jetski motor in a rebel?

[osomxl]

Can a jetski motor and hull be grafted to the rebel design?
Has anyone done this and what would be a comparable horsepower/speed rating to an 80 horsepower outboard?

I expect the price to go down significantly on the price of jetskis at the end of this summer and I keep on missing all of the deals on 80-100 horse outboards.

I like the styling of the rebel and the plywood sheet contruction but is there a maximum hull length recommended for a jetski hull?

From all of your guys personal experiences would you recommend a flat hull or a vee hull, keep in mind I will most likely run this boat on the ocassional river and every so often on the bay of san diego, but used mostly in the gulf of mexico at it most northernly shores.

I have literally spent weeks reading the forum and oogling all the wonderful boats you guys have built and think that I will be ordering the plywood/fiberglass/DVD special and the plans for the Glen L rebel within the next week or so. I want a fun family boat that we can enjoy for a few years. I will be doin a bare budget build and dont want to take a year to build.

I just need a project that the family can enjoy when I am done. I think that the rebel is a good size and can hold the wife and son as well as enough "stuff" for a day on the water.

Does anyone else have any input?

Let the adventure begin!

[BulldogBoater]

Don't know that I have all the answers to your questions. But the graft is easy enough and there is certainly enough room in the rebel design. Many guys - me included - have done it in the Squirt.

Also, several months ago in Wooden Boat Magazine a builder built a 30' lobster boat with a PWC motor in it. I can't find the article but if I remember correctly it was the 1300cc Yamaha and it propelled the boat to 30mph+.

Will be interested in following whatever you decide.

KB

[osomxl]

Thanks for the reply bulldog. I will be checking back in daily to further the discussion as it seems to be the most economic way to power the boat.

I can buy running kawasaki 550's all day for $500 dollars and it is peak PWC time.

I would have to guess that a larger 750cc engine would be required in order to get resonable performance in a 15 ft boat.

I also would like to debate the pros and cons of flat bottom versus vee-hull designs both for outboards and jet propulsion.

And what is the deal about the high horsepower jetboat that run these huge pumps off the transom?

Could you effectively use a small displacement 4cyl car engine or motorcycle engine with the higher RPM to power the pump.

I would like any jet pump experts to chime in and suggest the most cost effective route of creating a fun, lightweight jetboat that uses an affordable engine/pump for propulsion.

A little background on me- I have worked in the aerospace industry, custom cabinet shops, Taylor guitars, NASSCO (national steel and shipbuilding co.) and now I am a Union Electrician and I am not afraid to get my hands dirty and there is not anything that I cant find a way to do or learn how to do. So please give me some ideas!

[Nova SS]

I dont see why you couldnt put one in a Reb. The only thing that is a concern is that normally Jets dont perform as well in flat bottoms as they do in v bottoms. Sometimes its hard to keep the intake fully submerged but other than that it should work I would think. I will definately be following this build. Good luck.

[upspirate]

You may want to check out a pump/engine setup out of one of the small jet boats like the Bayliner Jazz or the SeaRay f-14 or F-16.(there are a ton of others out there,but those are two that come to mind)

The Bayliner Jazz go for not to much money,and use the same power as the pricier boats.

These boats use a 90-175 HP motor range and I think may be better suited for a bigger boat like the Rebel.

They also look easier to install/align, and are much more compact to the transom without sticking into the cockpit so far.

Here is a link to the Mercruiser Sportjet page which is what alot of these boats run:

http://www.mercurymarine.com/engines/je ... drives.php

These are a bit bigger than some of the boats have in them,but you can see the pkg...the older 90-120HP Sportjets have a 3 cyl engine,and use the same type of pump set-up

[terrymc]

Hey, I feel uniquely qualified on this one, as I (1) built a rebel (in '72) and (2) did a jet squirt!

