Explorer jet boats

Esox · #1 10-13-2016, 06:24 PM

Looking at getting the explorer 172 with a 115 yammie jet outboard. What does everyone think of the explorer boats?

Ebrand · #2 10-13-2016, 06:29 PM

Had one at work a few years ago.

With 90. Little slow. Lots of lift. No problem getting out of the hole engender loaded to the max and maybe overmax.

Thirsty 20 gallons of fuel from Devon to Genesse and back.

Light enough two healthy guys could pick it up and move it around.
Explorer stood behind their product very well.

115 would have been great. Buy big fuel tanks.

Stubb · #3 10-13-2016, 06:52 PM

I went on a weekend river run with a few boats and one guy had a 16' explorer with that outboard and I was quite impressed how it handled quite a bit of weight. The rest of us had inboards and he had no issues keeping up anywhere we went. If I wanted a light outboard that's the first place I'd go.

Oh and no matter what jet boat you get, it'll guzzle fuel so just don't think about it.

Positrac · #4 10-13-2016, 08:05 PM

166 with a 115/80 hp Yamaha. They are great boats. I've had mine two seasons and have had no problems.

Myself and a friend with a Harbercraft Extreme 200hp sport Jet put about 300 k on in one day this summer. Cruised at about 25 miles/HR. He burned almost double the fuel that I did going the same speed and distance both with 2 people in the boat. When we stopped to fish I had way more room in the boat than he did. He tried to lose me in a few side channels but I managed to go where he did without issue. When he put the hammer down though he had probably close to 10 miles/HR on me.

As with any boat there are trade offs.

Positrac · #5 10-13-2016, 08:11 PM

Running in the dark on a GPS trail is fine as long as the river hasn't gone down a foot since the last trip out 5 days earlier. The winch came in real handy.

Positrac · #6 10-13-2016, 08:13 PM

Esox, you looking new or used?

Esox · #7 10-13-2016, 08:31 PM

Either new or used. Was concerned the side height of the smallest jets may not be good running through riffles and small whitewater.

Positrac · #8 10-13-2016, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esox

Either new or used. Was concerned the side height of the smallest jets may not be good running through riffles and small whitewater.

Not familiar with the 172 but my 166 can run anywhere I need to go. Lots of room for 2 guys and it tops out at around 35 miles/HR with all the gear I usually pack for a day on the water.

Esox · #9 10-13-2016, 09:59 PM

Call me nieve but wouldn't yhe outboard jet burn similar amount of fuel as the same motor with a prop?

Positrac · #10 10-13-2016, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esox

Call me nieve but wouldn't yhe outboard jet burn similar amount of fuel as the same motor with a prop?

Nope. Approximately 30% less efficient than a the same sized outboard with a prop. So, 30% more fuel.

buckbrushoutdoors · #11 10-14-2016, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Positrac

166 with a 115/80 hp Yamaha. They are great boats. I've had mine two seasons and have had no problems.

Myself and a friend with a Harbercraft Extreme 200hp sport Jet put about 300 k on in one day this summer. Cruised at about 25 miles/HR. He burned almost double the fuel that I did going the same speed and distance both with 2 people in the boat. When we stopped to fish I had way more room in the boat than he did. He tried to lose me in a few side channels but I managed to go where he did without issue. When he put the hammer down though he had probably close to 10 miles/HR on me.

As with any boat there are trade offs.

I have the same boat as you and my finding mirror yours. good all around boat. Ive had mine for 6 years now. No problems only self induced ones.

biggyJ · #12 10-14-2016, 09:42 AM

We purchased a 162 with the 60/40 four stroke yamaha.

We set the boat up as a power drifter, jet up the river and float down (mainly used for flyfishing)

I have nothing but positive comments about our boat: Here are some of my musings

- Dave at explorer was extremely easy to deal with. Great communication and was able to answer all of questions and build the boat that we wanted. Any questions that have come up since our purchase, he has answered in a timely fashion. When we purchased it, he spent over an hour with us, making small changes and explaining everything about the boat.

- The yamaha motor is very powerful even though it is the 60/40. It gets the boat up on plane quickly and is capable of carrying 3 guys, two fuel tanks, and gear with no issues.

- I actually find that the fuel consumption is much better than other brands of powerdrifters out there (hyde etc) we have never had to move over to the secondary tank due to running out of fuel for the day

- it runs everywhere with no problems. We have had it on the skeena river, bow river, red deer river, missourri river, north saskatchewan river and many lakes. It handles the large riffles and bigger water when necessary (however i try not to go through the big stuff, i stick to the edges) and we had a particularly nasty day on Cow lake, she handled the waves without cavitating.

- it is very light yet very strong. We can manouver the boat easily when floating and are able to row upstream if necessary. this would not be possible if it was too heavy. We bounced off a few rocks that could not be seen, and there are no marks on the hull, she is tough.

-local, its nice when you can buy a local product, just my opinion.

good luck in your search, when I was looking i did a whole lot of research, and everything kept leading me back to explorer.

