16 Sea Ray Jetboat

Boat Review

Source: Power & Motoryacht Magazine

Designed to hold 4 passengers, the F16 Sea Ray exhibits great handling and a lightning-quick hole-shot.

A 175-hp Mercury XR2 Sportjet powered the F16 to a top end speed of 50 mph. To give you an idea of how responsive the boat is, you can only turn the wheel ¼-turn lock to lock and that’s still plenty to get you spinning donuts. This jetboat has a two-tiered swim platform to act as a staging area for skiers or wakeboarders, and the three seats across the bench featured good deep padding. A forward lounge rounds out the seating for four, with good grabrails all around.

Though this boat’s no longer in production, it made quite a statement in the jetboat market when it was. The F16 had three side-by-side bolster-type seats across the main bench area, with the helm seat to starboard. Forward of the helm, a curving lounge with grabrail can seat a fourth adult. The fiberglass engine hatch (not padded) raises easily thanks to gas-assist struts to reveal the powerful 175-hp Mercury Sportjet XR2 inside. It was a simple matter to send the F16 into a 180-degree turn simply by cranking the wheel hard over and yanking back on the single-lever engine control from forward to reverse. (Remember, there’s no “transmission” to ruin on a jet boat since the engine is always in forward gear. The reverse position simply lowers a bucket over the jet nozzle to redirect the water flow forward.) This maneuver takes a bit of practice but it’s a guaranteed thriller.The F16’s top-end speed of 50 mph at 5400rpm is plenty to get you where you’re going in flat water, and with her 25-gallon fuel tank the F16 had a range of 100 miles at 31.6 mph.

Boat Specifications: 16 Sea Ray Jetboat

Length Overall: 15′ 6

Dry Weight: 1,425 lbs.

Beam: 6′ 11

Fuel Cap: 25 gal.

Draft: 11 in.

Water Cap: none

Deadrise/Transom: N/A

Bridge Clearance: N/A

Max Headroom: open