History of
Aluminum Jet Boats
Today's Aluminum Jet boats are a far cry from the early riveted aluminum fishing boats sold through Sears catalogs or the early jet boats from the 1960s and 70s.
Here's a quick overview of where the industry has come from and what represents the state-of-the-art today.
First Generation. The water jet pump for boat propulsion was invented by New Zealander, Sir William Hamilton. In 1953 he constructed his first centrifugal pump driven by a bevel gear. He installed it in a 11.5 ft plywood boat with a Ford engine. A year later he began producing jet boats. In the 60s Berkeley Marine was the first large volume producers of jet pumps in the USA and popularized jet-powered boats for the American family runabout & skiing markets.
During the 70s jet-powered boats were all the rage. Many boat builders jumped into the jet-power market segment including well-known companies like Glastron, Formula and Sea Ray. These boats typically were hi-performance runabouts made mostly of fiberglass with monster engines from
Detroit. The engines were gas hogs and the jets were about 60% as efficient as conventional props. Then the 80s fuel shortage hit and these boats fell from favor, even though they offered superior safety and reliability as well as lower maintenance compared to propeller driven boats.
Second Generation. Through the 1980s and early 90s development and improvements continued in jet pumps as well as aluminum hull design & fabrication.
For jet pumps other manufacturers entered the market, such as; Dominator, American Turbine, Kodiak Marine, and
Legend Jet Drive. Each made innovative contributions to efficiency, versatility and reliability.
For aluminum boats, development continued mostly from small boat manufacturers in the
North West where river running in jet boats continued to have a strong following. They moved away from the poor maneuverability and hard ride of the early flat bottom jon-boat styles to
V shaped delta as well as perfecting the reliable all-welded aluminum process.
Third Generation. By the mid 90s improvements in jet intakes, impeller designs and jet nozzles saw the leading jet pump manufacturers producing jets with efficiency approaching 90% that of props. And the in-board gas guzzlers were history, replaced by much more efficient engines mainly from Chevy and Ford and marinized by engine specialists like Marine Power and Kodiak Marine. Mercury also entered the market with an integrated in-board/jet out-drive
For aluminum boats, by the mid-90s manufacturers had largely converted to producing a
"modified-delta". This is basically a combination of
"flat bottom" and "delta V". The modified-delta typically has a 6' to 14' flat bottom from mid-ship to stern. It combines the shallow draft advantages of flat-bottom hulls with the turning and straight-line handling of the
"delta V".
The premier Winter 2004 issue of River Jet magazine listed 44 Aluminum Jet Boat Manufacturer throughout the US, but mostly concentrated in
Oregon,
Washington and
Idaho. Most of these aluminum boat manufacturers still produce the modified-delta style or 3rd generation hull.
By the way you may be surprised to learn that
today's Aluminum boats weight 25% less than a fiberglass (or FRP) boat of similar size and design.
Fourth Generation.
Today's four leading jet pump manufacturers are Mercury, American Turbine, Kodiak Marine and Hamilton Jet.
Mercury produces the entry-level SportJet which is basically their popular out-drive with the prop/lower drive unit replaced by a compact intake-impeller-nozzle jet assembly. (The Rogue Jet Sportwater uses the Mercury SportJet.) American Turbine has developed a lower cost in-board design using a single stage aluminum impeller that is popular in the mid-range priced boats. Kodiak also produces a popular mid-range jet. Meanwhile, Hamilton Jet has continued its 40 years of innovative jet pump design leadership. In the late 90's
Hamilton introduced the 212 High Thrust Marine Jet, which set new standards in reliability and efficiency.
Hamilton's optional stainless-steel turbo impeller further increases efficiency and performance. Today the unquestioned top-of-the-line jet is the Hamilton Jet 212 with the stainless steel Turbo impeller. According to
Hamilton this design has 50% greater grip in aerated white water over their non-turbo impellers. Its efficiency is 94% to 95% that of a prop. And because of its lower weight-to-thrust ratio at low rpm, you will also get onto plane 50% to 55% faster than a prop. (This is the standard combination on all Rogue Jet FastWater and WhiteWater models.)
For hull design, experts agree that the current state-of-the-art 4th generation hull is the modified rounded or radiused bottom. Modified-delta hull designers have long recognized that replacing the narrow flat bottom section with a radiused section would produce superior on-water handling and a smoother ride for passenger comfort. But this type of hull requires fabrication technology that most manufacturers simply do not have. Furthermore, it is also more expensive to produce. So in the competitive boat manufacturing business, only 4 of the current 44 manufacturers produce this advantageous 4th generation design. Furthermore, Rogue Jet is the only builder that produces the exclusive tampered-radiused hull with the ½" surfboard keel-plate© and laminar flow jet intake© for additional safety and efficiency. There is nothing else like it on the market at any price.
