# Build a jet boat



## JohnT (May 9, 2011)

Well I've been kicking this around for some time , I was looking to build a jet boat out of a 16x48 or a 14x48 Alumacraft . Can anybody give some insite on this ? 

Like the 16x48 I was looking at running a 50 /35 jet ? 
Or the 14x48 I was looking a 35 / 20 jet ? Or maybe a 40 hp / jet ?
I'm just sure if I would be better off to go up to a bigger boat and motor or just start out with something a 14x48 and build the motor to get the max horse power out of it . Thanks JT


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## willfishforfood (May 9, 2011)

Go big or go home. Just kidding. I have a 16' V with 50/35 Yamaha and it does fine with two in the boat.


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## JohnT (May 9, 2011)

Please explain v , Do you mean modifed V hull or just a v hull . 

Well I spoke to a fellow today and he had a 14x48 with a 30 hp jet on it , that he is selling because with 2 guys it does fine , when you add a 3rd guy it just don't work that good . That's why I was asking the question about going to a 16 x48 or something close to that and throwing a bigger motor at . It always goes back to more weight , more speed , more motor , A LOT MORE Money!!!! 
I'm just trying to get my biggest bang for my buck .


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## willfishforfood (May 10, 2011)

Mod V . I'm looking for a pict but think it was on my old PC.


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 10, 2011)

I'd get a 40hp at least. Johnson/Evinrude OMC are great motors with the jet pumps. Yamahas don't do bad either, small mercs are dissapointing with a jet. 16'48" vs 14'48"? That's your call, wouldn't bother me to put a 40hp on either of them. I'd probably go with the 16'.


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## JohnT (May 10, 2011)

I was speaking to outboard jet corp, they said that I could get away with running a 50 hp on a 16x48 , And still be within horsepower limit of the boat with a jet because you lose about 30% of your horsepower with there jet . Do you know if 40 hp would put in a good around power range or would it be better to go to the 50hp ?


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 10, 2011)

For the most part the 40hp and 50hp motors are the same motors but they have diffrent carbs on them. Easy swap only 4 nuts. I done it enough I could do it with my eyes closed. It only makes about a 1mph diffrence when your by yourself but it will help haul a load alot better. I buy which every one is the better deal and if it is the 40hp buy a set of 50hp carbs on ebay. If you want a 40hp or a 50hp I'd buy a 1990-up johnson/Evinrude OMC 2 cylinder. They're a 45 cubic inch motor you can buy them with internal tilt trim, which I thinks a must for an outboard jet. I've seen these motors run on boat like 17' 52" with 3-4 people and they still plane out. They're a dime a dozen, easy to work on and parts are cheap and easy to find. Try to find a short shaft so you'll only need the 22" transom. 
Don't worry about over powering either of these boats. You can't do it with a 60hp let alone a 40hp, 50hp. We run highly modded 60hp johnsons on 16'48" around here with no problems. let me know if you have anymore questions.


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## JohnT (May 10, 2011)

16x48 It is , Now is it better to have the steering console center , or side or does it really matter ? And do you want to be in the middle of the boat front to rear ? I already thought that I would put my trolling motor battery up front , maybe a small live well in the center ? Is there any place I could see some different ideas of lay -outs ? I've search through here and found a few just asking is there any better lay-outs vs bad lay-outs ?


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 10, 2011)

Side console in the back. Keep your weight towards the back and you'll have better top end speed. But to much wieght in the back and they're a bear to plain out.
Personally if I was settin up a boat to fish out of I would have a 48" deck witha 15" extension that flips up, a removable pedestal seat in the center. I'd have a bench across the back with two live wells/box in front of the beches with your seats mounted on them. You might put a flip up lid on the bench for some storage. You can buy consoles with a storage boxs built in infront of them.


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## moelkhuntr (May 10, 2011)

I think Lil Blue Rude is trying to describe something like mine. Mine is a 17/52 but 16/48 will work. This is only 1 layout.


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## semojetman (May 10, 2011)

I run a 90 yamerhamer on my 1648. It plains out with 3 to 4 adults in about 50 yds from a dead stop. We've modded it up to about 110 horse but havent had it in the water yet. I think a 60/40 would be a good reasonable motor for you.

I have heard several times that anything smaller than a 50 with a jet on it is a pooch.


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 11, 2011)

Yep, moelkhunter's boat is about the setup I was talking about. It's a nice setup for fishing and boat riding. It wouldn't be a real heavy boat.
As for anything smaller then a 50hp being a pooch, I'll disagree. I'd bet money I got a 40hp evinrude your 110hp Yamahamer won't come close to touching :mrgreen: Your right the 60/40 would have some more power but on a 16' 48" setup to fish the 40hp wouldn't be a bad motor, 40hp would be better on gas and it wouldn't be that big of a performance diffrence. Either way I'd stick to omc or yamaha. If you go for the 3 cylinder omc make sure to get the 56cu in motor because the49 cu in are dogs with a jet pump. the 56cu where made from 86-01.


