low freeboard.  IMHO, these have the "slammed" look of the smaller boats with the additional room for friends and gear.  I have seen some, having a 20.5' myself, that are pretty fast.

The higher freeboard mini-day cruisers are getting pretty close to the Lincoln Continental realm, without getting into the family station wagon type.  The high freeboard makes them "lake"worthy, if the bigger lakes will be among your "usual" hangout spots, that the smaller boats just aren't suited for.

If I was looking to buy a different mini-day cruiser, I would definitely look for one with center lifting strokes.  Most hulls seem to have these, however mine does not.  These center lifting strakes are located approximately 4" from center and end approximately 6" to 9" in front of the jet intake.  These bigger boats need the additional hydrodynamic lift because there is a lot of boat to get out of the water and on plane.  I think my hull doesn't have the inner strakes because it was originally available in both jet and v-drive configurations.  Really, just a minor disadvantage though, but a disadvantage nonetheless.

As far as the jet itself is concerned, try to stick with a Berkeley or Dominator.  For best upgradibility, serviceability, and performance, avoid insert style pumps.

Good luck,

Cheers,

Joe

Is there any method to inspecting the condition of the jet short of testing the boat in the water?  What should I look for in a visual inspection?

For the hull, I'm just looking for cracking and rotting right?  How much is too much?

I've seen trashed pumps that actually work. But they did not perform.

With meager horsepower, a fresh pump makes all the difference.

Like Flusher said, Berk, Dominator, as well as American Turbine and Legend.

Don't over look a good WJ Jacuzzi.

Dan'l

Oh, and crawl under the boat and look at the impeller.