outboard Jet motor in the bay?

[PA Angler Matt]

Need advice...i just picked up a great river/lake fishing boat...mod V 17' Mon Ark alum side console with a 45hp mercury Jet outboard motor.

any thoughts or advice of running this jet motor in the bay on a calm day?

things to worry about with the motor?

thanks

[PA Angler Matt]

dont everyone jump at once lol

[PaBeerGuy]

I can only think of 1 reason not to. Cavitation. When you suck air is no good for the engine. The bay usually has a chop to it, so you will be sucking a lot of air.

[SaltLife1980]

Id say go for it on a clam day!!!

[Capt. Debbie]

Jet drive motors are fine. They make Skidoo and a few others made small 19-20 footers.

You can't run over your own anchor line. You can run anground with little harm. And you don't have to worry as much about dinging the prop on floating debris.

The down side is close quarter manuevering. It is extremely lethargic and clumsy. So docking blows! That why we never used that drive on tow boats. Remember a jet drive can not steer at idle?

So when you go to forward or reverse your steering is accomplished by giving it more gas. Unlike props- idle speed forward and reverse have too little thrust to steer and just go straight,

Reverse is a "clam shelll" thrust deflector that drops down off the pump discharge. That deflects your water jet forward.

If you do shallow water, it don't get much better.

For docking it don't get much worse than a jet drive.

Hope that helps? I teach this stuff. If you have more Q's PM me ok?

So on open water is just like anything else. Transparent.

[Capt. Debbie]

Funny. Sea Tow salvaged one of these in 2010. They were bass fishing off the SH #11 in 6 foot seas. No auto bilge pump. Took on water . Came off anchor with a full bilge and rolled it. I think it was fiberglas if I remember.

I think they were from PA.

Originally Posted by PA Angler Matt

Need advice...i just picked up a great river/lake fishing boat...mod V 17' Mon Ark alum side console with a 45hp mercury Jet outboard motor.

any thoughts or advice of running this jet motor in the bay on a calm day?

things to worry about with the motor?

thanks

[PA Angler Matt]

Thanks Capt Frank...i would only go to the raritan bay on a calm day...i know it can turn bad real quick..but i was just wondering. Thanks

[Capt. Debbie]

The guy who rolled it was out ALL day it was rolling 6's for hours. He ignored it. It was so rolly I had problems righting it. In fact despite the smaller size I ould not right it and broke a tow line

All you have to do is pay attention. It rarely ever goes from LT 1 foot to 5 footers in less than several hours. And the increased wind is a give away.

Many get tricky in a strong west wind and fish the lee of SH beach is calm water. It's still windy but the water has no fetch to build up iwave size. Then its an uncomfortable ride headed west home in a head seas. Not nessarily dangerous. But a prudent pounding at 10 knots or more.

Just pay attention to conditions around you and you will be fine. You're not going an hour offshore.

[Capt. Debbie]

Quickly? Depends. Changing in a few minutes? No.

As I said in my other email. Pay attention. You will see the change. It takes a while to change.

Even 50 knot winds in summer squalls happen so fast the seas do NOT have time to build and are quite small compared to what would happen in a big storm with that kind of wind strength.

Honestly some experience is good in smaller crap conditions. You learn boat handling for the bigger stuff. It will give you a taste so you're not freaked out when the real sh&t hits.

No one trusts a captain who is crying and screaming "why me god... why me" LMAO

Originally Posted by PA Angler Matt

Thanks Capt Frank...i would only go to the raritan bay on a calm day...i know it can turn bad real quick..but i was just wondering. Thanks

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Capt. Frank

No one trusts a captain who is crying and screaming "why me god... why me" LMAO

Isn't that the truth Same goes for your crew too...

Reminds me of the time I got caught out in some stuff running down from Sandy Hook to Shark River Inlet.. Had the wife and another couple with me. Everthing was fine when we left Sandy Hook but down around Deal the wind turned to the east and it got choppy and we started taking some water over the bow and once and a while, up over the top.

I'm taking it all in stride and know we are in no danger but the wife and her girlfriend are freaking out.... "OMG we are all doing to die etc !!"

After listening to them scream for what seemed to be enternity we are finally nearing the inlet and here is where it could potentially be a little more dicey and I needed to concentrate a little more...

I slow the boat down just enough to make way and said to them both " Listen.... We are in no danger and you are not going to die today. The 2 of you screaming is really distracting me, so if you want me to take us through the inlet, sit down, hang on and be quiet" Needlees to say they did and we made it through the inlet no problem.

Point is and as Frank mentioned above, you have to keep your cool. Calmer heads always make better decisions and the more experience you have, the calmer you are going to be.










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