
Jet boats are propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft. Unlike powerboats or motorboats, which use an external propeller, jet boats draw water from under the boat through an intake and into a pump-jet inside the boat, before expelling it through a nozzle at the stern. This type of propulsion system is capable of generating great speed and is used in high-speed boats. Jet boats use compact and lightweight engines, which are smaller than those used in traditional stern-driven boat models.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Propulsion system | Water-jet drive |
| Speed | High |
| Engine | Compact and lightweight |
| Engine type | Personal watercraft |
| Engine size | Smaller than traditional stern-driven boat models |
| RPM | Immediately swings up to a certain percentage depending on throttle |
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What You'll Learn
- Jet boats use smaller engines than traditional stern-driven boats
- Jet boats are propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft
- Jet boats have compact and lightweight engines
- Jet boats take time to reach their top speed
- Jet boats are efficient at high speed but low-speed manoeuvres are more difficult

Jet boats use smaller engines than traditional stern-driven boats
The use of two engines also provides more acceleration and less cavitation than a single engine. The compact nature of the engines also gives designers more room to work with.
In contrast, stern-driven boats typically use automotive-style engines, similar to a V-6 or V-8 engine found in a car. These engines are larger and operate at lower RPMs, making them less noisy than the engines used in jet boats.
The jet boat was developed by New Zealand engineer Sir William Hamilton in the mid-1950s. His goal was to create a boat that could run up the fast-flowing rivers of New Zealand that were too shallow for propellers.
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Jet boats are propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft
Jet boats use compact and lightweight engines, originally created for personal watercraft. These high-powered, low-weight engines allow for the installation of multiple engines, providing peace of mind for boaters travelling long distances from their trailers or aid in the event of engine failure. The use of smaller engines also gives designers more room to work with.
Jet drives are capable of generating great speed by shooting a stream of water astern. They consist of a water intake and hoses, an intake pump, a nozzle, and sometimes deflectors for steering. While these systems are efficient at high speeds, low-speed manoeuvres are more difficult.
When accelerating a jet boat, the RPM increases immediately to a certain percentage, depending on the amount of throttle applied, and remains there while the boat speed increases. Once the boat reaches a speed where the amount of thrust applied equals momentum, the boat stops accelerating and maintains that speed until the thrust is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the RPM.
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$25.41

Jet boats have compact and lightweight engines
Jet boats use compact and lightweight engines, which were originally created for use in personal watercraft. These high-powered, low-weight engines allow for the installation of more than one engine in a boat. Most 21-foot and larger models feature two engines, which provide peace of mind for boaters travelling long distances from their trailers or aid in the event of engine failure. Two engines also offer more acceleration and less cavitation than a comparable single-engine platform.
The compact personal watercraft engine also provides additional room for designers to work with. Jet boats are propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft. Water is drawn from under the boat through an intake and into a pump-jet inside the boat, before being expelled through a nozzle at the stern. This is in contrast to powerboats or motorboats, which use an external propeller in the water below or behind the boat.
Jet boats use smaller engines than traditional stern-driven boat models. Stern-driven boats typically use automotive-style engines, similar to a V-6 or V-8 found in cars. These engines operate at lower RPMs and are therefore less noisy than the compact personal watercraft engines used in jet boats.
The modern jet boat was developed by New Zealand engineer Sir William Hamilton in the mid-1950s. Hamilton's goal was to create a boat that could navigate the fast-flowing rivers of New Zealand, which were too shallow for propellers. Previous attempts at waterjet propulsion had short lifetimes due to inefficient design and few advantages over conventional propellers.
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Jet boats take time to reach their top speed
Jet boats use compact and lightweight engines, which are smaller than those used in traditional stern-driven boat models. These high-powered, low-weight engines allow for the equipping of not just one engine to your boat. Most 21-foot and larger models feature two engines, which provide even more acceleration and less cavitation than comparably powered single-engine platforms.
The modern jetboat was developed by New Zealand engineer Sir William Hamilton in the mid-1950s. His goal was to create a boat that could run up the fast-flowing rivers of New Zealand that were too shallow for propellers. Jet boats use a water-jet drive, a propulsion system that generates great speed by shooting a stream of water astern. These systems are used in high-speed boats and are efficient at high speed, but low-speed manoeuvres are more difficult.
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Jet boats are efficient at high speed but low-speed manoeuvres are more difficult
Jet boats are propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft. Water is drawn from under the boat through an intake and into a pump-jet inside the boat, before being expelled through a nozzle at the stern. This design means that jet boats are efficient at high speed, but low-speed manoeuvres are more difficult.
When accelerating a jet boat, it immediately swings up to a certain percentage of RPM (revolutions per minute) depending on how much throttle is given, and stays there while the speed of the boat increases. Once the boat reaches the speed at which the amount of thrust applied equals momentum, the boat stops accelerating and maintains that speed until you either add or subtract the amount of thrust applied by increasing or decreasing RPM. This is different from a car, where RPM increases with vehicle speed.
Jet boats use smaller engines than traditional stern-driven boat models, which are similar in size to a V-6 or V-8 engine found in a car. These engines operate at lower RPMs and are therefore less noisy than the compact personal watercraft engines used in jet boats. Modern jet boats use compact and lightweight engines, which allow for the equipping of not just one engine to your boat. Most 21-foot and larger models feature two engines, which provide even more acceleration and less cavitation than comparably powered single-engine platforms.
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Frequently asked questions
A jet drive boat is a boat propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft.
A jet drive boat draws water from under the boat through an intake and into a pump-jet inside the boat, before expelling it through a nozzle at the stern.
Jet drive boats use smaller engines than traditional stern-driven boat models. Stern-driven boats use automotive-style engines which are similar to a V-6 or V-8 engine.
Jet drive boats are capable of generating great speed and are efficient at high speed. They also use compact and lightweight engines, which means there is more room for designers to work with.









































