Whilst jet drives operate well at speed, when it comes to travelling slowly they aren’t great at all. Just be sure to hold on tight if you ever do this! Why so? Well by slamming the deflector plate over the jet stream and immediately reversing the flow of water you get a much more immediate effect than having to wait for a prop to get up to speed in reverse. In addition if you ever need to stop quickly, then in theory a jet drive is the best means to do so. As mentioned above, they’re great in shallow waters, but inboard jets can also be backed up on to beaches given the absence of any protruding parts including rudders.Īt very high speeds jet drives have been documented as being more efficient than props, and they’re certainly quicker to accelerate. Jet drives offer a lot of practical advantages over propeller driven stern drives or outboard motors, mostly related to the fact that they are safer in conditions where impacts with foreign objects are likely. As such jet drives are perfect for flat bottomed vessels (Jon Boats) used in shallow, rocky rivers, or in applications where personal safety around the prop would be an issue, such as when water skiers climb in and out of the stern of the boat. The impeller of a jet is generally a smaller item than a prop designed for a boat of the same size, and being fully encased, it is well protected from its environment. Well in simple terms jet drives are great, but only in very specific circumstances, much like airboats. In order to attain the same speed, you may need to use a significantly larger outboard jet than you would need to use for a standard outboard prop engine.Off the top of my head there are 3 ways of propelling a boat, either through the use of a conventional propeller, an impeller (or ‘jet drive’), and aircraft style propellers typically found on flat bottomed air boats used in marshlands where below waterline propulsion is impractical.įor most of us the choice will come down to propellers or jet drives, with props generally ruling the waves in most harbours.īut why is this the case? Why don’t jet drives enjoy the same level of popularity? Jet outboard engines produce less power at the nozzle than conventional outboards produce at the propeller. Power is a consideration when considering a jet. The jet boat has a shallower draft than the traditional hull and allows it to operate where the water is less deep than a traditional hull would require. Many of our clients find that their work or hobbies require access to or through shallow waters. Who would use a jet rigid hull inflatable boat? If that flow is interrupted the outboard jet will not attain the water flow and thrust required to perform properly. The hull must be designed to allow for uninterrupted water flow to the jet intake. How is its design different from a standard hull?Ī jet motor moves the water very differently than a standard outboard. The outboard jet has become very popular over the last few years as outboard jet technology has evolved. A jet boat is a standard rigid hull inflatable boat that has had the hull specially designed to operate with an outboard jet motor.
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