On Mon, 22 Feb 2016 13:18:59 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 2/22/2016 1:11 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 22 Feb 2016 05:03:47 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

John H.
- show quoted text -
"But almost all of my fishing was between Deale and the Patuxent. Only fishing in the
Potomac was for catfish in the channel with grandkids.

The extra salt may mean a new exhaust manifold sooner...five years, maybe? But, it
appeas very easy to replace on that four. And it looks like they run less than $400.
On the V8, they were a bitch, and much more expensive, of course."


...and I was worried about the bellows rotting out! Salesman said it should last 15 years.
A new exhaust manifold every five years doesn't appeal to me. You'd think they would come up with a better material.
I've never owned an inboard/outboard and I am a bit leary about it. I'd better start reading up on how the engine cooling system works and how much routine maintenance is required.
Already I can see that the optional 23" deep swim platform is going to make flushing the lower end a bit harder. The idea is that platform will make it easier for the dog to reboard after swimming. The 170BR with outboard motor has a very narrow reboarding spot next to the outboard well.

Most of the "I/O problems" get mitigated somewhat when you are on a
trailer. Sitting in the water is trouble. A little bellows leak that
your bilge pump handles on a day trip is a sunk boat if it is sitting
in the water. The LU will stay wet too so you may end up with all the
problems that entails. Again, up on the trailer, no sweat.
They have a real bad rep in Florida.



I've been ocean boating since about 1993. I don't personally know
anyone who's boat sank because of a leaky bellows. Doesn't mean it
hasn't happened but the number of people I have known with I/O's who
keep them in slips during the season is a pretty good sampling.


===

I kept our old I/O in salt water several years before we moved to
Florida. It was an old 1979 boat and never had any problems. Here in
Florida we kept it in a boat lift but never flushed it. I eventually
got rid of it because the floor boards were getting soft and we got a
really good deal on a Sea Ray bow rider.