Havasu's Biggest Jet Boat???

[RiverToysJas]

http://op6c.com/jason/needles_4_18/bigjet.jpg
Sorry for the poor photo (taken on I-40), he was in the truck lane and I was passing another vehicle when I snapped the shot.
It's a Kachina, I'd guess 25-26' long, and very deep, as you could see. I don't care how much power you're puttin' to that thing, it's got to be a pig! Otherwise though, it's a nice boat.
RTJas :D

[DUNDUN]

im surprised its not an i/o. Are jets cheaper than i/o's generally or something? I dont really know much about jets or i/o's except for that the engine goes in frontwards.
:cool:

[jtham]

Jet boats perform best within the 18-21' range. Anything bigger with stock power will be sluggish.
Most boats bigger than 21' will come with sterndrive or big outboards.
You will see most manufactures will offer a 21' boat with a 454 jet as standard power, or a 350 sterndrive in the same price range. It takes more HP to push the jet than it does for the smallblock to turn the prop on a sterndrive, or I/O as some peple call it.
Just my 2cents from my experience. Jay

[jtham]

I'm surprised it's not an I/O also, but for a family cruiser I'm sure it's adequate. They just won't go as fast as most of us jet boater's like to go. Jay
I've seen alot of those heading out to Laughlin and Havasu also.

[DUNDUN]

cool
thanks for the info jay. :)

[cruser]

I looked into going with an i/o on my new boat. A jet drive is something like $3500 complete, intake to diverter plus a few hundred to do the install. Call it $5k. An outdrive is $10-$15K for the parts plus install. I can buy a lot of gas for the $5k-$10k difference. Add in the maintenance and fixing things that break, the difference just gets bigger.
I would've liked the i/o for efficiency/top speed sake.
cruzer

[manuel]

While I was shopping for a daycruiser a guy that lived around Havasu had a 28' Nordic Viking with a 575SC and a Berkeley, he claimed 55mph top speed with everybody and everthing out of the boat and just a little fuel and perfect water. That Kachina looks like a real deep V, trim tabs & diverter too, takes a LOT of power to get a hull that deep to sit up on top nicely, I don't think the jet is the right choice for that hull. I like big jets though!

[superdave013]

needs one ot the dual jet drives.

[Squirtcha?]

Looks like the Labala. They've got real nice lines to em. Kinda a mini-offshore thing. Always liked the looks of em, but questioned the jetdrive deal. I know they made em with outdrives too, but it seems like you see more of em with jets than anything. There used to be an article (test) archived on ***boat somewhere. According to the tester they couldn't get the thing to stop porpoising no matter what they did with trim etc. (jetdriven one). I think they were able to get 50 mph out of it (porpoising all the way). There's a guy on realjetboats.com that has one and he seems to like it fine for his purposes.

[RiverToysJas]

Originally posted by Squirtcha?
Looks like the Labala.
I thought it said Kachina, but Labala might look like Kachina in poor light and at a quick glance.
RTJas :D

[kachina_labala]

Well, Its too tall (deep) to be a labala. The labala is 22.5'. I would guess this one is more in the 25' range. Last year I was getting 55mph with a worn pump. I havent had a ride problem yet. Boy the paint scheeme looks close.
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/4896kachina-med.JPG
Matthew

[Squirtcha?]

Originally posted by RiverToysJas
I thought it said Kachina, but Labala might look like Kachina in poor light and at a quick glance.
RTJas :D
Sorry, should've been more specific. Labala was a model of Kachina. Apparently I was wrong though. Can't imagine what model of Kachina it is if not the Labala. They've changed their whole lineup around now and none of the old models exist anymore. I have heard that they'd layup a new 18'er like mine if you special ordered it. Other than that, I believe it's all 23' and up, outdrives now.

[Ultracrazy]

Saw this boat on the 60 coming home on a Sunday......thought the same thing..........biggest jet boat I've seen.

[Sleek26]

I converted mine but, Sleekcraft made 26 Ft. Ambassadors with Berks. It does take a lot of power to get them moving. When I cut the hole in the bottem, to install the berk, I was surprised that the hull is just shy of an inch thick. It is one heavy mutha.

[wsuwrhr]

My 19 foot Anthony Jet is 1 in thick. That mutha is heavy.
Brian

[mgar_red]

Just saw the thread & thought a little clearer pic would help. Not the best, but worked from RTJas post. Seeya :D
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1176bigjet.jpg

[jetboater5]

Just got back from Havasu First real trip out with new new built 502 and fully prepped pump .With the boat holding 70gallons of fuel and 4 adults we ran 68.5 mph on the gps in far less than ideal waters. Yes the are big and deep boats but set up properly you cannot beat them.

[kachina_labala]

jetboater,
What is the rest of your setup. Type of boat ,length, horse power, pump type, pictures?? Big jetters want to know.
Matthew

[jetboater5]

I would gladley post a few pictures if i could figure out how to put them on this site. The boat is a 95 Kachina Labala has a gen vi 502 full roller motor, built from scratch (no crate motor)has a newer style dominator pump completely modified by bergeron marine in mesa with a modified A impellor, has a droop and a place divertor with adjustable nozzle rings. The motor is running 9.25-1 compression with 119cc pro topline aluminum heads with a victor manifold running a modified 1050 dominator carb. It has a complete msd ignition setup on it along with Gil manifolds and long s s risers. The boat pulls so hard that I broke the seat mounting pedastal this weekend, I also had my bimini top tear loose @ the clips on our last run Saturday which was running 68 mph on the gps. that was with two tanks of fuel and 4 people on havasu running in some pretty rough water. The boat is still pulling very hard at this speed. I have no doubt it will run 75 with the top down and less fuel in the tanks and smoother water.

