Inboard or Outboard? THAT is the Question

Somerowl

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
92
Good afternoon y'all, I'm moving on from my 7.5 16' Starcraft fishing boat and looking for a budget (sub $2k) family runabout. Between my little outboard and some friends much larger outboards I've come familiar and unafraid of any motor rebuild or maintenance issues. That being said while looking around it would appear that a decent boat can be had to safely take us on the local rivers and lakes in that range. I've never owned an inboard rig and figured this was the place to ask for opinions and advice on what route to go and what to watch out for. I'd like to have at least 100hp and nothing shorter than 17'..
Suggestions??????
Thanks guys and gals.
 
Last edited:

SkaterRace

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Messages
710
I think you will be hard pressed to find a boat without rot at that price range even more so with a i/o. Best to stick with OB at that price and size, the i/o at that size takes up a good deal of boat.
 

airshot

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
4,216
You are going to get many different opinions, do your research, much has been posted on this topic!! What you are looking for is going to be very difficult to find. A lot will depend on what you are going to do with the boat and how willing you will be to do your own repairs and your ability to do them. To make a quick summary of I/O vs OB.....more romm in small boat with an OB, less maintaince on an OB, harder to work on an OB and parts are more expensive and an OB uses more fuel. Now an I/O...uses much less fuel for comparable hp, more maintenance, cheaper part cost but more parts to replace. I always used this theory ...small boat 18' and under use an OB, larger boat over 20' use an I/O. In your budget I would not even consider a glass hull, as the amount of internal rot will be to expensive to fix. I would consider aluminum hulls only, much easier to repair, less fuel and HP to push.
 

Ned L

Commander
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
2,266
FYI,... You are meaning an "inboard outboard" / "IO" and not an "inboard". There aren't many inboards below about 25ft.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
FYI,... You are meaning an "inboard outboard" / "IO" and not an "inboard". There aren't many inboards below about 25ft.

Lots of inboard ski/wakeboard boats under 25, most of them are actually, but... OP isn't looking for that kind of boat, certainly not under $2k! Another digit and you might find one.

As others have stated, if you find an I/O for under $2k, run fast! You can part out a good engine and drive for almost that, so there is absolutely something wrong. Around $4000 or so is about the bottom of the I/O range that you want to be at.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,296
No way will you find a good running I/O without rot for $2k this time of year. You may find one for $4 or $5k.
 

Somerowl

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
92
Thanks everyone, very much appreciated input. I'm going to look at a 69 glastron 19' with the Chevy v6 on Saturday in Reno (2 hrs from me in somerset Cali). How can I do some nn destructive testing of floor and transom? Should I just save my mney and find a 50 for my 16' alum Starcraft and be happy?
 

fhhuber

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 19, 2014
Messages
1,365
Budget boat = aluminum hull and outboard.

You can buy a NEW 12 to14 ft aluminum "jon boat" with 10 to 20 hp 4-stroke for less than you end up putting into a "cheap" 30 to 40 yr old used fiberglass boat & outboard.
Then find a used trailer... there are always some cheap on craigslist.

That is what I wish I had done after having gone through the used fiberglass boat with a big outboard. That "cheap" $2500 boat cost another $3500 (plus operating costs) to make it worth $2750.
If I'd spent the same $6000 on new I'd have had a nice jon boat with 20 hp 4-stroke.
Save a little on a used hull or 2 to 3 yr old 4-stroke... fine.

*******************

You have a 16 ft aluminum? Fix that and put a recent 4-stroke on it.


*********************

To check the Glastron see if the floor is solid or flexible. Flexible = the wood is rotting under the fiberglass. If the floor is soft you can count on most if not all wood in the boat needing replacement.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,296
Thanks everyone, very much appreciated input. I'm going to look at a 69 glastron 19' with the Chevy v6 on Saturday in Reno (2 hrs from me in somerset Cali). How can I do some nn destructive testing of floor and transom? Should I just save my mney and find a 50 for my 16' alum Starcraft and be happy?

The '69 is almost 50 years old. Read the stickies at top of forum for buying a boat and what to look for. It may be a garage kept beauty, if so, buy a lottery ticket as well.

If it has a v6, that is a transplant as the 6 cylinder available back in '69 was an inline 6.

Regarding buying an outboard for your current tinny...that would get you on the water fast with a craft you already know
 

Somerowl

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
92
Thanks for making sense all, I think I'll fix the 50 that I have (hope it hones out as parts are impossible to find) and go from there. I will check out the 69 just in case it's "perfect", but will be extremely cautious regarding floor panels etc. It was a LOT of fun to redo the floor in the StarCraft and my son is a bit attached to it.
I knew I'd get some great advice from this forum, it's been quite helpful in the past.
:peace:
 

Somerowl

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
92
Northern California. What are the opinions of Optimax for a motor?
 

