SOLD I purchased a 1978 Starcraft Seafarer 16' V-bow aluminum boat with a inboard jet engine from a Seadoo, I think. How to I identify the make and model of the engine. I am interested in the horsepower of it, as that will determine how I will configure the boat for passengers. It had the steering like that on a PWC, which I didn't like and removed. I have made a stick steering head unit, as I bought a Teleflex head unit, and didn't like the way I would have to mount it. I will sell the Teleflex and use the one that I have concocted, as it will mount where and how I want, and allow me to use the steering cable already running back to the jet nozzle.
Anyone have any suggestions as to where to look and what to look for?

I would pose your questions regarding seadoo engine on the Green Hulk website. They know those critters inside & out. Sounds like to have a good plan for the steering. For mine, I just turned the handlebar headset on it's side & sawed off the bottom of the handlebars.

You steering sounds like a clever, quick and easy way to convert. The previous owner on my boat had built an elaborate steering tower, mounted to the cockpit floor, which housed the steering bracket and cable from the PWC, and was the mounting point for the handlebars. You had to sit down on a pad behind the tower and steer it like a PWC. It took up too much cockpit floor space, and made moving around in the cockpit difficult. This system I have devised has eliminated all those problems and removed about 30 lbs of weight.

Post up some pics of your hull. You should also be able to Google search basic Seadoo configurations and find what you have.

I will try to get some pictures to post this weekend. I had surgery and am slowly recuperating from that, so my activity is naturally limited.

The different surgeries have been successful, as I am still here. The tin boat received some surgery also, in that the wear ring was replaced and the engine converted to pre-mixed fuel. A water-rudder was added to the thrust nozzle to ensure more positive steering at slow speeds and low thrust. The tiller steering was finally finished to my satisfaction, along with a throttle operated by my fingers on the tiller handle. The boat was tested briefly on the trailer to make sure the engine would start and then went in the water for testing.

The steering is precise and quick, so you don't whip it around, as it would throw you off in the water because of sitting on the back casting platform. I do have 2 rails, one on either side of where I sit, so they help keep me safe. The boat holds its course well, with no hunting back and forth, and the bow remains steady on the water with no porpoising. The speed with just 210 lb me and some basic boat equipment is 39.5 mph, according to my E-trex GPS. That is more than fast enough for me, as I don't need tears in my ears from the wind blowing in my eyes.

The engine is a 1994 Seadoo GTX 657X, making 85 hp. I thought the boat would be quick with this propulsion unit, but I had no idea it would be this fast. I am going to rethink my keeping and using the boat, as I don't need a hot rod just to go wet a hook in shallow water. I'll get some pictures posted here shortly, so you can see the results of my efforts. These pictures are reversed from the order in which I posted them, and I can't get them sorted out properly.

Welcome back!

Glad to hear you are feeling better.

Clean look to your build. Sounds like it's rocket fast.

One thing I did was to add an adjustable throttle stop, as it is hard to hold a midrange sopeed steady with the finger lever. It eats too much gas to run WOT all the time!

One thing you might want to rethink is the gas tanks in the engine compartment. Per USCG code, they need to fill from above deck & also be vented to outside the hull.

Keep on jettin

Welcome back!

Glad to hear you are feeling better.

Clean look to your build. Sounds like it's rocket fast.

One thing I did was to add an adjustable throttle stop, as it is hard to hold a midrange speed steady with the finger lever. It eats too much gas to run WOT all the time!

One thing you might want to rethink is the gas tanks in the engine compartment. Per USCG code, they need to fill from above deck & also be vented to outside the hull.

Keep on jettin

I'd keep it. With the power it has you'll be able to pop up on plane easily and then throttle down for the ride. Under powered you'll wallow and dig deeper holes in the water until it planes. Better chance of whacking something.