Aliminum boat with outboard jet

[Ron.C]

A general question, anyone use a 14-16 ' aluminum with an outboard jet to hunt norther bc rivers?

I understand larger purpose built river jet boats are a different animal all together and can get to places and haul more than other boats just cant or shouldn't. Just curious if anyone has used a smaller boat with any success?

[Foxton Gundogs]

we used to hunt some rivers with a 16' Jonboat and a 40 hp short shaft. Pick your rivers and it works ok but it was no bbig wate runner that is for sure.

[albravo2]

Boats are a constant battle of tradeoffs. More capacity, bigger water, more $$. Like Foxton says, it can be done if you pick the right river but everything is a compromise.

I did a trip up the Tuchodi a few years back and I was surprised by the skill that was required of the driver. I have done a lot of boat driving in my life but it would take a good number of hours and mentoring before I'd consider any fast skinny water. Sh*t goes south really fast and I wouldn't want to be in a compromise boat unless I was absolutely confident in the boat driver.

[ElectricDyck]

I'd imagine if you had a good hull design with a tunnel, a urethane or uhmw shoe, a strong bottom and some quick steer it could work great in the rock bouncing rivers..

People don't like sport jets and the longevity seems to be way less than a 4 stroke outboard but for similar weight and price you could get more power, less worry about smacking your shoe, less fussy tuning and adjusting for clean water, and you can add a stomp grate...

[ryanb]

Use what you got within its limitations. Most rivers can be run in most river boats... ultimately it comes down to how forgiving the boat is of mistakes, how much weight it can pack, and how far and fast it will go.

[tigrr]

Northern BC rivers? That's a pretty broad topic. Be more specific. Some larger rivers require less skill and some small fast rivers require years of skill.

[Ron.C]

Northern BC rivers? That's a pretty broad topic. Be more specific. Some larger rivers require less skill and some small fast rivers require years of skill.
Consider me a beginner with no mentor. So larger less technical rivers will be on my list.

[CR CRUISER]

One problem with an aluminum jet boat is that aluminum does not slide over granite. Just the opposite, it sticks to it like Velcro. If you run over a shallow area the boat will come to a very abrupt halt. That's why most shallow water aluminum boats have a uhmw or urethane shoe on the bottom.
I put my 21' Eaglecraft up on a nice smooth rock shore to get some oysters. The tide went out about a foot and we just about needed a crane to get the boat off of the rock.

[gathto]

I have a 14 ft inflatable with 22" Tubes and a Kevlar type bottom and a Yamaha F40 which becomes 30 HP when you put a jet shoe on it. I have used it on the Muskwa, Gathto Creek, Tuchodi River and several other
rivers throughout BC. The Kevlar type material slides over the rocks and does not get hung up. PM if you want more info.

[Salty]

If you forget about bouncing off rocks in skinny water it'll do fine. So no small rivers with rocks showing in the riffles bigger rivers with solid water only. To get below the hull your jet is going to draw 6 inches at least and its sticking out there like a sore thumb with no protection. Better than a prop boat but no where near a jet in a tunnel.

[bigwhiteys]

Ron there is a jet boating safety course put on by UNBC in Prince George I believe it's in May. I took it last year and it was very much worth while. Learned a lot. There was a couple guys with smaller vessels like you are describing and they ripped through the shallows really good but they were extremely limited on payload.

[Ron.C]

Ron there is a jet boating safety course put on by UNBC in Prince George I believe it's in May. I took it last year and it was very much worth while. Learned a lot. There was a couple guys with smaller vessels like you are describing and they ripped through the shallows really good but they were extremely limited on payload.

Thanks Karl, good information.

IF I go this route, I'll be outfitting myself for a solo trip with, carrying only my backpacking gear plus a small emergency kit that would stay in the boat.
In the long and short of it all, I am weighing this option against a solo fly in. Determining if a boat/motor that I can use for more than just river hunts is even possible is the first question. As I said above, larger less technical rivers is what Im looking at " got to start somewhere". I'll gladly leave the fast skinny water to those with pupose built boats and expetience.

