Can you pump a Jersey Speed Skiff ?

By this I mean can you run an inboard jet with the engine forward of the drivers cockpit ? Are there issues with weight distribution and feeding the intake ? This arrangement would make possible running a small block in a 16 ft. boat that would maintain a decent static draft, and go like hell in shallow river conditions.

 

Let me re-phrase my question. I am not advocating putting a jet drive on a boat that obviously spends all its time running on its prop and turns at a 45 degree angle on its chine, perhaps a crackerbox speedboat would have been a better example. My question is can the engine be moved forward significantly or does the weight have to be concentrated over the intake ?

 

early jets had the engine well forward with a long driveshaft. When Hamilton jet went to the axial flow multi-stage jets they'd keep the 'stages' inside the boat and maintain the transom seal over the tail peice.

What sort of shallow water dwl are you after? We build a 15'5" boat with an American Turbine and ZZ4 SBC, has a dwl of about 16"

 

Dick,

You mentioned it and here it is.

https://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=207

Pericles

 

Thanks for your replies. It occured to me that all the jets with V8's in the P.N.W. are of the same arrangement roughly 20-24 ft.(to support the weight aft) with the engine at the transom. They are all fishing platforms. On further investigation, I found a Duckworth with an integral center console/ engine box "for better balance". The Crackerbox speedboats are shaft/prop.That being said, it is conceivable to build a 16 ft.boat with a mid ship V8 engine, a long drive shaft ( possibly steady brg'd and definitely with a scatter shield) that would maintain a level (balanced) draft? Drivers cockpit aft and forward of powerplant. Not much of a fishing boat, but a lot of fun. Are there any examples of such a hot rod jet? "Speedboat",what power does your 15' 5" use?

Regards.

 

We've powered ours with everything from 3.8l V6 Buick engines, Chev Vortec engines, and Chev LS2 and LS364's, coupled to either Hamilton HJ212's, Scott Jet SDM 200 and 600's, and American Turbine SD309's.

 

It seems there are'nt a lot of lightweight alternatives for smaller jet boats. The 200 Merc. sportjet comes to mind. I also understand that Yamaha has teamed up with Harbercraft and produced a 17 ft. boat called J-Max utilising the 160 hp MR-1 alumnum four stroke powerplant. This is their jetski/ snowmobile powerplant? Does anyone have info on the availability of this drive? It would seem you cant just buy one of these in the crate ( like the sportjet) they wont just sell them to anyone. I suppose you have to be a major manufacturer to have access to these products.

 

The yamaha f115 (80 hp) outboard jetdrive sells for $13965.00 msrp. The 2008 vx waverunner sells for $9995.00 msrp with the MR-1 160 hp 4 stroke jet drive. Somebody get me the skillsaw.