What are the relative merits of each. I have been looking at some boats and the
inboards seem to offer a lot more boat for the money, but a lot of people buy
outboards, so there must be some merit there. Fishing, cruising and skiing are
the objective.

On 24 Mar 2004 11:14:44 GMT, (HugYourPug) wrote:

What are the relative merits of each. I have been looking at some boats and the
inboards seem to offer a lot more boat for the money, but a lot of people buy
outboards, so there must be some merit there. Fishing, cruising and skiing are
the objective.

Disclaimer: I have always owned outboards except for my project boat
which just may become an outboard.

I/Os can be difficult to maintain, they are more complex mechanically
and I personally don't like the fact that there is a hole in my stern
- er...that didn't come out exactly right, but you get the idea. :)
On the other hand, the engines are basically good old V6/V8 technology
and pretty much bolt on for parts and the like. If you are a decent
jackleg mechanic, this can be a plus. On the other hand, the cooling
system can be much more complex. The majority of problems I see
around my marina with I/O installations revolve around cooling
problems.

Outboards are easier to maintain, if your boat is slipped you can get
the lower units out of the water, you get more cockpit room, easier to
flush them, I believe the performance curve is better (I am willing to
admit that others may not agree with that - personal opinion) and
efficiency in GPH is better - that is a observation based on
conversations with folks at my marina with I/Os - I have also heard
that I/Os are better than outboards. Don't know, never owned an I/O.

And, as in all things, the above is strictly my opinion based on
observation and personal experience with the FICHTS I own.

Good luck.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
-----------
"Angling may be said to be so
like the mathematics that it
can never be fully learnt..."

Izaak Walton "The Compleat Angler", 1653

On 24 Mar 2004 11:14:44 GMT, (HugYourPug) wrote:

What are the relative merits of each. I have been looking at some boats and the
inboards seem to offer a lot more boat for the money, but a lot of people buy
outboards, so there must be some merit there. Fishing, cruising and skiing are
the objective.

I have an I/O in a 1997 21' Proline, and have been pretty satisfied
overall. I've had none of the outdrive maintenance problems mentioned,
but I do get it serviced regularly, with a major service about every
three years ($350 appx). The engine compartment takes up 9 square feet
of floor space, which is sometimes troublesome when fishing, but on
the other hand it provides more seating room when I'm playing around.
I've not yet replaced the exhaust manifolds and risers, used in the
Chesapeake Bay, but I religiously flush the engine with fresh water
after each trip. Also, my boat is kept in a boatel, so the outdrive is
not left in the water.

My next boat (if I ever get one) will probably have an outboard,
something like a Parker 2520XL. But that's only because that boat
comes with outboards. When I look at the cost of replacing an outboard
vs an inboard, I become happier with my inboard engine.

It's kind of nice seeing basically the same engine in my boat and in
my pickup. Gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

My $0.02.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

"HugYourPug" wrote in message
...
What are the relative merits of each. I have been looking at some boats
and the
inboards seem to offer a lot more boat for the money, but a lot of people
buy
outboards, so there must be some merit there. Fishing, cruising and skiing
are
the objective.

You only mention "inboard" and "outboard" but not "inboard/outboard'
You may already know the following, but I was confused on it when
I first started with boats...:

INBOARD - The engine is in / built into the boat and a
shaft goes through a stuffing box through the hull and
a prop is turned under the boat on the end of this shaft.

OUTBOARD: A single piece that has the engine and
prop all in one unit. This unit is mounted on the transom
of the boat.

INBOARD/OUTBOARD: The engine is mounted
in the boat simmilar to the "true" inboard. But instead
of a shaft going through the hull to run the prop under
the boat, the engine is coupled to an "outdrive" that
comes out of the transome of the boat. This outdrive
looks much like the prop housing on an outboard engine.

On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 11:14:44 +0000, HugYourPug wrote:

What are the relative merits of each. I have been looking at some boats and the
inboards seem to offer a lot more boat for the money, but a lot of people buy
outboards, so there must be some merit there. Fishing, cruising and skiing are
the objective.

Well, we've been around this one many times, but I'll add a few minor things:

1. Sound. I like the sound of I/O's better. They roar rather than scream.

2. Horsepower. Yes, I know outboards now come in 225, maybe even 250. But I/O's
pretty much start there, and go up to 500-700hp. So if you're looking for
100-150 hp, outboard may be right for you. Over 200 (especially over 250), the
I/O or straight inboard starts to look better.

3. Cooling. I/Os and inboards are available in "fresh-water cooling", where the
engine is cooled with coolant rather than seawater. IMHO, a MUST for running in
salt water.

4. Diesel. Notwithstanding KS, you can't get a diesel outboard.

And, as you've mentioned, outboards cost a lot more. And, I personally just
don't like bolting 200hp and 500lb to the transom - I'd rather see it on the
stringers. And, having repaired both on the water, I'd take the I/O for ease of
"emergency repairs" every time.

Lloyd Sumpter
"The Tin Boat" Mirrocraft 12 c/w Johnson 15

Having gone through outbd and I/Os and typical comments from users at this
end of the world.

1. I/Os are a pain, running and repair costs are much higher, but fuel
burn is much better on inbds.
2. Engine access is usually worse than outboards.
3. Outbds are much simpler mechanically, no valves, belts (at least not
on earlier 2 strokes), no fancy exhaust system.
4. You get pull-start possibility on the 2 stroke outbds, caveat is
constant right arm maintenance is required
5. Cost of outboards is cheaper over here, probably due to smaller
pleasure craft market size compared to commercial users.
6. You can 'carry' the outbds home for repairs. An exhaust manifold
alone will give you hernia.
7. All said, if you need big power, I/Os or inbds the only option.

