Mercury 200hp Sportjet

[Richard AK Res]

I am thinking of buying a boat with this motor and am worried about it being a 2-stroke. I keep going back-n-forth between a 4-stroke outboard and the sportjet. I want it to last a long time, be reliable, get good mileage, light weight, and able to haul heavy loads. But I am really impressed by the performance on the Sportjet. I am looking for any information on this motor. I would like to here from all but am mostly interested in owners or users that have a lot of hours on theirs.

Thank You
Richard

[SockeyOrange]

Check out the phantoms....

Google phantom sportjet, you should get a site out of fairbanks Craig Compeaus (sp) they can send you a video and give you all the info you need on the motors. Mercury also has a site. I do not own one but I will, most guys love them!

[mod elan]

Boat forum

Great question for this place. There is even a thread on the 200 Optimax and it's reliability. www.myboatforum.com

We only have 58 hours on ours, but it has been a great boat. Hauls 80 gallons of extra fuel, plus the 45 in the main tank, and all our gear for a week long hunting trip with no problem. 2 strokes are second nature to me as I grew up riding snowmachines. The guys at the Boat Shop in Fairbanks have been great in answering all my questions. www.boatshopak.com

'06 Jetcraft 2175 XS 200 Optimax

[Crumm]

I want it to last a long time, be reliable, get good mileage, light weight, and able to haul heavy loads.

For a long lasting, reliable, economic, lightweight engine the Sportjet is hard to beat. I have a 200 Optimax jetdrive in my Jetcraft Extreme Shallow and it does a great job. The only big thing I don't like about it is the noise. Sportjets are very noisy. I wear earplugs and it makes it much more comfortable. As far as power-to-weight ratio there is not a better unit than the Sportjet. Jetcraft is going to start installing a Yamaha 4-stroke 160 horse jetdrive in some of there units and it will be interesting to see how they compare. The 4 Stroke Yamaha is suppose to turn 10,000 rpm which might make it a bit of a noise maker too? The Sportjets turn around 5,650. You might check out myboatforum.com for some more information on the Sportjet.

[Crumm]

This is the thread with the complete technical report on the 200 Optimax Sportjet.

http://www.myboatforum.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=37

[AKBighorn]

I have an 03' 19' Thunderjet Envoy with the 175hp sportjet. Aside from getting some water in the fuel I have had no problems with the motor. I don't know how many hours it has on it but I can tell you it gets used. The main reason I chose the sportjet was it allows alot more room for fishing vs a V8. It is a little noisy, but I knew that when I bought it. It isn't running when I'm fishing so that was a tradeoff I was willing to make.
The sportjet is also much lighter. I have checked out the Phantoms as well as followed them on the river. There isn't another boat out there that could compare with its shallow water running ability if you ask me.

[4whlr]

akbighorn

How shallow will they run?

[Crumm]

I have checked out the Phantoms as well as followed them on the river. There isn't another boat out there that could compare with its shallow water running ability if you ask me.

Guess you have not seen the Jetcraft Extreme Shallow or the Jetcraft Extreme Duty in action, they will run just as shallow. Here is a link if you want to check out the ED in action. The video link is at the bottom of the page.

http://www.boatshopak.com/HD%20jetcraft.htm

[AKBighorn]

The dealer I bought my boat from said I need 5-6" for my boat. I don't have the nuts to try it. However I watched a Phantom go through 3" without hesitation or grinding on the gravel bottom. The boat that followed him was an Alumaweld similar to mine, he stuck it about 50 yds past the point his boat would float. I was wise/lucky enough not to follow either of these boats.
I watched the video link that was posted, I have seen it before. I must say that it is impressive however I don't beleive that boat could maintain momentum enough to go up a river consistently that shallow. You could hear the motor wind up/cavitate and the bottom of the boat sliding across the gravel. I just can't see how any boat with a V bottom of any sort could compare to a Phantom. However a Phantom would not slide across the gravel as queitly without the same skin on the bottom. Then again, this is just my opinion.
I suppose I should clarify that the boat I am speaking of is a Phantom Sportjon.

[Crumm]

I don't beleive that boat could maintain momentum enough to go up a river consistently that shallow.

I just can't see how any boat with a V bottom of any sort could compare to a Phantom.

However a Phantom would not slide across the gravel as quietly without the same skin on the bottom. I should clarify that the boat I am speaking of is a Phantom Sportjon.

Shallow water boats run all day long in water that shallow. The Sportjon and the Extreme Shallow can run in 2-3" of water all day long. You can get the UHMW bottom on the Sportjon, Extreme Duty and the Extreme Shallow. You are right that a V-bottom boat wont go where they will. The Extreme Shallow and Extreme Duty have a 8 degree bottom and the Sportjon has a 7 degree bottom. Normal jetboats have 12-18 degree bottoms. There is a new class of jetboats being built today and they will almost give a airboat a run for the money.

[AKBighorn]

I don't know how they will ever give an airboat a run for the money but if its not as stinking noisy I would be interested in checking it out.

[Crumm]

You would be very surprised with the elevated intake tunnels how far they will go. Granted not as far as a airboat but much more user friendly. The Mercury Sportjets are noisy but nothing compared to a airboat. The new Yamaha that Jetcraft has just started installing may be even quieter since it is a four stroke but I have not heard for sure.

[AKBighorn]

Just curious, what boat was the 50"er in?

[Crumm]

The 50" moose was in a 2006 Jetcraft Extreme Shallow with a 200 Mercury Optimax jetdrive. Packed the whole moose in the bow from where he was shot to camp about 15 miles downriver then after skinning the weight was distributed a little better along with all our gear for the trip home.

[Crumm]

You can also pack a 4-wheeler in them just like in the Sportjon. Gives you and idea of what the capable Mercury Optimax can do