[ryanb]

The biggest limiting factor will be range. You need fuel to go far, and fuel weighs quite a bit, which makes you burn more fuel which means you have to carry more fuel etc.

[Ron.C]

The biggest limiting factor will be range. You need fuel to go far, and fuel weighs quite a bit, which makes you burn more fuel which means you have to carry more fuel etc.

Understood

[ryanonthevedder]

We use a little 14’ with a 25 jet that’s a treat. Our moose spot has a shallow meandering river that it’s perfect for. No launch so it has to be light, and the jet cruises easily over 3-4” inches of water on small gravel.

The moose do NOT like the boat and we can only use it after the kill.

[BC Cruiser]

We use a little 14’ with a 25 jet that’s a treat. Our moose spot has a shallow meandering river that it’s perfect for. No launch so it has to be light, and the jet cruises easily over 3-4” inches of water on small gravel.

The moose do NOT like the boat and we can only use it after the kill.

Mercury 25 hp at the jet outboards paired with 1448 mt boats rip pretty good and are pretty cheap to get into.

[northof49]

35hp jet is much better with 14ft inflatable if going upstream against current with a decent load....extra fuel, camp, meat, etc. Anything less is painfully slow IMO

[bankshot]

My first jet boat was a 19' Alumaweld Stryker with a Mercury 115/80 outboard jet. It was an under powered pos or maybe I expected too much. Part of the problem was it didn't have a proper tunnel to feed the jet intake combined with too much V in the hull. I was glad to get rid of it.

[Ron.C]

Mercury 25 hp at the jet outboards paired with 1448 mt boats rip pretty good and are pretty cheap to get into.

Was pretty close to what I was looking at, except the boat was a 16 '

[BC Cruiser]

I know four guys that fish 2 per boat with the 1448 Mt and 25 hp at the jet mercury’s in skinny water. The others points are valid about capacity and extra fuel etc. Inflatables often have significant drag and require slightly higher hp to run. 16 ft is probably a little long for 25 hp at the jet. Most important thing is the jet outboard is set up correctly.

[Ride Red]

Lowe and Alweld are your best bet if this is your route. Their hulls are 0.100 thick which is fine for larger water, but won’t withstand rock bashing. I’ve gone up many rivers over the years with smaller equipment, but it can be nail biting in certain water. Understanding your abilities and packing light are key to your adventure. Lots of guys get into trouble as they don’t recognize the looming dangerous situations which can happen in an instant with one bad move or just poor judgement.
My latest jet boat is an 18’ Firefish with 1/4” wings, 3/8” center, 9 stringers and full plastic. Does it make me superman, hell no, I can have just as many problems with one wrong move or lack of judgement. Another thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s way easier going up than coming down. Your always under power pushing into the current, but on the way down the river is pushing you. That’s when most guys run into problems as they don’t want to go any faster but you need throttle to make a jet boat steer.
Sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what you want, just be prepared with some local river practice before heading out. Knowing your equipment intimately is also another key piece of the puzzle.

[Ride Red]

This could be you Ron.

https://youtu.be/WXK55wVD0nk (https://youtu.be/WXK55wVD0nk)

[fuzzybiscuit]

This could be you Ron.

https://youtu.be/WXK55wVD0nk (https://youtu.be/WXK55wVD0nk)

I picked up a Solar 380 (12-1/2’) jet tunnel inflatable with tabs and a 20hp 2-stroke Merc factory jet late in the fall. I also ordered a 25hp carb and a rubber intake for it, so it will be about 17hp at the pump once I mount the carb and advance the timing a bit.

With the heavy-duty polyurethane bottom and jet tunnel it should be good for some of the smaller rivers around here. I’ve watched a ton of videos on the 380 and 420 models, and they go amazing places with minimal hp. The moose don’t stand a chance next year...