[flat broke]

Any guestimates on your HP in that mill and the weight of your boat? 68mph is as fast as A LOT of the 18-19'ers out there that think they are running 80 :) Good job on your setup. It's always nice to see other big jetboats running well.
Chris

[jetboater5]

From all the figures I have come up with the motor should be pushing around 650hp. As for the weight of the boat I know it was advertised at 3000lbs empty. I have owned 4 other jets including a nordic 2 hallets 1 rogers . I needed a larger boat for the family and wanted to stick with a jet so we bought this labala and rebuilt it from the ground up over this last winter, when I first bought the boat it had a 454 which ran ok but was not that great it ran 57 on the gps last year with stock set up. I think I made huge improvements over the winter. I have never had a jet boat that pulled as hard as this one. It is totally a dream jet boat as it is big and roomy has a smooth ride and hauls butt.

[kachina_labala]

Cool another Labala. I love mine. There is another labala on the other jet board under the name for play. Im glad to hear the numbers you are putting out. It gives me something to shoot for. Last year I had a very loose pump and I was only getting 50. I had my pump done by MPD this year and Im hoping to see some improvement. I shooting for my first run of the season this weekend (i hope). I guess the only real complaint that I have is that I get water in the recessed footwell where you enter the cabin. I love the bigger boat. What good is it atracting chicks to your boat if you dont have a place to put them?
Matthew

[jetboater5]

I took the carpet out of the ski locker area, and replaced it with interlocking hard rubber pads.(like the one's you would put under your work bench area to stand on) while I had the carpet out I refiberglassed the bulkheads inside the locker area, The only water that can get into the reccessed footwell area now is the water my kids might bring in. The carpet in the locker area was a poor idea from tha start as a little water in that closed up area and you have nothing but mildew.

[RiverToysJas]

Originally posted by jetboater5
The carpet in the locker area was a poor idea from tha start as a little water in that closed up area and you have nothing but mildew.
My locker is fully carpeted, but I've never stored the boat with the locker closed, I always prop it open with bouys. In over a year and a half it still smells fresh! ;)
RTJas :D

[jetboater5]

I have never encountered the mildew carpet either I just thought I would get ahead of the game. Yes I always store my boat with the compartments open.

[THE BOSTON SIDEWINDER]

JET BOATER 5- I'M THINKING OF STEPPING UP TO A BIGGER BOAT TO PUT A FRESH 502 ROLLER ENGINE IN TOO! DON'T WANT TO STEAL THE THREAD BUT WHICH CAM ARE YOU RUNNING?...BILL.

[AmericanThunder1]

Just a thought:eek: I wander how the twin pump with the gear reduction would work in a big boat? You still get to keep the jet use one motor or two if you prefer and get duel tails:cool:
AT1

[jetboater5]

I am running a crane cam part # 168741 the specs are 236 244 610 632 on 112 . You need to use the longer travel lifters with this cam. The cam has a very nice sounding idle and has very strong pull through 3000 rpm and after that it really comes to life. I had to put custom length pushrods also due to the pro topline heads. the stock length rods had a very poor angle on the rockers. :D

[RobR.]

That is my old boat. It was never the fastest boat but it always got us on the water. It is a 1992 Kachina Legend. With a stock 454 it would run in the low 50's. It rode good in rough water and our kids really liked having the small mid cabin. Our new placecraft makes that thing seem like the family truckster from the vacation movies. I am not sure if that is the same guy that I sold it to. I saw it in front of the Holiday Inn being towed by a dodge truck. The guy that I sold it to had a chevy truck and a tahoe.

[JetBoatRich]

Originally posted by mgar_red
Just saw the thread & thought a little clearer pic would help. Not the best, but worked from RTJas post. Seeya :D
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1176bigjet.jpg
So your saying at 70 or so, is that the best you can do for picture quality:eek!:

[mgar_red]

I just copied RTJas's pic and highlighted the jetboat in question. I'm not advanced on the editing software, so it wasn't the best quality :frown: This as not being compared to what someone else with experience could produce.
Also by the looks at all the splattered bugs, pics taken through laminated windshields are not as clear as out an open window.

[manuel]

Look what I found! 1992 24' Kachina jet boat Built 454 engine, Low hours on motor, Electric Hatch, Dominator Pump, Nice Stereo, Open Bow w/ midcabin couches, Bow Cover, Trim Tabs,
Boat does about 40 MPH!! ??(so say's Sleekcraft/Havasu)
http://www.sleekcraft.com/currentinv/22to27/0404/images/0009666a.JPG
http://www.sleekcraft.com/currentinv/22to27/0404/images/0009666b.JPG
http://www.sleekcraft.com/currentinv/22to27/0404/images/0009666c.JPG http://www.sleekcraft.com/currentinv/22to27/0404/images/0009666d.JPGhttp://www.sleekcraft.com/currentinv/22to27/0404/images/0009666e.JPG http://www.sleekcraft.com/currentinv/22to27/0404/images/0009666f.JPG

[propless]

Here is my 26' Sleek with a berk

[dankirk]

Here's mine; a 23' Mirage with a Panther pump. Never been GPS'd, but my guess is 50-60. It has a pretty well built Ford 460.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/521/617DSC00335-med.JPG
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/521/617DSC00318-med.JPG