The Sportjet model of the Wooldridge ‘AK XL’

   Wooldridge Boats has been blessed with many customers of superior boating skills over almost 100 years of boat building. These are folks from whom we share and learn.
   These relationships speed along the evolution of boats, as was the case with the AK XL Sportjet and TJM (Alaska Outdoors Forum/Alaska Power Boating). This guy is a serious boater and his photo and video work is heralded by many. His forte is Sportjets and he recognizes and appreciates boat designs that work.
   That fact resulted in TJM buying the first Wooldridge AK XL with a Sportjet (200hp Optimax powerhead with Mercury inboard jet drive) for sporty performance and great handling. He’s been putting it through the paces and posting on Alaska Powerboating as he continues to run and challenge the boat. We excerpted some of his comments from an earlier post to share his thoughts on the Wooldridge AK XL Sportjet.
   “I have spent hundreds of hours running sport jets…it is my opinion that the Wooldridge is, hands down, the best sport jet that I’ve been around. Here’s a run-down of the traits of the boat that put it at the top of my list…
Weight hauling
   Hauls more weight…that fact has been proven to me multiple times…just a function of Wooldridge Boats hull design, I suppose…
Handling
   Absolutely no comparison to any sport jet I’ve been in. You have to take a ride to appreciate it…
Shallow water running
   The boat will absolutely run as shallow as any other competing sport jet
Cavitation
   A lot less than any other sport jet I’ve experienced. I believe that is largely due to not having a tunnel…the boat simply stays hooked up…
Noise
   Less than any other sport jet I’ve been in…noticeably quieter…we tested it with the decibel meter to confirm what our ears were telling us…it is quieter
Fit and finish
   Again, no comparison here…the boat is absolutely solid and very well built…I think that contributes to the lower noise levels in the boat…
Ride quality
   Here’s something that my wife commented on immediately - the boat is quite a bit smoother than any other sport jet I’ve experienced…I know that there are a few other sport jets out there that are smooth as well ie, the Willie and Hewes…I’ve just never been in one so I can’t compare…
Visibility
   No need to stand up any more…I just don’t feel the need to because you can see so much more…in fact, the boat corners so hard I can’t stand up if I’m turning hard, it knocks me over…no BS…so the visibility is a very good thing to match the handling…
Price
   Basically the same as the competitors…(imagine that)…all of the boat manufacturers are going to maximize profits as best as they can, however, you get a lot more boat for your dollar with the Wooldridge…
Getting unstuck
  …once you do get stuck, the boat is noticeably easier to man handle than other sport jets I’ve wrestled with… it is very noticeable…perhaps it is a wider bottom and no lifting strakes…
Porpoising
   The Wooldridge does not porpoise like the other sport jets I’ve experienced…it is a boat, so I’m sure some condition will cause it to porpoise; I’ve yet to find it….
Room
   Pretty simple, more room…the boat is a touch wider and the dog house is substantially smaller, so less wasted space inside…
Slow speed ability
   All of the sport jets can run relatively slow…this one runs the slowest of any I’ve been in…
…and last but not least….Customer service…there are a lot of builders that treat customers well…Wooldridge is among the best…