Jet drive for sailboats?

Just reading through this forum and the thought struck me,(as thoughts are prone to do on occasion) has anyone done any work on using jet drives in sailboats? Props are a major source of neurosis to sailers what with drag when not turning and lack of efficiency when reversing just behind a fat, square ended keel. I know jets suffer efficiency at lower flow rates but for a 7 or 8 knot displacement hull who is to worry. There could be some sort of vectored thrust discharge flush to the hull to offer docking manovering or even reverse without intrusion into the flow. Any thoughts?

 

If I remember right, Ray Thayer's Open 60ft boat designed by Ted Brewer had a water jet. I watched him doing trials in Anacortes harbour about 12 years ago.

 

My problem with this, is wouldn't the intake itself be drag. The water running up through the drive while sailing, could be more than that of a folding prop. Also there's the low speed inefficiency issue, but if the drag was completely eliminated all together, than maybe this could have application.

Perhaps an intake door would work. Something like bomb bay doors, that would actually act as channels when opened, pretty simple actually. Again though the added cost of the drive and doors might outweigh the drag reduction, but then some people have that kind of money.

I would also see a problem with low speed maneuvering, as you suggested, but maybe todays computerized control systems, overcome basic slow speed jet drive maneuvering issues, which I'm sure Ted Brewer could manage.

Unless the doors are useless or unnecessary I might have stumbled on something.