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## JohnT (May 11, 2011)

Cool jet , I really do like the set-up . I'm was just trying to get my ducks in a row too start this build off on the right foot . I'm a Omc fan for sure I've had them on fishing boats for at least 10 years now and not once has one of them left me stranded on the water anywhere . I have a 30 hp Omc right now I'll see if I can use this for some trading material . Or to put toward a 40hp or bigger motor . 


This is an off the wall question , How do you find out if you are aloud to a jet on a stream or river ? Are there any streams or rivers where you live that you are not aloud to have a jet boat on?


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 11, 2011)

We can run about anywhere here in Misourri, we have some hp limit on some parts. 40hp some places and 25hp in others. For the most parts if we can get a boat in we can run it. You might check your local laws.


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## Ranchero50 (May 11, 2011)

John, where are you going to run? Around here about the only limit is water depth. I think the whole Potomac is speed limited to 35mph or so but the DNR don't run jet boats

Jamie


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## JohnT (May 11, 2011)

I was checking today with WV Dnr and they was going to send a booklet with river and streams that I was aloud to run a jet on . One river that I was looking to run is the New River in southern Wv . I have a buddy that lives out around Harrisburg Pa , which is the Susguehanna River , Plus local lake and rivers like Ohio . I know I don't need a jet for the big O .


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## Scottinva (May 12, 2011)

If you are going to be fishing the New or especially the Susquehanna, you may want to consider getting a hull with at least a 1/8 bottom. For those rivers I would also recommend some type of forward console so you can see the rocks and ledges. You can tear a boat up real quick on those rivers. 

Scott


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## JohnT (May 12, 2011)

Let see some pictures , do you have forward controls in your boats ? That may be a really good idea . Do you run these river on a regular bases? I was trying to find out if there any more then 1 boat launch on the New ( Thurman was the only DNR could think of ) .


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## Scottinva (May 12, 2011)

Go to Jamesriverjets.com Snyderboats.com or Rockproofboats.com to see a variety of forward consoles or forward stick steer boats. I believe G3 makes a 18' center console boat that was designed by one of the dealers on the Susquehanna for the Susquehanna. You could look at that too. Mine is just a standard stand up forward center console. I drive standing up. I used to run the Susky all the time but now live in Virginia and run the James and New in Virginia.

Scott


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## JohnT (May 13, 2011)

Is it better to buy a motor with a jet already on it from the factory or if I would find and a motor an add a jet to it ? Would it have better performance or about the same . I have never been around a jet to know , I have looked through some of the other threads and seen where some of the guys want only factory built motor and others just add a jet to there own motor . Got any insite on this ? 

Hey do any of you guys run sponson on the back of your boat ?


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 13, 2011)

Don't think it makes a diffrence either way. a factory jet motor isn't going to run any diffrent then a prop motor that's been converted to a jet. You might have to do a little bit of modifing to a prop motor depending on the model of motor you go with but it isn't anything big, probably just drill a hole or 2.
No one around here runs sponsons that I know of. For the most part around here if it doesn't help performance you won't see it on our boats.


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## JohnT (May 14, 2011)

Well just when you think you got your ducks in a row , One steps out . I got my information from WV DNR , they are telling me that I'm only aloud to run a motor that is rate for the boat . Like I whats on the motor tag ,( like on a 16x48 jon is only rated for a 30hp ) how do I beat this or is there a law out there that trumps this ? 

I'm sorry for all these crazy question , But if you don't know what's guy to do !


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 14, 2011)

Order a 16' 48" blazer and you wil be at least legal for 40hp. You can probably get them beefed up even more with long gussets or something like that. Buy a motor titled for as 40hp and then you put 50hp carbs on it and no one will know any better that it's a 50hp.


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## JohnT (May 14, 2011)

But will they cut you a break , Because you loose 30% of your horsepower through a jet ? Or does it matter ? 

How much does a Blazer 16x48 weight ?Is this a hand built boat ? Can you buy just the boat and build it yourself , like a jon boat ? 

