Alaska Jet Ranger Inflatable

[thepitchedlink]

Anyone use one? want one? know where there is one? Seems like a great little unit, but very pricey for something that won't get used that much. how much better can one of these be instead of buying a new SeaBright and having the floor re-enforced with another layer of hypalon... Anyone else run up rivers here in an inflatable? While the outboard jet is cool, I really think a prop with a bit of common sense could get you up alot of places as well

I'd post a link, but don't know how!!!
search "alaska jet ranger " and you'll get their site

thanks

[Foxtail]

We have a couple of inflatables. A really old 12 foot zodiak from before they were zodiak with a new aluminum hull on it. And a newer 14 foot soft bottom. My brother has taken them both up some very skinny water. With the 20hp Honda 4stroke he took the 14' from fort Langley, up the Fraser to the vedder and up the vedder all the way to the train bridge with him, his wife and their 2 kids. Him and a buddy took it up that stream in coquitlam until they hit gravel and had to carry it...

[albravo2]

I did a ton of research on this topic a year ago. There is one member on here with one but I can't remember his name. He posted a great thread on a sheep hunt up the Tuchodi in 2013 with pics of the boat if you want to search.

The Jet ranger is too narrow. His other boats are awesome, but also very expensive. They are bombproof.

There is also a guy based in Edmonton that sells a very similar boat. Zebec, if memory serves. They are so similar I suspect they are made at the same factory in Korea.

After much contemplation I bought a 13 ft JP Marine from Inlet Marine, a sponsor on this site. They have been absolutely excellent to deal with. I am having a small leak issue right now but it wouldn't stop me from buying another. 6 separate bladders, Hypalon material, tons of D rings, aluminum floor and a good thick bottom.

It is a bit smaller than I thought it would be. Three guys plus gear would be absolute max. But it fits nicely onto the back of my truck and I can even get it onto the Rhino if I ever decide to.

After a trip up the Tuchodi in a proper jet boat with an excellent pilot I decided against going after really skinny water with an outboard and an inflatable. I now have a 30hp prop that is working beautifully for the ocean and some rivers around Squamish.

[Buck]

I think the Guy 's name is Gathto regarding the Alaska series inflatables

[albravo2]

^yup. Better memory than me.

[Sunzuki]

Thinking about purchasing a jet leg for my 30 Yamaha and 14' Lund.
The outfit down south figure the 30 hp may be a bit small for using on this set up.
They recommended a 40 hp.
Not many folk around with this set up.
What's your opinion?
Boat, motor, couple tanks, two/three of us and gear going up river hunting.
Full load on the way back would be on idle anyways.

[RiverRunner]

On idle means practically no control.... Jets need decent thrust to be effective and maneuverable. Plus if you ran skinny water on the way up.... Still skinny on the wa back down.

[albravo2]

Thinking about purchasing a jet leg for my 30 Yamaha and 14' Lund.
The outfit down south figure the 30 hp may be a bit small for using on this set up.
They recommended a 40 hp.
Not many folk around with this set up.
What's your opinion?
Boat, motor, couple tanks, two/three of us and gear going up river hunting.
Full load on the way back would be on idle anyways.
I think it is probably fair to say if the river is calm enough to go downhill on idle it is probably calm and deep enough to go uphill with your 30 prop. You only need a jet for skinny (fast) water and you'll want to be on a plane, fully powered up to back down through skinny water.

I just went down from a 40 to 30 and the power drop was quite remarkable. I wouldn't think a 30 with a jet (call that a 23hp) would push a boat with three guys very far up a fast river.

[fuzzybiscuit]

I've got a 1448 Jon boat with a 25hp Mercury Sea Pro 2-stroke that has been bumped up to 30hp. It has around 21hp at the pump and pushes the Jon fine with 2 guys and their gear for a days hunt. The 25hp 2-stroke has more get up and go than a 25hp 4-stroke and is around 50 pounds lighter which is a lot when it's hanging off the transom.

[longstonec]

I use a 14 foot Polaris inflatable with an aluminum hull with tunnel and a 75 jet OB. works great. it was built so we could tow it behind chase boat at about 35knots to various rivers. Nothing super skinny. 10-12" it wont touch. less then 8" usually just eats the river bottom and then looses thrust. Also have a big set of oars on it so you can drift down the river nice and quiet. Gas PIG though.