Jet boats for small rivers

[Coach]

You guys are great for finding links to cool stuff.
Regardless of cost, what watercrafts are out there that could run the upper Flint. I've got canoes and kayaks, I mean power. Maybe something like a jet ski motor in a 14 foot jon boat. Retirement is coming and I need stuff to do.

 

[Granite3]

Honda makes a jet motor, 40hp and up. Cousin ran one on the upper Broad river where it was shallow. 14’ flat bottom skiff and motor. Right over sand bars.

Honda Marine | Jet Drive Outboard Engines | 40 - 105 hp Motors

Honda’s jet drive outboard engines are a perfect choice for shallow waters. Honda jet drive motors offer dependable, quiet, fuel efficient performance.

marine.honda.com

 

[CBH13]

we've gone up a couple of small rivers in a jon boat. 14ft has been fine and generally havent had issues with a short shaft prop but a jet driven outboard would be better.

 

[Retired Army]

Guy at church just sold his jet-John a couple of weeks ago. The guide we used last March is a sponsor on here, Captain Matt Robinson and his boat was a jet drive and took us through pretty skinny water. He may have some suggestions.

 

[Rusty Shakleford]

Airboat w/ poly on bottom

 

[Coach]

My dad ran a jet boat in the Allegheny river, and it was nothing to fly over the gravel bars in 6 inches of water. But the Flint from 36 to 18 are narrow rock sholes , you would need that instant power with out being on plane.

 

[imawoodsman]

Check out Cleetus McFarland on YouTube. Jet boat episodes.
you will ENJOY!

 

[gh1950]

There are some on the Oconee River below Athens.

They do well in rocky clear rivers.

Sandy silt rivers like the Oconee eat them up pretty fast. I mean they work while they worked, that river in particular has an extremely heavy silt load,

 

[BIKER13]

and all the fisherman hate them,loud obnoxious mostly and ruin fishing when they come tooling by,Like the airboats on Seminole what a bunch that is. Hear em at the dam and every alligator goes under when it starts during season

 

[CardsFan]

We were happy with an Outlaw Lynx jetboat purchased many years ago, at that time there was a lot of options.

The one we bought was WAY tougher than what we needed, and that was my fault. But it was a tank. Jumped a tiny waterfall on my first trip out and came down hard on a large rock table I didn't see on the other side

The rest of the run home I wondered how much damage I had done. When we pulled it off the ramp, not a scratch, but it had a thick bottom with a bunch of UHMW as well. My worrying on the run back to the ramp was unfounded.

Worth looking into, but they ain't cheap.