Reply With QuoteThat thing looks great! Congratulations!!
i just bought a 1978 18ft witchcraft i have not been able to find any information on them. does anyone know their history if they are quality boats
http://s360.photobucket.com/albums/o...Picture031.jpg
That thing looks great! Congratulations!!
Nice Boat JS ,I'm digging thru my "archive" to find some info for you We've worked on several nice Witchcrafts over the years! Welcome to the boards Enjoy your boat ! Tom
i had a friend that bought a witchcraft new in '74. we camped together for over 25 years - it was a great family boat, great ski boat, very well built. his had an olds/jacuzzi, but just ran forever. lost him a few years ago, but his family still has it. that thing had tons of room in it for an 18' boat, and rode very well in just about any conditions.
yours looks very nice, and i wouldn't change anything... just have fun with it.
hey thanks guys. this is my first jet boat how fast do they typicaly go? i took it out and it went really fast. the engine is a brand new 454 chevy bored and stroked to a 509 that makes over 600hp. the pump was just rebuilt by the company that took over Berkely. i have heard jetboats require a lot of Maintence is this true? what kind of maintence is required?
thanks for your help
1) Basic engine maintenance (battery tender, oil changes, etc.)
2) Grease the thrust bearing with a couple of pumps of synthetic or marine grease every once in a while (zerk fitting on top of bearing housing),
3) Fill the bowl with 90w gear oil once in a while (unscrew both of the plugs on the outside of the bowl and squirt it in one until comes out the other)
4) If you start getting more than a slow drip of water coming through the pump packings you can snug up the packing gland 1/4 turn at a time until it slows to a drip. Don't overtighten - a little drip keeps it cooler and lubed.
5) Grease or lube your steering system/cable depending on your setup.
If your pump was rebuilt right and you do these things it will probably last forever unless you physically damage it by sucking up rocks or something.
That's really all I can think of!
hey thanks guys. this is my first jet boat how fast do they typicaly go? i took it out and it went really fast. the engine is a brand new 454 chevy bored and stroked to a 509 that makes over 600hp. the pump was just rebuilt by the company that took over Berkely. i have heard jetboats require a lot of Maintence is this true? what kind of maintence is required?
thanks for your help
this isn't a knock on anything, but for first timers, all jets are really fast. as long as you enjoy it and it's fun, it just doesn't matter. witchcrafts were not lightweight race boats - they were stout family cruisers you could run just about anywhere. this boat will probably top out somewhere around 70, but you can get a handheld gps and get a better idea of speed. over the transom headers would give you a few more mph, but with that boat i wouldn't even think about it - basset burns hurt, and you'd lose a lot of space for climbing in - keep the logs.
as far as maint, in addition to what's mentioned above, you'll need to get a lot of mothers aluminum polish and stock up on rags to keep all the shiny stuff nice. really. depending where you boat, it can start going away before your eyes. it's a lot of work to keep all that polished stuff polished. maguires has a good boat cleaner/polish that works well on the hull - i'll use lucas slick mist which works well as a spray and wipe.
depending where you boat, and how far you have to tow, it's a good idea to cover the intake (the big hole in the bottom of the boat) before towing, because road grit can get in there and cause unnecessary wear. something simple, get some little hooks to screw into the bottom of the trailer bolsters, and bungee something over the intake.
remember that the jet pump is a water pump, not an air pump. avoid running and spinning the pump dry on the trailer - if you really want to run the engine on the trailer for an extended time, remove the driveshaft first, to keep the pump in good condition. ideally, you never run the engine connected to the pump, on the trailer. some will say it's ok - it's your pump, so you decide. there are close tolerances inside the pump, between some moving and stationary parts. these pumps will continue to move water even after these tolerances have been severely worn, but pump efficiency becomes compromised, and performance starts to decline. also, don't run it in shallow (2-3') water over a sand/dirt/mud lake/river bottom, as it will suck all that crap up and through the pump, more erosion. again, it's your deal, but to keep a pump in pristine condition and efficient just takes a little effort.
Actually, jet boats require very little maintence compared to other things...very few moving parts to worry about. The main thing is losing pump efficiency from wear, so dont pump sand or other things through it. Other than that, keep things greased up and cleaned up and it should last a long time!! Enjoy!!
js,
Welcome to the world of jet boats! Nice looking boat you have there! I've known a few people with Witchcraft boats but never owned one myself. What bp said is pretty much what I've heard an seen myself, a very well built solid ski/lake boat. As also mentioned, they are a bit on the heavy side thus the reason they are a good riding boat.
As far as speed, there are many variables that come into play besides just the horsepower.
hey thanks guys. this is my first jet boat how fast do they typicaly go? i have heard jetboats require a lot of Maintence is this true? what kind of maintence is required?
thanks for your help
we know what to get you for Xmas...hand tools and race gas. j/k goodluck. they are awesome when they're running right. reads like you got a good one. enjoy!
CC
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