Hello all,

I have been looking for a used deck boat. I have a bow rider right now, and it just doesn't fit my needs or my family.

I really like the hurricane 188 or 202. I really think an outboard is what I want. I just have a couple questions.

Most of these boats have Yamaha 115s on them. I think that is underpowered. Some have 150s  but they are not common. So is there a big performance difference in these two motors?

I have also found some that have "bottom paint". What's with that? My dad has a 2006 tahoe 215cc that just has a gel coat and it still looks great.
Do they take off the gel coat to do the bottom paint? Do I have to keep painting the bottom?

The Yamaha 115 is a 4 cylinder whereas the 150 is a 6 cyl. Night and day on the same size/type of boat.  Bottom paint is used to help curb marine growth if the boat was kept in the water. Let this be a factor when looking at used boats. Boats kept in the water are subject to more corrosion and rotting issues than ones kept on dry land.
Outboards for the WIN! Take a look at how "shoehorned" a sterndrive is in the engine bay. Imagine changing the starter on one. You can touch every part on an outboard while standing upright. Changing a starter on a sterndrive requires gymnastic ability.
The gel coat does not have to be removed to apply bottom paint, but it should be sanded to rough it up so the bottom paint will adhere well.

i have a 1996 hurricane fun deck 196R with a 150 johnson nitro and it runs great it tops out at around 43mph and will pull just about anything. however it loves the fuel and it holds alot it is perfect for the family. i have two kids one which is two years old and i feel just a little safer with the rails on mine. the only thing i dont like about it is that that the boat is very heavy and hauling it back and forth to the water is a pain. i have a single cab ford f150 which pulls it great but doesnt stop it so great. my tahoe pulls it and stops it pretty good though.

Thanks for the  advice. I am using an inboard right now and changing the oil was a PITA. Everything motor related is a pain. The boat I'm using also has wood floor and seat backings that are rotting out.

I am leaning towards the 20' more than the 18'.

The weight and length is only a factor for pulling behind my 37' fifth wheel camper.  I drive a 2011 f350 powerstroke crew cab 4x4.

Also my wife really wants a swim full swim platform. Our friends have one she loves but they have an inboard motor. I told her it's not possible to have an OB and a full swim platform.

Now I have found teak wood platforms that go out around the motor and fold up when the motor needs to be fully raised. Are these any good?

It's a deck boat. The whole thing is a swim platform. No opinion on the teak platform other than make sure it's well built with stainless hardware. Buy some teak cleaner and oil and it will last longer than the boat.