[The Hermit]

This could be you Ron.

https://youtu.be/WXK55wVD0nk (https://youtu.be/WXK55wVD0nk)


Ha that was fun! Not a clue what they were saying but love those guys! What BC rivers would be similar to the one these guys are playing in?

[knothead]

You could find water like that on the upper pit, lots of little braids in the river to play in.

[knothead]

Whichever boat you choose I would get the biggest HP it can handle.

[Arctic Lake]

Not trying to take away from your initial post Ron .I once thought about hunters using jet ski,s Can you hunt using a jet ski ? If I have the law down pat when using an outboard motor the motor needs to be out of the water ?
Arctic Lake

[dino]

I picked up a Solar 380 (12-1/2’) jet tunnel inflatable with tabs and a 20hp 2-stroke Merc factory jet late in the fall. I also ordered a 25hp carb and a rubber intake for it, so it will be about 17hp at the pump once I mount the carb and advance the timing a bit.

With the heavy-duty polyurethane bottom and jet tunnel it should be good for some of the smaller rivers around here. I’ve watched a ton of videos on the 380 and 420 models, and they go amazing places with minimal hp. The moose don’t stand a chance next year...

Where did you find the 12.5 solar inflatable. I cant find them anywhere

[Drillbit]

Not trying to take away from your initial post Ron .I once thought about hunters using jet ski,s Can you hunt using a jet ski ? If I have the law down pat when using an outboard motor the motor needs to be out of the water ?
Arctic Lake

Jet ski isn't an outboard.
Same rule as every other inboard jet.

As for the OP

I run a 3/16" welded flat bottom 14' with a Yamaha 4strk tiller 60/40. No tunnel or teflon.
I'm very careful with it and don't take any chances.
Even then, I've bounced it here and there and it's been tougher than I thought it would be.

[Ride Red]

Jet ski isn't an outboard.
Same rule as every other inboard jet.

As for the OP

I run a 3/16" welded flat bottom 14' with a Yamaha 4strk tiller 60/40. No tunnel or teflon.
I'm very careful with it and don't take any chances.
Even then, I've bounced it here and there and it's been tougher than I thought it would be.

There’s a big difference between 0.100 and 0.188 (3/16”). A lot of jet boats built not that many years back were all 0.188 (3/16”) bottom. Your 14’ will slide you into some nice tight places and easy to move with just one person.

[Ron.C]

Not trying to take away from your initial post Ron .I once thought about hunters using jet ski,s Can you hunt using a jet ski ? If I have the law down pat when using an outboard motor the motor needs to be out of the water ?
Arctic Lake

Cant see that being a good option to transport meat, and I have zero use for a jet ski.

The reason Im inquiring about an aluminum with an outboard or maybe and inflatable is so I can use it for other purposes.

[Ride Red]

https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/boa/d/oregon-city-2016-smokercraft-sportsmen/7051679455.html

[fuzzybiscuit]

Where did you find the 12.5 solar inflatable. I cant find them anywhere

I was in the middle of buying one from JetechlLLP out of Alaska when a used one came up on Kijiji in Mission. 2019 Solar 380 with the jet tunnel, trim tabs and heavy-duty bottom. It was a 2019 model that had only been used a couple times and was like new with not a mark on it. It also came with a 2006 Merc 2-stroke 20hp factory jet that was also in excellent shape.

The hull alone was like $3,800 US from Jetech and the pump for a 25hp Merc, which I have, was like $2,000 US from California Jets. Shipping was extra for both. I picked the whole used package up in Mission for $5,000 Cdn.

It would have been a great deal if I lived in the lower mainland but with living in Fort Mac now it was a bit more work and expense. I had a few members that offered to ship it up for me but without packaging it up on the Mission end myself I was worried things could go wrong, so I hopped in the truck and drove down to pick it up. Cost me $700 in fuel but it was worth it.

