$300 Jet Boat First Ride In 16 Years. Will It Float? 

I would grind that marinetex out and do an actual fiberglass repair. That keel is going to continue to crack otherwise. That's a structural part of the boat that takes a literal pounding by the water. Grind it out with a die grinder and sand down some perimeter gel coat till you hit good fiberglass. Fill the void with chop glass and resin, then layer on alternating directions of woven glass. Do that until you build the shape back up. Let it cure then sand it to final shape. Then tape off area a little bigger than the repair and shoot it with gel coat & MEK. Let that cure, sand and buff. Sounds like a lot of work, but it's something you want done right. The way it is now worst case you come down on a wake and splits wide open sinking the boat.

Do you know, for that crack you should ditch the water inside, let the inside dry thoroughly and blow it full dry with a heater fan or hairdryer, then grind inside and out till you've got good surfaces to work with. Only then should you be fixing the epoxy putty, or glassing it, or both. But as you saw, that spot on the hull needs something like a glassed-in reinforcement plate, because that's where you get pressure from the water slapping when the boat's hitting it's plane (substantial), and also where it hits the trailer roller (substantial), and also where it grinds on the shore when you've got it tethered for boarding/dis-boarding. And yeah, don't glue, epoxy or sikaflex onto a wet surface. It will never bond as well. A good buy on that boat mate.

After you get that keel patch done the way you want, put a keel guard on it to keep that from happening again.

A little boating 101. ALWAYS test start and check the boat while it is still on the trailer in the water. That way you don’t have reload if you have issues starting or running or God forbid a leak. You can just pull out and fix and then relaunch once it’s all good. I learned this the hard way. Haha. Congrats on another score!

I worked in fiberglass for 20 years. That's just throwing lipstick on a pig. To fix it right you have to grind it out and build back with glass, then a new gel coat finish to seal it. That keel is probably 1/2" thick there and no goop on top is going to hold. The previous owner probably drill some rocks when sliding up to shore.

Not that we need another comment here, but this is my 2 cents worth. I think he did a great job on the boat mechanically. Thats definitely his strong suit. With that being said... Someone called his hull repair a total bodge job.....i would agree that the hull repair was not done right but i wouldn't have put the time and effort in to repairing it right until i knew the boat was sea-worthy and it would hold up on the water. Now that it is known to be a good boat....i'd grind out that temporary fix, get it back to solid fiberglass, make sure its completely dry and repair it with fiberglass as it should be. All in All...great find for 300 bucks and a nice job getting it out on the water and tested.

Joe pay attention to these guys telling you how to fix that crack the CORRECT way!! Grind out all that crap you put in there, get some real resin and fiberglass! No more gimmicky bullshit products! That is a high pressure zone and requires legit repair! Great find tho!! That thing is super slick 😁🤙

You might not have noticed, but the boat that passes you on the left with a water skier - at about minute 39, the guy skiing is skiing barefoot - hence the huge water spray he was creating. Cool footage!

After you repair the keel, they make a heavy rubber adhesive backed guard to help prevent damage to the keel when you beach the boat I applied mine 10 years ago and it’s still holding on great.

I didn't notice a paddle. A lot of trust in the engine. Nice video, enjoyed very much.

Just a quick tip to avoid a lot of sanding. After the the patch is applied be it epoxy or resin, a sheet of waxed paper drawn tight over the area and affixed with tape will help contour the patch a push excess into the void. After curing it should pull right off.

The best way to fix that crack is to start fixing front the inside. Then go to the outside. The patch you put on will work for now. You scored big with that boat. They are a blast. Great video as usual. Keep them coming. Love the fact that you are willing to try fixing anything.

I used Marine-Tex to repair a cracked engine block. That stuff makes JB Weld look like silly puffy!!

Love the channel. First time commenting. I’m sure somebody has told you this by now? But just in case. Whenever you start your boat after sitting for over 24 hours you ALWAYS, open the engine hatch and then turn the blower on. In that order. If you get into the habit of turning the blower in first you will sometimes forget to open the engine bay hatch. You need that fresh air into the engine bay in order to clean out the fumes.

You need a J-Roller to smooth the carpet that you're laying with the cement. And the reason the guy sold it for $300 is that the way it sat when you bought it, it was junk. Most people would pay for someone to do the the transom repair and crack repair in the hull. That would mean sanding off the gel coat, fiberglassing an area at least a foot on either side of the keel, and re-gel coating it. The whole transom would almost need to be replaced to satisfy most, and all of that would be pricey.. But since you're willing to do a lot of work on these yourself, it's a risk worth taking.

