Recent outboards

[paul h]

I'd say most of the smaller boats up here, which I guess would be nominally 26' and under are running o/b's vs. inboards. I really haven't seen many complaints about the newer o/b's. I know some of the yammy 115's had reports of making oil, i.e. fuel getting by the rings due to not getting up to temp in cold water, and some of the evinrude e-tecs were having problems going into limp mode, supposedly due to their computer software not being friendly with running in cold water.

Asside from that the o/b's have a rep for being solid on the water. And the plus of not taking up your fishing deck with a big box that makes it pretty tough to carry a big cooler.

I can see running a diesel on the larger boats, but with our diesel prices running 10-15% higher than gas(when factoring in the increased initial cost), the efficiency argument doesn't really play out until you get into the larger boats.

[jvclark02]

My biggest concern is buying USA (the boats are)... The Merc's I looked at are made partly or totally in Asia... Tt, it may become a bigger boat and have an inboard with a USA engine...

Damned hard to support USA when the manufacturers do not...

Perhaps "made in the USA"should be replaced with "assembled in the USA" . My bet is the ignition is Siemens or Bosch, the injectors may be from Mexico, the rings from the US, the rods and pistons from China. the gaskets from India and so and so on

[PASTAMAN]

My concern is not the quality of the engines from Yammy, Zuki, etc... It is where the money is going...

Yes, I will buy an ETEC made here, but not one made in China... The fact that Evinrude is now farming out part of their production is a warning shot across the bow...

I bought three new suits from a national known men's suit retailer 3 weeks ago... Stopped on Wednesday to have some previously agreed upon alterations done (buttons), the store is empty and a 'for sale sign' out front...

We were in North Fort Meyer in March (chartered an American Tug)... Driving the main business street there, one third of the store fronts are vacant... Next to the marina is a high rise with ~80 balcony apartments... Talking with the locals there, I was told the high rise was a year and a half old and almost empty... That night, I counted 9 apartments with lights on out of ~80...

As I commented on another thread here, a town of 50,000 just 13 miles from blue water with a river running through it, that is world class Walleye fishing, and we have exactly one boat dealer left...

I gotta tell ya guys it is looking grim...

denny-o

What town????

[denny-o]

Saginaw, Michigan