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Old 18-03-2019, 03:21   #1
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Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

Hello All,

Today I had more free time so I drove around to a handful of the Marina's within a few miles of my hospital I work at to just check them out and find out if they accept liveaboards. I was up at Turtle Cove Marina and this guy came up to the fuel dock towing an interesting "dingy", then after filling up he moved over to his slip and moved it to the front corner of his boat, tied off to the boat and dock. I was intrigued so I asked him if he had a good time out on the jet ski and he mentioned he didn't use it, which I asked why he would carry a jet ski if he was not going to use it... which he informed me that it's his dingy...

So after talking for a bit and him inviting me on his boat to check out a carver aft cabin, he explained that he had been using jet ski's for a dingy for nearly 6 years, because he got tired of all the issues he had with actual dingies previously. He explained that in 8 years of boating with dingies he had 3 motors stolen off his dingy, twice while parked at a marina and once while parked in front of a restaurant, coming out to his entire dingy gone, with the locking cable he used cut hanging off the dock. He was telling me that since outboard motors are easily able to be just picked up or dingies picked up, they are easily stolen cost a lot to replace. Since he has been using a jet ski, he has explored more with them traveling further and has had zero engine issues. He told me he picked up his 2017 Sea-Doo for $2800 brand new last year as a last year leftover and sold his 2014 Sea-Doo for $300 less than what he paid for it within 24hrs of listing it and only replaced it because the 3 year warranty had ended and wanted a warranty again. Told me when he needs to tow something on it like groceries, he uses a strap and 2 buckets 5 gallon size and sits them on the back corners and just tosses his groceries in the buckets and rides out to the boat or takes a backpack to toss them into, anything more or larger than that he just moves the entire boat near a dock and transfers it over.

Anyways, just was intrigued with his use of a jet ski as a dingy, he said he towed it all the way through the Caribbean islands and down to the Dominican Republic using it with no issues.

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Old 18-03-2019, 03:30   #2
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

It seems more weekend warriors in M/Vs use them around Italy at least. Never thought about the theft issue, not bad. Living aboard, tho, that would be a challenge to use one to step out at a nice restaurant (one of my loves is Russian and yes she hits the town on high heels, the hard floor dinghy is bad enough ) Groceries, propane... guess if you marina a lot it could work.

I did charter a Sunseeker once with a jet -tender RIB. Now THAT might be best of both worlds if you can afford it and store it:

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Old 18-03-2019, 03:59   #3
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

Out of curiosity, how much does even a little jetski weigh?

How do I manage a 40kg dog?

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Old 18-03-2019, 04:04   #4
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

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Out of curiosity, how much does even a little jetski weigh?

How do I manage a 40kg dog?

Pete
i looked up the model he had, it says 398lbs
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Old 18-03-2019, 04:08   #5
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

I've actually thought about this years ago.. groceries wouldn't be too bad I guess.. but water runs wouldn't sound fun imo.

I'm curious on how a wave runner (jetski is where you stand up) would tow compared to a dinghy with something pretty serious as island hopping the Caribbean as boat owner mentioned?
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Old 18-03-2019, 04:21   #6
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

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I'm curious on how a wave runner (jetski is where you stand up)

Jetski is a trademark of Kawasaki but many use it as a generic term as they held a patent and so were the only manufacturers for a number of years. As others eventually entered the market people just called them all jetskis.
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Old 18-03-2019, 05:27   #7
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

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Originally Posted by windycityxx View Post
I've actually thought about this years ago.. groceries wouldn't be too bad I guess.. but water runs wouldn't sound fun imo.

I'm curious on how a wave runner (jetski is where you stand up) would tow compared to a dinghy with something pretty serious as island hopping the Caribbean as boat owner mentioned?
idk about the standup types, but depending on how you tow water, you could always just drag them in the water behind you... I know years ago i was out in the ocean fishing on a canoe and a wave caught me off guard and i fell out of the canoe while standing in it. The 1 gallon jug of drinking water i had floated in the salt water even tho it was completely full to the top unopened. Fresh water is less dense than salt water, causing the jug of water to just float in the water. So if you had like large water containers with sealable caps, you could just rope them to the ski and let them float behind you while you motor over to the boat.
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Old 18-03-2019, 06:29   #8
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

Aren't stand up types the only true 'jet ski' the others are jet bikes. At least that is how it used to be.

I wonder though, are these more or less likely get stolen in the Caribbean?
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Old 18-03-2019, 07:59   #9
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

I'd have to build a little cradle to transport on that swim platform. That ski can't weigh more than a couple of overweight gentleman and certainly the platform is capable of supporting that.

