outboard vs i/o sterndrive??

[super7]

Take it for a test run, personally I wouldn't get the four banger. According to the mercury site the 3.0L with the Alpha drive is 635lbs and a outboard is anywhere from 420lbs(twostroke)- 480lbs four stroke. Also what kind of hull are you looking at.. deep V - shallow V - Party barge(tri-ish hull).
Also look at the interior room that normally gets eaten up with the I/O on a larger boat its not that big of as deal but on a smaller craft /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
One thing thats common with (to the best of my knowledge)all toys, you never wish you had less power..you don't have to use all.

Cheers
Tony

 

[8NTX]

When I was a kid in the early '60s, I learned to ski behind a little 14' wooden boat. Powered by I think, a 25 hp. Johnson. When I was a teenager, we skied behind an aluminum 16 ft. boat with a monster engine - 75 hp. Johnson. Pulled two of us out so quick we thought our arms would jerk right out of their sockets.

But I guess back then we thought a 250cc motorcycle was the most awesome and fastest big bike that there was.......My little Honda S-90 was considered cool.

 

[TresCrows]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( the boat is about 1900 lbs.

also, an earlier poster stated his preference of skis...i too like connely skis better than obrien. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

)</font>

Do you remember the CG El Diablo?. It was a straight cut slalom--no rocker--with grooves in the bottom. Holy cow, I thought it was a hot ski. Then I got a CG Big Monster with rocker and a concave bottom, still wooden. Huge difference. Then I got a Connely wooden Hook, concave and grooved---wonderful ski. Then I got a Connely all glass Shortline, aluminum plate binders and custom boots. It was and is the best ski I have ever used. The bottoms can be tuned by the way with sandpaper on most any ski! Anyways, I don't know what the hot setup is now but Connelys and Jobees were wider in the aft section and the Jobee was more tapered forward than the O'briens which tended to have narrow rear sections--then very common. The Connely was easier to get up on and was faster and accelerated better between the bouys. It also helicoptered nicely--that is it had enough spring to hit the wake and jump high enough that I could spin around 360 degrees. That is also a good way to bust a good wipeout!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif.
Ski boats are great for kids. When we were little, as I said we lived on a lake. We were fairly well off (at least we had shoes)but most of the kids around were really very poor, and some really, really poor black kids too. My dad bought our very first ski boat from Montgomery Wards, a 50 horse engine I think it was--when he got home from work we skied!!!!!!. The rule was any kid that could walk or crawl --black, white, rich or poor --to our dock got pulled. We pulled every kid there was till their fingers turned blue and they could not hold on anymore. When I go home I still run into people who as kids my dad pulled, many have told me that it was the best time in their life and it made a difference to them. Many latter bought boats and pulled their kids. It was a lot of fun for everyone and no one ever got hurt--amazing how simple things are when you don't make them complicated. J

 

[WiJC]

Trescrows

i too spent a lot of time growing up boating/skiing etc....now my kids are 7 and 6, and i think its time to get them into it. my guess is they will have as much fun with it as i always did.

luckily for me the mrs. also grew up boating/skiing so selling the boat theory to her was no problem at all. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

since i dont want to break the bank... (more money left over for new tractor add-ons)...i found a nice 17 footer with the 3liter mercruiser on it.

only had outboards in the past, and dont want to get this i/o if it isnt going to pull nicely. (we are not pros, but i also dont want to be dragged across the lake before i get out of the water)

any other thoughts on the 3liter i/o?

thanks
John

 

[Alan L.]

I had a 16' runabout with a 115 HP Johnson - a 1978 model that I bought when it was a couple of years old. In 1983 I bought a brand new 170HP I/O (OMC) on a 17' boat. It was a Buick V6.

For skiing, the outboard was better, although the I/O was OK. Just seemed like the outboard could jerk your butt out of the water quicker. The outboard also stunk, was louder, and burned ALOT more fuel.

If I was getting another I/O I would want a bigger engine than the 170 HP that I had.

Another thing, I sank the boat with the outboard twice, that is, the whole engine was under water. Both times, we were skiing that day as the engine compartment is sealed. Not so on an I/O. You sink it, its probably ruined.

 

[hazmat]

<font color="blue"> I sank the boat with the outboard twice, that is, the whole engine was under water. </font>

Glad you got rid of the boat before you sank it a third time /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif.

I had a cruise and carry outboard (remember them?) fall off our dingy - thankfully my brother was driving - that kind of thing usually happens to me.

 

[Alan L.]

Fortunately both times we sank the boat, nobody was in it. Once it was tied up in a deep inlet at Lake Texoma overnight while we stayed in a cabin. It came a turd floater that night, and the next morning the only thing showing was the anchor rope, as it was tied to a tree. Dipped it out enough to float the gunwale, cranked her up and putted out to open water, gunned it and pulled the plug, sucking the water out.

The other time the boat was actually on the trailer next to the water next to a 40 acre private lake, where we used to ski (it was VERY smooth). Left it overnight since we were going to ski again the next day. Another one of those frog chokers and the boat and trailer are 100 feet out into the lake, as the lake rose that much. Only thing showing was the bow.

