Glen-L "Squirt" runabout w/ Jet Drive .... Mini Jet Boat

Here's a video of the Glen-L "Squirt" that I completed in the summer of '07. It's extended to just over 11 feet. It is powered by A very tired '85 Kawasaki Jet Ski 440 CC engine coupled to a Yamaha WR500 pump. top speed with one passenger is just shy of 40 mph.

My main goals for the winter are to build a slightly "beefier" 550 motor for it, and to fab up some kind of home made "Jet-A-Vator". I think there is a lot of speed to be gained if I could trim the nose up out of the water a bit. (plus rooster tails are cool!) I might experiment with a slightly more agressive impeller as well. Unfortunately I picked a pump with practically zero aftermarket support.

My goal for summer '09 is 50 MPH!! :-)

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• boat
• glen-l
• squirt
• drag
• pwc
• waverunner
• seadoo
• jetski
• jet
• ski
• mini
• kawasaki

[therealmr905]

I used the pump off of the seadoo.....does about 60....In the process of workin the bugs out

[MHolmes77]

@therealmr905

Sweet.

[therealmr905]

@MHolmes77 I will be taking the 587 engine out and replacing it with a remaned 717, giving about 15-20 more MPH!

[MHolmes77]

@SuperUnknownMC

I used mahogany for the frame member pieces, Dash, coamings, chines, deck battens and bottom battens. For the sheers I used Douglas-Fir in 3 laminations. Tried mahog for the sheers but kept snapping. Also used DF for the Keel, motor stringers and some other misc stuff... If you use DF, make sure you select boards that have a real tight grain pattern. I'm referring to true douglas-fir lumber, Not the "Hem-fir" or whatever kind of garbage they make 2X4s out of :-)

[SuperUnknownMC]

@MHolmes77 Just receive my "flying saucer" plans, its a 12 1/2 ft dual cockpit runabout. I picked up a 1957 Johnson 30hp motor for it......................I think I ll call it RETRO 12.

[SuperUnknownMC]

@MHolmes77 Thanks, I bought "Flying Saucer " plans, similar to the squirt . Im curious what kind of lumber you built the frame with? Thanks

[MHolmes77]

@MHolmes77 Don't cheap out on epoxy either. I used good quality TAP marine resin right up until the point of applying the cloth and doing "bodywork", at which point I was like "eh, the structural stuff is built to the hilt, this brand-x will be fine." In retrospect, it was probably better suited to potting electronics than boatbuilding. It continued to shrink slowly for 2 years, now you see woodgrain, cloth, etc. through the paint. Saved $50, now must strip the entire exterior back to wood.

[MHolmes77]

@platapothamus

Hi, sorry i'm just now reading all these comments. I didn't keep very good track of my costs on this, but i'd say plan on spending $350-400 at the lumberyard. IIRC, it takes 1 sheet of 3/4" Marine plywood, 2 sheets of 1/4" Mar. ply. and about $150-200 worth of 1" board in varying lengths/widths. What gets costly is the little stuff.. rollers, sandpaper, solvents, tape, epoxy, screws, mixing cups, brushes, etc.. all that crap adds up to hundreds of dollars real fast.

[MHolmes77]

@101andrewj

It can, and does regularly.. Doesn't take much of a wave to become a "ramp" at full speed with a little dinky flat bottom boat ;-)

[MHolmes77]

What kind of pump are you going with? My $.02, If i had this to do over again i would source the pump from a Tigershark PWC. As soon as a Daytona 900 pump comes up for a sane price on eBay, i'm all over it. Then i'll have to start thinking about a better motor ;-)