Jet-Drive Outboard for SUPER SPORT 15

A conversation among Whalers
Wavehopper
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Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:41 pm

Jet-Drive Outboard for SUPER SPORT 15

Postby Wavehopper » Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:05 pm

A good friend is restoring his 1987 Boston Whaler Super Sport 15. The boats capacity is 1,055-lbs of persons, engine, and gear. The maximum capacity for the motor is 70-HP.

My friend has two teenage daughters who will be making use of the boat. For added safety he would like to use a jet-drive outboard engine to eliminate the risk of his daughters being injured by a propeller when swimming around the boat.

There are four jet-drive outboard engines being considering:
  1. Yamaha Jet Drive 40, badged as a 30 Jet Drive, uses the Yamaha 40 platform, and weigh 227-lbs
  2. Yamaha Jet Drive 60, badged as a 40 Jet Drive, uses the Yamaha 60 platform, and weighs 257-lbs; my first choice;
  3. Honda 40 Jet, badged as a 40 Jet, uses the Honda 60 platform, and weighs 268-lbs
  4. Honda 65 VTEC Jet, badged as a 65 VTEC Jet, uses the the Honda 90 platform, and weighs 373-lbs; I consider this motor much too heavy for a SUPER SPORT 15

What is your opinion [of using a jet-drive or of any of the four choices listed above]?

Jefecinco
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Location: Gulf Shores, AL

Re: Jet-Drive Outboard for SUPER SPORT 15

Postby Jefecinco » Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:05 am

Although jet drives are much safer than standard propeller engines for swimmers there are some downsides:
  • Low speed maneuverability can be less precise;
  • stopping distances can be longer, and
  • maneuvering in reverse can be more difficult.

Propeller guards are available to protect people from propeller strikes. Those may be of interest to your friend.
Butch

jimh
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Re: Jet-Drive Outboard for SUPER SPORT 15

Postby jimh » Sat Apr 03, 2021 10:48 am

For older hull there was no specification provided by Boston Whaler for maximum engine weight. This topic was discussed 17-years ago in an intelligent manner. See

Maximum Engine Weight
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/002449.html

A reasonable figure for maximum engine weight for the 15-foot hull would be 265-lbs. Of the four choices listed above, only option 4, the Honda, would exceed the imputed maximum weight.

Your first-choice selection for a jet-drive outboard is also mine choice for a jet drive: option 2.

Setting aside for a moment the necessity of having a jet drive, I suspect that there is greater inherent risk in swimming than there is in being struck by a propeller. According to the CDC, about ten people die from unintentional drowning every day, about 3,500 per year. I don't know the statistics for propeller strikes, but they couldn't possibly be of that same magnitude.

A jet-drive does not create immunity from harm to swimmers. A co-worker of mine from many years ago was at a public beach on a lake with her boyfriend. A jet-ski--a vessel with no propeller and using water jet propulsion--was being operated in a reckless and unsafe manner. The jet-ski struck the fellow while he was swimming in the water and severely injured him, resulting in paralysis.

We like to swim in the lake at our cottage. On may nice days we don't swim because there are people running past our beachfront in jet-skis at very high speeds. Based on how the jet-skis are being operated, we don't trust the jet-ski operator to be able to see us swimming in the water. We do swim off our own boat all the time, but only when the engine is shut off.

Wavehopper
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Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:41 pm

Re: Jet-Drive Outboard for SUPER SPORT 15

Postby Wavehopper » Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:02 am

Jim & Jeff

Thank you both very much for your responses. They were very helpful.
I will forward your comments and suggestions to my friend who owns the Boston Whaler Super Sport 15.
He can then decide how he would like to proceed with the outboard motor selection on his boat.

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Phil T
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Re: Jet-Drive Outboard for SUPER SPORT 15

Postby Phil T » Sat Apr 03, 2021 3:13 pm

If you are concerned about the prop, just buy a cage.

http://www.propguardtech.com/custom.html
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Wavehopper
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Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:41 pm

Re: Jet-Drive Outboard for SUPER SPORT 15

Postby Wavehopper » Sun Apr 04, 2021 12:01 am

Phil

A Prop-Guard could be the solution that he is looking for.
Thank you for researching these protective prop cages.