I had a 17' runabout with the 3.0 I/O for about 10 years. I never had a problem with it and sold of for only $1500 less than I paid for it. Maintenance is just like any other motorized vehicle, oil changes and keeping the moving parts (steering cables, out-drive U joint) greased. The 17' was crowded with 6 people but it was not intolerable. Camping at the lake and being on the water late in the evening and early in the morning was great. If doing it again I would only look at ALL FIBERGLASS boats. Yes the 3.0L is a little slow but it is fine for recreation duty and as easy on gas as you are going to get. I have always heard salt water is really, really bad. I sold mine because all my ex-wife wanted to do at the lake was sit and drink. I loved to ski and tube so my idea of a good time at the lake was constantly moving and her's was sitting still. As for going to the bathroom while on the boat...piss in the water, if your family is not going to piss in the water they are not going to enjoy the whole boating-skiing experience, IMO. As for #2 at the lake, the lakes here in NC have recreation areas scattered about, just drive to one of #2 calls. Another thing you may want to consider is when you are going to use it and how crowded are the lakes near you at those times. Rough crowded water was never any fun to me. Skiing in chop is no fun. Weekdays, early or late is the best time to be at the lake, at least around here. John
Is yours a vdrive? If so no it won't do it.. Engine has to be in the center... The key is to go wide open in a straight line... Pull up to neutral and crank the wheel over.. You need to be going about 40 to make it get above the rail and spin...:up:
There are so many brands of boats and certainly a hiearchy of sorts to them. Where I am the Tahoe and Bayliner is a cheaper boat for sure with Sea Ray, Crownline, and Cobalt on the other end. I believe the Glastron and Larson are a good boat for the money but I don't know what's common or easy to find where you are. Around here 13k will get a nice '06-'07, 18' with a 3.0. Pontoons are nice because they have so much room. Kids can still kneeboard, ski, and tube behind them too. Anyway, if you can't go out on the water with someone who knows boats, take the craft in question to a reputable dealer and pay the $150 to get it checked bow to stern. They should check all of the electrics, engine, outdrive, hull, trailer brakes, etc, and give you some sort of checklist.
I have been around boats my whole life, some of them are money pits, but its like motorcycles keep up with maintenance and you should be good, to me out boards are cheaper, to winterize if carbed just spray fogging fluid in carbs put gas stabilizer in it and every winter I change impeller and gear oil, And your done.. Is sure is nice being on the water on those 90 degree days instead of being in full leathers, but for me I can still get my fix for speed,,,,
I would have to say that boats are not cheap, but no hobby involving motors and travel is going to be cheap or maintenance-free. Like bikes, the older and cheaper ones are going to need more work than one off the showroom floor. My advice would be to think very hard about how you will want to use the boat before you buy, and buy the style that will suit your needs the best. I enjoy the 19' open bow for after-work rides and towing the kids around for an hour or two. It's the UJM of boats, and meets our recreational needs just fine. BUT the boat is stored two miles from the house, and we don't even bother taking more than drinks and a snack. If we were weekending or camping or had to spend more than the day, a bigger boat would be needed. We also keep the boat in covered "rack storage" which is expensive, but we don't have to drag the boat/trailer to the ramp or leave it in the water getting beaten against the dock. Just a call to the marina around lunch, and it's ready to roll after work. I think we would use the boat less than half as much we do now if we had to tow, float, load, and park every time. The trailer adds a PITA factor that is off the hook around here. Also, if you decide to trailer, you need to have someone with you that can either drive the boat or back up a truck and trailer. Just keep that in mind. Seriously don't be the guy holding everyone on the ramp up on Saturday morning because you have to leave your boat blocking the ramp while you drive up the hill and park your rig cause the kids and wife can't idle in the lake by themselves.
