Feed back for boat choice.

[Renny_D]

I didn't get much feedback on my first post and I think I wasn't clear about what I was asking. So here goes at being more direct:

Tubing - what is the smallest outboard or I/O that can pull one

What are the advantages of a I/O vs an OB

What is the advantage of vhull bayliner over a tri hull larsen both about 16 ft and roughly the same price, condition and age 1973, what are the disadvantages.

Please let me know.

Thanks
Renny

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Feed back for boat choice.

Just about anything will pull a tube. To do it well on a 16 ft with a couple people in it I'm thinking a 50 would be the absolute minumum and a 90 is usually about the max. On an older boat you cannot go wrong with any johnson/evinrude/mercury 3 cyl. 70-75HP outboards. A V-hull will ride better in chop but a tri-hul will be very stable. I personally would avoid a tri-hull for the kind of boating I do because even my 16' v-hull pounds the heck out of us on choppy days. I/O typically require a bit more maintenance than an outboard. On boats the age you're looking at, the biggest thing to look for is rot. Make sure the transom and stringers are in good shape or you'll have a major project on your hands. I tend to recommend that someone looking at older boats who want to get on the water without too much of a project seriously consider an aluminum hull. Your only concern there is the deck and transom and those are pretty simple project on an aluminum.

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: Feed back for boat choice.

my son had a 16' starcraft with a 85 hp johnson ob. and a v hull. he and his buds ran the butt off that little boat tubing, wake boarding, and water sking.
at the time i had a tri hull and my wife and daughter liked the tri hull much more than the vee because it felt so much more stable. and we got along fine with the ride of the tri hull.
in that size boat i wouldnt consider an i/o mostlly just because of the room you lose in the cockpit.

 

[Renny_D]

Re: Feed back for boat choice.

Thanks that's good info. Any feedback on fuel usage with a 65 hp merc on a 14ft marlin versus a 140hp volvo on a 16' bayliner?

thanks
Renny

 

[45Auto]

Re: Feed back for boat choice.

Those 2 choices would most likely be so close on fuel usage that you couldn't tell the difference (assuming good mechanical condition on both). The 65 Hp 2-stroke will use about double the fuel of an equivelent HP I/O, but since it's only about half the power of the 140 HP Bayliner the fuel usage will be about the same. Expect around 5 to 6 MPG at most efficient cruise speed, average will usually be around 3/4 of that so figure around 4 or 5 MPG as an average.

I think NANDY has a 70 HP OB on a 17 foot boat talking about mileage in this thread:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=259980