Last Post 21 Aug 2016 10:56 AM by  ARTHUR WAUGH
Can you turn a Jet Ski in to a Gold Dredge?
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CARL WADDELL
Greenhorn
Greenhorn
Posts:5



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12 Aug 2016 03:06 PM

    My Son left his old Yamaha Jet ski on the side of my house and forgot about it. I am in California and cannot use a dredge yet, but was thinking that Jet Ski might make a nice dredge. Plus that will teach him not to leave things on the side of the house.

    So has this been done yet, and any DIY dredge plans out there.  

    Thank you,

    CW
    Benjamin Crain
    Basic Member
    Basic Member
    Posts:351



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    12 Aug 2016 04:42 PM
    I am liking the sound of this one.

    Hook the intake up to a 12" hose, pipe it down to a 8" with a 8" suction opening, and then have one guy under water working the hose with a guy on top with some old fashioned Ape Hanger Handle Bars controlling the flow with a 6' wide sluice box running down in front of him so he can control tilt and water speed.

    Call it the "Carl's Chopped Super Dredge!"
    Benjamin Crain
    Basic Member
    Basic Member
    Posts:351



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    12 Aug 2016 05:14 PM
    The more I think about this the more I know you could make a hyper dredge out of it, you are just going to need a intake with enough filtering and a sluice big enough to handle the volume. We run a few horse power on most dredges, you are talking about upping it to 50hp or more. Big strong hoses, a man underwater with strong arms, and one hell of a sluice. And if I was going to push that much volume I would do Gold hog Vortex Matting for the first 6 feet and then another 6 feet of miner moss with traditional riffles at the end, and it needs to be a wide box for the volume.

    Make sure you mount some Ape Hanger Chopper Bars and take pictures.
    Joseph Loyd
    Buzzard
    Buzzard
    Posts:553



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    12 Aug 2016 07:58 PM

    You could do it as the jet sky would provide plenty of water to run a dredge .One problem ,it is a mechanical means of moving material .That makes it illegal here.Sounds like something that might work.
    CARL WADDELL
    Greenhorn
    Greenhorn
    Posts:5



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    16 Aug 2016 06:24 PM

    Hi Ben,

     

    It looks like this thing got stuck in your head like it did mine. I am making note from all my GPAA friends and trying to come up with something that will work. I also like the name you came up with. I will post photos if I build it this winter.

     

    Thank you, CW


    CARL WADDELL
    Greenhorn
    Greenhorn
    Posts:5



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    16 Aug 2016 06:28 PM

    Hi Joseph,

     

    I know I cannot use it in CA yet, if I build her I will have to find a state to try it out in. At least the jet ski has a trailer with it.

     

    Thank you for the input,

    CW
    ARTHUR WAUGH
    Advanced Member
    Advanced Member
    Posts:967



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    21 Aug 2016 10:56 AM

    I would figure out a diverter valve setup so you can either use it as a jet ski, or stationary water supply for a dredge.  Mount the recovery box on floats and you can tow it to the location with the jet ski.  If you stay in the 6 inch suction hose range you could probably run at not much over high idle.

    Up here in Oregon, what is left open right now, once you get over 4 inch/16 hp, then you start getting into $$$$ for permits.
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