Tour Boat

[WyoRado]

Thank you for your input, it gives me hope. What do you do about the revs when you cavitate? It sure would be nice if there was a rev limiter. These 8.1's have a lot of piston and valve to get out of each others way, the are push rod motors with roller valve train but they weren't meant for a lot of RPM.

Now I understand what that zip sound is you hear from jet skis as the slap along in rough water, their jet is sucking air. I'm worried about floating valves on this big boat though. Do you just keep the revs down until you know you have grip or do you always pilot with cavitation in mind? This boat has a common marine computer software for GM engines called MEFI. I wonder if it has the capability to set RPM limits?

Just like off shore racing boats when they come out of the water, you've got to back off the throttle, or risk over rev. My outboard, most of the older jet skis, were all 2 stroke so they handle that a lot easier than a big 8.1 will. Even with a rev limiter, those motors are going to rev high when air is introduced.

I'd think some weight forward forward will cure a lot of the issue. I'm guessing the fuel tanks are right in front of the motors, leaving virtually no weight in the front right now. The photos of that style boat with people in it, you can see they put everybody to the front. Even with empty seats, everybody is in the first couple rows. That might have been the intent of how to balance one of these.

 

[Marina Bum]

Update: So I worked on the tour boat something like 6 of the last 8 weekends in Page. This weekend I took my wife to Wahweap to our houseboat to celebrate her Birthday, that's like 7 out of the last 9 weekends in Page for me (the first one I wasn't working 12 hour days though) But I didn't totally laze around, we had friends over for dinner both nights to wish her well. I did lots of cooking and cleaning, It was a beautiful weekend on the lake and we had a great time. It was nice to take a break from the other boat, I did spend time thinking about it though and have come to some conclusions about my ideas.

I'm a house-boater at heart, I like the challenges and creature comforts they offer up lake, I like beaching and hiking around the canyon's. I'm not a hard core fisherman, I'm not into going below the dam and at this point I don't want to try and start any kind of lake based business. So for me I'm either going to build some kind of lightweight indoor/outdoor enclosed structure on this boat or I'll just sell it on to someone else. Of course it could still be a transport/personal tour boat, a day time "party barge" and/or a fast up-lake camper all at once. It's going to be a lot of work but that seems to be my best use for this boat. On our way home today we stopped by the Yacht Club yard and my wife got to see the tour boat for the first time and she says that she likes it, that's a start.
My wife on the right and her bestie relaxing in the sun on Friday
Her bestie and her husband on the back of the upper deck also on Friday, beautiful day!

 

[Rainbowbridge]

Marina Bum......admit it......you just prefer beautiful women over broken down boats........

.......who could blame you?