I got into a boat with I/O due to higher power requirements and gas which
cost US3.30 a gal over here. Carbed outbd efficiency is just too low to run
big engines at $3 a gal.

Tan PS

"HugYourPug" wrote in message
...
What are the relative merits of each. I have been looking at some boats
and the
inboards seem to offer a lot more boat for the money, but a lot of people
buy
outboards, so there must be some merit there. Fishing, cruising and skiing
are
the objective.

:You've had several good responses which point to the advantages and
disadvantages of each. A lot of the stuff is subjective and / or strictly
based on personal opinon or need. There's good reasons to go with either,
depending on what you need.

There's one thing that I think is absolutely true and not debatable - the
inboard or I/O takes up significant interior space.

This is not much of a factor if all you need is for people to sit be able to
sit in the seats for, say cruising or water sports. The I/O's I've been
familiar with, even though they dominate the rear of the boat, have adequate
and comfortable seating space.

For other activities that require either a lot of moving around space,
standing around space or storage space - activities such as fishing, camping
or hunting, for instance, the outboard could be a real advantage because of
the interior space they free up, especially with hulls less than 20 feet
(the inboard engine takes up the same room whether the boat is 18 feet or 28
feet, therefore, it's much less of an issue, with the 28 footer). I use my
boat a lot for these things - family camping trips, and multi person
fishing. I switched from I/O to outboard because of this and have been very
happy with this particular aspect. I had a 19 footer with an I/O type and
it was very difficult for any of these activities because the engine "dog
house" took up most of the rear.

Just my personal experience and opinion.

Grissy

"HugYourPug" wrote in message
...
What are the relative merits of each. I have been looking at some boats
and the
inboards seem to offer a lot more boat for the money, but a lot of people
buy
outboards, so there must be some merit there. Fishing, cruising and skiing
are
the objective.

Than there are two types in inboards. One where the engine sit about
amidship, it's coupled to a transmission of sorts. It is how you get into
forward, neutral or reverse, close but not exactly like your car, most don't
have multiple forward speeds. Out of the transmission the prop shaft is
attached and than goes through the hull to the prop. One benefit of this
arrangement is a good weight distribution. The downside is that it takes up
more cabin room. The other type is know as V-drive. Here the engine goes aft
close to the transom with the rear of the engine facing forward. The engine
is coupled to a transmission that is built in a v configuration rather than
straight through, the output shaft where the prop shaft attaches now faces
to the rear of the boat and passes through the hull. This seems to be a
popular setup because it allows for more interior room. My personal
preference is for the straight drive setup.
Paul

"Gary Warner" wrote in message
...

"HugYourPug" wrote in message
...
What are the relative merits of each. I have been looking at some boats
and the
inboards seem to offer a lot more boat for the money, but a lot of
people
buy
outboards, so there must be some merit there. Fishing, cruising and
skiing
are
the objective.

You only mention "inboard" and "outboard" but not "inboard/outboard'
You may already know the following, but I was confused on it when
I first started with boats...:

INBOARD - The engine is in / built into the boat and a
shaft goes through a stuffing box through the hull and
a prop is turned under the boat on the end of this shaft.

OUTBOARD: A single piece that has the engine and
prop all in one unit. This unit is mounted on the transom
of the boat.

INBOARD/OUTBOARD: The engine is mounted
in the boat simmilar to the "true" inboard. But instead
of a shaft going through the hull to run the prop under
the boat, the engine is coupled to an "outdrive" that
comes out of the transome of the boat. This outdrive
looks much like the prop housing on an outboard engine.

Just about everybody has an opinion on this one. Imho serious boats 25' or
bigger, especialy in salt water, are better off with a pure inboard. It has
the minimum hardware in the water. Trailer boats could be any of the three
depending on what you will do the most. If your a big slalom ski enthusiast
then you want an inboard ski boat. Great launch and low wake. But
expensive. If general purpose running around, swimming, skiing, wake
boarding, tubing, etc then an io does well and is economical to buy. And
outboard is less suited because it is in the way where you would like to
have a full swim platform. But if fishing is your main gig then the
outboard is fine. If you want a go fast boat then you're back to the i/o.
Don't let anyone try to tell you an outboard is simpler. Once they were but
not any more. Todays outboard 2 or 4 stroke is pretty complicated.


"HugYourPug" wrote in message
...
What are the relative merits of each. I have been looking at some boats
and the
inboards seem to offer a lot more boat for the money, but a lot of people
buy
outboards, so there must be some merit there. Fishing, cruising and skiing
are
the objective.

It really comes down to what you plan to do with the boat the most and where
you are. Remember, an outboard can be used all year long as it does not
hold water that will freeze and bust the block (assuming you lower the
engine to allow the water to drain out). The outboard also gives you more
room for fishing and moving around in the boat. However, something in a 19'
to 20' boat that is good for skiing and cruising will be more readily
available in an I/O configuration.
I would look at the 20' open/walk around fishing boats that you can put a
lot of cushions on for cruising and skiing. This gives you lots of room on
the boat and allows you to fish easily also. It will probably be an
outboard. Or if fishing is going to be seldom, you might look at a deck
boat that will allow for some room for fishing but is mainly setup for
skiing and cruising. They are available in outboard and I/O w/ the I/O more
common now days.
Or you could go w/ something like a fish and ski that Stratos and most
fishing boat companies make. This will be an outboard also.

Bottom line, find a boat that fits your needs and don't worry about I/O or
outboard. If available thought - I personally would rather have the
outboard so you can use it in the winter if you want.

--
Tony
my boats at http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com



"HugYourPug" wrote in message
...
What are the relative merits of each. I have been looking at some boats
and the
inboards seem to offer a lot more boat for the money, but a lot of people
buy
outboards, so there must be some merit there. Fishing, cruising and skiing
are
the objective.