My Other Toys

The SeaDoo is the latest addition, and Number 1 son can't wait to try it out.  I have full canvas for the Chaparral which can be seen on this page, and this page.

I rode the two stand-up, Kawasaki JetSkis, a 440cc, and a 550cc a lot until I got married J. Besides skiing the open river during summer, a friend and I ride the creeks emptying into the Tennessee River during the spring flood season around February. Stand-up JetSkis are well suited for this type of fun as, at full speed, the machines can run in only four inches or so of water. With extended range gas tanks, and gas drops along the way, we’ve put in well over a hundred miles of jumping fallen trees and dodging other obstacles.

When purchased, the 440, or "white" ski,  ran a bit on the slow side. So, I installed 550 cc cylinders & pistons, a Westcoast Works Pipe, Westcoast exhaust manifold, Westcoast waterbox, 44mm Mikuni carb with velocity stack, SkatTrac 16.5 degree impellor, and shaved the head 0.030”. Not only would it fly like a bat out of you-know-where, it came out of the hole like no one’s business. I ended up installing side strakes on it to tame it a bit. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough to get out the way of one buddy who T-boned me.

The "hot" motor ran well for a couple of years before blowing up.  Although the engine was not a total loss, I opted to swap motors with a parts ski I picked up for a reasonable price.  No, if nothing else, I have a spare hull in case anyone else T-bones me J. 

The 550, or "red" ski, is the principle creek-rider of the two skis.  Other than having the head saved 0.010", and installing a stainless prop, this ski has no performance mods.  It's durable, too.  I can't count the number of times this ski has been "sunk".  By "sunk", I mean filling the inside of the motor completely with water.  Luckily, JetSkis have built in flotation, so the whole ski can't settle to the bottom of the river.