Are jet boats any better than they use to be?

[ron nh]

So I can't talk my friend into a tri-toon, He's looking at A new Chapparral VRX jet boat, I know in the past those motors didn't have a long shelf life, Have they gotten better does anyone know? I know it's of topic just looking for some info.

[playcat]

All boats (maybe less with a toon) are really engines with a boat attached to them Inboard engines especially so because they are a lot harder to service in those cramped spaces. The Rotax engines put out a lot of power for their size but that comes at the expense of longevity. Some owners I know found it was cheaper to simply replace engines rather than try to fix/rebuild them in place. i don't know any Yamaha jet owners so I can't help you there.

[Marc K]

I thnk that Rotax engines have improved in the 7 years since this thread was started.

[playcat]

I hope so...I guess if I were more knowledgeable with engines I would be okay with one, but reliability is my first concern on the water. Any engine turning 10k RPM can't last but so long and I can't fix them myself nor afford to replace!