"HLAviation" wrote in message
ink.net...
Jet's are simple and straight forward. Avoid extreme shallow water
operations as you'll suck up sand and what not and ruin the impellor. The
stability is a factor of the hull form, not the drive.

wrote in message
...
Due to my requirements of shallow draft, light weight and relatively
plush interior, I find myself looking into jet boats as a likely
purchase. My questions are as follows:

Does "jet boat" mean "jet drive" and what exactly does jet drive mean?

Is a jet drive fairly straightforward in maintainability? Can marine
mechanics in a podunk Florida fishing village work on these?

Living on a large sound in the Gulf, just how much wave action can
this boat take before it becomes unsafe?

Thanks in advance for any knowledge you have of this. It is MUCH
appreciated.

Don





Shallow and sand does not destroy the impeller depending on the pump. The
Kodiak and Hamilton pumps are all stainless impellers. You may eat up the
cutlass bearings with sand flow. As to repair on these pumps, is very easy.
But the problem for you may be the cost of the boats. The top aluminum
river (about 2" draft at speed) and the deeper vee models (about 8" draft
and 12" of draft at anchor) are the $35-45K price for them. Look at Boice
jets and Willy boats and Alumaweld boats.
Bill