I have a 12-1/2’ Titan inflatable and the 25hp 2-stroke Merc prop leg that I’ll put up for sale in the spring once ice is gone around here so the difference will only be about 3 G’s once all said and done. I’m pretty excited to get into a few places around here that a guy could launch a small inflatable jet like the Solar, but not a bigger trailered unit. On the Firebag River it would save a 3-1/2 hour run in a big boat just to get to where I launch, and from there up river it gets pretty skinny.

[fuzzybiscuit]

Ron, I ran a 1448 Starcraft with a 25hp 2-stroke Merc Sea-Pro (Tohatsu) Jet the first couple years in Fort Mac. It was great for one person and not bad for 2. It topped out at 18mph on the gps with 2 guys and enough gear for hunting or fishing for the day. That doesn’t sound like much but in a small boat that planed at low speed it was fine. I could take some shallow water and when the pump did hit it just kicked up, unlike bigger outboards. In 2 years I hit a lot and the bottom of the boat and pump were still in excellent shape when I sold it. With the advent of polyurethane or rubber intakes I would put one on and never worry about it. I only sold it to buy a 16-1/2’ Explorer Industries Outboard jet so that I could take a bit bigger rapids on the Athabasca. I still ran those rapids in the Starcraft but really shouldn’t have. I would have bought another aluminum but I’m in the middle of building a fully custom off-road buggy on 52”x27”wide low impact tires that were imported from Russia. The idea is I’ll be able to load the inflatable and jet pump up on the buggy, drive in through miles of nasty Muskeg in the buggy and hunt and fish some lakes around here that are fly in only.

https://i.postimg.cc/63GdcSwR/FE07-B301-5088-4844-8-E7-A-EF6-FD7-A3-C8-A0.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LY2Y6xJ6)

https://i.postimg.cc/QtV630Dx/A0-E5-A93-E-EC97-4479-B8-C6-032-BFB1-CCBBB.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G8wPPP9Z)

[Drillbit]

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1483570673

this was around 16k awhile back out of houston BC

[tyreguy]

Nice Rig, the only thing i see is there's a lot of weight at the back which might lead to porpoising (maybe) Fuel tank up front would be helpful.


https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1483570673

this was around 16k awhile back out of houston BC

[dino]

I was in the middle of buying one from JetechlLLP out of Alaska when a used one came up on Kijiji in Mission. 2019 Solar 380 with the jet tunnel, trim tabs and heavy-duty bottom. It was a 2019 model that had only been used a couple times and was like new with not a mark on it. It also came with a 2006 Merc 2-stroke 20hp factory jet that was also in excellent shape.

The hull alone was like $3,800 US from Jetech and the pump for a 25hp Merc, which I have, was like $2,000 US from California Jets. Shipping was extra for both. I picked the whole used package up in Mission for $5,000 Cdn.

It would have been a great deal if I lived in the lower mainland but with living in Fort Mac now it was a bit more work and expense. I had a few members that offered to ship it up for me but without packaging it up on the Mission end myself I was worried things could go wrong, so I hopped in the truck and drove down to pick it up. Cost me $700 in fuel but it was worth it.

I have a 12-1/2’ Titan inflatable and the 25hp 2-stroke Merc prop leg that I’ll put up for sale in the spring once ice is gone around here so the difference will only be about 3 G’s once all said and done. I’m pretty excited to get into a few places around here that a guy could launch a small inflatable jet like the Solar, but not a bigger trailered unit. On the Firebag River it would save a 3-1/2 hour run in a big boat just to get to where I launch, and from there up river it gets pretty skinny.

Thanks for the reply. Im looking for a boat that i just have to inflate bolt motor on and go. I hate installing a floor.