That really sucks with DNR rules . :x


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 15, 2011)

I don't know if they will or not. We have a 40hp limit on the Current river and we can run a 60hp with a jet becase it's 40hp at the pump. We don't deal with the boat hp limit though, or atleast they haven't been checking. 
Blazer makes some of the best boats for outboardjets. I love mine and I probably won't own anything but a blazer. There a solid .080 gauge all welded boat. You can order them about any way you want and I'm sure they're one of the lightest all welded boat besides an exterminator gt but they're more of a race/ riding boat then a fishing boat. Blazer offers a couple diffrent models like the blazer which is a straight rake boat, the blazer sport which has a little bit of a raised rake and the blazer ss which has more odf a raised rake. Like I said you can order them any way you want, I ordered mine witha 48" deck, bench seat , long gussets an a all aluminium transom. You can even buy them polished now. The blazer sport would probbly be a good boat for what you want. Get the alumnium transom, it cost about a hundred more but it save 30lb-40lbs and it won't rot like wood. if your wondering about the raised rake it is lik moelkhuner's boat. Check out there site www.blazerjetboats.com
I own a 16'42" Blazer SS witha a 40/28 evinrude on it and 3 people could pick it up pretty easy, I think 2 could pic it up if they had to.
The rules suck but that's why we got to figure out a way to get around them. :mrgreen:


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## JohnT (May 15, 2011)

Well , thats what I started doing yesterday , I found a war eagle boats make a couple 15 an 16 footers that has a 40 hp rating on them ,that weight is under 400lbs , the only reason I'm trying to find a boat in that range is so I can keep the performance of the jet at it optimum . I ask for a brochure to be sent to me . I thought if I could find one or I'll check out the Blazer line of boat and see how I can beat the system . 

Where there a will theres a way !


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 15, 2011)

I'd come real close to betting a blazer will perform alot better then a war eagle. We run 2 boats around here. Blazers and exterminators, if it's anything but those 2 brands you can bet it won't run 40mph. ( I'm talking about the end of the river that has the 40hp limit.) You can look at some other boats on www.jetdoctor.net


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## Scottinva (May 16, 2011)

For what its worth, if you are running 40 mph in a .080 hull on the Susquehanna during the summer, you will be shopping for a new hull again in a few months.

Scott


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 16, 2011)

Probably not gonna get 40mph out of the stock 40hp but those are the hulls we use to do it, second maybe you guys need some driving lessons. :lol:


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## RPjet (May 16, 2011)

Lil' Blue.....no disrespect but you obviously don't know much about the rivers on the Eastern side of the US. What may work for you on the Midwestern rivers won't cut it on our rivers out here. There is a reason there are manufacturers making boats out of .125 and .190 aluminum and bolting on up to 3/4" UHMW. They are built this way to survive! This area will eat anything less than .100 with regularity, thus you don't see any Blazers and other thin skinned boats that can survive an impact with the famous Susquehanna "ledges".

And as far as the comment about the driving styles.....I would put any seasoned river runner from any of the area rivers up against the best from the Midwest. These guys know how to read the river....they have to if they want to make their boat survive!



I am off the soap box for now.



Dave


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 16, 2011)

I've seen pic of the rivers you guys run and I'll say you guy do have some bad spots. Still think it could be run if you had a good driver with a light boat that could turn on a dime. meant that as a joke more so then anything, JohnT been asking about a lighter boats to keep good perfromance from his jet so I was telling him about the best perfomance hulls made for jets. As for your .125 .190 alumnium boats not everyone can afford to buy one of those and then buy the motor it's gonna take to push that hunk of lead.


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## Scottinva (May 16, 2011)

It just depends on what you are looking for out of the hunk of lead. If you want speed - which is obvious you do - then it is an issue. If you want to fish a river in a boat and not have to worry about your hull, then you can get a heavier boat with a 60/40 motor or less. It may only run 25 mph, but you will not be at the shop having your boat welded either. Our boats are not built for speed. We fish out of our boats. You may run the big motor only 30 minutes a day.

Scott


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## Lil' Blue Rude (May 16, 2011)

Yep you got me, I'm a speed freak. :mrgreen: Like I said JohnT was asking about a boat that would keep some performance with the jets the reason I was talking about the blazers.


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## JohnT (May 16, 2011)

You guys make some very good points . And that's what I was talking about , If you add weight of the boat you need to add more hp to go with it . I'm not afraid of tearing up a boat , I'll bring it home I can weld it back together , not a biggie for me . Anyways , I'm just trying to beat the horsepower limits and get out on the rivers and streams to fish , and by the way I also run white water in my kayak and fish from there on the Yough . But a pain in the but if your trying paddle back up a section if you missed a really good hole . 

With all this being said could you not add some aluminum to areas that likely to have any damage occur to them ahead of time ? Just asking ?


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## Ranchero50 (May 19, 2011)

Speed is pretty pointless around here, HP is used to dodge the demons. At low flow the ridges and big rocks don't show up by ripples so you need to be able to see them. Forward console and shallow draft.

Check out my 'Thank God for plastic worms' videos on Youtube of a 20mph hit when I didn't even see the dang thing that got me.

