Is This Boat a Good Choice?

[AngryBuoys]

Hi - My son and I are looking to get a boat, primarily for pleasure for next season. We live along the south shore of Eastern Long Island and would be using the boat in the Great South Bay and local bays and rivers. We would essentially be first time boaters, although we have had a little experience in the past. I have seen a 2004 Polaris Jet Boat for sale, model EX2100 with the Mercruiser 250 HP Optimax engine. I believe it is a 2 cycle with an oil pump. The boat would likely be moored during the season.
Considering that Polaris exited the jet boat business after just a couple of years, and this boat / motor combination, would this boat be worth buying for our needs? (or did they typically have problems?)
Has anyone had experience with Polaris boats and or the Optimax engine?
With the general conditions of the water in the Great South Bay, is a jet boat, even a 21 footer, a poor choice? The water is often chopping here but protected from the ocean by Fire Island.
Your thoughts and insight are very appreciated. We want to boat on a budget to see if this is right for us as a family before investing more money, and jet boats seem to offer less maintenance and costs than stern drives.
TY Bill

 

[SeaDooSam]

Here's my .02.
A) I have never heard of it but after I looked it up it looks very cool!
B) the only thing I have heard that is bad about the engine is sometimes the oil pumps go bad and cause the engine to seize.
C) jet boats are a great starter boat, that is what we started off with
D) I would not recommend a jet boat for the ocean. Others may beg to differ but jmho. This is because the salt sits in the engine as well as the jet pump and completely corrodes it. When it gets corroded, all the bolts start breaking and any maitenance or repairs become a huge headache.
E) that boat may not be great for the ocean due to deadrise. Our Seadoo jetboat rides rough in the big waves we get on the lake. We are talking 4ft waves at points. The whole front goes through the waves. So, if you want a comfortable, dry boat then look elsewhere.
Are you against a stern drive or outboard? What is your rough budget?

 

[Scott Danforth]

the polaris boat was a baja hull with polaris stickers on it. Polaris bought it just like a few other companies bought theirs when jet boats were the rage in the early 2000's. Polaris exited the jet boat market in September of 2004

would not recommend a jet boat in salt water for the above reasons.

 

[harleyman1975]

for rough choppy waters you will want something a little more substantial.

 

[Clever screen name]

Great South Bay and local bays and rivers. We would essentially be first time boaters,

Great south bay sandbars + first time boaters = Lots of running aground

I guess it would be cool.


Draft 14'' http://www.boattest.com/review/polaris/504_ex-2100

 

[Clever screen name]

I just googled 21 foot boat specs to get something to compare

• Draft - Stern Drive Down
  36" / 91 cm
  
  The Sea Ray SPX 210 you need 3 feet of water , The big plus on the jet boat is the shallow draft.
  
  
  I always liked the Sound better, stony brook, port jeff ,mount sinai , middle grounds ... had a 21 Mako and that thing could go out in almost anything.

Port Jeff Cove , the only part of LI I miss !!!!! FUN times in that place.

 

[SeaDooSam]

Great south bay sandbars + first time boaters = Lots of running aground

At least there isn't any stern drive to screw up LOL.

But all jokes aside, running aground in a jet can still be bad impeller, pump rebuild, etc

 

[Clever screen name]

At least there isn't any stern drive to screw up LOL.

But all jokes aside, running aground in a jet can still be bad impeller, pump rebuild, etc

You cant tilt up the motor and back off the bar either.


The thing I forgot is that today everyone has GPS , I was still thinking of back in the day when you actually had to figure out how to navigate.

 

[SeaDooSam]

Very true. One thing I do prefer about the stern drive is actual reverse. For example, needed to get the boat off the trailer (ramp was not steep enough) and just gave it some gas in reverse and got off the trailer. Never would have happened with a jet, ever. A jet has fake reverse lol. I love my navionics app.
I do prefer docking the jet though.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

You mention a budget. A large budget or a smaller budget? There is no such thing as a small budget boating. Weather Jet drive, stern drive, I/O or outboard they will all cost money if you break them or maintain them well. Now that I have been Mr. Party Pooper buy a Marine toy and try it and enjoy it. You will know after your first year if it's for you or not. I know guys that invested 50K in their first boat and were petrified to take it from the slip because it was too much boat and lost big bucks selling it the 2nd season, and vice versa. I have found asking others about whether a boat suits an individual is like asking "how long is a rope?" I have seen beautiful boats here worth many $$'s that you couldn't pay me to own because it's not my kind of boat for us.

edit: you ask if a 21 footer is a poor choice for the Atlantic Ocean? A 21 footer can be 20 feet too small for Lake Erie. It is all relative to conditions.

 

[jkust]

The newest jet boats, now that several manufacturers have entered the industry these last few years (Chaparral and some others), have cured a few of the things I don't like in jets. No true neutral has been mitigated, low speed steering has been corrected on Yamaha's at least. Of course Yamaha is the longevity winner in the industry. While jets have a shallower draft, they are still prone to sucking things up when you actually operate in very shallow water. They are toubted as shallow use but the reality is they don't work well in shallow water because they are a massive vacuum. The only thing that would draw me to a jet boat in your scenario is if it had twin engines to at least have a spare to get you home if one gave out while out. That Polaris in particular wouldn't make it on my list given I disdain 2 stroke jet engines for their extra noise and that it is obsolete. I don't like that jet boats can't be trimmed up or down while pwc's have had that ability for over a decade...some electronic and some manual.

