Looking for a deal of a New Four Stroke Avon JetRib 320 SC

Paul_f7

Paul_f7

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Anyone know of any cheap deals on a new 4 Stroke Avon 320 SC jetrib. Ideally, I would like one with a blue tube as the exhaust from my Phantom 46 blackens my white tube version (2 stroke). I would have thought that with the market being very quiet someone would have stock they want to off load or any firms in adminstration looking to move one quickly, let me know by PM email.
 
I've seen new ones at about £12k, so you should be able to achieve or beat that price. That would be a stock boat though, and almost certainly white.

I assume you know about the issues with these RIBS, and still want one?
 
Thanks Nick - I don't know the issues , I have a 2 stroke that smokes like a steam train! which has been ok, apart from finding the impeller seized in the tunnel - salt corrosion I was told - which I had completely replaced just over a year ago. Can you (or anyone else for that matter) tell me about the new 4 stroke version please - good or bad.
 
I didn't know they were avaialbe as low as 12k. When I got mine (this time last year) they were £17.5K++. I had a new 2 stroke in 2004 which i had 4 years/100hours with few problems, then I switched to the 4 stroke this time last year. 320DL steering wheel models, both.

Issues? Well, the front lifting eye wasn't fastened in right on the early ones including mine, and for that fault they sent me a whole new boat in a crate under warranty when it had just 4 hours on the clock. They will have fixed that issue by now, so it's irrelevant if you are buying a newish boat (check the HIN of course)

Mine also developed a raw water cooling leak, which would have needed the engine out to fix, had it not been diagnosed terminal becuase of the lifting eye problem

Apart from that, they dont go as fast as 105hp would make you think, they are VERY complex and even small problems will require a full engine lift out. We're talking freshwater cooled, oil cooling, intercooler, so that's 3 seawater heat exchangers. Then EFI, lots of electornics and knock sensors and stuff, 4 valves per cyl, twin overhead cam, 7500rpm, and so on. All very nice engineering, but not so clever on a boat, imho. They weigh close to 400kg which is too much for what you get and too much for the aft deck of a p46 imho, and your passerelle may struggle. I had the uprated 365kg besenzoni on my prev Sq58 and it struggled to lift it (with fuel, battery, gear, some water, etc). The LCD display isn't rugged enough and will bust, as will the throttle box held on with silly self tappers (same flaw as on the 2 stroke). also on mine the main drive impeller seized in the impeller tunnel, just the same as yours, so I had to strip it down, about 4 hours work.

It's a nice toy when new, quite posh, a nightmare in long term maintenance imho, too heavy, excellent warranty support (they just gave me a new boat and didn't bother taking the old one back so I had two of the sodding things at one point, sheesh)

That sounds like lots of problems. Actually I enjoyed it and Avon's warranty support was top class. Problem is, it needed to be

I now have a Walker Bay genesis 360 with Yam 30/40EFI (as does Hurricane of this parish) Much better imho, a bit bigger, much better people mover, 150kg lighter, much quieter, a cinch to maintain, and about £7500 all in. No brainer really, but dont let me put you off the jet if you really want one! Though, even if it were a great boat, which it isn't, 400kg on the aft of a phantom 46 is a definite no no imho. And also 400kg on a passerelle rated at what, 300kg max(?) is a definite no no on any boat imho lest a child or something is under it in a moment of lapsed concentration
 
Yes, I'd second the Walker Bay - I also had one of the old 2 stroke Avon JetRibs - jfm is correct though - the JetRib is fun for a while but you cant beat a conventional RIB - IMO.

jfm
Mine doesnt have underwater lights though. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
But I have fitted some practical extras like a fitted VHF and an echo sounder so that I can check out some of the shallows in our neck of the woods before taking the Princess in. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Underwater lights easily fixed mike - email EME and a box will be on its way to you :-)

Yes I heard you had full-on VHF and echosounder kit. I have a brand new VHF dashboard set in a box that I've been thinking of fitting, but so far have resisted and stuck to handhelds. Echo sounder sounds way too posh though. I have no dashboard space now that I've put 2 yamaha digi gauges in, and I didn't think I needed a sounder, but your mention of reconnaisance trips for the mother ship has got me thinking...!