Locally I don't know of too many spots to really run hard for long unless you _know_ exactly where to run. Of course the old timers don't need a jet, just a 5hp tiller on a ten foot jon boat...

Jamie


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## JohnT (May 20, 2011)

I have watched all your videos ,Jamie . And many more , Way cool ! Just riding on the river . Well I found a boat company that fit my needs . Alweld makes a couple different boats a 14x48 with a 40 hp rating and a 16x48 with a 50 hp rating . =D> Now I can work within the state laws and have a good time . I think that 14x48 would be a one hell of a ride with a 40 hp on it . But I'm probably going to go with the 16x48 or a 15x52 . I can't wait


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## Ranchero50 (May 20, 2011)

A 1448 should be a good fit. Mine fishes two comfortably but isn't as much fun with 3 in it. I think the bare hulls are all around 650-700lbs. My hull is rated at 25hp with a tiller outboard. If you read the CG boat builder manuals the rating is higher if you run a console since thw eight distribution is better (less likely to get backwash swamped if you stop suddenly).

Jamie


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## JohnT (May 22, 2011)

I was think long and hard about the 14x48 because it's just me and my son most of time and wife don't fish she just rides along and reads a book in the back of boat . 
I couldn't believe that it was rated for , when most of the boats that size are only rated for 25 hp . I don't sounds likea good deal either way . 
Jamie what kind of Litho press is that in your pictures ?


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## Ranchero50 (May 22, 2011)

Totally OT but... It's a panoramic pic of one of the big 12 color Cerutti's during the install someone took. 108" wide web, gravure process, 3000ft/min. Vertical folders on the left, electronics in the mezz on the right, robotic print cylinder delivery in front. This one is was the backup manufacturing horsepower behind National Geographic magazine and one of the job we do that I'm really proud of. Newpaper flyers on the other hand...







Jamie


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## JohnT (May 22, 2011)

Very Nice ,I would love to see that puppy run . We don't have anything that big we run on a Harris press and a couple of Hoes , the company looking to buy a new White Star . We Litho on steel , we do a lot of work for Bumble Bee , and a lot of private labels .


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## reedjj (May 25, 2011)

I love your idea! 

I have also been wanting a jet for a loooong time. I have been kicking around the idea of a 1648 tracker grizzly (rated for 50hp max) rigged with a center console from www.akmccallum.com with a Yamaha 4 stroke 60/40 jet.

I would like to get a hold of a new tohatsu MD35 JET. Its a 3cyl 50hp power head with 35hp at the pump. It only weighs 197 lbs. Thats less than the Merc 25/20 4 stroke jet. I would think it's power to weight would provide more speed than the heavier and only 5 more ponies of the 4 stroke 60/40 yamaha????

Of course the guys on here really like the OMC's that Lil Blue Rude mentioned. They are impossible to find where I live though.


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## reedjj (May 25, 2011)

JohnT said:


> I was think long and hard about the 14x48 because it's just me and my son most of time and wife don't fish she just rides along and reads a book in the back of boat .
> I couldn't believe that it was rated for , when most of the boats that size are only rated for 25 hp . I don't sounds likea good deal either way .
> Jamie what kind of Litho press is that in your pictures ?



I kicked around the idea of a Merc 40/30 jet on a Tracker Grizzley 1448 rigged with a CC. Now that would be fun!

The tracker is rated for a 25hp but with a console it "SHOULD" be higher. They don't say so on thier webisite though!


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## reedjj (May 25, 2011)

JohnT said:


> I have watched all your videos ,Jamie . And many more , Way cool ! Just riding on the river . Well I found a boat company that fit my needs . Alweld makes a couple different boats a 14x48 with a 40 hp rating and a 16x48 with a 50 hp rating . =D> Now I can work within the state laws and have a good time . I think that 14x48 would be a one hell of a ride with a 40 hp on it . But I'm probably going to go with the 16x48 or a 15x52 . I can't wait



The 1552 is so awesome!




Here is a shot of the 1448 with no center seat rated for 40hp. 60/40 jet !


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## JohnT (May 26, 2011)

Now thats what I'm talking , That boat is very nice ! That is my perfect boat for me , handle a 40hp to 50 hp haul a couple buddys and your set , get max performance for a reasonable price . :wink: And you don't have to refinance the house to have one ,it you know what I mean .
All and by the way Alweld boats have .100 thick floor on there boats that I've been looking at . Sounds like a good quality boat to me .


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## hotshotinn (May 26, 2011)

That would be a nice strong compact unit for sure and would be a good runner with a 60/40 or one of those new Tohatsu 50/35s on there.Looking at 6 thousand plus for them motors though #-o


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