High thrust jets come to Europe

The Traktor Jet, developed by NAMJet in the USA, is designed to produce a high thrust at low speeds and is mainly used by a wide variety of work and fishing boats where thrust is equally important as top speed. For the leisure sector the market for these jets is mainly on the waterways, where shallow draft and low speed are the main operating criteria.

Jason Hill, the vice president of sales at NAMJet in the USA commented, “We have our jets well established in the North American market and now feel that the time is ripe to expand into Europe, where there is a lot of activity in the workboat sector. Our jets would have particular application in the booming wind farm tender sector where our jets can offer the combination of high speed for the voyage out and back with high thrust and good manoeuvrability to hold the vessel in position during transfers.”

The Traktor jet is offered in five sizes that can accommodate engine powers from 150 to 700 hp. Hill claims that the impeller on the Traktor jet can have three to four times the impeller clearance of a conventional water jet without affecting its performance and this allows the jet to cope with debris and other contamination. The jets are designed to be simply welded into the hull. The units come complete without any need for hull modification and fit flush into the hull with no projections astern.

Construction of these water jets is in aluminium with the moving parts made from stainless steel. They offer full manoeuvrability and reverse and they can operate effectively at speeds up to 35 knots, which covers most workboat and leisure applications.

“Our jets offer the flexibility and capability that is not found in conventional water jets and we see considerable application for them in the European waterways as well as in offshore areas,” said Mr Hill. “At present the European market is being handled directly from the US but we hope to be establishing a sales and service network.”

Further information: www.namjet.com

By Dag Pike