Tour Boat

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How deep do you think this will draft once on plane? Jet propulsion may be inefficient, but it is so much fun, especially when you start putting them in skinny water.
Could be a really cool rig to tour the Colorado up around Moab as well. They use to run a similar size boat upriver of Moab at night, while a flatbed truck with stadium lights followed on the highway lighting up the canyon walls. Was a cool sight to watch go by.
 
WyoRado said:
How deep do you think this will draft once on plane? Jet propulsion may be inefficient, but it is so much fun, especially when you start putting them in skinny water.
Could be a really cool rig to tour the Colorado up around Moab as well. They use to run a similar size boat upriver of Moab at night, while a flatbed truck with stadium lights followed on the highway lighting up the canyon walls. Was a cool sight to watch go by.
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The waterline reads like a foot, 18 inches max? I'm afraid of sucking stuff into the jets but the margin for safety is sure nice
 
Lake Bum said:
I've seen several tour boats like this at Topock right by Needles. Pretty regularly in summer months
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Thanks, Historicly I've had so much fun on that stretch of The River between Davis Dam (Laughlin) and Havasu but I don't remember these boats, I miss those days of my youth! It's not near as pretty or as big as Powell but almost everyone on the river is out for a good time! It's a different vide. Maybe I'll tow this one down there early one spring and give it a run. It's just a whole lot different than Powell
 
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Lake Bum said:
I've seen several tour boats like this at Topock right by Needles. Pretty regularly in summer months
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I wonder if my boat came out of their fleet? There is what I assume to be a hull or registration number emblazoned on the hull in welding rod. I don't have a name for a manufacturer, it's all numbers and no letters, not the usual. Az. was wiling to register it using just the number but still I'm curious as to who made it. You guys have at least given me a lead to call the tour company and ask what they're are.
 
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I ran to Page from Flagstaff early Sunday morning to put a day in trying to sort out this jet boat trying to get it ready to dunk it at the ramp for a proper flotation, run an thrust test. I ended up staying over and planned on coming home in the morning but sadly Hwy. 89 back to Flagstaff was closed for a time due to a fatal crash between Gap and Tuba city turn off so I ended up putting in Monday too. (I'd rather stay and work than wait in traffic) Gutted it out through a wind storm and even some snow at the Yacht Club yard, glad I had thermals and a knit hat!

Lots to sort out, someone pulled the blowers, the bilge pumps and disconnected the fuel lines and fuel coolers. No manuals, no former owner to ask, a real basket case, Lots of trips to the hardware store, lots of investigation and leg work. On the happy side is that many of the expensive parts were still in the boat.

Spring will be here very quickly, faster than you'd expect based on yesterday's weather. It was a cold but very beautiful storm with the scattered clouds and the mountains around page IMG_6482.jpeg
 
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Marina Bum said:
I ran to Page from Flagstaff early Sunday morning to put a day in trying to sort out this jet boat trying to get it ready to dunk it at the ramp for a proper flotation, run an thrust test. I ended up staying over and planned on coming home in the morning but sadly Hwy. 89 back to Flagstaff was closed for a time due to a fatal crash between Gap and Tuba city turn off so I ended up putting in Monday too. (I'd rather stay and work than wait in traffic) Gutted it out through a wind storm and even some snow at the Yacht Club yard, glad I had thermals and a knit hat!

Lots to sort out, someone pulled the blowers, the bilge pumps and disconnected the fuel lines and fuel coolers. No manuals, no former owner to ask, a real basket case, Lots of trips to the hardware store, lots of investigation and leg work. On the happy side is that many of the expensive parts were still in the boat.

Spring will be here very quickly, faster than you'd expect based on yesterday's weather. It was a cold but very beautiful storm with the scattered clouds and the mountains around page View attachment 31543
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Yup, you are indeed addicted.....like the rest of us...... (y) :LOL:

Fortunately, there's no cure.....;)
 
Beachin It said:
I live in Havasu and boat year round and have never seen those type of tour boats at Topock. Yes there are tour boats that come down from Laughlin but they are bigger then what’s shown here
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Well I go over the Topock bridge about 4 times per week, and have for the past 22 years. I see lots and lots of boats from our view on the tracks. I've definitely seen this type :cool:
 
Update: So my high pressure fuel pump and filters for the marine conversion canister arrived today, One stock pump was good the other was pumping intermittently on the jet boat and when I took it apart one if it's internal copper tabs was broken. I could have just braised it back together and gotten by but it would be a weak spot and loosing a motor up lake isn't cool! These are specialty pumps so I had to research and order one from a marine supply place.