I have an older Yamaha that I picked up for $200. I can do at least 70 miles on a tank of gas if I ride conservatively. I also just drag it up on my dock at the house rather than buy a lift or trailer it all the time. I know I could slide it up on that platform.
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Old 18-03-2019, 09:34   #10
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

. . . . all I can see (at least, for me!) is getting from the boat onto the "jet bike/ski" in the first place . . . they aren't the most stable platform in the world . . . and then, of course, neither am I!!
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Old 18-03-2019, 09:35   #11
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by storx View Post
Hello All,

Today I had more free time so I drove around to a handful of the Marina's within a few miles of my hospital I work at to just check them out and find out if they accept liveaboards. I was up at Turtle Cove Marina and this guy came up to the fuel dock towing an interesting "dingy", then after filling up he moved over to his slip and moved it to the front corner of his boat, tied off to the boat and dock. I was intrigued so I asked him if he had a good time out on the jet ski and he mentioned he didn't use it, which I asked why he would carry a jet ski if he was not going to use it... which he informed me that it's his dingy...

So after talking for a bit and him inviting me on his boat to check out a carver aft cabin, he explained that he had been using jet ski's for a dingy for nearly 6 years, because he got tired of all the issues he had with actual dingies previously. He explained that in 8 years of boating with dingies he had 3 motors stolen off his dingy, twice while parked at a marina and once while parked in front of a restaurant, coming out to his entire dingy gone, with the locking cable he used cut hanging off the dock. He was telling me that since outboard motors are easily able to be just picked up or dingies picked up, they are easily stolen cost a lot to replace. Since he has been using a jet ski, he has explored more with them traveling further and has had zero engine issues. He told me he picked up his 2017 Sea-Doo for $2800 brand new last year as a last year leftover and sold his 2014 Sea-Doo for $300 less than what he paid for it within 24hrs of listing it and only replaced it because the 3 year warranty had ended and wanted a warranty again. Told me when he needs to tow something on it like groceries, he uses a strap and 2 buckets 5 gallon size and sits them on the back corners and just tosses his groceries in the buckets and rides out to the boat or takes a backpack to toss them into, anything more or larger than that he just moves the entire boat near a dock and transfers it over.

Anyways, just was intrigued with his use of a jet ski as a dingy, he said he towed it all the way through the Caribbean islands and down to the Dominican Republic using it with no issues.

Some locations do not allow jet ski/Personal Watercraft (PWC). For example, San Juan County Washington bans PWC in their waters. This restriction has been upheld by the Washington State Supreme Court.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH
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Old 18-03-2019, 09:47   #12
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

My first Waverunner (Yahama) dinghy was a 650 cc model I purchased in 1989. I souped it up at a place called Cal Jet Performance in Toronto so that the machine which originally topped out at 36 mph would go 60 mph. WOW.
Very stable and relatively dry, it made an AMAZING dinghy. Even better than expected. It towed well and stably, and tied up on the rear quarter of my Ontario 28 sailboat.
In 1999 I purchased a Kawasaki 1100 cc Jet Ski and souped that up too, so it easily hit 75 mph. In 2006 I won the Gananoque Poker Run with it. Unbelievable.
It served me faithfully until 2014 when I finally sold it.
Jet Skis are very stable and fast. You return to the mother ship before the purchased ice begins to melt, and easily explore your surrounding islands.
The BEST dinghy I could possibly imagine. And as they are 3 person machines, they easily carry 2 people.
It also served ably as a rescue boat in the CORK race series in Kingston, Ontario. Very safe as there is no propellor to injure sailors in the water.
Wonderful boats.
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Old 18-03-2019, 11:58   #13
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by cj88 View Post
Jetski is a trademark of Kawasaki but many use it as a generic term as they held a patent and so were the only manufacturers for a number of years. As others eventually entered the market people just called them all jetskis.
Interesting...around here they are called SEADOOs. Which I think is a derivitive of the snow machine which is a SKIDOO.
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Old 18-03-2019, 13:23   #14
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

This combo seems to solve the problem of dinghy theft
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Old 18-03-2019, 13:39   #15
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Re: Who else uses Jet Ski for Dingy?

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Interesting...around here they are called SEADOOs. Which I think is a derivitive of the snow machine which is a SKIDOO.

The Sea-Doo is a product of Bombardier along with Skidoo. They came along later like the Yamaha which is when the term personal watercraft was coined. The original Kawasaki Jet Ski was a stand-up which had the patented hinged pole. The others started to enter the market just prior to the patent expiring with sit down models. Kawasaki also developed sit down models at that time.



Depending upon your needs a personal watercraft might be quite an acceptable tender but it won't match all the abilities of a RIB or hard dinghy for ultimate load carrying. On the plus side they're quick and can cover large distances, you can dive or fish from them, tow a skier and they can handle conditions other craft wouldn't consider being in. I've taken them out in the surf wave jumping when it was a 6m swell and blowing 50-60 knots.
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