I like it when you do voiceovers for some of the video like this. It gives us a much better perspective of what was going through your head in that moment when we cant hear you all that well

Use 'Barkeepers Friend' in the bilge area and on the deck. Scrub it on with a little water, let it sit for 10 minutes, scrub it around a little more, then hose off with liberal amounts of water. It will remove all of those stains on the fiberglass deck and bilge like nothing. Super easy to use, very little scrubbing required.

Fibreglass repair is easy done and holds perfectly, nice buy there ! make some polish and some new seats and paint top of the motor and you'll get some nice cash from this one !

If you want to remove the last little bit of water from the crack (4:55) prior to applying epoxy, wipe it down with acetone. It will mix with the water and evaporate more readily.

If you would have flipped the drain plugs housings over it would have lined up perfectly..yours are upside down also next time apply the sealant to the screws and to the back of the housing.

Always take a paddle with you in case you need to row to shore if it quits running, also a fire extinguisher and a life jacket in case it sinks lol. But hey nice find and you got very lucky it had no major issues, sweet deal. Been boating since I was 6 yrs old, grew up on a bay in Puget Sound in the PNW, had many scary experiences on the water. always be prepared just in case. Happy boating my friend.

If/when the Marine Tex fails in the long crack after it's scraped off when the bottom makes contact with something, take a Dremmel or angle grinder and V-notch the crack so the Marine Tex will have a larger area to fill. This will help it to resist being scraped off. Might end up placing a fiberglass patch over the damaged area in the future.

Make sure to mix in rodadendren water with the epoxy. It makes it smell like flowers when you use it in the bath tub.

Hi, in the UK and love your videos and the different kinds of machines you repair and demonstrate. I'm restoring a Triumph Spitfire from 1973 with a lot of the work based on you tube videos but in a way wish it was a motorbike as learnt so much from watching your channel! Great to see you out on the water and well, my only observation would be why not put some foam on the boat seat can't be that comfortable 😂 and some display of boat speed from a phone app or similar. We all like speed and to see what they will do.

That is awesome! I would love a little tiny boat like this. Probably the only boat my tiny truck could tow lol.

I love your channel. I know nothing about boats, but I would definitely fiberglass it. For 300$, totally worth the time and effort to fix it properly. :)

Always a good day when 2vintage uploads

we are just kidding Ed because you are a fantastic mechanic and if we have a service problem with our boat we will come to you first!

This is a very nice boat and I'm glad you were able to bring it back to life

You know what's crazy? Most all of the newer jetskis have double the hp that this boat has. Time has definitely changed technology 😂

Thee best 300 dollar boat I've ever seen. Congrats

you need at least 7 in of foam on the seat so your don't injure your spin on the seat. If it doesn't have fix tine intake grate you can install one. Them adjust the ride plate to best speed. you should start to plane just above idle if correct. I owned a 240 hp seadoo jetboat. and had a forum to tech. You did a great job. Likely hit rocks in FoX River.

A full scale repair involving feathering the inside and the outside down, letting things dry out and then using multiple layers of glass and resin over a fairly wide area is the only way to really deal with a crack like seen in this keel.

Watching that thing go on the water looks super fun!

Good job, your a knowledgeable mechanic. Thank you for helping others. A lot of good info.

Just for future reference, when you're glueing the carpet down, let it air dry more before sticking it down. Let it get almost a brownish tint to it before laying the carpet down. The wetter it is the more the chances that glue will seep up through the carpet and you'll see it.

Maybe think about checking out the impeller in the jet drive. Those are critical for getting the most out of the boat. Especially with the age of that one.

That definitely needs to be fiberglassed over cut open and let dry it out before you glass it. Your marine-tex is going to let go because the area is moist or even wet tell him by the drips on the trailer.

I always thought these jet boats were weird but it sure does look like fun. That thing is a rocket!

Most repairs require sawing open an access to right above the crack, dripping fiberglass resin down into crack, covering with fiberglass cloth and then a few layers back and forth of resin, glass, resin. Then put the sawed piece back in with more rezin and fiberglass. Paint over bottom repair using emron for water sealing, no primer. Several coats of emron might help, but just doing the blemish cover surface repair won't keep it from opening back up, first beaching or big wave you fly over will slap the water hard enough to increase the crack.

That damage could have bee caused by trailer mishaps. A bunk type trailer is more forgiving for driving the boat onto. Good luck with getting it fixed, it's a great find.

