Is Neutral more like "slow-speed manoeuvring mode"?

[JThomasLambert]

Alright, this might sound like a stupid question and I know people have expressed some concern with neutral-creep on these forums already. After 6 or 7 hours with our Challenger 180, though, I'm starting to think that neutral should be called slow-speed mode. Is it just me or is it much easier to manoeuvre at slow speeds when using neutral than it is in forward? I used to flail about coming into a dock forward to neutral to reverse, a bit more forward, whoops, reverse!--you know. Now, it seems that between neutral for slow forward movement and a tweak of reverse it's one heckuva lot easier?

 

[kustomkarl]

Seadoo's are a direct drive. The impeller is always in a forward mode until you shift the reverse gate bucket into reverse, at which time it directs the thrust to a front of the boat, and allow it to go in a reverse direction. It is the nature of the beast, and will always be that way.

Karl

 

[xrider]

yup, N will creep the boat forward some. I use it to dock the boat and get it back on the trailer. revers to correct. dont use forward at all when docking, its too fast.

also if your in neutral and kinda still, turn the steering all the way to one side and it will spin around at one spot. kinda cool to see.

 

[JThomasLambert]

Seadoo's are a direct drive. The impeller is always in a forward mode until you shift the reverse gate bucket into reverse, at which time it directs the thrust to a front of the boat, and allow it to go in a reverse direction. It is the nature of the beast, and will always be that way.

Karl

Yep--don't get me wrong--I completely understand that. What I'm saying is that it almost seems more appropriate (especially for a jet boat newbie like me) to think of it not as neutral but as something way more valuable--that is, as a much better way to manoeuvre at slow speed than "F" is. Had Sea-doo made known that from the beginning, it would have made my learning curve a lot faster (and my dockmaster's fuse a wee bit longer ;-)

 

[Lee]

I learned the hard way that docking in forward is too fast:ack: I now come in to the dock in neutral and kill it soon as it touches the dock:cheers:

 

[kustomkarl]

If you bought a new seadoo from the dealer, it should have been explained to you by the salesman. My salesman covered everything about my seadoo, from basics to advanced oil change recommendations. He didn't know I had over 30 years in the water craft field, and I wanted to know if he really knew what he was talking about...after about 20 minutes...I had to stop him and ask him if I could help him....he looked puzzled at first, till I explained I was a Factory Certified Tech for Kawasaki and Honda. He was very helpful, and I was impressed on his knowledge as a salesman. I always recommend the dealer(Barneys) here in Tampa for their service and knowledgeable staff. So many times I hear of dealers delivering a seadoo by handing over the lanyard with the paperwork, and not even try to explain anything.

Karl

 

[JThomasLambert]

He did have quite a list of things he went through but nothing about the "quirks" (i.e. neutral and reverse steering). While we were happy with the sales experience in general, we were rather upset at one point in particular. My wife is (what I would consider) an expert power boater and has driven inboards, outboards, and I/Os for most of her life. We made sure he was aware of this and he sold us the boat based on her requirements for size, safety, and "trailerability" amongst other things. Once we had it in the water, she was almost immediately frustrated with the differences between jet and prop and felt that the salesman might have deliberately not told her what we now know just so he wouldn't lose the sale to the bayliner shop across the street (and frankly, he probably would have).

At any rate, we should have done more research on our own--lesson learned. I'm definitely getting the hang of things (and am starting to love the boat more and more) but I'm a sailor so didn't have anything to unlearn going to this one. Will be a different story for her.

 

[scooper77515]

ditto Xrider...:agree:

 

[vilord]

I have to say, my favourite experience with this boat is docking. I'd only docked my friend's inboard before (got pretty good at that), and the neutral and reverse on the velvet drive is just SO forgiving... not to mention reversing while turning that actually works

So far the best way I've found on my challenger is to get it going about the right way slowly in neutral then jump onto the dock with a dock line when it gets close and just pull it against the dock with my hands... haven't been pulled into the lake yet

Of course that wouldn't work with an 18+ ft boat, but for my little 14 its doable.

 

[xrider]

hah, my brother in law tried to dock my jetski for first time. I didnt know he wanted to get off, all I needed him was to bring it close to the trailer and I will guide it by hand. but he was inpatient and wanted to hit the restroom. he got to the dock, stoped it and was holding the dock. put left leg on dock and all of a sudden ski moved away from dock and BAM he does a painfull leg strech fall backwards in water and we all just die out laughing...

