Help with weeds!!!!

[All Seas]

Hey guys,

I have an 2001 14.5 challenger with twin 720s

My spot on the lake has a TON of weeds, both submerged and floating for the first 100 yards or so. Everytime I leave the dock, they get caught in the impellers and I have to jump overboard to clear them out. I have tried idling out and just ripping on it with the same results. Playing with the weed grate does nothing except allow me to get my hand in there easier. Sometimes the reverse bucket trick helps but not always.

Anyone have any ideas?

Does keeping the weed grate down maybe deflect them from going in the pump?

If not, I was thinking of getting a small battery operated trolling motor just to get in and out with.

 

[Dr Honda]

Unfortunately... weeds are weeds. Even if you have a prop... they may get tangled around that too.


Oh... and there isn't any "Reverse bucket trick". I hear guys talk about that all the time... but the bucket doesn't change the flow direction in the pump. The only possible "Trick" is to shut off the engine... and rock the boat. AND... if you have the weed grates... then open them.

 

[All Seas]

Would driving with the grates open help at all?

 

[howie099]

Solas make impellers that help chew up the weeds. I have them on my boat, never had weeds stop my jet pumps just sticks.

 

[Bonmotwang]

I jump into water every time after the no wake area to clean up the weeds. Surprisedly I don't need to do anything for my wife's 97 SPX. It seems to me that my boat is easier to catch the weeds than the ski.
Is it true?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dr Honda]

The boat just rides deeper.

 

[All Seas]

So it looks like the weeds are mainly wrapping themselves around the prop shaft. Would keeping the grate open while idling away help at all? My theory is that that increased angle will deflect the until I get to a clear spot where I can close the grate and operate normally

 

[Eclipse1701d]

Solas make impellers that help chew up the weeds. I have them on my boat, never had weeds stop my jet pumps just sticks.

On my Utopia, the weeds bunch up at the back of the grate. On bad days, I have to jump off three or four times to pull them out. I guess that the Solas impeller wouldn't help with that? Just wondering, because jumping off really gets old after a while... Sometimes, it is so bad that when I pull her out of the water, it reminds me of a stag movie from the 70's.