Biggyj

Esox · #13 10-14-2016, 12:17 PM

Thanks for the info. The skeena and Bulkley are the two I'm more concerned about with the explorer than the bow, old man or south sask.

catnthehat · #14 10-14-2016, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esox

Thanks for the info. The skeena and Bulkley are the two I'm more concerned about with the explorer than the bow, old man or south sask.

I know that Positrac's boat has been through some big , gnarly water up here in certain stretches as well as super skinny flat water
Cat

Esox · #15 10-14-2016, 05:55 PM

This has been great info. I like the outboard option that explorer runs. You get more room than an inboard but as I understand it, you lose a little power which I'm good with.

Positrac · #16 10-14-2016, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esox

This has been great info. I like the outboard option that explorer runs. You get more room than an inboard but as I understand it, you lose a little power which I'm good with.

There are trade-offs with every boat. An outboard Jet if set up properly will do a lot of things and is cheaper to run than the same sized inboard. It is also quieter. But, performance wise, a well built inboard will leave the outboard in the dust when it comes to handling and top speed.

I had a 14' Jon boat with a 25 hp Merc Jet and it was great. I bought bigger so that I could take bigger water but a few of the places I used to hunt I could launch the smaller boat right close and wouldn't have to travel for 2 hours to get there.

I'm actually looking at an Alaskan Jet Ranger right now to do just that. If I buy one I will probably sell my 166. Only so much funds to go around.

Positrac · #17 09-08-2017, 09:11 PM

I ended up putting a new quick-flow rack and pinion helm and cable in it and a set of Nauticus Smart Tabs on the back. The combo really helped slow the boat down while remaining on step and I've gone from 4 turns of the wheel lock to lock down to 1 1/2. I can keep it on step at 14 mph and by punching the throttle with the quick steering can really throw it around. I gained a couple mph top speed with the tabs too. Two guys loaded light gets about 37 mph top speed on the lake. At 20-24 though it burns very little.

Still not the be-all-end-all but it is relatively cheap to own and run. Being an outboard it has a lot of room in it for its size.

ESOXangler · #18 09-08-2017, 09:48 PM

Positron how does that boat handle the lakes?

Positrac · #19 09-08-2017, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESOXangler

Positron how does that boat handle the lakes?

Better with the tabs down. I can have them down so the work automatically or flip them up out of the way. Helps keep the bow down to cut through the waves. It's a skinny water boat so it won't ride as good in the rough stuff as a 10-12 degree hull.

There are trade-offs with every boat.

Natepd · #20 09-09-2017, 10:58 AM

I've been looking at new boats all summer and was always coming back to explorer. Talked to a bunch of people that own one and none had bad things to say. The only bad things I heard were from people that never even been in one and the only argument they had was the lack of power. But if u compare the power to weight it's as good as any other shallow running river boat. I actually place my winter build order in 3 days ago and I'm very excited. Dave has a great winter build special on right now and also has one in yellow with 2 console and 115 outboard ready to go for sale right now. I wanted the full front add on other wise I would have bought the one he has got there right now.

Dean2 · #21 09-15-2017, 01:37 PM

Great thread. For those of you that have these a couple of questions

Do the outboards really get better gas mileage at the same speed. This would be backwards to prop drives where an inboard almost always uses less fuel.

For shallow running, least repairs and minimal maintenance inborad or outboard?

Outside of more room inside, what are the advantages to an outboard, and what are the disadvantages?

Two stroke or four stroke?

Of the inboards, two to three people, mostly used on NSR, Athabasca and Peace etc, which motor and boat?

Oldan Grumpi · #22 09-15-2017, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esox

Looking at getting the explorer 172 with a 115 yammie jet outboard. What does everyone think of the explorer boats?

I had a 162 with the 70/50 Yamaha combination. Sweetest engine I ever used; quiet and very easy on gas. With a modest load (two guys and fishing/camping gear) and at 'comfortably planing' throttle settings, I was getting about 28 miles to a can of gas once it was broke in. There was a distinct improvement in fuel consumption after about 15 - 20 hours.

The hull was capable of hauling an astonishing load. If you're looking for a "two guys, full gear, and a moose" type of boat, these boats define that.

They run in water so shallow, it's downright stupid - as long as you have the courage to go balls to the wall and don't slow down. Chicken out, haul back on the throttle, and you're going to have a bad day. If you see rocks sticking out the surface, just kind of aim between them, swat the hammer down, and you'll be fine. I mean that!

There are downsides - naturally there are always tradeoffs! In rough water, the ride is bone jarring. Loaded to the max, of course, helps - but loaded light, it's rough.

The intake is prone to plugging with weeds; my constant companion was a telescoping boat hook that would help clear it from inside the boat.

Control at low speeds is miserable - on the step it steers well, but off the step it's like herding a drunk uncle, especially if there's even a bit of wind.

