www.iFourWinns.com

Well it depends on the year and model of your engine, but I'd guess the OE Merc price to be about 250-300 and aftermarket (here in the US from Arco, Sierra, MES, etc) to be about half. OE starters when you could still get em for my 4.3 Cobra were about 300 and I can get they anytime from the aftermarket for half. Labor is free since I am the boat mechanic.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Volvo Penta alternator for my engine is $345 US, Mercs are probably less.

http://www.volvopentastore.com/Serpenti ... _id.787166

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2004 Vista 298
Twin 5.7L Volvo Penta GXi-E

BTW I've changed the starter 2x over the years (first replacement got flooded in salt water) but my alt is original 26 years old. My water pump (circulating pump) lasted 22 years, replaced it with a Sierra for $100 and 1/2 hr of free labor. That marina is a big rip off and that's why I will never have anything bigger than a trailerable boat. Crooks is what they are. If you want to enjoy boating I'd sell that big boat and get a small boat with an outboard you can trailer. Got no patience for crooks like that.
I keep my boat on a salt water mooring and do nearly all the work myself. The only thing I don't do is paint the bottom with antifouling paint (I do paint the drive though) . I choose who does work for me that I can't do. Not some money mad marina.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Huh, I must have gotten a good deal. I got a genuine merc starter for about $120 last season. Not rebuilt but new. I have a volvo so the color didn't match... I was so upset the color didn't match I broke the solenoid by tightening too much and had to get another
This time it was a Sunday so I had to get an aftermarket like Lou for about $100.
Sounds like you were stuck to go with the marina, nothing you could do. Maybe think about another marina next year or call a tow to another marina for a large repair if the boat is inoperable. I would probably complain in a nice way and say the price seem steep...

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--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

Out of interest, does the marina's policy restrict owners from self-servicing their boats?

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2002 Funship 214
VP 5.7 GX Si
2003 Tahoe

Hi EvilZ,

No, they don't prevent self-service, but they do have rules about "Not performing electrical work (including 12 v) or gas work that you are not qualified or authorized under occupational health and safety regulations to perform".

They are probably cautious because the marine offices and workshops burnt down 12 months ago, after a welding accident.

BTW...I got some other prices on the alts yesterday. Around $350 for marine after-market, $800 for genuine Merc. So the local guy is definitely too dear. I also found out that the local mechanic is a Merc agent, and he tells me his Merc conditions don't allow him to fit non-genuine parts.

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Wayne R.
2006 Vista 378 - "AeroNautical"

I'd be inclined to self-install 2 aftermarket alternators and save $1300...

Depending on whether installing alternators qualifies as "performing electrical work (including 12 v)"....

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2002 Funship 214
VP 5.7 GX Si
2003 Tahoe

Doing re-wiring would be one thing but replacing 2 alts is basically plug n play (you always switch off the batt switch when doing such work).
The one possible issue may be if you need to remove the pulley from the originals and re-install them on the new ones; sometimes it takes a special puller like when I did the p/s pump on our older Jeep.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

You need to develop a working relationship with a good boat tech who is cheaper and then put up the canvas so no one can see him working. We have all those BS rules about techs having to be licensed and insured at our club but damned if I am going to pay $80 an hour for one of those crooks.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

One day my son's friend's father made mistake of asking me how much we spend to keep the FW on the mooring for a season. He keeps their boat in a very nice marina where they do all the work. The boat is a 2004 Chap 23' bowrider. The marina bill for the slip, membership and what they get charged for maintenance and storage, bottom paint etc is $10K!!
I said, well you probably don't want know.... but he insisted.... the mooring is 400 to rent, the beach assn membership is 400, the bottom paint which I don't want to do is 400 and if nothing breaks thats it except the normal winterizing/springizing costs (approx $300 and that includes my deluxe winterization with -100 AF, the drive R+R and service and the spring tune up).Yeah a little under 2 grand. I'll take a mooring anyday. We have fun with the little Walker Bay 10/2.5hp Zuke running out to the boat, or we row the Walker Bay 8 for exercise.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Funny I had trouble even locating an OE alternator for my Volvo 5.7GSI's. Mando made the OE Volvo part, and I found a Mando replacement for $80, and a Sierra replacement for $225. Looks like you'd need to tack on ~$100 to get it shipped you from the US. Given that, $350 for a local OE replacement isn't that bad.

BTW, I did read one other potential difference between automotive and marine rated alternators (besides the case), and that was that marine rated alternators use stainless steel bearings where the automotive do not. Take it for what you will, I'm sure it's not true across the board.

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1969 Chris Craft Commander 47
1999 Four Winns 328 Vista - SOLD