I have a few options in front of me for a upcoming purchase. My
previous boat was a large tri-hull deck boat with a 235 Evinrude
outboard. I am looking at either a '92 Maxxim open bow runabout for
$8000 (4 cycle 4.3L i/o), a 2000 Yamaha LST 1200 for $10000 (2 cycle
twin engine jet drive), or a 2002 Seadoo Challenger 2000 for $15000 (2
cycle single engine jet drive). Hours condition of all is unknown,
although they all look well taken care of for their age. I will use it
in a fresh water river reserviour which is somewhat narrow (compared to
a big open lake), but can get choppy when its crowded. Its in a dock
during the summer if that makes any difference. I mostly ski, tube,
swim, and such. No fishing. I sometimes entertain big crowds, but its
usually 3-5 people. Fuel economy is obviously a factor nowadays
($2.86/gal last weekend).

My experiance is only with the big outboard and my Superjet jet-ski, so
I am looking for some advice from those who might know more about this.
I do not have a good gut feel for all the factors involved. Can some
of the experts on this group give me some insight.

BTW, I need to make a decision in a week or so.

Thanks
Paul