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kayck
I have a 27' Command Bridge Cabin Cruiser. I explain it as big and heavy with 2 helms one below and oen on top and looks like something You would see on the ocean as it as built for that but some guy before Me bought it and had it shipped to Arkansas on Greers Ferry lake. Nice place to visit if anyone is ever looking for a vacation spot with camping. it is run by the Corp. of engineers. It has a Volvo Penta Duoprop and weighs about 8,000 lbs. and runs flat out 51 MPH with light crew like 4 people. It runs a 350 Volvo Penta which is a Chevy engine with around 280 HP. It is sort fo like camping on water as it has A/C with dock power but fridge, ice box, private head, and can sleep as many as 10 or 12 on occasion. It burns allot of fuel and has a 70 gallon tank that if You run all day pulling kids around fuel gets ridiculous and that is when it is resonable. So, back in 1994 I began to look at something smaller to pull toys and skis with.
What i did was go around and look at what the marina's were using as rental's. I had a friend tell Me that they are going to rent what is the toughest most reliable waverunner which is what i wanted to pull kids on tubes while anchored in coves. Well I did as suggested and found without exception they rented out Yamaha's. I went to about 7 marina's and all had the same make & models. I was offered a good deal on a used Yamaha VXR 650 and promptly went to a stainless scat trac prop with more pull and a performance intake grate to take in more water to feed prop improvement. I then went to hotter plugs and leaner carb setting by adjusting and pulling spark plugs to see the burn on them. i worked to get the most power I could out of a 55 HP engine which was avg. at the time. Now it takes one that big to start the engine on some waverunners. I wanted to explain that to say that rig was a 1992 that I bought in 1994 and still have it. It has been rode hard and put away wet as GrandPaw use to say but, I took very good care of it mechanically. It runs today like the day i got and can not even begin to count the number of kids I have pulled on the thing. The prop change even allowed Me to pull a slalom skier max weight at about 150 lbs. As far as reliabilty in any motor vehicle I have never seen better. I know people who have Seadoo's and have traded because of problems. It could have been lack of maintanence. But, I have always worried about a snow mobile engine in a waverunner. I do know that Yamaha for the longest and may still be the only co. that produced an individual marine engine in a factory that produced nothing but, the engine and drive pump. That has been My experience and someone most likely has had a different one. Both of My girls were 14 and 10 when i got it and were little fish. They are now 24 and 20 finally quit using it last Year and it was taking up room in My slip at the Eden Isle Marina in Heber Springs, AR so I took it out but, now I'm giving it to My oldest. i mention the marina by name as You will not find many better and I would recomend if anyone is near there go and rent waverunners up to full house boats. There are really nice resturaunts on lake to dock at, well just a wonderful lake. There would be no way to figure how many hours they were on thing not counting all the kids from Church Youth We took on a lake trip twice a year. There would be days that the boat rarely moved and I pruned up from driving the thing and sunburn. Had to wear hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. It was fun but, work to say the least. The boys from Church were rough on it and it never should the wear. i had people turn it over or wind shi rope in prop and while we turned it upside down to clear prop would all but sink. Flip it over bail as much water as could and once started and ride till vacumm bilge finished the job and the little thing never missed a beat.
I hope this gives You some idea of what to ask questions about, look for, and do not be afraid or shy about asking. Make them answer every question You have and if they do not go somewhere else.
TAZ