Re: Newbie with a Rinker ?
We purchased a '91 206 with the 4.3 two seasons ago. The 4.3 in the 20 1/2 foot doesn't set any speed records by no means but we've pulled ski'ers, wakeboard, and even a Chariot Warbird tube thats damn near as big as the boat without any problems. I've often teased my 8 year old daughter that I was gonna trade for a new boat we see on dealers lots or in magazines and she wants nothing to do with it, she loves our old boat as she puts it.
The Rinker should be trouble free for you. As far as the engine and outdrive goes....there is no better place for education and advice than this forum! I've relied on it often, even on things that are not issues or problems (yet) so to speak. Just a wealth of knowledge.
Only other thing I can throw in there is to buy an op manual and service man, paper or cd, (i've been advised NOT a SELOC man.), if you don't already have one. Watch your guages religiously, water temp and oil pressure especially. And find out what the max rpm the engine should run, because if the prop has been changed, WOT may deliver more RPM than the engine can handle. It would be advised to check at the engine to make sure the tach guage is correct. And water temp., I found ours to be running 160 to 170 when we first got it. I then droped the lower unit and found the raw water pump tube melted, further investigation I found an 160 deg. auto thermostat had been put in instead of the 145 the man. called for. R&R and running cool since.
Last but not least........B.O.A.T......stands for Break Out Another Thousand.
Good luck be carefull and have fun!
Doug