By: Scott Way
OXE Marine and Jet-Tech have combined to build the industry's first diesel outboard waterjet engine using an OXE upper unit combined with a Jet-Tech lower unit jet drive.
The Jet-Tech unit is designed as a bolt-on replacement for a standard OXE propellered lower unit, allowing for a unique combination of handling, torque, efficiency, and adaptability. The Jet-Tech unit is designed to fit every production level OXE diesel upper unit without any caveats. When combined, the complete platform offers better high speed efficiency as well as less cavitation at low speeds and during high load conditions.
According to Jet-Tech, their waterjet unit performance is equal or better than a matching propeller version, thus making the collaboration the first time a waterjet engine in a diesel platform has drawn comparable performance data to a gas-powered propellered outboard.
"The Jet-Tech® unit is designed to grow with our expanding product line as it is a fully scalable product. The patented design will expand into the vertical shaft diesel/gas outboard waterjet applications and inboard waterjets" said Jet-Tech president Douglas Natoce.
According to OXE Marine CEO Magnus Grönborg in a company press release, "(t)he OXE Diesel Outboard was originally designed for the commercial and government users and is now expanding into other marine markets. We have seen the offshore center console community wanting greater range, better fuel economy, mega yacht tenders needing SOLAS certification as well as the need for the removal of gasoline bunkering, while the commercial and government users need the safety of diesel, and the commonality of global fuel standardization. They all want and need torque to move the larger and heavier vessels that were traditionally powered by gasoline outboards and inboard engines but many desire the choice of diesel outboards and now, combined with Jet-Tech Propulsion LLC´s capabilities, they can also get diesel outboards with waterjet."
OXE Marine is no stranger to partnerships as their collaboration with BMW in 2020 resulted in the industry's first 300 hp diesel outboard.
