Bow riders with best engine access?

[tomconnolly]

I'm shopping for a used bow rider, and I am typically a diy mechanic. One thing I'm interested in us having good access all around the engine compartment. Who has experience with good or bad access in there? What brand of boat do you recommend for good access? What brand has poor access?

 

[GA_Boater]

An out board powered bow rider has the best access.

 

[tomconnolly]

An out board powered bow rider has the best access.

Sorry I should have clarified. Of the I/o powered bow riders...

 

[matt167]

One without a sun deck

 

[Scott Danforth]

one without interior. seriously, any boat after 1990 will have half the boat interior covering or in the way of getting to the engine. that is just what the buying public wanted. a more comfortable cockpit area at the expense of maintenance access

gone are the days of the simple doghouse over the motor

so you are stuck with really really old project boats, or you need to look at newer boats yourself and make the determination - can I remove the bits of interior to get to the motor every year?

some boats with sun decks with powered hatches actually have more access to the engine than boats without because you can climb into the bilge along side the engine.

using an old pillow to lay across the engine will also help.

if you want to get really good access, you are talking boats that have "engine rooms" not fiberglass recreational boats with engines in the bilge, however much much larger boats.

 

[hugh g]

Brand doesn't matter, it's design. My 3.0 Cobra had relatively easy acces to do maintenance but I had to be a contortionist to change the starter. And that was with even removing the doghouse. If you want essy access get an OB, because you won't get it with most I/0's.

 

[Stinnett21]

Not much of a way around it. You have to take the boat apart. Here's what mine looks like after having done so. I lay a foam raft on the sofa seat for protection and remove my engine cowling so I can use the stud and a dowel to prop up the sun pad after releasing the gas springs. PITA but welcome to I/O world. Please ignore the makeshift toilet on port side.

 

[Lou C]

Agreed I have not seen one late model bowrider/I/O style boat that I'd buy, compared with my old boat that allows complete access once I pull out the rear seats. I had to re-configure it to my needs, with 2 seperate rear seats (a pair of 37" wide pontoon bench seats) and made the bulkhead behind them open like a door and it can come off the hinges.

That said my younger brother just bought one of these abominations, a 2018 Chapparal 21' with the Merc 4.5+ cat exhaust. I warned him that if the starter ever has to be changed, well don't ask me to do it lol. Seriously what I'd do with one of these horrible designs is take it to the best fiberglass shop in Long Island and tell them to make all that crap removable, so I can be independent of mechanics.

 

[JimS123]

Sorry I should have clarified. Of the I/o powered bow riders...

That was always my choice as well. Then I changed my mind and on a whim bought a OB.

Our new boat goes faster, uses less gas, is smoother with no vibration and has TONS of more space and is so easy to maintain that its now a joy to service it.

Did I mention it goes faster?

You couldn't give me an I/O after having owned a new modern OB.

 

[Jimwhall]

That was always my choice as well. Then I changed my mind and on a whim bought a OB.

Our new boat goes faster, uses less gas, is smoother with no vibration and has TONS of more space and is so easy to maintain that its now a joy to service it.

Did I mention it goes faster?

You couldn't give me an I/O after having owned a new modern OB.

I went the other way, and I love my new boat. But...

I couldn't agree more about the new OB's. The power they deliver is simply astounding. You get less swim platform room, but more room everywhere else. The only thing I don't know about is engine noise, but I suspect it isn't bad.

 

[bruceb58]

With my Cobalt R5, the engine compartment is so big, I can physically lay next to the engine. Very handy when changing spark plugs and doing compression checks. Of course it's also nearly 26' long. It is a bow rider though!


The pieces to the side of the engine come out with just a couple screws.

Best boat I have ever owned and the easiest to work on.

 

[Lou C]

I have see a few that have good access but its usually the larger boats that do, large bow riders, cuddies etc. You don't want the ones with the build in 'glass around the rear jump seats, or the fancy swim pad with the walk through or the flip seats that make the engine compartment 2/3rds the size it COULD have been, had maintenance and repair been more important than "features" to bring in the new buyers. On some of those imagine how much "fun" changing a starter, or a power steering cylinder might be. Unless it was a boat with a wide open engine compartment and no cat converter exhaust, I don't see myself ever in another I/O. Just too many designed in headaches.

 

[Nashville]

Sorry I should have clarified. Of the I/o powered bow riders...

Have a Chaparral 307 SSX (now the 317). Twin I/O’s. Plenty of access to get along both sides, between the two, underneath and behind (most while standing full upright). Bought used four seasons ago, and wouldn’t do new given crazy price, big depreciation hit and now so-so build quality. Have casually looked at a few used 327’s along the way (now the 347). Has the same access, a little better actually. Admired from a far the Sea Ray SLX 400 with I/O’s. In a class by itself. Never going to happen short of hitting the lottery.

 

[bruceb58]

You don't want the ones with the build in 'glass around the rear jump seats, or the fancy swim pad with the walk through or the flip seats that make the engine compartment 2/3rds the size it COULD have been

LOL...best thing about my boat is the sunpad and the walk through and the huge swim step. And it easier to work on than a 33 year old Four Winns.

 

[Lou C]

LOL...best thing about my boat is the sunpad and the walk through and the huge swim step. And it easier to work on than a 33 year old Four Winns.

beautiful boat! and yes the bigger it is, the more room around the same size engine in most cases.
so tell me can you actually reach the starter?
and how do you feel about the $5000+ price tag for the cat converter exhaust replacement? If in fresh water its a non issue but here in the salt, I wouldn't have one myself. Too much of a liability. Our landscaper had a Merc boat (small bowrider with a V6) and he had to replace the exhaust, that's what the bill was. So they wound up selling it in this crazy used boat market. And are buying an outboard....

 

[Bayliner 2001]

I'm shopping for a used bow rider, and I am typically a diy mechanic. One thing I'm interested in us having good access all around the engine compartment. Who has experience with good or bad access in there? What brand of boat do you recommend for good access? What brand has poor access?

They are very stable in the water I got a 205 bayliner 5.0 l . Top out 72 km . For me too fast . It more a cruise boat 25 to 35 km perfect speed no person is holding for life lol . I find it handle very well .

 

[bruceb58]

beautiful boat! and yes the bigger it is, the more room around the same size engine in most cases.
so tell me can you actually reach the starter?
and how do you feel about the $5000+ price tag for the cat converter exhaust replacement? If in fresh water its a non issue but here in the salt, I wouldn't have one myself. Too much of a liability. Our landscaper had a Merc boat (small bowrider with a V6) and he had to replace the exhaust, that's what the bill was. So they wound up selling it in this crazy used boat market. And are buying an outboard....

I am in fresh water now 100% so not an issue. Even if I was in salt...cost of boating. BTW, won't be long before large outboard all have catalysts.

Starter is super easy to get at home n my boat. I can lay in bilge and stare at it one foot from my face. I can drain the water out of the engine in less than a couple minutes.

 

[Lou C]

Glad to hear that Cobalt does a good job in their design!

 

[bruceb58]

Glad to hear that Cobalt does a good job in their design!

Best designed boat I have ever seen. Should have bought one years ago

 

[Cortes100]

I agree it has to do with the actual design, and not the brand. FWIW, this is a 18.5' bow rider. Has an awsome sundeck and rear seat, but engine access was a real pain. Those 2 side buckets are simple removable but was still left with the grey fiberglass frame. I found removing the backrest and the center section of seat opened it up a lot (10-15 minutes of nuts & bolts). However still impossible to see the rear of the engine, coupler area.