LouC wrote:
I know many like the swim platform but the OB has many advantages, lighter, less maintenance, no gas vapor in the bilge concern, much easier to winterize, etc. The 4.3 is a good engine power wise for an 18 footer but I hate the molded in fiberglass all around the rear of the engine, it makes certain maintenance jobs much harder than they need to be. Anything on the rear of the engine, exhaust manifolds, starter, steering actuator, power steering cooler, it will take the mechanic hrs to get at it. And that will cost you.
A 150 OB on that boat will make it fly, the 4.3 has 50 more hp but weighs 400 lbs more. Winterizing is flush the motor, change the engine oil, lower unit oil, fog the motor done. No crawling around in the bilge looking for drain plugs, straining to reach oil filters, etc. My boat has excellent access but it gets old, and there's a reason why IOs are expensive to keep.
And as far as hull color, if you are going to keep the boat a long time and can't store it inside, stay far away from colored gelcoats esp red and blue. They oxidize after a number of years and look awful, they take hours with the buffer to look good, but it does not last. I went through this with my 88 200 and I wound up getting it painted. A white boat maintenance wise is so much easier.
I've actually spoken to some others, and a friend of mine that's been around boats all of his life is really pushing me towards the benefits of the outboard as well.
The H180SS at the local deal has the 115 Merc, which seems to be the norm for most of the H180 OBs I've seen listed. But people in this thread seem to dismiss that engine. So I may end up going with the OB, but having to order (or potentially work with the dealer to exchange the engine).
I also found out that my FX35 is NOT rated to tow 3,500...only 2,000. Basically, it is useless as a tow vehicle. So while we are still looking for boats, we are now considering vehicle options. Getting a vehicle with a 5,000+ towing capacity would also open up options for boat size. Notice the circle????? Can you follow the money??????????