What to look for “ 4 points" to consider that will narrow down your choices
If you are ready to jump from high-maintenance, shorter-life fiberglass boats to an all welded marine aluminum boat, you have a wide selection of boats to choose from. And if you a looking for a boat that you can use in the widest possible applications with the additional benefits of increased safety and lower maintenance costs, then it is time to also throw away the prop, in-fact just through away the outboard too and move up to a reliable long-life in-board jet boat.
1. Due to higher production costs you can expect to pay 15% to 20% more for a well built aluminum boat versus a fiberglass. But the aluminum boat will last ten times longer, stand up to rougher use and extend where you can go exploring or fishing without worrying about passenger safety or damaging the boat. 95% of aluminum jet boat owners agree that the modest additional cost is easily justified over the long haul.
2. For an entry-level Inboard Aluminum Jet boat, consider a 17' to 19' inboard V-6 runabout with a Mercury SportJet out-drive. Boats of this design are suitable for small family outings, 2 or 3 people fishing and 2 or 3 people skiing. An outboard will cost less initially in a boat of this size, but within 3 years that savings disappears and starts costing you more to continue to own. An inboard is a much smarter decision.
3. For a mid-range Aluminum Jet boat, consider one of the mass-produced 20' to 21' inboard V-8 with an American Turbine or Kodiak Marine jet drive and a modified-delta hull, with lifting/turning strakes to improve tracking and reduce sliding turns. There are a least a dozen manufacturers serving the mid-range market.
4. For a no-compromise state-of-the-art design in Inboard Aluminum Jet boats, consider a 20' to 24' inboard V-8. And insist upon the best hull and jet combination with a Radius Hull and a Hamilton 212 Turbo Jet. This decision will give you a superior handling, riding and performing boat. You will never regret spending just a little bit more to get the very best.
What to watch out for -
"8 Critical Questions"
You Must Ask To Avoid Mistakes And Help you Get
The Dream Aluminum Jet Boat You Have Always wanted
Watch out for un-scrupulous dealers and salespeople, whose only goal is to sell you anything before you get out the door. Check-out the boat you are considering. Never buy the first boat you see. Shop around. Become informed. You
won't regret the time you spend up-front learning all you can.
Ask these 8 critical questions.
1. Is the engine the right size for most of your planned uses? To get you attention with a low price, unscrupulous salespeople may suggested an under-powered boat. Or to appeal to the male testosterone ego they may push you into the boat that has the biggest engine they offer, even if you are looking for a boat for no more than 2 or 3 people. Both under-powered and over-powered boats lead to unhappy boating.
2. Is the hull skip-welded or continuous-welded? Make the salesperson prove to you that it is continuous-welded throughout.
3. Are the 6 critical stress points reinforced (i.e. the bottom, transom, keel, engine mounts, jet mounts and gunnels)?
4. Is there quality finishing or has the manufacturer covered up their mistakes with rough-coat paints and filler?
5.
What's standard and what's optional? Compare standard features between manufacturers. Some only offer 15 to 20 standard features to trick you with their low starting prices. For example, Rogue Jet WhiteWater and FastWater boats come with 51 standard features. And the Sportwater comes with 41 standard features.
6. How does the boat handle and perform? Never, never buy any boat without first taking a demo ride to see first hand if it meets your objectives. If the dealer or manufacturer
won't give you a "no-obligation" demo, they must be hiding something. Simply leave and find a seller with nothing to hide.
7.
What's the cost difference between an in-board and an out-board? To get you attention with a low price, salespeople & boat dealers commonly suggest an outboard instead of an inboard. Yes, it is true that an outboard will initially cost less, but if you plan to keep the boat more than three years the increased operational cost and maintenance costs of the outboard will eat away all your initial savings. So for a typical owner, who keeps their boat longer than 3 years, an inboard is a far better investment and it will also deliver superior performance, lower maintenance, and lower fuel consumption starting day one.
8. What features do you really want on your dream boat? Finally, take the time to specify EXACTLY what you want and get it custom built for you.
Don't accept someone else's idea of what you want. The delay of waiting while your boat is being built will payoff with years and years of pleasure.
If a no-comprise jet boat is what you are dreaming about, give Rogue Jet Boatworks a call or register here to arrange a personal touch-and-feel followed by the most satisfying on-water demonstration you will ever experience. A Rogue Jet truly is
"The Ultimate Aluminum Jet Boat
Experience".
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