Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

[pbolden]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to boating. I had my heart set on a Seadoo Islandia until I learned that jet boats can't be dock seasonally at a marina which is a must for me.

I know that deck boats with an O/B can but is there any problem with seasonal docking of a sterndrive (I/O) deck boat i.e Tahoe, Hurricane, Starcraft, etc?

FYI, This boat will be on the Great Lakes, primarily Erie.

BTW, I know that there are floats and lifts available for jet boats however these are not an option in my case.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[rbh]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

Paul welcome to I boats-
the biggest thing you have to worry about is the ice, so leaving the boat or whatever you decide on, in the water when it freezes up is not a good thing.

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

Nothing wrong with a o/b. My Hurricane is o/b, and I love it.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

Docking "seasonally" I presume you mean not in the winter months.
Where did the "no seasonal docking" come from ??
The owners manual ???
So that aqua critters do not take up residence inside the pump and jet components ??

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

What will be the primary use?
Just driving around, fishing, tubing and ski ing behind it?

 

[tkrfxr]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

I'm new to boating. I had my heart set on a Seadoo Islandia until I learned that jet boats can't be dock seasonally at a marina which is a must for me.

I know that deck boats with an O/B can but is there any problem with seasonal docking of a sterndrive (I/O) deck boat i.e Tahoe, Hurricane, Starcraft, etc?
FYI, This boat will be on the Great Lakes, primarily Erie.
BTW, I know that there are floats and lifts available for jet boats however these are not an option in my case.
Thanks,
Paul

This is a great forum. Look around the various forums dedicated to each type of boat, and you may get a better feel for what you can handle...

See if anyone has jet boats out there...There certainly are lots of outboard and sterndrive owners here.

Good luck!

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

If by "seasonal docking", you mean leaving the boat in the water all summer. O/B and I/Os should be just fine. Honestly, I'm not sure why it wouldn't be ok with the Sea Doo. There are no boats that are safe to leave in the water year round where ice is a concern.

 

[pbolden]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

Hello Everyone,

Seasonal docking = April to Oct. I'll be using the boat for swimming off of and travel between the various Islands.

I have a preference for a I/O drive but was concerned about marine growth on an engine that can't be tilted out of the water like an O/B if docked for the summer.

As far as jet boats and seasonal docking being a no-no. Marine grow is deadly for their engines also they use a wet seal (Seadoos have 2) which uses the water to cool the engine. If docked for any prolonged period of time, enough seepage may occur that you may find your boat on the bottom of the lake. Seadoo recommends docking for no longer than a couple of days max.

I spent a lot of time researching jet boats before this rather obscure fact came to light. Now I'm having to start all over. If anyone has a recommendation (pro or con) on an I/O drive deck boat it would be most humbly appreciated.

Thanks for everyone's time,
Paul

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

In fresh water there is no reason you can't keep an I/O docked for extended periods. Algae is about all that will grow on it (of course zebra muscles are now a concern also) in normal conditions. The real fear with an I/O is the bellows. You need to check your bellows frequently as they are all that keeps an I/O from the bottom of the lake. These are the rubber boots that allow the exhaust, driveshaft and shift cable to get from inside the boat out to the outdrive. The driveshaft bellows are the most critical of the 3. There is also the seal around the gimbal housing where it is attaches to the transom of the boat. There are many, many boats with I/Os that stay in the water all the time.

An outboard does have advantages. Being able to get them completely out of the water is one. Not haveing a huge hole in the transom that could potentially sink your boat is another. Also, you don't have to be as concerned with freezing weather because an outboard is self draining so water won't freeze in the block and crack it.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

seadoo jet boats use a carbon seal, and although it does seep a little water, if it is adjusted correctly there should be next to nothing dripping when it is just docked. You should have an auto bilge pump that will take care of it. Jetboats using a Sportjet power system don't have this issue, and I'm guessing neither do the yamaha power systems.

I know of several seadoo jet boats that are kept in a marina all summer long, nothing bad has happened yet. (other than having to pull one off a sandbar last year, that islandia draws more water than he thought it did!)

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

auto bilge pump and onboard charger left plugged in is cheap ins.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

really keep an eye on the zebras. once the get hold, they will plug up any motor or drive.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

Vebras effect all if left in the water, hull, motors, etc.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

Go out board

 

[pbolden]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

Thanks for all the great advice guys. I have just a couple of additional questions to post.

Thanks again everyone,
Paul

 

[woodee148]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

Thanks for all the great advice guys. I have just a couple of additional questions to post.

Thanks again everyone,
Paul

Wow! those are my kind of questions!

 

[woodee148]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

IMHO, i like the sterndrive because of the extra room at the back + the nice big swim platform. i also like the look of it. the only disadvantage to me has been the trips to Florida when i can't lift my drive out of the water for protection.

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: Sterndrive or Outboard deck boat?

How bout this....solves all yer problems!