I've been able to fix other canister pumps in the past cheaply with generic replacement pumps ($30-40)by just replacing the 30 psi pump in the canister with another one, they usually just use hose clamps. I did that in my FI honda jet ski and my FI westerbeke generator. Now I carry spare pumps onboard my Houseboat just in case. That wouldn't work here. The 8.1 uses a high volume 60 PSI pump and had a special built in head on top of the pump, bummer! $400 later I have the parts in hand. (I'm cheap I know, my ethos is to make solid repairs for the lowest price possible, nothing wrong with that IMO) You have to use good judgment though and know when to spend, safety and reliability are of tantamount importance. Other things like how updated or impressive your boat looks, not as much.

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I also bought two of the biggest marine batteries I could find because the 600 amp batteries I initially tried were a bit anemic against the 10/1 compression and the massive weight of the rotational assembly in the 8.1 liter motors. These have almost 1000 cold cranking amps each so I hope they fair better.

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With parts in hand and ready to make some more progress I'm ready to go! Now is the quandary, do I run up to Page this weekend or do I stay here and take my kids skiing on the fresh new snow we were blessed with here in Flagstaff? Sunday is supposed to be sunny and in the mid 60's in Page. My kids just started spring break today so I'd like to ski them until the snow melts as temps are warming here too. I already bought annual ski passes this year and haven't gotten much use out of them based on lack of snow fall. My kids would be happy doing either one of those things! (First world problem I know) What to do? Maybe I can do both, have it all? I've got to work next week or this would be an easier call, I'm blessed there too. What to do? I'm excited to drive this jet boat! No real deadline though

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Marina Bum said:
Update: So my high pressure fuel pump and filters for the marine conversion canister arrived today, One stock pump was good the other was pumping intermittently on the jet boat and when I took it apart one if it's internal copper tabs was broken. I could have just braised it back together and gotten by but it would be a weak spot and loosing a motor up lake isn't cool! These are specialty pumps so I had to research and order one from a marine supply place.

I've been able to fix other canister pumps in the past cheaply with generic replacement pumps by just replacing the 30 psi pump in the canister with another one, they usually just use hose clamps. I did that in my FI honda jet ski and my FI westerbeke generator. Now I carry spare pumps onboard my Houseboat just in case. That wouldn't work here. The 8.1 uses a high volume 60 PSI pump and had a special built in head on top of the pump, bummer! $400 later I have the parts in hand. (I'm cheap I know, my ethos is to make solid repairs for the lowest price possible, nothing wrong with that IMO) You have to use good judgment though and know when to spend, safety and reliability are of tantamount importance. Other things like how updated or impressive your boat looks, not as much.

I also bought two of the biggest marine batteries I could find because the 600 amp batteries I initially tried were a bit anemic against the 10/1 compression and the massive weight of the rotational assembly in the 8.1 liter motors. These have almost 1000 cold cranking amps each so I hope they fair better.

With parts in hand and ready to make some more progress I'm ready to go! Now is the quandary, do I run up to Page this weekend or do I stay here and take my kids skiing on the fresh new snow we were blessed with here in Flagstaff? Sunday is supposed to be sunny and in the mid 60's in Page. My kids just started spring break today so I'd like to ski them until the snow melts as temps are warming here too. I already bought annual ski passes this year and haven't gotten much use out of them based on lack of snow fall. My kids would be happy doing either one of those things! (First world problem I know) What to do? Maybe I can do both, have it all? I've got to work next week or this would be an easier call, I'm blessed there too. What to do? I'm excited to drive this jet boat! No real deadline though
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I bought the Snowbowl once a week ski pass, but haven't used it this year. I may try next week
 
The Snowbowl web cams showed way too many folks up there yesterday and this weekend will be worse. I ski mid week to avoid the mobs but this week with Spring break it may be no bargain. Still not all runs open so that squeezes the herd into a smaller space--SB has more uphill capacity than downhill capacity. Can be flat dangerous. But it's the only game in town. C
 
cfulton said:
The Snowbowl web cams showed way too many folks up there yesterday and this weekend will be worse. I ski mid week to avoid the mobs but this week with Spring break it may be no bargain. Still not all runs open so that squeezes the herd into a smaller space--SB has more uphill capacity than downhill capacity. Can be flat dangerous. But it's the only game in town. C
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Right, I mean you have to go the mountain the same way you have to go to Powell, it doesn't come to us! I go when there is good snow plus my young people can only go on the weekends. The early bird gets the worm as they say, had six runs by noon, no one on the runs we ski, manageable lift lines. A great day! Now If I can just pull Monday off in Page working on my boat.
 
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Marina Bum said:
Right, I mean you have to go the mountain the same way you have to go to Powell, it doesn't come to us! I go when there is good snow plus my young people can only go on the weekends. The early bird gets the worm as they say, had six runs by noon, no one on the runs we ski, manageable lift lines. A great day! Now If I can just pull Monday off in Page working on my boat.
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Marina Bum, how long is Spring Break in the Flagstaff area? I want to ski during the week at Snowbowl, but it was pretty crazy there last year. Thanks in advance.
 
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