I love your channel. I’m really enjoying the boat videos. Great work!

Hi Joe. Not much storage in the boat but I would at least purchase a collapsible oar to keep in it. Have had to use mine before, so you never know.

Great channel, I don't know how you put out so many great videos. I would look at that trailer and where the boat is hitting, maybe raise the bunks to keep it up higher before it hits the rollers. The speedometer pickup in the back needs to be flipped down so it can be down in the water flow. It's made to flip up if it hits something. Just senses water pressure to run the speedometer. I agree with you about working on UTVs they're a pain. Don't buy a Polaris RZR 800. Great videos, keep them coming.

That soft fiberglass needs to get cut out and fixed properly with fiberglass mat. What you did might work temporarily

He said “probably could have got some big air “😂😂😂😂

For getting that boat next to nothing. I would spend the money and get that crack underneath done the right way. Put a little money into it. You don't have to worry about it anymore, beautiful boat bro you did a great job.

Great video as always Joe! I thought that patch would have worked better than it did. Sounds like it runs great! Could you still buy new seats/ cushions for that boat? Looks like fun! .....send it! Great buy!

1/8” notched trowel for the carpet adhesive. Nice find.

You really need to fiberglass over the penetration. Build it up with the putty, sand it smooth to get the right shape, then sand off the gel coat around the damage, maybe 220 grit with a DA sander. then a couple oval shaped layers of glass over the defect and about 3" all around or more. Then you can fill the glass with more of that putty, then sand smooth, then paint the whole area. That putty isn't meant to be structural.

Made a nice lil boat! Great work!! Love the videos!!😎

I did one for a buddy of mine recently. Spent like 200 in stuff getting it running hit it with some acid to clean the haul and he was so excited dude dropped me 1k and ever since him and his little boy been using it a few times a month for a majority of the year. It's already been like 3 seasons and they still getting good use out of it. I had to braise a hole in one of the water exhaust manifolds and I added a brass cap with a nice fillet braise weld to make sure it never leaked.

I would love to see this boat fully redone and in perfect condition

Awesome as always.thanks for sharing and taking us along

New to your channel I’ve watched a few videos over the last couple of days seeing you work on the bikes and I have to say I’m enjoying your content so far. 👍

Very cool to watch you work and have fun when you get to take the boat out!

That boat looks fun! Consider updating the paint/graphics scheme to make it look more modern. It may make it more desirable when you sell it. But you can't go wrong with the small investment you've got in it anyway.

Ya I'd def put fiberglass webbing and resin on that hull crack, every time you hit a wave, the sides of the hull are gonna flex up in which thats gonna keep pulling open at that crack. Need something there to hold that crack closed when the hull flexes.

Great deal. Those mercury 2 stroke engines are the best. They are reliable and last a long time.

If this boat was sitting for 16 years and it was full of water, there is a good chance the stringers are soft. If that's the case, you will have to remove the upper deck from the hull to access the stringers to replace them and fiberglass them to the hull. If the stringers are soft and you keep running it hitting/jumping those waves the hull will over flex and you could end up cracking the complete hull open. I would not run the boat again, until the stringers are checked.

If the fiberglass is cracked under the paint I would if possible mix up some resin and pour a thin layer on the inside where the crack is hoping it will run through the crack and set up filling the crack it in from the inside too. Make sure there is no water on the inside and it is completely dry on the inside before using the resin. Add a piece of glass on the inside and outside to strengthen the repair.

Let the glue dry opaque before applying covering. This insures adhesion to wood without any problems of glue squeezing into the fabric through the backing.

Great find, great project. congrats on getting it put together. Next up, Jade and Vinny waterskiing

They used to have a product called fix-all I don't know if they still have it and it actually had similar instructions 😊

There's a sticky keel material that's for helping keep it from getting all cracked up from running it up on shore a lot of jet skies use it

Awesome project, sir. Maybe put some bunk rollers on the trailer and lift them up so only the bottom sides of the boat touches. That will keep your keel from touching anything. And y'know a full length keel guard won't hurt. But you did a fine job and that thing is fast!

As someone who just got done doing what you're doing, skip the marine tek, skip the everglass reinforced filler, just go with good ol resin and glass

Marine Tex my go to for tuff jobs, very hard to sand, And I’m amazed the resin didn’t over kick usually the test it stays sticky or burns up, MEK can be an enemy

When gluing carpet flip it over to smooth it out don’t just jump on the back of the board or you will have bubbles and pulls. A roller helps.

