jethrof16
Jet Boat Addict
- Messages
- 117
- Reaction score
- 78
- Points
- 122
- Location
- Lanesville, IN
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2018
- Boat Model
- 242X E-Series
- Boat Length
- 24
Hey guys, just got home from touring the Yamaha boat factory in Vonore, TN. This is not something they normally do but since I had a 242X on order they allowed me and my family in to see the operation from start to finish. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take any pictures until the end of the tour where we posed in front of a "mostly" finished 242X ready for it's lake test (man that stereo rocks).
Anyway, overall impression is that everyone there is super excited about the product that they produce and they have one of the lowest employee turnover rates in manufacturing. They put a lot of effort into making it a good place to work which results in happy employees who are good at what they do. That said, robots spray the gelcoat into the mold and then the fiberglas layer is put down with "chop" guns that spray fiberglas, resin, & catalyst down at the same time. This mixture is rolled and smoothed by hand to ensure no bubbles. There is a great deal of effort put in to ensuring that each hull will last a lifetime. After this step the hull is mated to a deck, and closed cell foam is sprayed between the 2 to ensure your boat will never sink (even if filled with water). This is where the next robots take over and in 15 minutes they drill over 300 holes & cutouts. Next all the hardware and wiring gets installed in the 2 remaining halves of the boat before they are mated in final assembly. GREAT care is taken to ensure each engine/jet pump combination are precisely mounted to ensure a no vibration assembly. They actually test mount each and remove before final installation. Really wish I could have taken pictures of the whole process...way cool. Finally watching the two halves of a 242 come together was almost magical. Didn't get to do a test run but we were on a 242X cranking the stereo just before it went out the door.
Final thoughts
Winterization: I think most guys emphasize winterization too much with these boats. The two plan foremen both have these boats and said ALL they do to winterize is rev the engines for 2-3 seconds and put Stabil in the gas. That said, they said to always follow the owners manual (go figure). As a matter of fact most boats are made during the winter months and are run in freezing cold water and then stored on a lot with nothing more than a short rev when they get out of the water.
SurfPointe: So what's the deal with SurfPointe? All they do to certify a boat with SurfPointe is to adjust the linkage to each jet slightly to make the nozzles converge. They won't say what that angle is but it wouldn't be too hard to do on your own with a little trial and error. In short any of the twin setups can achieve this without spending a dime.
Engines: All engines are built in Japan and fully assembled before shipment to the US. They are mounted in the boats and wiring harness connected...wala.
BIG SURPRISE SOON: When we asked about all the new construction around the plant they said that something very exciting would be revealed in the next 24 months. They couldn't say what it was but there is a lot of construction activity and a great deal of space being created.
If I think of any other interesting details I'll update this post. If you have any questions fire away.
Anyway, overall impression is that everyone there is super excited about the product that they produce and they have one of the lowest employee turnover rates in manufacturing. They put a lot of effort into making it a good place to work which results in happy employees who are good at what they do. That said, robots spray the gelcoat into the mold and then the fiberglas layer is put down with "chop" guns that spray fiberglas, resin, & catalyst down at the same time. This mixture is rolled and smoothed by hand to ensure no bubbles. There is a great deal of effort put in to ensuring that each hull will last a lifetime. After this step the hull is mated to a deck, and closed cell foam is sprayed between the 2 to ensure your boat will never sink (even if filled with water). This is where the next robots take over and in 15 minutes they drill over 300 holes & cutouts. Next all the hardware and wiring gets installed in the 2 remaining halves of the boat before they are mated in final assembly. GREAT care is taken to ensure each engine/jet pump combination are precisely mounted to ensure a no vibration assembly. They actually test mount each and remove before final installation. Really wish I could have taken pictures of the whole process...way cool. Finally watching the two halves of a 242 come together was almost magical. Didn't get to do a test run but we were on a 242X cranking the stereo just before it went out the door.
Final thoughts
Winterization: I think most guys emphasize winterization too much with these boats. The two plan foremen both have these boats and said ALL they do to winterize is rev the engines for 2-3 seconds and put Stabil in the gas. That said, they said to always follow the owners manual (go figure). As a matter of fact most boats are made during the winter months and are run in freezing cold water and then stored on a lot with nothing more than a short rev when they get out of the water.
SurfPointe: So what's the deal with SurfPointe? All they do to certify a boat with SurfPointe is to adjust the linkage to each jet slightly to make the nozzles converge. They won't say what that angle is but it wouldn't be too hard to do on your own with a little trial and error. In short any of the twin setups can achieve this without spending a dime.
Engines: All engines are built in Japan and fully assembled before shipment to the US. They are mounted in the boats and wiring harness connected...wala.
BIG SURPRISE SOON: When we asked about all the new construction around the plant they said that something very exciting would be revealed in the next 24 months. They couldn't say what it was but there is a lot of construction activity and a great deal of space being created.
If I think of any other interesting details I'll update this post. If you have any questions fire away.
. It wouldn't sell well IMO and someone would just buy a Sea Ray Sundancer or other cruiser instead.
