On Tue, 04 Nov 2014 16:35:34 -0600, "James"
wrote:

Hi Group, I'm presently looking at a 1977 28' Bayliner with a 350 Chevy
OMC engine and Volvo 270 drive. The owner says he has the same engine
in his tournament ski boat which is a Mercruiser engine. I don't know
if he's referring to the fact that they're both 350 Chevy's or Mercury
built the OMC also. I haven't gone to see the boat yet. The picture of
the engine shows that it's definitly a Chevy and OMC. Jim

===

Jim, I appreciate the fact that you are trying to find a bargain boat
but trust me when I say that the purchase price is just the tip of the
iceberg. When you buy a boat of that type that is 30 or 40 years old,
it is a project boat at best, and without doubt a money pit. I owned
a 1978 Winner 24 for a while that I bought back in the 90s. It had a
350 cid Mercruiser engine and outdrive. I got a few good years out
of the boat and had a lot of fun with it, but eventually had to get
rid of it because of perpetual maintenance issues.

You can buy these boats for pennies on the dollar because their best
years are behind them, and the current owner is no longer happy with
their investment. Unless you are a marine mechanic with good access
to old, obsolete spare parts, I'd look for something easier to
maintain - maybe an outboard in the 17 or 18 foot range.