Just had to share. 1991 Ebbtide 182 bowrider I/O. It has the 3.0L 4-cyl, so it won't win any races like the old Baja, but it was cheap and it has a sweet 2008 Aluminum trailer under it.
And, no. I won't be hopping up the 3.0L. They are slugs. But a 383 will drop right in 
Too bad LS marinization parts are not mainstream yet.
Ah...a hole in the water. Have you started jamming $100 bills in the gas tank yet? 
Tomorrow's project.
But after 31 years of boat ownership, I never had that problem. At least no more than with cars.
Dude... don't you live in like - the middle of Pennsylvania?
Ian F wrote: Dude... don't you live in like - the middle of Pennsylvania?
Yup. Not that many boating spots next door, but there is Raystown lake (if you like 6.2 million boats), Susquehanna river, and Ocean spots are only 4 hours away.
My backyard also gets some standing water after a heavy rain.
I did kinda toy with the idea once of putting a turbo on a 3.0L in a boat, but never got around to investigating what kind of guts are in it. Not sure how much the rods, pistons, and crank will take.
But trying to squeeze more power out of them is like polishing a turd. Crap heads, poor valve angles. Plus it takes 15-20 additional HP to get 1 mph change in a heavy hull like this.
Unless you want/need to run it in the drink, Winter is a good time to buy, at least in cold weather states. I purchased one of my boats a few years ago when it was -20 and snowing. But I play around in the lower economic levels of boating i.e. cheap.
Speed is fun but your set-up likely will allow you to stretch your gallon per mile ratio? Sounds like you know what prop will suite you best. Is that a Mercruiser unit?
curtis73 wrote: Too bad LS marinization parts are not mainstream yet.
Sounds like a business opportunity to me.
Honestly, as long as you have enough power to get up onto plane and then some extra when needed to get out of a bad situation, too much power in a boat is just a good way to get hurt quickly.
Water is very unforgiving, and it does not take much to turn a small speedboat into a bucking bronco, especially if you are around other boats that do not know what they are doing. Sadly I am going to lump the majority of "boaters" into that category.
Never been a watercraft owner although there are lakes and rivers w/ in tow and marina but subscribe to this from owners:
“The two happiest days of a man’s life—the day he bought the boat and the day he sold the boat”
If anybody can sort it out Curtis can. I'll bet turbo-diesel tho.
I would love to have a small boat like that for dragging to the million public lakes and river access points in PA/NY/MD/WV but I don't know anything about boats. It is impossible to tell the difference between a $750 boat and a $15k boat from my point of view. I need the Miata of small watercraft. Cheap, reliable (or easy to fix) and plentiful enough that I can find a good one without really having to conduct a needle/haystack search.
So... I don't have any boats.
Huckleberry wrote: I would love to have a small boat like that for dragging to the million public lakes and river access points in PA/NY/MD/WV but I don't know anything about boats. It is impossible to tell the difference between a $750 boat and a $15k boat from my point of view. I need the Miata of small watercraft. Cheap, reliable (or easy to fix) and plentiful enough that I can find a good one without really having to conduct a needle/haystack search. So... I don't have any boats.
Aluminum with a good trailer and service records on an outboard.
mad_machine wrote: Water is very unforgiving, and it does not take much to turn a small speedboat into a bucking bronco, especially if you are around other boats that do not know what they are doing. Sadly I am going to lump the majority of "boaters" into that category.
So, basically a direct correlation with the "driving" public?
I believe it.
fasted58 wrote: L Never been a watercraft owner although there are lakes and rivers w/ in tow and marina but subscribe to this from owners: “The two happiest days of a man’s life—the day he bought the boat and the day he sold the boat” If anybody can sort it out Curtis can. I'll bet turbo-diesel tho.
There is a jet boat out there where the guy swapped in a VW 1.9 tdi. Not sure what was in place before that swap.
drainoil wrote: Unless you want/need to run it in the drink, Winter is a good time to buy, at least in cold weather states. I purchased one of my boats a few years ago when it was -20 and snowing. But I play around in the lower economic levels of boating i.e. cheap. Speed is fun but your set-up likely will allow you to stretch your gallon per mile ratio? Sounds like you know what prop will suite you best. Is that a Mercruiser unit?
I got this one for $2700. The trailer is worth half of that easy.