 

[SeaDooSam]

I don't like that jet boats can't be trimmed up or down while pwc's have had that ability for over a decade...some electronic and some manual.

Actually, my '97 Seadoo challenger had a manual trim system. It didn't make as much of a difference as you would expect.

Nothing wrong with a single engine. The best way to do it is buy one that is in perfect condition, with a blown engine. That is what we did and after a pro rebuild the engine has been flawless so far after 2 seasons.(Rotax 951)

Jet boats are a great first boats and I highly recommend them. But if you want to go the ocean way, steer clear.

 

[AngryBuoys]

Thank you all for your very helpful advice! Our budget would be under $10,000 until we see if boating is a good fit for our family. We wouldn't really be on the ocean side of Fire Island, but in the Great South Bay side. (The photo above of Port Jeff Harbor on the north shore is beautiful!) Because the Great South Bay is very shallow in spots, I thought a jet boat might be a good fit. I am concerned about the salt water, and had really hoped to moor the boat, but we are lucky enough to have a public launching ramp and marina at the end of our street. Trailering is a definite option. I have also seen a 2002 Sea Doo Challenger 2000 with a Merc M2 jet engine for sale. Would this be any better because Sea Doo exited the jet boat business more recently, or is a jet just not the best for these waters?
Your suggestions are greatly appreciated!
TY Bill

 

[JoLin]

Somewhat depends on how far east you are. The stretch from Bellport to Lindenhurst gets pretty snotty almost every afternoon in the summer. We have a prevailing west wind that sweeps through the bay from end to end. Fire Island doesn't factor in as a wind block in most cases, uness the wind is straight out of the south. Couple a west (or east) wind with the shallow water, and you get choppy conditions that can pound your teeth out. East of Bellportand west of Lindenhurst things get calmer, because the bay narrows and there's more land to block the wind.

If you plan to boat in the open areas of the bay and want to go out anytime the sun is shining, look for something else. A 20+ footer is fine for the bay, but I advise a more seaworthy hull. If you like a bowrider 'style', something like this would be ideal. Any number o center consoles and walkaround cuddies would fit the bill, too.

http://longisland.craigslist.org/boa/5715621352.html
http://longisland.craigslist.org/bod/5790343116.html


My .02

 

[SeaDooSam]

A Seadoo hull usually isn't that great when it comes to chop. At least in my experience. I definitely recommend trailering if you go down the jet boat route. Just run some water through it after you are done.

You could get a navigation aid thing like an app or chart plotter for the shallow issue.
For 10k you should be able to buy a pretty nice sterndrive bowrider. Look on CL

 

[jkust]

Actually, my '97 Seadoo challenger had a manual trim system. It didn't make as much of a difference as you would expect.

Nothing wrong with a single engine. The best way to do it is buy one that is in perfect condition, with a blown engine. That is what we did and after a pro rebuild the engine has been flawless so far after 2 seasons.(Rotax 951)

Jet boats are a great first boats and I highly recommend them. But if you want to go the ocean way, steer clear.

I like jet engines...my waverunner is the most fun you can have with your pants on. So much fun, I can't believe some administration hasn't outlawed them. If I had more kids, I'd name them yamaha and supercharger...so a huge jet fan.
The thing is, the OP is in big water so he doesn't float to one side of a lake and deal with it. One of my neighbors at my lake house has a single Sea Doo jet boat. It couldn't be more trouble prone if you purposely tried to break it. It's a two stroke and my love for jets ends right about with his boat. A jet boat would come after my I/O bowrider, my 200hp aluminum fishing boat, my 300hp pontoon, my paddle boat, my canoe, the floatables tied to our dock and those little things kids blow up and use as swimming aids.

 

[SeaDooSam]

I like jet engines...my waverunner is the most fun you can have with your pants on. So much fun, I can't believe some administration hasn't outlawed them. If I had more kids, I'd name them yamaha and supercharger...so a huge jet fan.
The thing is, the OP is in big water so he doesn't float to one side of a lake and deal with it. One of my neighbors at my lake house has a single Sea Doo jet boat. It couldn't be more trouble prone if you purposely tried to break it. It's a two stroke.

It must be the way he treats it. If you do the preventative maitenance then it will work. Only thing over the course of 2 full seasons I changed in our single 951 is spark plugs.

I see what you are saying though. the jet boats require a person that is handy

 

[jkust]

It must be the way he treats it. If you do the preventative maitenance then it will work. Only thing over the course of 2 full seasons I changed in our single 951 is spark plugs.

I see what you are saying though. the jet boats require a person that is handy

To be fair, they bought it for their teenage son so they didn't have to worry about him having a prop on his boat. Of course it was broken so much, it didn't get that much use anyway. It surprises me how many people, not enthusiast iboats type, skip the preventative stuff like they do on their cars. My thought is if I was broken down on the water because I skipped something, how much I would wish I just did the preventative when I had the chance.

 

[SeaDooSam]

To be fair, they bought it for their teenage son so they didn't have to worry about him having a prop on his boat. Of course it was broken so much, it didn't get that much use anyway. It surprises me how many people, not enthusiast iboats type, skip the preventative stuff like they do on their cars. My thought is if I was broken down on the water because I skipped something, how much I would wish I just did the preventative when I had the chance.

That would do it. I have no idea why some people skip preventative maitenance. The Seadoo engines are very picky. They need their maitenance!

 

[AngryBuoys]

Thanks again for the follow up. I actually looked at that listing of the Aqua Sport in East Quogue this morning on Craig's List! Have a nice day!
TY Bill