 

[hazmat]

three words

Automatic Bilge Pump /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[TresCrows]

About the 3.0 I/O. I really cannot give advice on this. I have been out of boats so long that I fear I would mislead you. My bet is that the 3.0 engine might be a bit weak, especially during intial acceleration. I realize that I could be wrong but that is my bet. Pulling some kids though I bet it will do just great, even older kids like you once you get back in practice. Dragging a foot during slalom takeoffs is always easier on the boat--well for most it is.
I think we pulled up twelve kids behind a Johnson 75 on a Lyman wooden lapstrake mahagony and ply runabout. Now, these were all kids on doubles but still it was a bunch. J

 

[thcri]

We had a 3.0 and a 4.6. Actually the hole shot on the 3.0 was better and that was basically because of proping. If I remember the 3.0 had a 17 and my 4.6 had a 21. My 4.6 which was 205 at the prop dissapointed my terribly. It did not have much of a hole shot. However it did have pretty good speed. If I put a smaller prop on it then I would over RPM the motor so I just lived with it for a few years and then traded it in for the one I have now. I have no trouble even pulling 3 or 4 guys out. 5.7 EFI with a 4 bladed prop.

murph

 

[bcarter]

<font color="blue"> > Single engine I/O, Outboards, and Inboards all have problems docking. </font>

Outboards and I/Os are easy to dock (IMHO). You can steer the thrust and with very little practice can put the boat where you want, when you want.

An single engine inboard is much harder to dock due to the "torque steer" cause by the angle of the prop and the fact that the rudder is much less effective at low speed. (Which is not to say that you can't dock an inboard well, you just need more practice and you need to plan ahead.)

Another poster mentioned that the inboard will pull to the right.... This is only true for right hand props (or is it left hand props /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif). The boat will pull the other way if the prop is the "other" pitch. Either way the trick is to pull up the dock on the correct side so that the torque steer from the prop as you reverse the engine to stop will snug you right up to the dock nice and smoothly.

Backing up straight requires going hard over with the rudder and pulsing the throttle in bursts to get wash over the rudder but not building up a lot of speed. Again, it takes some practice but it isn't anything you can't master...

Having the power and stability of an inboard when skiiing is well worth the time it takes to get good at controlling the board at low speeds.

My $0.03,

 

[ultrarunner]

I know this is an older thread...

Went through the same process and now wondering if I made the right decision on I/O vs Outboard.

Since 1957, the family has all learned to ski behind a 1957 Fibreflite with 35 hp Evinrude. Never a single issue... ever.

End of the season, put the boat in the shed and leave it there til next year... When I had money, I would spring for a battery so I wouldn't have to use the rope starter, add fresh fuel and head for the Lake.

We have the best memories growing up and wanted the kids to have the same, but couldn't because of the 2-Stroke Ban... even had the boat on the lake for the last day it was permitted for one last circumnavigation...

Fast-forward a few years later and the nephew and nieces keep pestering for a boat...

I looked at re-powering and it wasn't worth it... big money plus more weight for a 1957 hull.

Bought a SeaRay 176 that was two years old and only used in Fresh Water... looked showroom and owned by an older couple that only had a few times to Lake Shasta and small enough to fit inside the garage.

Took it out the first time this weekend for the 8 year old's birthday... and I was very pleased with the boat, the room and performance of the Mercruiser 3.0 with Alpha Drive...

We were out about 20 minutes and the boat suddenly slowed and motor revved... took about an hour to get back at 7 to 10 mph because the boat would slip at anything over 2000 rpm.

Pulled the prop and the plastic torque-hub is intact and looks ok to me.

Maybe, we were just lucky for 50 years with the Evinrude?

I hope going I/O is not a mistake... just winterizing the new boat and servicing it takes two manuals to explain... remember we did nothing to the Evinrude except add fresh gas and go...

I miss the old days!

 

[Dutch445]

sorry to hear about the breakdown.. seems that
boats are a lot like snowmobiles nowadays, got
to like working on them as much as using them!

it almost sounds like the drive coupler went bad,
and that is located at the back of the engine, where
it connects to the drive shaft going to the lower unit.
there is a coupler that is a maintenance part that can
go bad. ours went on our 93 4.3LX v6 2 years ago on
a 4th of july. i wasn't able to get any motion from the boat,
but i think my setup is quite a bit heavier. and we weren't far
from the launch luckily.

there is a great forum that I frequent, and they have all sorts
of great info and experts to help you if you wish.
iboats Boating Forums

and here's the link to my own experience:
mercruiser Gen II drive problem - iboats Boating Forums

good luck with the new boat!

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Fond memories. We had an old Saf-T-Mate with an Evinrude 70. That darn thing would easily pull two slalom skiers, or three on two ski's. Well, not 'easily', as the skier's needed to cooperate with the boat. And inner tubing back when all that was available were giant terra tubes. Fond memories. As far as what's best for skiing behind, I'd question what's the ultimate purpose? If it's dedicated for serious skiing, look at Mastercraft and such. Theirs' are center mounted inboards. Pylon hook up location is important. There's a LOT of science on a ski boat. It's so specialized now that there are special hull shapes for wake boarders! If it's just family use, a good I/O would work perfect. Available swim platforms, no motor obstruction, no motor well for skiers to negotiate, better seating, most probably a sun pad setup over the engine box tied in with the jump seats. Docking may be a bit more difficult, but it's not that bad on any of them, quite frankly. Slow and steady is key.

 

[ultrarunner]

sorry to hear about the breakdown.. seems that
boats are a lot like snowmobiles nowadays, got
to like working on them as much as using them!

it almost sounds like the drive coupler went bad,
and that is located at the back of the engine, where
it connects to the drive shaft going to the lower unit.
there is a coupler that is a maintenance part that can
go bad. ours went on our 93 4.3LX v6 2 years ago on
a 4th of july. i wasn't able to get any motion from the boat,
but i think my setup is quite a bit heavier. and we weren't far
from the launch luckily.

there is a great forum that I frequent, and they have all sorts
of great info and experts to help you if you wish.
iboats Boating Forums

and here's the link to my own experience:
mercruiser Gen II drive problem - iboats Boating Forums

good luck with the new boat!

Had the shop run the boat on a Dyno... and the problem couldn't be duplicated... at least the coupler is in good shape!

The only issue they found was the trim indicator was off by about a third... could it be as simple as this?