Just a fun project you guys might dig......

[special fx]

Someone gave me a VXR pro a few years back and I had always wanted to make a little jet drive powered fishing boat. So, I took a sawzall to the VXR and to a 16' Carolina Skiff and mushed 'em together. I did a couple of years ago and it just occurred to me to post it here.

It's kinda like a monster Jetmate (if anyone remembers them?) and it's a blast to drive. It's joystick control and cruises pretty damn good. I've wakeboarded off it and it deos about 40mph. It is also a blast to go over the shallow flats (in 6" of water) with crab traps sticking half out of the water and shredding them like buoys.

It just seemed like a good use of a sitdown!

 

[WaveDemon]

nice project!

 

[special fx]

Some construction pics. It's not real pretty, but it was more of a prototype kinda thing to see how it would work.

 

[special fx]

Throwin' some roost on the first test ride with no decking or seats. I just sat on a scrap of plywood and went for a rip.

 

[DaUpJetSkier]

very cool, thatd be a good platform for filming for taking photos of riding.

 

[FLY6584]

very cool. so you actually glassed in the bottom of the vxr hull into the carolina skiff hull.:bigeyes: nice job. :biggthumpup:

 

[The Penguin]

where are you from?

 

[Mark Gomez]

HAHA! very nice and work!
thats nuts that you glassed the hull into the boat i didnt understand at first till i saw that picture thats awsome. i hope your in Cali i want to ride or have you come out to oceanside that thing would make a good wave jumping party deck:biggthumpup:

 

[sflsurfrider]

OMG, you are my hero! very nice!!!

 

[special fx]

Sorry......updated my profile with my location.

I call it "Jetskiff" and you left coast guys will have to make your own

 

[demolition_x]

looks pretty sweet. fit and finish looks like every thing is meant to be. that thing would be a great flats boat down in the keys.

where do you ride out of?

 

[vomitspot]

damn thats a clean 61x! great job sfx

 

[Fathom]

Awesome! Well done.

 

[blaster800]

Extremly creative , and nice work ! keep us informed when you upgrade the power !

 

[RoyalFlush@PCB]

Nice!!! :biggthumpup:

 

[motorhead10]

nice work

that thing is awesome

 

[E rok Wilbs]

My family has a 16 foot skiff with a 25 on it, I can't imagine how fast that thing goes. Does it turn any better now that there is a slight v in the back?

I actually got thrown off of mine and had it hit shore a few years back. That was quite the experience.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

I have something similar here,is a 1963 MONTGOMERY WARD SEAKING runabout with a seadoo 720 engine and jet drive.I will post some pics when I get a chance.

 

[meatball]

Hmmm.... I have a VXR PRO, and a 13 ft B whaler... NAH I just got them both working

WOW thats really cool :biggthumpup: ! And at a fraction of a cost of a jet-powered boston whaler (which break down all the time, I've towed 3 in on my standup)

I'm surprised it still goes 40 with all that wetted surface, thats amazing. You should drop a lamey stroker in it and go for a BR

 

[special fx]

Wow.......I thought maybe someone would appreciate this thing, but didn't figure it would be so well received.

I had been thinking about a 21-24' skiff with a 155mm pump and a Subaru 2.5 fuel injected auto engine to drive it. To test the concept I figured I'd try this 16 footer since a VXR fell into my lap for free and felt it was a good way to test the concept. The larger skiff should be the same just bigger.

The boat turns great. At idle, it will spin around in less than it's own length. At speed it handles very well, but will slide if you push it too hard. It takes a little playing around to get a feel for just how far you can push it. I've had it out in the surf and it catches air pretty well. Almost pearled it once and damn near sh*t my pants, but it came out OK. It now sports an R&D aquavane scoop grate and that improved handling too. I think I might add a couple of small fins to the ride plate to get it to pull a little more "G" in the turns.