Saving Family

i had a renken with an omc 4 banger and after one summer i killed the entire lower unit..i was it was due to the watersport activities that we do..they are a dog, and its way harder to learn how to ski/board etc behind them..they just dont have the torque that a v-8 or even a v-6 has..everyone i know that has an i/o hates it..not a lot ofpeople but enough..many after riding in my boat talk about how they want one now..cant go wrong with a ski/wake boat imo..
if hes just wants a boat to putt around on and thats it, im sure it will do the job..if he ever plans on getting into watersports, then id say no way..

Let him get what he wants so that he can find out if he'll enjoy boating and all the responsibilities that comes with it. He'll get used to driving it and figure out what he wants to accomplish with it and his family. If they're just going to putt around between sandbars and and occasionally pull a tube, more power to him. If they start to get into watersports, then take him out in yours and show him the differences between a what he has and what you have.

Same thing happened with my brother in law. Had a Bayliner that he was so proud of. When he started getting into skiing and learning to slalom, I took him out in my boat and had him slaloming and footing in one afternoon. I told him that he would probably not be able to get up behind his boat though the same as mine. The next weekend, it worked out exactly as I had told him, and that year he sold his Bayliner and bought a 92 SN.

My point is that he learned boating responsibilities and etiquette in that Bayliner. He leared what not to do with a boat and when he got the SN, he already had the bad learning experiences out of the way and just had to concentrate on learning to drive an inboard.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Would you agree that at least if he's going to purchase an I/O, find something with at least a 4.3 or 5.0 engine? I was on a Starcraft with a 3.0 and it couldn't plane worth a damn. Frustrating for a first time boater, especially pulling a skier or tuber.

I do enjoy I/O's for their soft rides and loading people in. I've always loved the Cobalts. I'd prefer the 7.4 if I were going that route. It's not my money or choice, but I'll see where my bro-in-law ends up.

Ken

Everyone's wants and needs are different. Keep peace in the family, give your advice and then let him figure it out for himself.

"some people you can tell and some people have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."

Hey John,

I'd like to keep him from walking into a pile of poop. I'll certainly make my boat available for a test run, versus the Glastron. I think the only thing the Glastron has over the Nautique is fuel economy, period. Although when that 3.0 is choking and sputtering to get up to speed, it probably used more gas than the Nautique.

Ken

after throwing another 100 bucks in the tank yesterday im thinking the 4 cylinder aint so bad, i would be cruising today again, you have to really think what am i going to do with the boat? for family outings the 4 cylinder is perfect and they are not to bad on power, you guys are use to neck snappers. I guess it alll depends what his intentions are with boating

eric must bs doin' a lot of barefoot runs.

I'll restrain myself on the "barefoot and Bruns.......comments.

john

thats to Put in bay and back with a Big block Chevy, 100 bucks is a Quarter of a tank, 26 footer. time to down size

I've always been told, and for the most part it's true...with an I/O, you get all the troubles of an inboard and all the troubles of an outboard in one package.

Maybe you can appeal to the feature part about owning a real inboarrd or V drive ski boat! Much easier to drive for skiers(or tubing)....and the set up is ready to go! Power for pulling is a big plus ...and inboards are much more fun to drive! I know too many folks who wished they would have understood that there is a big diff in boats before making a purchase!

Good luck on the selling part!

Tell him to buy what he wants. I always tell people to buy an inboard, they always buy an IO and then put a bunch of money into fixing the outdrive on them.

Most people with inboards have them after they have sold their I/O.

Tim

ps- have your buddy investrigate the repair cost of an IO vs an Inboard too.

Well here's an update. My bro-in-law purchased that 2001 AssTron. I on the lake with him yesterday. Holy smokes, what a piece of crap that thing is.

It's a 17'5" boat with a 3.0, Vagina Penta, 135 HP. Upon start up, the whole boat shakes like a washing machine on spin cycle...sort of sounds like one too. Took a good five minutes to idle down without stalling. We putted out a little, then he got on the throttle. It reminded me of the story of "The Little Engine that Could". After the cavitation went away, it was my turn to drive. I seriously felt like it was a little kids play boat. My knees were touching the dash. Upon stopping, I tried out the features on the dash. It had one of those new silent horns that when you press the button, you can't hear it. The radio was the same way, no sound. Hmmm, but the bilge pump was working overtime. A look under the engine cover revealed that we were taking on water fast. We did 0-40 in about 4.5 minutes back to the ramp. Upon further inspection, the rubber broke...which goes from the outdrive to the transom. Looks like the outdrive has to be removed for it to be replaced.

I feel really bad I didn't steer by bro-in-law in the right direction. I tried in so many words, but I lost the battle. In a couple of years when he goes to sell it for $2,000 or BO, I will be right there by his side.


Ken

Just went through this with a friend. He found this great deal on a I/O, he just had to have it. I gave him a few of my thoughts. He bought it anyway. We spoke a few times over the summer, and finally got together at the end of the summer. He drove and skied behind my boat and is in search of a SN...probably a sport, as he has several kids and is really not a hardcore skier. He will probably lose a few bucks on the boat, but, he learned at his pace, and will now appreciate a quality boat. That is called education....and you must pay for it! Remember Billy Joel's song "your mistakes are the only thing you can truelly call your own".

e

Yes, I kept quite on this one. I'm not suggesting he buy an inboard ski boat, like a Correct Craft. He spent too much money on a 2001, which is needing some work already. He should have paid about $5,500 maybe $6,000, not $9,000. I had found a 1989 Cobalt, 20' I/O with a 5.7 engine with 500 hours for $9,900. It looked in fantastic shape. This is more of what I would have recommended. Even the 4.3, V6 isn't a bad little package. That 3.0 labors just to push that little boat, let alone trying to teach somebody to ski for the first time.

Ken

Not everyone belongs in an inboard, especially first time boaters.