Jerry’s Rogue Jets History

The year was 1958.  Two brothers, Jerry and Alden Boice embarked on a journey that would revolutionize commercial jet boating on the Rogue River. Their competition was the established Mail Boat Company hauling mail, freight, and the occasional passenger between Gold Beach and Agness, Oregon.

Pictured: Founding fathers Court Boice, Jerry Boice, Alden Boice, & original jet boat ‘Miss Kelly’

The Rogue River is shallow and rocky. Navigating between Gold Beach and Agness was difficult for the double ended, propeller driven Mail Boats. Propeller boats required a significant depth of water to safely move forward. The boat design at this time was purpose built for hauling heavy loads of mail, freight and passengers. Jerry and Alden had recently discovered a water jet propulsion system being invented in New Zealand by Lord Hamilton and the Berkeley Pump Company in California that allowed for shallow water navigation. Alden, a boat builder, designed a performance hull capable of packing a large load over the Rogue River’s shallow rocky environment. With Alden’s new boat design, the new proto-type jet pumps, and Jerry’s ability to entertain Jerry’s Original Rogue River Jet Boat Trips was born in 1958 as the first commercial jet boat tour in the U.S.A.

Jerry’s Jet Boat Trips distinguished themselves in three distinct ways: The addition of a public address (P.A.) system allowed Jerry to weave tall tales and share the rich history of the Rogue River with his passengers. The new boat design and hydro-jet technology gave Jerry the ability to create a more pleasurable and exciting jet boating experience. Most importantly, Jerry’s Original Jet Boat Trips operated for the sole purpose of introducing and entertaining a newly developing middle class that had the means and the time to enjoy the Rogue River. Jerry set the new standard for what it meant to take a jet boat trip on the Rogue River.

By the year 1972 Jerry and Evelyn had operated Jerry’s for 14 years and realized it was time to retire from the jet boat business. They sold their interest in the company to Jerry’s brother Alden and a young Bill McNair. McNair grew up in Medford, OR and graduated from the University of Oregon. Fresh out of college he willingly accepted the opportunity to purchase half interest in Jerry’s Jet Boat Trips and has never looked back.

When Jerry’s first started jet boat trips they only offered the 64 mile round-trip to Agness, Oregon. It wasn’t long before Bill and Alden realized a need for trips traveling into the next 20 mile section of the Rogue River where travelers could experience whitewater, hair pin turns and pristine rugged canyons. At this time only a few expert boatmen were operating in this area, considered not navigable by many. It wasn’t long before the newly introduced 104 mile round-trip became the most popular trip. Bill and Alden soon acquired the Whitewater Trip Company in 1979.

Forty years later Bill McNair is the only remaining original interest holder in Jerry’s Rogue Jets (RogueJets, Inc.). Although he won’t accept the title he is Gold Beach’s unofficial ambassador for Jet Boat Trips, a leading steward of the Rogue Canyon, a liaison between government and other ‘Special-Use’ permittees, activists for equal access into the Rogue River Canyon for motorized and non-motorized watercraft and future legend of Curry County.