Outboard motor on 3 place PWC?

[gears80]

Is this a bad, silly or a waste of time idea? I bought a gutted sea-doo hull with this in mind:
http://www.svensons.com/boat/?p=Mech...rated/Aquarail
The idea is to free up interior area for stuff and maybe better mpg. I was thinking of maybe a 40 hp johnson on a 9 foot vee hull. Thanks for any input.

[marshmat]

Hi gears80,

One of the main reasons for using jet pumps on these craft is that the operator tends to fall overboard with alarming regularity. A jet has no external moving parts and is thus less likely to cause serious injury if you fall off.

APBA Stock Outboard racers are not much larger than what you're looking at, but are lighter. When racing, their drivers wear Kevlar-lined safety clothing so that they do not lose limbs to the propeller if they crash. Serious crashes are not common, but there have been a few occasions where the Kevlar gear has prevented serious injury.

Any sit-on-top craft is vulnerable to this kind of situation, and you should give serious thought to whether there is any possibility that someone falling overboard could contact the propeller.

If you're after space to carry stuff and decent fuel economy, then unfortunately I don't think you have the right hull. Jet ski hulls are designed to slam through waves at strange angles and high speeds. They aren't much good for carrying loads any larger than the weight of the empty craft and its crew, and are among the least fuel efficient hull forms out there for their size.