On a river, for a hunting/fishing boat in skinny water they're unbeatable. I only sold mine because I was needing a lake boat more than a river boat, and it was just too rough riding in the chop.

One last thing - DO NOT leave home without one of those shovel shaped doohickeys for prying yourself off a sand bar. I didn't have one, and almost grunted myself a hernia one hot afternoon (when I chickened out and pulled the power off!). Two lessons for the price of one that day!

Positrac · #23 09-15-2017, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dean2

Great thread. For those of you that have these a couple of questions

Do the outboards really get better gas mileage at the same speed. This would be backwards to prop drives where an inboard almost always uses less fuel.

For shallow running, least repairs and minimal maintenance inborad or outboard?

Outside of more room inside, what are the advantages to an outboard, and what are the disadvantages?

Two stroke or four stroke?

Of the inboards, two to three people, mostly used on NSR, Athabasca and Peace etc, which motor and boat?

The only comparison I have for fuel mileage as far as inboard/outboard would be the few times I've been out with a buddy who has the same boat as mine with a 4.3L in it. Cruising around 22mph I burnt about a third less fuel then he did. His boat topped out about 9 mph faster than mine with the 115. Loaded lightly I'm getting about 36 mph tops out of mine with the 3-blade ss impeller in it. I lose another 3mph at top speed when I put the 4-blade high skew ss impeller in it. But it rockets out of the hole with the 4-blade. I can get it up on step with the quad on back in a couple boat lengths.

I wouldn't have an outboard in a big boat. But the Explorer 166T that I have is only 16 1/2 feet long. In a boat that size an inboard takes up a lot of room. Plus, the Yamaha 115 fuel injected 4-stroke is not too loud. I hear the big boats coming for miles and the sport jets are just as bad although a different pitch.

I haven't had an issue with weeds plugging up the intake on mine. It's happened a handful of times and it is cleared real easy. The larger intake compared to the 70hp motors might help. I ran a 25hp jet for 2 seasons and it plugged up quite a bit. But again, easy to unplug.

There is no one perfect boat. I bought mine with very few hours on it and with all the extras I've added (quick-flow rack and pinion steering, auto trim tabs, 4&3 blade ss impellers, sounder/gps, etc..) I'm only into it for around 25 grand. Pretty cheap entertainment and I go the same places as the guys up here in the $100,000+ boats go albeit slower and without as much flare. When I hit a rock it doesn't bother me and I don't have to work ot every day off to pay for it. If I was independently wealthy I would probably have one of those 100k boats, but I'm not.

Positrac · #24 09-15-2017, 09:17 PM

Get one of those small Honda-powered capstan winches and something you can hammer into the river bed and never look back. I used to stay out of places where I though I might run out of water. Now I just give'r and don't look back. I've used the winch a couple times but it has been amazing where the boat has gone since I'm not worried about getting stuck and having to push now.

I pack the winch with 100 yards of rope whether in my boat or truck. It works equally good for pulling a moose out to the rivers edge or out to a road.

Raptor Boy · #25 09-15-2017, 10:41 PM

Check out Ali craft in PG,BC..... I know two guys that have them and been in both.....just amazing machines. Think you can find some videos of there's on you tube as well.

Unregistered user · #26 09-16-2017, 07:59 AM

Most interesting thread in a long time, could get quite costly too. Thanks for starting it OP!

catnthehat · #27 09-16-2017, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Positrac

Get one of those small Honda-powered capstan winches and something you can hammer into the river bed and never look back. I used to stay out of places where I though I might run out of water. Now I just give'r and don't look back. I've used the winch a couple times but it has been amazing where the boat has gone since I'm not worried about getting stuck and having to push now.

I pack the winch with 100 yards of rope whether in my boat or truck. It works equally good for pulling a moose out to the rivers edge or out to a road.

I use my capstan for everything from hauling animals out of the bush to skidding logs to winching heavy stuff into my truck!

Cat

stinkynuts · #28 09-16-2017, 07:34 PM

My Only regret buy My Explorer 16DC with 60/40 from Dave and his crew was not getting a 17ft with a 115. other than that I am very happy with my boat and the service. If you need to know anything about the boat or how to fine tune it Dave will talk you through it on the phone no question's asked so far he backs what he makes and services it for me too. you cant go wrong with a boat from Explorer

neilsledder · #29 09-18-2017, 10:18 PM

I boat with a guy that has an explorer boat. I think it's a 16' with a 90/70hp jet. Pretty crazy where that boat goes! It's easy on gas, but it gets harder on fuel when trying to keep up with the bigger boats. We cruise around 27 mph up stream and he needs to really push that boat to even try to keep up. But you are not buying that type of boat for speed so not an issue really. I am pretty sure you could drive that boat down the highway in a heavy downpour lol! I like the looks of Positrac boat. I was looking and talking to Dave about a 166 with a 4.3DI inboard for a winter build. I would of bought it but found a deal on a 1775 xd that was really good and we liked the 1775 interior better so we bought it instead.

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