[dino]

Ron, I ran a 1448 Starcraft with a 25hp 2-stroke Merc Sea-Pro (Tohatsu) Jet the first couple years in Fort Mac. It was great for one person and not bad for 2. It topped out at 18mph on the gps with 2 guys and enough gear for hunting or fishing for the day. That doesn’t sound like much but in a small boat that planed at low speed it was fine. I could take some shallow water and when the pump did hit it just kicked up, unlike bigger outboards. In 2 years I hit a lot and the bottom of the boat and pump were still in excellent shape when I sold it. With the advent of polyurethane or rubber intakes I would put one on and never worry about it. I only sold it to buy a 16-1/2’ Explorer Industries Outboard jet so that I could take a bit bigger rapids on the Athabasca. I still ran those rapids in the Starcraft but really shouldn’t have. I would have bought another aluminum but I’m in the middle of building a fully custom off-road buggy on 52”x27”wide low impact tires that were imported from Russia. The idea is I’ll be able to load the inflatable and jet pump up on the buggy, drive in through miles of nasty Muskeg in the buggy and hunt and fish some lakes around here that are fly in only.

https://i.postimg.cc/63GdcSwR/FE07-B301-5088-4844-8-E7-A-EF6-FD7-A3-C8-A0.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LY2Y6xJ6)

https://i.postimg.cc/QtV630Dx/A0-E5-A93-E-EC97-4479-B8-C6-032-BFB1-CCBBB.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G8wPPP9Z)

I have a 20 jet, what do you think is the smallest jon boat you think i could install it on.?

[fuzzybiscuit]

I have a 20 jet, what do you think is the smallest jon boat you think i could install it on.?

I don’t think a 20hp at the head outboard jet would be enough on a 1448 Jon. It would push it when empty but at 13-12hp at the pump it would be very minimal. The 25hp Tohatsu (Merc Sea Pro) above had the restrictor plate modified like the 30hp Tohatsu’s and the timing advanced. From everything I know that was the only difference between the 25’s and 30’s. It actually did pretty good and I could load the boat up a bit and still get on step. Two guys and a small bull moose quartered up with a bit of gear and it still got us back down river on a plane.

Depending on what 20hp you have it could be the same as the 25hp model in that make. That’s what my 20hp 2-stroke 2006 Merc is. A new 25hp carb and timing advanced and you have a 25hp model. Other than that they were the same outboard. I did one quite a few years back and it’s amazing the difference 5hp makes in a small outboard.

I don’t think I really answered your question but anything smaller than a 1448 Jon can’t pack much.

[fuzzybiscuit]

Thanks for the reply. Im looking for a boat that i just have to inflate bolt motor on and go. I hate installing a floor.

The inflatable floor in the Solar boats is very ridged. I had it all set up in my garage on a couple 4x4 posts spread about 7’ apart and there was very little flex when standing between them. The down side is it doesn’t roll up as tight as a removable floor model. The extra heavy-duty bottom also makes it harder to roll up. It would be a tough go to get it rolled up and in the back of a suv.

[BC Cruiser]

I agree you want a true 25 hp at the jet pump.
like this one:
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-powerboat-motorboat/chilliwack/25-hp-mercury-outboard-jet-3900/1477676412

[Arctic Lake]

Cant see that being a good option to transport meat, and I have zero use for a jet ski.

The reason Im inquiring about an aluminum with an outboard or maybe and inflatable is so I can use it for other purposes.

Ron I don’t know what I was thinking LOL !
Arctic Lake

[Ride Red]

Would be funny to see a 56” moose rack strapped to the front coming down the river at 50 mph though.

[Mutter87]

I picked up a Solar 380 (12-1/2’) jet tunnel inflatable with tabs and a 20hp 2-stroke Merc factory jet late in the fall. I also ordered a 25hp carb and a rubber intake for it, so it will be about 17hp at the pump once I mount the carb and advance the timing a bit.

With the heavy-duty polyurethane bottom and jet tunnel it should be good for some of the smaller rivers around here. I’ve watched a ton of videos on the 380 and 420 models, and they go amazing places with minimal hp. The moose don’t stand a chance next year...

Hey, I’m up here in Fort Mac as well, wondering if you have had a chance to take the Solar out yet? I seen on AO forum one of the guys up here took his brother out Moose hunting with one and they were able to harvest a nice moose.