Yes mercruiser. I've had all three and never really noticed much difference. The Alpha is a little less happy at 350+ tq than a comparable Penta or OMC, but I don't intend to give it that much. Merc parts for outdrives are also a little cheaper and more plentiful (not to mention much easier to work on).
fasted58 wrote: Never been a watercraft owner although there are lakes and rivers w/ in tow and marina but subscribe to this from owners: “The two happiest days of a man’s life—the day he bought the boat and the day he sold the boat” If anybody can sort it out Curtis can. I'll bet turbo-diesel tho.
I've never been happy about selling a boat. Since I was 12 I've always had at least one. The past two years without one have been actually quite annoying.
Where I predominantly boat is on a secluded lake with little or no access to diesel for about 30 miles, otherwise I would SO diesel the crap out of a boat.
Huckleberry wrote: I would love to have a small boat like that for dragging to the million public lakes and river access points in PA/NY/MD/WV but I don't know anything about boats. It is impossible to tell the difference between a $750 boat and a $15k boat from my point of view. I need the Miata of small watercraft. Cheap, reliable (or easy to fix) and plentiful enough that I can find a good one without really having to conduct a needle/haystack search. So... I don't have any boats.
14-16' aluminum that doesn't leak. 9.9 or 15 Johnson or Evinrude. Not exactly a Miata. More like a Tercel. They last forever, they're cheap, and simple.
This. Exactly this below. Find one for $750. Your only expense for the next 30 years will be occasional wheel bearings, gasoline, and 2-stroke oil.
Nick (Bo) Comstock wrote:mad_machine wrote: Water is very unforgiving, and it does not take much to turn a small speedboat into a bucking bronco, especially if you are around other boats that do not know what they are doing. Sadly I am going to lump the majority of "boaters" into that category.So, basically a direct correlation with the "driving" public? I believe it.
it's worse than that: picture that you can drive ANYWHERE that is paved with only imaginary lines in the road and a set of "rules" that most people barely know. Add to that mix that passing another car can throw enough air to disturb, rock, or even overturn another, and the fact that many places still allow for open containers.
I am actually amazed I do not hear of more deaths on the water
I just don't boat where that kind of thing is a problem.
Raystown lake is so ridiculously packed full of anyone with six figures of disposable cash who buy a 36' cuddy and a case of wine. Lots of shenanigans. I boat on a wilderness lake and at Chincoteague (and a few other places briefly). The wilderness lake has maybe 30 boats for a 13-mile lake and almost everyone are seasoned boaters/fisher people. Chincoteague has a lot of boats, but its not like a recreational area. You're surrounded by fishermen and 60' trawlers.
HappyAndy wrote:curtis73 wrote: Too bad LS marinization parts are not mainstream yet.Sounds like a business opportunity to me.
Hmmmmm.....
I think Mercruiser or Volvo would pay big bucks if I successfully develop the tooling and founding for LS marinization parts.
There are a few companies that make custom jacketed headers, but they are $3400 a pair 
But honestly, marinization parts are not that difficult. Spark-arrested alternator and starter, modified water pump, jacketed exhaust manifolds. The rest is straight out of the auto parts bin.
nice! The solid snap-on covers are a good thing to have, and that trailer looks really nice. I'm keeping an eye out for a good deal on an aluminum or galv trailer for my old tri hull so I feel a little better about dipping it in salt water.
Very nice! Glad you finally found something. I think a turbo could be very much fun, and steady RPM's like a boat cruising so perfect for tubro.
Appleseed wrote: Ah...a hole in the water. Have you started jamming $100 bills in the gas tank yet?
No different than any other mechanized hobby. Race cars, motorcycles, RVs, they all take money to keep going.
That is almost exactly what we had growing up, great memories with my father. We weren't great at fishing but really enjoyed our mini adventures.
Hoping to buy one once my son grows up a little.
curtis73 wrote:Huckleberry wrote: I would love to have a small boat like that for dragging to the million public lakes and river access points in PA/NY/MD/WV but I don't know anything about boats. It is impossible to tell the difference between a $750 boat and a $15k boat from my point of view. I need the Miata of small watercraft. Cheap, reliable (or easy to fix) and plentiful enough that I can find a good one without really having to conduct a needle/haystack search. So... I don't have any boats.14-16' aluminum that doesn't leak. 9.9 or 15 Johnson or Evinrude. Not exactly a Miata. More like a Tercel. They last forever, they're cheap, and simple. This. Exactly this below. Find one for $750. Your only expense for the next 30 years will be occasional wheel bearings, gasoline, and 2-stroke oil.
I find it amazing that people who are all for environmental controls in cars will still use and advocate 2 stroke engines in boats. The Amount of oil they leave behind in their wake is astounding (enough of my pseudo flounder)
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