i am a first timeboat owner whose experience has not gone great so far. I inherited a 1991 16 foot Bluefin/spectrum Model 1706 Deep V boat. The boat was meticulously maintained and rarely used so it was in excellent condition for a 1991.
Unfortunately, the company that winterized the boat left the drain plug out of the engine and I did not notice this before I put the boat in the slip. So water was presumably getting into the lower unit for about three weeks before the motor started showing problems. Since the motor is a 1991 Mercury 9.9 hp outboard that needed a carb cleaning/rebuild anyway (since it was not used in 2011), it does not seem to be worth spending money for a mechanic to even open up the lower unit, does it?
If I am declaring the current engine RIP, what do I do next? The configuration of this boat is not what I would choose for myself so I am not sure how long I will keep the boat. Therefore, I would rather not spend thousands and thousands of bucks on a new motor and end up with a boat that could only be sold for much less.
The boat is rated for a 120 Hp and was sold standard with a 70 hp. The 9.9 hp was installed because of limits on the lake were it was previously used. For my use, on a lake with no limits and on the Ohio River, I think I would want a 40-70 hp motor.
So, is there a cost effective way to get this boat operational? I am OK with losing some money on this, but I do not really want to put $10,000 into a new motor and be left with a boat that I would only be able to sell for $4000. Any advice on how to proceed would be really helpful. Are reliable used engines generally available in this situation? Can anyone suggest what or where I should be looking?
Unfortunately, the company that winterized the boat left the drain plug out of the engine and I did not notice this before I put the boat in the slip. So water was presumably getting into the lower unit for about three weeks before the motor started showing problems. Since the motor is a 1991 Mercury 9.9 hp outboard that needed a carb cleaning/rebuild anyway (since it was not used in 2011), it does not seem to be worth spending money for a mechanic to even open up the lower unit, does it?
If I am declaring the current engine RIP, what do I do next? The configuration of this boat is not what I would choose for myself so I am not sure how long I will keep the boat. Therefore, I would rather not spend thousands and thousands of bucks on a new motor and end up with a boat that could only be sold for much less.
The boat is rated for a 120 Hp and was sold standard with a 70 hp. The 9.9 hp was installed because of limits on the lake were it was previously used. For my use, on a lake with no limits and on the Ohio River, I think I would want a 40-70 hp motor.
So, is there a cost effective way to get this boat operational? I am OK with losing some money on this, but I do not really want to put $10,000 into a new motor and be left with a boat that I would only be able to sell for $4000. Any advice on how to proceed would be really helpful. Are reliable used engines generally available in this situation? Can anyone suggest what or where I should be looking?
