What is it?

I was doing some research this morning here on the world wide web when I ran across an outboard at a government auction site that peaked my interest.

Have any of you seen anything like this? I'm going to guess the performance must have been lackluster or we would see every manufacturer producing them.

Just thought it was interesting.

Rob

I have seen a similar larger version (25hp) of that style on inflatable boats
used in areas where marine animals are present.
manatees, dolphins and such.

even the tug boats at the Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay Georgia have
the same prop guards because there are a lot of manatees
in the river they work in.

I believe that is a Johnson Enforcer. There was one of my local craigslist for awhile in the 25hp model. Apparently they're all made to military specs and run forever. The new models are Evinrudes MFE and are also really bad ***. The MFE is offered in a jet option 55 which has a lower unit that looks like this. Soo I always assumed it was some kind of funny jet set up. No one in here is from
The navy and ran one of these?


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Yup, Durajet enforcer, I believe there is still a prop inside of the housing.
I never saw one as a small boat coxswain in the navy, I don't know what our divers used though when they checked the hulls of the subs before they went out on patrol.
They are always listed on e-bay, that's where I first saw them.

Yep, there is a prop in there. Not a jet with an impeller. Friend has a 40HP one on his pontoon.

That looks like the Durajet, search Ebay and I think you will find them for sale for most outboards.

Kind of like a ducted fan. The shape of the housing increases the flow exponentially from the prop/fan. It is safer for marine life also.

Good write-up/intro on them here ... https://www.smalloutboards.com/pumpjet2.htm

But if soooooooooooo good ... why aren't more using them?

I would say that they would not be desirable for running shallow rivers because the lower unit still is well below the boat just like a prop.
As for anything else, why would you want one unless for safety reasons like when divers are down or a boarding ladder is in close proximity to a prop, or in an area where there you would want to protect an animal such as the manatee.
I had looked at them online, and for running a shallow river there is no way I would want one, there would be pieces after hitting those submerged boulders!

overboard said:

As for anything else, why would you want one unless for safety reasons like when divers are down or a boarding ladder is in close proximity to a prop, or in an area where there you would want to protect an animal such as the manatee.

Click to expand...

That info said they were developed for the US Military for night operations where divers were in the water ...