 

[scooper77515]

Thanks to Seadoosnipe, I got instructions on how to use reverse a couple weeks back, and got to practice it over the past 2 weekends. It ONLY works when the trim is all the way up in SPEED mode. And it will go the opposite direction turning in a car would go, which takes some getting used to.

But, what is really neat is using only neutral and reverse to get the boat to actually approach the dock sideways. So, come straight toward your spot, turn the boat parallel to the dock and use mostly the reverse and neutral levers (just a little bit of steering wheel, you can feel when you need it) and the boat will actually stay parallel to the dock and just close the gap. Then driver and someone on front of boat both tie up.

Always a head turner at a dock full of prop-boats...:reddevil:

 

[vilord]

how much do u need to turn to get this to work? I would think you'd turn away from the dock when in reverse, do you just keep it turned a bit away from the dock and rock neutral/reverse?

 

[scooper77515]

Honestly, I never really paid attention to how much I turn, but you do NOT want to turn enough that your throttle kicks in (if your boat has that feature, I hate it, and will likely remove it). Mine has that feature where if you turn the wheel over 3/4 turn, it kicks in a little throttle. If it kicks in, it will mess the entire maneuver up unless you can correct it quickly.

I did it on accident about the 2nd time I took my boat out, and it just feels natural now. You really only need to turn the boat to get it sideways from the dock maybe 10-20 feet out, then I "think" you are mostly turning left (approaching the dock so the driver can reach the dock on the right). Most of the controls you are doing is just Neutral-Reverse. The neutral gives you some light forward thrust, keeping the tail toward the right (close to the dock), and I guess the reverse re-alligns it if it goes to far to the right, and both thrust you a bit toward the dock.

It is kinda hard to explain. That is about the best I can do without just showing you...

 

[sporsterjoel]

JUst keep practicing docking itll get easyer, My cottage in on a channel thats 30ft wide and we have a seawall and a slip for the big boat, but on the sea wall we have two more boats with no more then 16ft between the too. so when i come in to dock i do a 180 spin and slid it right into its place. I use F N R to control the speed, most of the time im in F then ill spin it and when nose of my boat is close to the other i hit R then N then half way between N & R then tie it up alll thoughs steps happen in less then 5sec... Once you get to know your boat there so easy to park its almost stupid....

 

[vilord]

The throttle boost feature in my boat doesn't work, so i think that'll be one thing I just don't bother to fix

I'm taking the boat out by myself this weekend so I'll have more opportunity to practice and have some fun :hurray:

 

[scary]

You guys and your lake pftt I learned on a inlet to the Gulf with about a 4knot current blowing threw good times:stupid:. Ohh and i was breaking it in at the time so i was fouling out plugs then it stalled and i floated about 300 yards trying to change plugs ended up throwing a rope over to some landscapers at a mill $ house tied up to there dock and worked the plugs it was the last dock before floating out to the gulf GULP. Real good times learning to unload change plugs and reload a jet boat in a current :hurray:

 

[JThomasLambert]

You guys and your lake pftt I learned on a inlet to the Gulf with about a 4knot current blowing threw good times:stupid:. Ohh and i was breaking it in at the time so i was fouling out plugs then it stalled and i floated about 300 yards trying to change plugs ended up throwing a rope over to some landscapers at a mill $ house tied up to there dock and worked the plugs it was the last dock before floating out to the gulf GULP. Real good times learning to unload change plugs and reload a jet boat in a current :hurray:

Holy crap--what plugs?!?!? I'm just about to hit 10 hours on our boat which means I'm supposed to take it back in for it's break-in check-up (or whatever). Think they'll look at that?

 

[vilord]

On your boat you shouldn't have to worry about fouling plugs

 

[scary]

I was in break in period with oil injection and 1/2 gal oil in the gas, oil was dripping off the plugs in the start sucks but spark plugs are cheap i went through 3 sets. i still keep 2 sets in a zip lock in the storage compartment.

tell yah what though floating out to sea really good for buns of steel because i was surely clintching my butt cheaks together and sweated like a pig.