Posted: 12/20/2005 1:04:13 AM EDT
this has nothing to do with guns and tragic boating accidents I've been doing some research on boats and was wondering why is this boat... 16' w/ 50 hp outboard $5k more www.bayliner.com/runabouts.asp?modelid=54094 Than this boat ... 17' with 135hp inboard 3.0 mercruiser. www.bayliner.com/brochure.asp?modelid=54095&year=2006 Is their an advantage to having an outboard vs. inboard? Does one cost more to maintain etc? comments appreciated 
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Over the years I've owned both types, in fact the second boat I ever owned was an old outboard runabout very similar to the Bayliner. In the case of what you are looking at, with a 5K difference in price I'd go with the I/O. Generally outboards are simpler to deal with because drive problems are quite easy and separate from boat problems. With boats horsepower is king and the 135 HP I/O is going to be worth it, especially factoring in the lower price. The little Bayliners are great entry level boats, you can't really go wrong for 10 grand. -Gator |
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Bayliners have a bad rap for wearing out and having all sorts of problems much sooner than other boats. They are not known for being quality boats. You should definately go to the forums on iboats.com and search it for information on the different brands of boats. I've read several different articles there about the construction process of the Bayliner's and none of it is good. The site is down right now but here is the link to the forums]www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi[ /url] That said you will be hard pressed to find a new boat like that from anyone else in $10k range. Just remember that the $10k price doesn't include the transportation fee and that the boat has no options like a radio or speakers. The comperable boat from SeaRay with options starts around $19k. I would suggest cruising through the boat section on eBay to see what is out there and what people are paying for new or slightly used boats. |
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Outboard is more difficult to design Outboard frees up deck space o/b can tilt mostly out of the water, important if you keep in a wet slip. I wouldn't take a bayliner if you gave it to me, the frustration, time and $$ in dealing with that POS wouldn't be worth it. A bayliner is a disposble boat made to hit a low price point made to lure in new boaters that don't know better. I'd be looking for a used Boston Whaler with a Yamaha outboard, if it was me. |
Here's a pic of my wife's namesake, not much for creature comforts but a real workhorse, custom built in Maine. It's a survivor to boot, has tried to sink a couple of times. ( And to think us Yankees make of people down South for filling up their yards with cars on blocks )
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Salt or fresh? If salt, then I'd go with the outboard. I have an I/O equipped Regal I'm trying to get rid of. Beautiful boat, fast, good on fuel - but a bitch to maintain. I'd "maybe" consider an I/O for a lake boat. Try replacing an oil filter that is under a chevy 350 while you lay on top of the engine and worm your body between the motor and the sides of the boat. Here is a pic from when my boat sank but it gives you an idea of how little room you have to work with:  This was my first I/O and it's my last. Back to outboards for me. |
+1 I worked in a boat yard for a couple of years. One of the things I learned, get an inboard or an outboard, but never an I/O. ETA: I havn't heard many good things about bayliner. |
| I would suggest looking for a good used Four Winns or Sea Ray. You can't go wrong with either. If this is a Lake boat, an outboard would be fine. If you shop, you can find a deal. I'm not a fan of IO power but it has stood the test of time. I now have a much larger boat with twin inboards and will never go back to IOs. I can spin this boat on its axis, great for docking. For a trailer boat and maintainence, its hard to beat an outboard. If however you need the power, IO is the way to go. There are days I miss the fuel efficieny of our V6 OMC cobra. Anything under 150hp though is not going to haul enough or be versitile enough to be truly fun for more than two people. Its all about HP to weight ratios. |
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You can find many good, used 16'-18' boats for less that $10K. Right now (winter) is the time to buy one if you are in the market. You didn't say what kind of boat and use you had in mind and that makes all the difference in the world. I/O's are heavy, and you need more prower to equal the power/weight of an outboard. I/O's take up more space too, but I/O's are a lot quieter. Outboards can be less expensive to maintain. MaxPower is right... the best option is either an outboard or an inboard, but not a used I/O. Before you do anything, make sure you know what you will use the boat for and where you plan to use it. Then start looking for something that fills the bill. |
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Out baord is the way to go, no matter what...unless you are going true inboard. Ease of maintainence and more room in the boat. I never have liked Mercruisers ot their outdrives. Anything that stopps the motor to shift into gear just ain't right unless it's on a dragstrip. I had a 28' Bayliner with twin Volvos and was always doing something. The Bayliner its self was no problem. I actually considered having an out board platform put on it to mount a couple of outboards.... |
+1 I/Os are extremely HEAVY and therefore the extra HP is needed to equal the performance of a quality OB with less HP. I've had bot the I/o on a 21' galaxy and OB on a 19 ' Galaxy Ill take the OB over the I/O any day of the week. |
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I'm a fan of Mako. If you can buy used, there are plenty of boats in your price/size/use range. adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/6/2/76217362.htm adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/9/0/79660590.htm adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/2/4/79869524.htm adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/9/8/79944298.htm adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/8/1/81730781.htm adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/6/9/81752869.htm |