Hi Mark
When it comes to Ready to Run or Almost Ready to Run Gas boats, the one thing that sells them massively is their fabulous paint jobs and striking graphics, coupled with professional impressive promotional material, including video clips professionally cut.
My contribution here for the record is not related to the V24 boat that you refer to, because I have zero experience of it. So therefore my comments here are along general lines, having tried the RTR boats:
You said that you are keen to give it a run?
My key bit of advice is to dunk test the supplied radio box with lid in situ etc, done if needed with box out of the boat or exhaust removed to prevent water getting into any engine components.
If your radio box remains leak free and dry inside, I would give your boat a run and see how it goes, safe in the knowledge that your radio control should keep you in control of the boat
In terms of vibrations:
Big props for Gas Boats need to be balanced. Alloy ones less than Beryllium Copper or Stainless props. But they should all be balanced to reduce vibration and wear on key bearings. It is easy to do with a bit of work and a good magnetic prop balancer for little cost.
Good Engine alignment to the drive shaft is also key to minimising vibrations, coupled with secure mounts that incorporate rubber bobbins suitable for the engine in question. With an RTR boat, I am not sure how such alignments can be verified as being satisfactory.
One last important thing I would say to other viewers of this topic is this:
If you have your sights on a Ready To Run boat.....If you have watched the impressive promotional videos from the supplier... search the internet and YouTube for a more balanced opinion before you buy.....
Okay, enough from me. Hopefully a few pointers. My first experience of a gas/petrol boat was a ready to run model and it was a good way to get hooked on these boats despite the limitations and problems encountered. Boy did I learn a lot from my first Gas Boat!
Keep us posted following your first run.
Craig