Yamaha FAQS
Yamaha
Q: How shallow of water can the boats drive in?
A: Typically most models will have full operation in 14″ of water.
Q: How much maintenance is required on a Yamaha boat?
A: A simple year end oil change is all that is required on most boats.
Q: Are the boats hard to drive?
A: No, they are the easiest boats to learn to drive because of new technology like articulated keels and drive by wire systems.
Q: How much gas will the boats go through?
A: They are very fuel efficient because of jet drive motors have 30% less moving parts and are a direct drive system that does not require a lower unit/transmission.
Q: Do the boats hold their value better compared to other brands?
A: Yes, in fact they hold their value better than any other direct drive or stern drive model.
Q: Do the boats come with a trailer, cover, etc.?
A: All Yamaha boats come with a trailer, cover, table and cooler as part of the package.
Q: What happens if you suck up some weeds in the impeller?
A: If you suck anything up into the impeller you can use Yamaha’s clean out port in the back to get direct access to it instead of getting wet and trying to get at it from under the boat.
Q: Are the twin throttles linked or separate for each engine?
A: Yamaha’s with 2 engines operate independently for each engine unless you get an E-Serie’s, then you’d have the throttle by wire technology to link the throttles together.
Q: How big is the gas tank?
A: The gas tank is 40 gallons on the 19 footers, 50 gallons on the 21 footers and 75 gallons on the 25 footers.
Q: Do jet boats do poorly in weedy lakes?
A: Weeds will be a problem for a stern drive boat or a jet propelled boat, in a stern drive you alternate forward and reverse throttle until weeds com off the prop, with a jet driven boat you pop open a hatch and clear weeds from the clean out port. Before Yamaha introduced topside access to clean out ports, it used to mean you either needed to limp the boat back to the ramp and pull it out to get rid of weeds or you were going to have to get underneath the boat. Yamaha solved this problem many years ago and now getting rid of weeds is as simple as with any stern drive.
Q: Are jet boats loud?
A: Yamaha redesigned the engine hatch and added a lot of sound deadening beginning in 2017. At idle and lower cruise speeds you have very similar decibel levels to a stern drive boat. At wide open throttle it maybe slightly louder but not much, a little different tonality is the main difference.
Q: Don’t jet boats handle poorly, especially at low speeds?
A: No. Beginning in 2015 Yamaha introduced the fully articulating keel which gave the boat some “rudder effect” which had been absent in older jet propelled boats. This greatly improved low speed maneuverability. Additionally, all 21″ and up Yamaha models are twin engines and the port and starboard engines can be operated independently of one another, meaning you can put one in reverse and the other in forward and literally spin the boat in place. Also, the Yamaha drive system was rolled out in 2019 on the 275SD model and for 2021 the drive system was put into select 21′ and 25′ models as well. The drive system gives you paddles on either side of the steering wheel which allow you to propel the boat laterally, making it a breeze to dock in event he most challenging situations.
Q: This is the first boat for us, what if we don’t use it much or don’t like boating as much as we hoped?
A: First of all, you will love boating. Secondly, Yamaha jet boats depreciate slower than any boat on the market today, They are very sought after in the used market and hold their value incredibly well. If for some reason you don’t use it enough, you have an asset that is easy to sell and comparatively has not lost much value.
Q: In terms of maintenance, how do these boats compare to traditional stern drives?
A: Hands down, Yamaha jet boats are the lowest maintenance way to go boating that exists today. Gas it up, turn the key and go. It’s a 50 hour oil change up until 400 hours at which point the periodic maintenance schedule calls for new spark plugs. No outdrive service, no prop to din up. For the boat buyer who wants ease of use and ease of maintenance, Yamaha jet boats are the perfect choice!