Thinking about a jet boat

[Kurt505]

Been tossing the idea around for a few years, still on the fence about taking the plunge. I've got a 17' Lund pro sport that's been an extremely fun and reliable boat, but with the boys getting bigger I'm thinking about getting a bit bigger boat. Always wanted a jet boat but have shy'd away because of maintenance and cost of operating compared to a regular outboard motor.

Can anyone enlighten me on the facts about running a newer jet boat with like a 200 or 240 merc optimax engine? Or maybe suggest a more efficient engine to run? I'd like a boat in the 19'-21' range, something I can camp in and an open bow. I don't want to buy new, $60-$90k is definetly not in the budget, I'd like to get the most I can out of $40k max.