What an IO is best at

[chambers1517]

So I looked at a lot of boats lasts fall until we bought my boat and here is what I decided. Nothing beats an IO for tubing. We float for a wihle then tube for a while then float/ swim then tube then lunch then tube then float/ swim etc. We tried a friends Yamaha Jet boat but the kids hated the spray in your face. Nice boat but way too much turbulence behind the boat. Wife hated the noise. Tried a buddys Moomba, another nice boat. Would be great to wakeboard behind at 10mph but not the best at tubing. It was missing the freedom of an IO on plane, if that makes sense. The Moomba had a 320hp 350 in it and topped out at 38mph. My boat wit 300hp tops out at 56. It wont pull at 10mph like the Moomba but who wants to tube at 10 mph. All my family likes to do is tube and swim so for this an IO cant be beat.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: What an IO is best at

Well, if you had an OB on that boat, you would have 30% more room inside, and it would be 800# lighter. Performance would be equivalent or better and maintenance would be 20% of what you have now.

just saying....guys, get the popcorn...

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: What an IO is best at

had both... prefer sterndrive.. better fuel economy and parts for Merc's are readily available at reasonable cost.

 

[southkogs]

Re: What an IO is best at

That ain't a I/O vs. OB vs. IB debate. A Mastercraft tow boat vs. the Moomba would be totally different rides for a tuber. A 24ft cuddy cabin loaded out with an I/O is gonna' be a gut puncher on a tube, while his bow rider is probably not so bad. A 16' tri-hull with a 100HP OB would be a nice boat to tube behind, but a 22ft. Center Console with a 150 OB would probably be kinda' rough.

It's all about the configuration.

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: What an IO is best at

a 16ft Trihull with 100hp would do two things.... cause your hair to fly back nicely, and your teeth to be knocked out on the waves :lol:

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: What an IO is best at

meaning the boat smacking off the water...............bang... bang... bang.... been there,, no fun,, I prefer my 20ft cuddy

 

[Maclin]

Re: What an IO is best at

Well, if you had an OB on that boat, you would have 30% more room inside, and it would be 800# lighter. Performance would be equivalent or better and maintenance would be 20% of what you have now.

just saying....guys, get the popcorn...

But no nice swim platform like it has now, THAT is the point of this thread methinks.

 

[chambers1517]

Re: What an IO is best at

Looked at a a Caravelle OB powered boat at Boat and RV supercenter. Wife said no way. No sunpad and big ole motor in the way. She turns the passenger seat backwards so she can watch the kids and said no way is she looking around a big ole motor.

 

[chambers1517]

Re: What an IO is best at

Oh yeah, we sit on the sunpad and pull the tubes in to change riders. No OB in the way.

 

[OllieC]

Re: What an IO is best at

You can have the best of both worlds with this beauty. SC365i twin outboard cruiser.....Not sure how the tubing, wake boarding or skiing would work out.....

 

[rallyart]

Re: What an IO is best at

Nice looking boat. I bet that yellow looks brilliant on the water. It's important to find the boat that does what you need it to do, regardless of what other people want their boats to do.



(But I can pull a tube with my inboard quite well)

 

[thumpar]

Re: What an IO is best at

The only way an OB doesn't take up room just like an I/O is on some aluminum boats. With an OB you loose all the swim platform space. An outboard blob blocks all the good sunset views too.

This just doesn't look right. There is a reason it has been for sale for so long. NEW 2012 Rinker 196 OPEN BOW

 

[Chris1956]

Re: What an IO is best at

Thumpar, A splashwell is a lot smaller than a motor box, probably 1/2 the size. Compare a 16 footer with an OB to a 16 footer with an I/O. Try to walk in the I/O version.

For an I/O to be practical, it needs to be under the floor. That only happens on 24 foot and larger cruisers.

 

[thumpar]

Re: What an IO is best at

Thumpar, A splashwell is a lot smaller than a motor box, probably 1/2 the size. Compare a 16 footer with an OB to a 16 footer with an I/O. Try to walk in the I/O version.

For an I/O to be practical, it needs to be under the floor. That only happens on 24 foot and larger cruisers.

My old boat was a 16.5' with Mercruiser in it. We could walk around fine. It wasn't that big because the beam was smaller than most of it's size. The splashwell may not take up as much room as the I/O but you still have to have all the other stuff mounted somewhere. In an I/O you just put it back with the motor. In an OB you have to build a compartment IN the boat for it. Our current 20' I/O can comfortably seat 9 adults and is rated for 12. My wife's favorite spot is the sunpad. If it was an OB that would have to be moved forward to make room to mount the OB.

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: What an IO is best at

Is this sudden surge of outboard, inboard, I/O threads a sign that its almost spring?

The fact of the matter (or at least my uninformed opinion with no data to support it) is that the vast majority of people are sold on the boat; not the drive configuration.

I love outboards, I bought an I/O...

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: What an IO is best at

Sunset:


Floor/Interior Space:


Not trying to make this an I/O vs OB thread...

 

[Maclin]

Re: What an IO is best at

I'm waiting fo the term "sofa boats" to show up with all the associated disdain toward them, THEN it will be a party!

 

[robopath]

Re: What an IO is best at

Thumpar, A splashwell is a lot smaller than a motor box, probably 1/2 the size. Compare a 16 footer with an OB to a 16 footer with an I/O. Try to walk in the I/O version.

For an I/O to be practical, it needs to be under the floor. That only happens on 24 foot and larger cruisers.

Interesting though that the companies that make an I/O and OB in the same length don't use that space. Example: the Four Winns Horizon 180. The OB has the exact same interior seating, but loses the single swim platform and transom jump seats. I'd say the I/O version has more "usable room" than the OB.

H180OB | Overview | FourWinns
H180 | Overview | FourWinns

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: What an IO is best at

I'm waiting fo the term "sofa boats" to show up with all the associated disdain toward them, THEN it will be a party!

LOL, love it... I think my boat could be more comfortable then my sofa

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: What an IO is best at

Interesting though that the companies that make an I/O and OB in the same length don't use that space. Example: the Four Winns Horizon 180. The OB has the exact same interior seating, but loses the single swim platform and transom jump seats. I'd say the I/O version has more "usable room" than the OB.

H180OB | Overview | FourWinns
H180 | Overview | FourWinns

It's sad that the 2014s are smaller and make worse use of the space than my 2004.