First of all, forget about the Kawa 550. It's a good engine, but only puts out 38 HP, and that's borderline for a Reb. I ran my Reb for a couple of years with a 40 HP Johnson, and it will do OK, but it ran a LOT better with a 70.

I've been thinking about doing another boat, quite possibly a jet verson of the Tiny Might, and was talking with my local jet ski mechanic about the best engine in the 75-100 HP range. His response was "Go with the Yamaha 701 - it puts out 80 HP and is absolutely bulletproof". Personally, I don't have any Yamaha experience (my boat is powered by a Kawa 550) but I trust this guy...

Conceptually, there is no reason that you couldn't do a jet version of a Reb - I will cuation you that it is considerably more work than the outboard verson, and "engineering" is required - the Glen-L plans are not detailed for the jet option, and you will need to figure out how to build appropriate structure or clone in the jet ski. Also, recognize that you will loose some space in the boat - frankly the nice thing about an outboard is that it's, well, "outboard". In my Squirt the pump is mounted on a bracked behind the transom, and the machinery space still takes up about 4 feet of boat.

VERY STRONG RECCOMENDATION - get an entire donor jet ski, not just an engine and pump. There are a surprizing number of "little pieces" that you will find that you will need.

Go for it, and let's see pictures of how you proceed.

Peace,

TRM

[Caber-Feidh]

Avoid those older 90 & 120 sportjets like a rabid pit bull carrying plague fleas!

They are rehashed force powerheads, parts are difficult on good days, the engines questionable every day.

Flat bottoms are nnnnnoooooo good for jet drive.

[osomxl]

Excelent advice everyone!

Now my question is, What Glen-L design has a similar hull shape with the vee bottom that extends to the transom?

I originally was going to build a TnT or Squirt, but after reading the forum everyone seems to agree on "build the size you want as it is not going to change cost of the build drastically" and I whole heartedly agree.

So does this rule out the Rebel using a jet ski donor set-up?

I like the higher sides of the rebel and the 15' length is ideal.

I am not to sure about how comfortable I would be, taking my infant son aboard a ski boat so close to the waterline and I prefer the look of the Rebel.

I just automatically assumed that I would indeed need to use one of the larger displacement motors to propel a 15' boat and I just need to locate a good running ski with a beat up hull.

What are the secrets of locating a 75-100 horse outboard motor?

I missed an opportunity to pick a 18' fiberglass boat locally with a running 100 horse motor and trailer for $200!

[Nova SS]

what about an Outrage or a Roustabout? They are a little longer 16' and 17' respectively but they might fit the bill for what you want.

[osomxl]

Nova SS: I dont quite like the look of the Roustabout. The Outrage is a possibility and if I were to shorten overall by 10% that puts me at a hair under 15'. Still the Outrage seems to be pretty shallow.

[Nova SS]

well surprising enough the outrage is 1" deeper in hull depth then the Rebel. You could just shourten the outrage to 15'. Not sure of the percentage but as long as its less then the 10% the plans allow your good to go. (I think it would be a tad over 9.3% )

[osomxl]

thanks for the info Nova!

All this time and I never noticed the "Hull Depth" information on the details page for the individual boat!

And yes Nova, you are absolutely correct, the Vee bottom and exposed coamings give the Outrage an entirely different profile.

My guess is that I could simply modify the deck to achieve the look of the Rebel with the Outrage plans. Only needing to make the correct additions to the top of the frame members and side planking to get correct shape, no?

[osomxl]

Also!

Please give yourselves a big ol pat on the back!

You gents are an absolute wealth of info and I could only imagine the ideas that you all come up with.

Thanks for your generosity of all the experience with the "New Guy".

[Nova SS]

one thing I did think of after I posted about the hull depth is that overall the hull of the outrage will be deeper because of the "V" but I suspect at the sides it will be shallower then the Reb. Modifing the deck shouldnt be too difficult to get the look your after. It will be much eaiser to mod the deck then it will be to incorporate a jet drive. I'm looking forward to following this project no mater which boat you decide to build.