How to avoid clogging your engine with sand

[Bohdiez]

Good info for sure! Thanks

 

[Jimmers]

I always back in to the beach. I have my wife drop an anchor off the bow that’s on a bungee cord when I am-in 5-6‘ of water, keep backing up until 2-3’ of water and shut down the engines. I jump out the back and with a rope and pull the boat closer to shore and either tie up to something on shore or drop an anchor on shore. When leaving everyone gets aboard, I pull up the stern anchor or tie off, climb aboard, the bow bungee pulls us to deeper water, fire up and slowly leave. We have 50-70’ of gradual sandy shore to depth so I have a 40’ bungee with anchor off the bow and a 40’ rope with anchor off the stern. The lengths of bungees would have to be adjusted for your depths.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

So....... has anyone installed a sea strainer to capture the sand / debris before it enters the engine?

 

[Brad_Ct]

So....... has anyone installed a sea strainer to capture the sand / debris before it enters the engine?

I installed them on my Exciter because that was one of the recommended upgrades. I have not heard of anyone installing them on the newer boats though and have been curious as to why that is. You can see them mounted on the white access covers.

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[Scottintexas]

I installed them on my Exciter because that was one of the recommended upgrades. I have not heard of anyone installing them on the newer boats though and have been curious as to why that is. You can see them mounted on the white access covers.

.View attachment 144620

Did they catch much debris ? how often did you check / empty them ?



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[Scottintexas]

I installed them on my Exciter because that was one of the recommended upgrades. I have not heard of anyone installing them on the newer boats though and have been curious as to why that is. You can see them mounted on the white access covers.

.View attachment 144620

and that's a good looking engine bay !!


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[anmut]

Strainers are standard equipment on inboards, however I think one of your challenges might be on a Yamaha is that water pressure from the jet pump might be higher than an impeller driven pickup.

Now if a guy could design a strainer to allow for a pass through at higher pressures and only strain at idle+ pressures, you might be onto something.

 

[Brad_Ct]

Did they catch much debris ? how often did you check / empty them ?



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ISLAND RACING

This is where I bought the ones I installed and it looks as though they have a kit for the 4 strokes now.

I had to run a very shallow channel to get to a area that we went to on a lake in upstate NY so I installed them. I would usually check them a couple times a week and yes there was sand in them so they obviously worked.

 

[jryan]

Great post, I had this happen to me once where I had pulled up to a sandbar, bow of the boat was on the sand and the stern (I thought) was in a couple feet of water. I tried to start the motor to leave and it was sucking up so much sand that the motor wouldn't start/keep running. Man did panic set in....the whole discussion of 1 motor vs 2 started to run through my head. (I remember telling my friends, I don't need a dual motor boat). I calmed down....pushed the boat back off the shore and tried again...fired right up. Lesson learned!

 

[Jimmers]

Great post, I had this happen to me once where I had pulled up to a sandbar, bow of the boat was on the sand and the stern (I thought) was in a couple feet of water. I tried to start the motor to leave and it was sucking up so much sand that the motor wouldn't start/keep running. Man did panic set in....the whole discussion of 1 motor vs 2 started to run through my head. (I remember telling my friends, I don't need a dual motor boat). I calmed down....pushed the boat back off the shore and tried again...fired right up. Lesson learned!

Doesn’t make any difference if you back in to the beach or put the bow on the beach. ALWAYS, drop an anchor 30-50’ out on the deep water end, hopefully 3-4-5’ of water and pull yourself out prior to firing up the engines. It will save you from any sand, rock issues.

 

[Dfred]

Was kinda shocked to find strainers “missing” from YJB raw water intakes (heck, good strainers also can act as shutoff valve - so you get two capabilities in one). Is there any factory/Engineers from Yamaha information on why no strainers? Or wisdom from ol’salt members of the jetboat crew here that know the pro/con of installing strainers (psi issues, restricting flow or what)?