Love the videos I wish I could make a living doing what I love like you

Excellent buy . Looked like a lot of fun . Especially for the amount of money you have invested in it : ).

Great job! On future first drives please show the gauges!

Can't wait to see it on the track!!!!

Congratulations. Be interesting to see how you finish it up.

SHE'S A GOOD LITTLE BOAT. YOU GOT LUCKY ON THIS ONE.

I think as far as repairing the fiberglass, in order for it to properly bond. It has to be the same material as you are bonding to. It won't stick if it different.

great looking boat ❤

That might be the best 300 dollars spent I have always wanted one of those small jet boats sea doo had one back in the day people used to submarine them they looked so cool to me

Nice temp fix on the hull to test the boat on the water. $50 is a bit much for a temp fix, but then you know if you should spend more time on the rest of it (can't sell the boat with that patch!) Looks like a great deal on the boat.

When you glass that crack, use at least 3 good layers of fibreglass cloth and don't use the chopped stuff as it won't give you the strength required. Wish I had a boat like that for my fishing expeditions!!

Joe you know you always get a thumbs-up from me because it's tough to make these videos! Now here comes the bad news, when you do a piss poor prep job and don't use the proper stuff for the job you know what the end result will be. You could have used the angel hair version number to Bondo and it would have been dry in 20 minutes and you would have been in the water like you wanted to be anyway not really even caring about the job itself. I only wish that I could find deals like you find out where you live. Where I live you would never get a boat like that for $300 let alone the trailer included! You know Joe you are far better at doing stuff then the way you do them. Don't complain about laying in the Rocks when you can simply throw down a pad, and when your boat leaves don't complain about the stuff you used when you could have just used fiberglass to begin with. A simple grinder with a 60 or 80 grit flap disc would have been way more sufficient than trying to hand sand with a sponge pad oh, the only good thing that I saw you do is use brake cleaner to clean it. I really hope it goes good out on the lake for you. Many blessings to you and your family as always and that always includes that crazy dog Vinny

Definitely worth doing the fiberglass work and throwing some new upholstery in it.

Do not mix on cardboard. Affects the chemical bonding. Might not make a huge difference but if you are going to go through the effort .... Enjoy the channel as most of what you mess with takes me back to my youth in Wisconsin.

Not sure if you saw it or not. But there was some more of the white hose. On the up left side. By the vent

I would put stainless bolts with washers and nuts on the inside of the boat with stainless lock nuts on the drain plugs. Wonder what keeps the plug from not vibrating loose then leaking?😊 I’m a blown gas flat bottom drag boat guy but this little dude would be fun to putt too. Sure was a deal at $300. Don’t forget to repack the wheel bearings with good synthetic wheel bearing grease. Looks and sounds smooth. So relaxing cruising on the water. GPS the dude at full throttle for us.

Owned several Seadoo jet boats. Check your impeller wear ring, clean the carburetor and also you may want to do a compression test on the 3 cylinders. Dont forget to lubricate your steering and reverse cable. For 300 not bad. I think thats a 4 stroke if I remember correctly.

Once you do a good fiberglass repair, get some keep tape and run that down the length of the keel. Will protect against future run ins with the beach.

Looks like a witness mark on the trailer that corresponds with the cracked spot. Wonder if there was a roller that has been removed, but after the damage was done? Trailer reconfiguration is common practice.

Awesome job, Joe! Great find

After the patch put a piece of acrylic or that hard rubber to protect the keel...👍🏻

i think if you epoxy the crack from the other side it will fill in much better, loving the videos, Scotland is watching.

the wear ring is shot in the jet pump should be faster a lot faster its cavitating like mad thats why its reving so hard

Wow man what a bargain!! Great film about time you had some good luck! Thanks

Great Vid! I always look forward to ‘em.

I have the cyclone sport but I have the 175 in mine! Maxes out at 60 mph on the water and they are just as fun as jet ski

Get a keel guard. That will help with the crack. Great job...your a damn good mechanic.

If that thing is anything like the Yamaha Exciter, you can spin that thing like a jet ski. I think i mentioned stainless staples for marine use on something else you worked on, I see you took my advice, good on you for that. That hull needs to be glassed. Also, pop the back cap off that pump and check the impeller and wear ring along with the stator vanes. If any of that stuff is roughed up or out of spec or damaged it can play a major roll in performance.

Boat epoxy is the best glue I’ve ever seen or used and it dries under water so you can patch on the go.

Changed out an impeller on one of those type a couple years ago for guy who beached it on a shallow island. What a nightmare!

nice boat! I like it. hope we will see it soon!