August, 2003
Port of Valdez, Valdez, Alaska

PHANTOM SPORTJON:
Alaska's River Runner Hits the High Seas

By John Wyman

An ocean-going oil tanker pushes a lot of water. So do cruise ships, ferries, and a slew of other vessels moving in and out of the Port of Valdez. Often the wake from these massive ships results in a wall of water that can send unsuspecting anglers and boaters scrambling for balance. Add in tides, wind, waves, swells, rain, and fog and you can get some downright nasty seas, even in the sheltered Port of Valdez. So, why in the world would you want to take a "river boat" out in this potential chaos to go fishing? Well, if it's the Phantom SportJon, don't worry about it; get on out there and catch some fish!

Mid-to-late summer in Valdez is an angler’s paradise. Fresh, feisty saltwater salmon seem to be leaping everywhere in the Port and you’ll see fishermen walking the docks and sitting in their boats with a perpetual grin on their faces. You’ll see all sorts of watercraft out on the seas with anglers aboard, doing all they can to bag the big one. From catamarans and kayaks to seiners and yachts it is simply amazing the variety of boats that become fishing platforms come silver salmon season. Not all of these watercraft should be out there. Some, like the apparently homemade wood skiff I saw with the two occupants furiously bailing water, are best left on dry land. If you are going to be out on the water you want to be in something safe. Better yet, be in something safe that looks good, performs better, and is an absolute joy to skipper about. Meet the Phantom SportJon.

I was just a bit skeptical when Craig Compeau told me more and more SportJons are hitting the seas out of Valdez these days. I’ve spent time on the water and know how much you learn to appreciate a well designed boat when the weather turns for the worse and seas kick up. You want something that will handle it. Would a “river boat?” The SportJon’s performance on the river is unparalleled, no questions asked. But, can you take this river-master to play with the big boys in the near-shore saltwater? Images of a flat-bottomed river runner getting pounded by waves flashed through my mind as Compeau explained the virtues of the Sport Jon’s tunnel-hull design. “And with this new OptiMax you won’t believe the fuel efficiency of these things,” I remember him saying as I continued to conjure up huge waves and gale force winds.

My worries were for naught. The Phantom SportJon performed admirably, impressively even. It cruised the Port of Valdez and nearby Jack and Sawmill Bays as if it was eager to leave the Interior rivers for a spell and taste the saltwater spray and ride some swells. At 21-feet, a seven-degree pitched bottom, 26-inch sides and nicely powered by a 200 HP (measured at the impeller) Mercury OptiMax inboard jet drive, the SportJon not only played with the big boys, but in many cases outperformed them in calm seas less then three feet.

Most notable was the combination of the craft’s cruising speed around 4,000 rpm and the incredible fuel efficiency. Compeau explained the 200 HP Mercury Optimax sips fuel at about five gallons per hour running at optimum throttle thanks to a two-stage direct fuel injection system. While trolling at about 1,000 rpm fuel consumption was considerably less. I cruised along for six long days, traveling to fishing areas and then trolling for silvers and didn’t even empty two of the rear cruise tanks. And, at the end of a fishing day, cruising back to the small boat harbor, the V-6 powered SportJon easily outpaced a number of other sport fishing vessels, both prop and jet driven. The SportJon can reach speeds up to 50 mph with light loads and flat water. Speeds around 35 mph were typical while cruising at moderate throttle in saltwater out of Valdez.

The Phantom SportJon equipped with a Mercury OptiMax 200 speeds across the wake-riddled waters of the Port of Valdez (at top). Bottom left is a close up of the versatile powerhouse that drives the tunnel-hulled SportJon. Photo on bottom right shows the Sport Jon's stomp grate, dual exhaust, and lower jet unit, clearly positioned above the hull bottom.

Another strong point is the SportJon’s ability to operate in shallow water. Prop-driven boats just can’t go where the Phantom SportJon can. It glides over areas with just inches of water and without the concern of grounding a prop, or with its unique tunnel drive, fouling the impeller. During the week of navigating the shorelines and islands out of Valdez I was able to explore beaches and stream mouths where most boats simply can’t go. The unique tunnel-hull prevents impeller fouling and even if you do pick up a stray stick or dead salmon, the stomp grate clears the problem in no time.

As for maneuverability, the Phantom gets high marks. As most jet powered boat operators know, you lose maneuverability without throttle since you’re relying on that jet of water for propulsion and steering. At high speeds and throttle the SportJon can turn on a dime. That’s a given. It corners and turns and tracks better than I ever expected. What surprised me is that at low throttle with limited thrust I was able to easily maneuver the SportJon for docking, tying up in the small slip in the boat harbor, and with other boats out on the water. With just a bit of time behind the wheel of this versatile craft, you master the basics of operation and appreciate the versatility of the OptiMax powerhouse. It moves water with tremendous force, with a 7.25-inch diameter pump, to send the streamlined hull, even packed with hundreds of pounds of people and gear, speeding along 35-40 mph and yet can be finessed through a crowded harbor and into a tight slip at low throttle.

While fishing, I quickly found the perfect trolling speed that was just a slight nudge out of neutral, about 900-1,000 rpm that proved deadly to ravenous saltwater silvers. Trolling did require constant steering corrections however, due to the low speed and thrust and the unrelenting affects of waves, wakes, chop, and winds. I was able to deploy my fishing gear with one hand though, and keep an eye and hand on the salmon rod while steering the boat along and navigating through the myriad of boats out on the waters near Valdez. Each tug, tug, slam on the line and rod indicated a voracious silver was on and was my indicator to shift to neutral and kill the engine so I could fight the fish and land it. We comfortably fished with three anglers at a time and four would be no problem with the two console seats and the two rear bench seats.

Erin (on left) and Chris Bollinger, seated on the bow of a Phantom SportJon, are all smiles after catching a coho (silver salmon) from the cold waters of the Port of Valdez.

More than 50 bright and feisty silver salmon were netted and hauled in from the SportJon during my week fishing out of Valdez, along with some beautiful and tasty rockfish. The 21-foot Phantom SportJon had plenty of room for anglers, gear, lounging, and fighting and landing fish. We kept the canvas top up most of the time to provide adequate shelter from the rain that graced most of the trip and from the wind when cruising out to and back from fishing areas. On those rainy days the OptiMax’s built in automatic bilge siphon kept water out of the boat whenever the engine was running. On a precious sunny day it was great to drop the cover and enjoy the open boat mode to soak up some sun.

While boating out of Valdez I saw one other SportJon and also a couple Phantom Sportsman models. After days on the water testing the boat in saltwater I am convinced in its versatility. If you are looking for a fast, dependable, shallow-water river runner with unbelievable performance and also want a fishing platform for the near-shore waters of Valdez, look no further because the Phantom SportJon is your ticket. Take it hunting, take it fishing, take it where other boats just can’t go and all the while you’ll be grinning from ear to ear as you ride the SportJon on your next adventure.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Mercury OptiMax Jet Drive:
OptiMax Info

Phantom SportJon Information on Compeaus.com:
SportJon Info

State Office of Boating Safety (Alaska's boating rules, regulations and safety info!):
http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/boating/