 

[Julian]

Was kinda shocked to find strainers “missing” from YJB raw water intakes (heck, good strainers also can act as shutoff valve - so you get two capabilities in one). Is there any factory/Engineers from Yamaha information on why no strainers? Or wisdom from ol’salt members of the jetboat crew here that know the pro/con of installing strainers (psi issues, restricting flow or what)?

Some people have installed them.

 

[Tjw961]

Thanks for posting, good info.

 

[adrianp89]

I always try to turn engines off in waist deep water, and pull the boat back, and then push boat until waist deep and then start the engines.

 

[Southernerd]

Thanks to @JetBoatPilot for recording the video below!

So the sales guy sold you your jet boat saying you can run it in 18 inches of water. So you sat at the sand bar and did just that and now have an overheat warning?

Yes, jet boats can run in skinny water, but you must remember that they are like giant vaccuums. If you sit in one spot, they will suck sand off the bottom. And because you have low flow, that sand is much more likely to get stuck in a cooling passage.

Running fast across shallow water wont suck up sand (you just risk hitting something or grounding the boat).

So keep this in mind when running your jet boat shallow. I always push my boat back off the sand bar and THEN start it in deeper water.

This post has me second guessing buying a yamaha. I put a deposit on one because I'm on Lake George in Florida and I've got maybe 2.5 feet of water my dock and probably 200-300 feet until I reach 4ft deep water. The lake bottom for the entire distance is sand. I'm not sure this boat will work there with what folks are commenting in this thread.

 

[adrianp89]

This post has me second guessing buying a yamaha. I put a deposit on one because I'm on Lake George in Florida and I've got maybe 2.5 feet of water my dock and probably 200-300 feet until I reach 4ft deep water. The lake bottom for the entire distance is sand. I'm not sure this boat will work there with what folks are commenting in this thread.

I've boated there several times. Where we stay its mostly grass into the the canal, so my boat is a lawn mower out until we get in the deep water. Is the 2.5 the average? I know tides change the water there a few feet. With that being said, 2.5 feet of water is enough, just try not to idle the boat in that water depth. The Yamaha is great on the lake, good for water sports or partying at the spring.

 

[Southernerd]

I've boated there several times. Where we stay its mostly grass into the the canal, so my boat is a lawn mower out until we get in the deep water. Is the 2.5 the average? I know tides change the water there a few feet. With that being said, 2.5 feet of water is enough, just try not to idle the boat in that water depth. The Yamaha is great on the lake, good for water sports or partying at the spring.

I'm on the north end of the lake. All the grass is gone since Irma. We built 120ft dock just to reach water that is around 2-2.5 feet. My dock builder said the depth doesn't really change until you're about 400ft from shore. I'm not too concerned once we reach open water. I guess I could always add a trolling motor if I had to for docking. We are definitely looking forward to getting out on the lake and visiting the springs as soon as we can secure a boat.

 

[Julian]

This post has me second guessing buying a yamaha. I put a deposit on one because I'm on Lake George in Florida and I've got maybe 2.5 feet of water my dock and probably 200-300 feet until I reach 4ft deep water. The lake bottom for the entire distance is sand. I'm not sure this boat will work there with what folks are commenting in this thread.

The vacuum effect happens when you sit there....it creates the vortex and starts a "tornado" to pull things from the bottom. If you are moving, it won't be sucking sand....but it will pull in weeds. If your lake is really weedy....I'd shy away from a jet boat - unless you can talk to someone who's got one and they say its ok.

 

[tdonoughue]

The trolling motor might be a good idea.

But I will say, though I try to avoid it, I do go through 2' water at times. Keep moving and you have few issues (other than sucking up plants, though I did suck up a bag one time like that). Mostly silty rather than sandy. And I will say: If you had a prop boat, while you could trim up, you may be worse off...

 

[Southernerd]

The trolling motor might be a good idea.

But I will say, though I try to avoid it, I do go through 2' water at times. Keep moving and you have few issues (other than sucking up plants, though I did suck up a bag one time like that). Mostly silty rather than sandy. And I will say: If you had a prop boat, while you could trim up, you may be worse off...

Thanks for the info. The sand feels like beach sand so hopefully it will hold a little better than silt.