Yamaha Boats for Sale

Why buyers like them

With no propeller and no lower unit hanging below the hull, a Yamaha jet boat is easier to live with around swimmers and can run in shallow water that would ding a prop. Most models over 21 feet use twin engines, so you have some redundancy if one quits. The trade-off is handling at low speed. With no thrust there's little steering at idle, which is why Yamaha added features like DRiVE paddle controls and, on the 255 FSH Sport H, Helm Master EX joystick docking.

The lineup in plain terms

• SX is the base trim, AR adds the sporty extras like a wakeboard tower, and the 2xxS/SE/SD models are the premium versions.
• FSH boats are center consoles for fishing. The 190 and 195 FSH Sport are 19'5"; the 252 and 255 FSH are 24'6" with a 111-gallon fuel tank.
• Wake Series boats such as the 222XD and 252 models carry ballast for surfing.

The number is the rough length class: a 19-series boat is 19'5", 21s and 22s are about 21 to 22 feet, and the 25-series boats are 24'6" overall.

Which engine it has

This matters more than the trim. Yamaha has used three main engine families in recent years:

• TR-1, a 1.0-liter three-cylinder found in twin setups on some 19- and 22-foot boats. Light and economical.
• 1.8L, a four-cylinder offered in a naturally aspirated version and the supercharged SVHO. The AR195 runs a single supercharged 1.8L. On the 255 FSH, twin SVHOs make 500 hp combined and want premium fuel.
• 1.9L HO, the newer naturally aspirated four-cylinder. Twin 1.9L HOs make 400 hp combined on the 252 FSH Sport and run on regular unleaded.

A supercharged boat is faster, but it is also more engine to maintain. Ask for supercharger service records on SVHO boats with real hours.

Used prices

Yamaha jet boats hold value well. BoatVerdict's listing data shows a median asking price of $30,000 for the AR195 (2016 to 2024 model years, 15 priced listings), with most between $22,500 and $35,000. The older AR190, which has far more boats on the market, had a median ask of $26,000, and the AR210 about $30,000. Twin-engine 24- and 25-footers start well above that.

Jet boat checks

Impeller and wear ring. This is the big one. Pull the intake grate or look up into the pump from below with a flashlight. Chipped or rolled impeller blades and a gouged wear ring mean the boat has been sucking up sand and gravel. It will feel down on power and cavitate when you hit the throttle. Neither repair is huge, but it is a bargaining point, and it tells you how the boat was run.

Both engines, both hours. On twins, check the hours on each engine separately. A big mismatch means one was replaced or rebuilt, and you want to know why.

Cooling. Yamaha's jet engines are open-loop cooled, meaning they run on the water the boat sits in. On a boat used in saltwater, ask how it was flushed after every trip. Then check for corrosion around the exhaust, the cooling-water outlets and the engine compartment.

Water in the engine bay. Look for a water line or rust stains in the engine compartment, and make sure the bilge pumps work.

Recalls. Yamaha has a long list of federal recall campaigns across its boats, outboards and WaveRunners. Some are model-specific, like the 2010 AR240 HO, SX240 HO and 242 Limited campaign for dynamic instability. Check the hull ID against the Coast Guard recall database.

On the sea trial, run it up to wide open throttle and through tight turns. A healthy pump hooks up cleanly; a worn one slips and screams.