Offshore with 120 hp Mercury Force 1998 2 stroke outboard - Seaworthyness

[JoeFin]

Hi Everyone

Can folks with experience with these outboards please tell me what would it take to prep one of these outboards to take offshore from the San Francisco Bay area to Ft Brag Northern California.

I am thinking of buying a 20' boat that was originally sold with the outboard from a fella that looks like he took reasonable care of the boat and outboard. But I am hearing from friends and outboard mechanics to insure the reliability they would perform additional preventative measures to insure safety offshore.

Apparently these outboards were not equipped with an hour meter

Needless to say 54' deg water, the highest Great White population in the continental 48, horrendous currents and jagged cliffs guarded by rocky outcroppings does lend to my concerns. It is nothing like Gulf Waters or even the Southern Atlantic coast. Both of which I have been out on.

Your replies are genuinely appreciated

 

[Faztbullet]

You couldn't get me offshore with a Force motor...I have to really think about it even if it had twins.

 

[flyingscott]

Go on the Chrysler/Force forum and ask for JerryJerry05. I believe he used to run twin 85s in salt water.

 

[The Force power]

You couldn't get me offshore with a Force motor...I have to really think about it even if it had twins.

My main concern would be the seize of the boat in the waters he's describing:nono:

but I'm not much of a Seaman

 

[jerryjerry05]

ANY!!!! motor can break down.
My Mercury 225 let me down and so did my friends Yam 200.
As far as a Force in the deep ocean.
Go for it.
But have towing insurance.
But that goes for ANY boat.
Take care of the regular maint, and have a spare prop and a good radio.
The 98 Force is mostly Mercury.
In 94 they started changing to Mercury and in 95 the transition was mostly done.
So he'd be going off shore using a Mercury.

I had a pair, 1988 85hp. and used them as far out as 40-50 mi.
They never left me hanging.
How ever the steering, rack and pinion broke on a 25mi. tuna trip.
Seems the torque from the twins was too much.
Fixed that problem with hyd. steering.

As far as the sharks??
Was fishing the Hambone out of OC. Md.
Chunking for tuna, lost a few little sharks and then it died, NOTHING
Setting on the back of the boat feet hanging in the water, throwing bait off the back.
I looked to my left and there was the head of a shark.
The head was at the stern and it's tail was at the front of the boat.
It's tail was about 5-6ft. tall
My boat a 21ft.
Great White about 3-4000#
We pulled anchor and left.
Had a camera on board after that.

 

[dingbat]

Imagine getting on an airplane and asking the chief mechanic about the reliability of the engines on the plane.

He tells you they all break down sooner or later and goes on to tell you about two other planes that had engine problems.

Gives you warm and fuzzies doesn’t it? Lol

The truth of the matter is that run time and age matter when it comes to down time. Every component on a piece of equipment has a life expectancy. Failure analyst studies have proven time and time again that downtime goes up exponentially with age and use.

I’ve not seen a MTBF study for an outboard to support, but there is a lot of antidotal evidence out there to suggest that current 2 and 4 stroke technologies are light years ahead in reliability.



Having said that, I would be more concerned running a 20’ boat in open water. A self drawing cockpits is not optional

As a seasoned offshore angler, I’m far more concerned about rogue weather events and medical emergencies than scary looking sharks.....lol

 

[jerryjerry05]

The weather outside can be frightful, any boater who doesn't watch the weather
should stay onshore.
But the weather can change in no time.
Fishing the Patapsaco River off the Chesapeake.
Place called White Rocks
Lightening hit the rock.
We were 25ft. from the rock
One small cloud came from nowhere.

Medical emergencies again something that can't be planned.

Shark fishing out of OC. Md. caught a 4ft. and the hook(big hook) pulled when the fish hit the deck.
It went into my arm and poked a TINY TINY hole in my arm.
It managed to hit a vein, bled like you'd cut my throat.
There I was releasing this shark and bleeding.
I called my brother to take a picture.
He sees the blood and thinks the shark bit me.
He just about passes out.
Friend fishing out of Sebastian.
He and an older man.
The older guy has a heart attack and dies and falls overboard.
Ever try to pull 200# of wet dead weight back into the boat, not happening.
How do you plan for that??

 

[Redbarron%%]

The best predictor of a successful outcome is a previous successful outcome.
A regularly used engine would be more reliable than one not frequently used.
The basic mechanicals of the force are no more or less reliable than a newer engine , but it is possible that less complicated systems have fewer points of failure.
In my case My thought is that the newer (Mercury) CDM ignition might be more reliable than the older CDI boxes and also could be more easily replaces if necessary as the entire ignition system (other than the trigger coil) is in the one module.
I have been working on making this mod for my Sport Jet, but some problems have kept me from finishing up on the proving the entire outfit.
A chunk of aluminum is a chunk of aluminum.
A radio, phone (maybe works near shore, maybe not) proper spares and being careful along with tow insurance.
This assumes a well maintained motor, new or old.