Somerowl

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
92
Read the Sticky's on the choosing, inspecting and enjoying a "new to me" boat. Great info, love the input and the detail. Especially loved the discourse on just buying a boat and getting in the game and not suffering from paralysis by analysis. Taking the inspection direction in concert with the attitude of getting out there and having fun is a great balance. Very grateful for this forum and y'all's input!
:eagerness:
 

thumpar

Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
6,138
No way will you find a good running I/O without rot for $2k this time of year. You may find one for $4 or $5k.
I sold my Sunrunner for $2400 but that was with extras included. It ran great and was solid. I probably would have taken $2k if they didn't want the extras.
 

Somerowl

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
92
Thanks thumper, I got the Starcraft from the boat gods for free and after a ton of work ended up with a nice boat. Maybe the boat gods are approving of my work and will watch out for me now!
 

Old Ironmaker

Captain
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
3,050
The advice I was going to give here has been covered above. I don't know what the market is for boat in Northern Cali. but around here in southern Ontario Canada

posted before finished oops, see next post
 
Last edited:

Old Ironmaker

Captain
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
3,050
The advise I was going to give has already been given. Around here in Sothern Ontario Canada 2 grand will get you a nice trailer. The only thing not mentioned about the old argument Outboard vs. Inboard/Outboard is your mechanical capability. I have a good friend that is a back yard mechanic. He knows more about vehicles than most journeyman auto mechanics. He even has his own hoist. He got into boating just 3 years ago. He decided on a I/O because he can rebuild a V4 to V12 himself and has all the tools for it. Take the cover off a inboard and he stares at it. He eventually gets it but not like your standard car engine. He paid $2400.00 Canadian for the 24' Grew Cuddy Cabin, no trailer or outdrive. He had one on an old boat someone left on the farm. I worked with him getting this boat on the water. I kept track of all the parts he bought and the hours he put into it. After all said and done and if he paid himself just 75 bucks per hour he has around $9000.00 Canadian into it add another $2000.00 for a used outdrive. That's about $6500.00 USD. He could have bought the same boat running that needed some work, (all used boats need something regardless including an anchor and a rope) for $4500.00 CDN with a trailer or $2925.00 USD. I have a 19' StarCraft with the open bow. His boat has just a bit more room than mine with the doghouse and most of the boat underground up front. Your 16' StarCraft floor space isn't much smaller than a 19' I/O. If the I/O isn't a bow rider your boat is bigger in floor space.

If you make the decision to keep yours now you have to decide, 2 or 4 stroke. Good Luck.
 
Last edited:

Somerowl

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
92
Thanks so very much Old Ironmaker. VERY much appreciated, great perspective on cost and time/effort. If this would be a "hobby" to rebuild/restore a boat that would be a different benefit to the mix, but in this case it's not. Also, you need to account for the time spent working on the boat that could be spent actually boating! Like you noted the expense at the end of the day is similar to buying a "good" boat, perhaps not in quite as good shape as what you have at the end of the day, but just as useful overall. The one justification involved is if you don't have the money up front to buy such a boat in which case your labor invested (as you noted if you're capable of it) is a direct payoff in the long run. Actually, the learning curve is dependent upon your ability to do the work and your enjoyment of doing it directly correlating to the "benefit" of the boat in general. I've been hugely rewarded learning about the inner workings of a lower unit (after helping a friend bash it off a rock last year) and in tearing apart a 45 year old 2 stroke Johnson that I got for "free" attached to a piece of crap fiberglass boat that got cut up and trashed all of which was attached to a trailer that I sold for $100. The motor is on life support now awaiting determination of whether or not the shop can clean it up and maintain the standard specs for the cylinder walls as the oversize pistons are no longer available. This 50 might be the savior to my problem for the foreseeable future as it will give me some power behind the StarCraft to give me a different perspective on where I'm at in this process.
All that being said, I'm still going to look at the I/O tomorrow and if it's solid, I'm all over it. It's not a crime to have two boats is it? I hope my wife doesn't think so!
Thanks all!!

:dance:
 

Somerowl

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Messages
92
The search is over. Right down the street a nice couple advertised their 14' bayliner Capri with a 2 stroke 50 on it, 1996 model. Well maintained, easy start, virtually scratch less exterior, rub strip is not abused, all the little maintenance things were done, easy launch and a good deal for $1300 including paperwork and current registration. Floor and transom appear and feel solid in every corner. We felt like it was a low risk next step toward our end goal boat whatever that may be. If we don't like it we can sell it next week at a profit. Thanks to all for your input. The 19' I/O had an 8' gash that was poorly repaired and was not going to happen. Thanks for the instructions on how to inspect it, felt confident asking pertinent questions!
 
Top