Re: New here
As you can imagine, oppinions vary on out- vs. in/out motors. A search here will reveal plenty!<br /><br />Outbords tilt higher (often completely out of the water) which helps trailering and beaching. Outboards are normally easier to access for service work, and in any event of removing it from the boat, it's much easier than an i/o. <br />Repowering with an outboard is pretty easy.<br /><br />Outboards are specifically made for marine use - inboards are marinized automotive engines (many alterations but still auto block and main components). Inboards weigh more but benefits from a lower/better point of gravity (more important to some hulls than others). At least compared to traditional outboards (2-stroke), the inboards (4-stroke) vibrate less, idles better and tends to be more humble on gas consumption. <br /><br />Brand new boats are often cheaper per hp with i/o.<br /><br />Gas is a completely different matter with new outboards.<br /><br />Personally I'm not fond of gas engines stored away in a closed compartment (fumes + heat/sparks = Big Bang) even though it works fine for so many.<br />Any excess fuel from an outboard stays out of the boat.<br /><br />I'd suggest you look for a runaboat of some 17' with at least 80% of max rated hp, preferably a not too old outboard, to get started.