On Sun, 21 Feb 2016 12:55:32 -0500, John H.
wrote:

On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 21:40:45 -0500, Alex wrote:

True North wrote:
John H.
- show quoted text -
"So? Come on...tell us more. Pictures?

Here I've spent hours reading and listening to computer sound systems, and you're
doing something constructive!"


Won't actually have it until May. Have to go back to the Boat Show on their dime to sign the paperwork around 1100 hrs.
Since I'm somewhat limited by our narrow driveway, the new boat is only a foot longer and a few inches wider. Since it's made of fiberglass, it's about 50 per cent heavier. In order to not get bitten by our seventy cent dollar, I opted for a brand new 2015 model.
Since I'll be doing my deep water sailing on a 39 foot sailboat this summer the idea was to not spend too much money to get something the wife will want to go out on on fine days.
There were two versions of the same boat. The outboard model and a MerCruiser 3.0 I/O model with a big extended swim platform to make it easier for us and the dog to re-board. It's a compromise as usual. Could have gotten a bare bones more sea worthy boat for a bit more, but the wife wouldn't hear of it.
It's a Bayliner 175BR. Yeah, I know...they had their problems with quality a few years back but the salesman convinced me that they are reasonably solid now and with the light useage and short season up here, it should last me the rest of my boating career.


Did you expect the salesman to convince you of anything else? I would
never own an I/O for sal****er use on any boat.

The exhaust manifold should be pretty easy to switch out on that inline 4. Very
accessible, and only one of them. I had to replace mine, on the 5.7L, after about
seven years. But, if I had the choice, I'd take the outboard. Either way he'll have
to flush it after every trip. Keeping the boat in the driveway makes flushing much
more handy then trying to find a wash rack somewhere.

You are not really is salt water tho, The upper bay and the river is
barely brackish at 10 ppt or less, much less up near DC or Annapolis.
I have caught small mouth Bass on Haines Point. (down near where that
"crawling out of the ground" sculpture used to be.)