Hello, <br /><br />I've restored a '69 Glastron 16' closed-bow I/O runabout, with a 120HP Mercruiser. I use the boat (off a trailer) with my family on smallish lakes and on waterways in the California Delta (fishing, swimming, camping). I've encountered enough surprises to understand the value of having another power option, both as a get-home fallback and for low-speed maneuvering (including trolling).<br /><br />I'm dithering about whether to go electric or gas, though. (Either way, I'll be looking for used/inexpensive stuff.) If you compare electric and gas setups with same total weight, I guess there are these differences: <br /><br />Electric: quieter, lower motor maintenance, probably greater reliability, foot-control (steering, starting) standard with motor. Plus I already have a nice (second) deep-cycle battery sitting in the garage.<br /><br />Gas: more power (from what I understand it'd be hard to get the equivalent of 3hp in an electric with any kind of range), greater range, have to recharge battery. Would need more work to make a control set-up (tie sterndrive to motor so that I can use the steering wheel for both, and add a second control/shift box for the outboard). <br /><br />I'm tempted to think this: as a get-home, a 3hp (or so) gas motor is the better option for me; as a convenient low-speed kicker, electric makes more sense. So I mainly need to decide which is more important. Is that right? Any advice and reports of your experiences would be very useful. If you think gas is the way to go, I'd be especially interested in ideas for how to mount/control it. <br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />Mark