Overall I'm really pleased with the walker bay and the Yam 40 o/board. Definitely the right choice - thanks for blazing that trail and sharing your experience with yours (power of the forum again /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)
 
That's the motorbike version, not the DL. I'd guess they'd want 15k for a DL, as it has always carried a premium price and been much more in demand. At which point I'd refer back to the recommendation of Walker bay, Yam 30/40efi, and £7,500 change :-)
 
Thanks JFM, It's the lighter 320 SC I was considering as you quite rightly say the pas on my P46 will not take anything over 260-270kg. Even the smallest Williams appears too heavy - dilemma?? what to do?

Very interesting post though - perhaps the simplicity of a 2 stroke remains better, but the on/off switch, called a throttle and the damn smoke is driving me mad!
 
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Very interesting post though - perhaps the simplicity of a 2 stroke remains better, but the on/off switch, called a throttle and the damn smoke is driving me mad!

[/ QUOTE ]

Smoke? I've had loads of 2 strokes and have never noticed any great smoking issues. Are you running the correct mixture?
 
On the avon jet, LJS, which uses a yam engine, 2 stroke, you can't control the mix. The machine does it. Mind you, my Avon didn't smoke much so I suspect there was inconsistency between different builds of the same boat - some smoked and others didn't!
 
Ah ok, my mistake, and sorry Nick H for mixing them up.

Paul, it's up to you. If I were you I'd get a nice ultra light walker Bay 280 with a 25hp 4 stroke. Will go fast, and much lighter on the passerelle and the boat's trim. And loads cheaper. But get the Avon if you think it's more attracive/fun

When I talk of its unreliability and warrnaty swaps I'm not a unique case. They have swapped loads under warranty, you hear on the grapevine. They could afford to at £18k per pop, though they'll be less generous now that prices have crashed. Magnum of this forum had the 4 stroke SC new in May 2008 on his pred72 and his has already gone back under warranty. I dont mean to be repaired - it's just been outright replaced 100% by sunseeker with a williams, it was such a PoS. Williams uses same engine of course, and I dont rate them for long term reliability...
 
LJS, are you referring to 2 stroke outboards? If so, I don't think there's any comparison, as the Yamaha engine on the 2 stroke jet rib runs at silly rpm, and is full throttle most of the time, so needs lots of oil. I don't know what the mix is, but I bet it's no less that 25:1, maybe richer. From my own experience of owning one, my guess is that the oil injection is not very sophisticated, so can't reduce the mix at low revs, hence you potter round the harbour enveloped in your own cloud of smoke.
 
Ah, thanks, good idea. I forgot Yam did a transducer. My guages are a pair of multifunction things so I might not even need another display. I'll check this wkend. Thanks
 
are you sure?

As others have said the jet is soooo sexy but an O/B loads more practical IMHO.

You have to consider what you want it to do. The jet is blue water tender and will be a PITA when used in a river for example.


Last weekend I went way up steam at Swanwick to Bottley(?) and had to stop at least 10 times as my O/B water intake was bloked by weed - easy fix on an O/B but a jet impeller would have choked and need a lift to clear same.
 
[ QUOTE ]
From my own experience of owning one, my guess is that the oil injection is not very sophisticated

[/ QUOTE ]
Too right, Nick.
We inherited our JetRib when we bought the Sealine and, although quite new, the oil injection system had failed causing damage to the cylinder bores. The solution was to rebore it and I also disconnected the oil feed system - from then on we put a petrol/oil mix in the tank. Funny, though, Yamaha had a special kit that you could buy to "plug off" the oil feed system.

I had some fun with the JetRib but - NEVER AGAIN - too much hassle to keep in working order.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Ah, thanks, good idea. I forgot Yam did a transducer. My guages are a pair of multifunction things so I might not even need another display. I'll check this wkend. Thanks

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?ugger!
That would have been a great solution.
I fitted one of these http://www.hawkeyeelectronics.com/products/D11S/overview.htm#

A bit cheap and cheerfull but works reasonably well once you've found a good place for the transducer.
The main reason for getting it was that it doesnt take up much space on the console.
 
Thanks Nick and jfm, hadn't understood that it's not an outboard that's causing the problem. Must improve my speed reading skills!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
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