Sterndrive or Outboard?

[Chumley]

Buying a new Alumaweld boat 22 ft Intruder. What do the experts say about the pros and cons of a 270 hp 5.0 l Mercruiser MPI sterndrive vs a 225 Merc Verado OB or would a Honda 225 be better? Which would have the best performance?
I know I have opened up a BIG bucket, but I am... :whazzup: :whazzup: :whazzup:

[Fish mojo]

Stern drive weighs more and takes up floor space for the engine. 225 OB's are lighter and much more expensive.
Stern drive has the addd benefit of being able to have a full width swim platform. If you go the stern drive route, make sure it has a heat exchanger instead of just raw water cooling.

[craigcw]

If it's only for fishing then I would say get the OB, but we also do some pleasure boating and wakeboarding and the stern drive is better for that.

[Chumley]

Yeah, I'm getting it for the kids and their kids and they will be doing the wakeboarding and riding around stuff as well as us fishing, hopefully a lot of that, so I am trying to make a boat fit everything and I know that you can't do that, but I want to get as close as I can.

[SnowDog]

I've got a 22' 2006 Intruder and I went with a 2006 Yamaha F225 and I love it. Mine is set-up to run a pump or prop (with the bay kit extension).

Before buying I gave this a bunch of thought and for my usage, the pump / prop set-up allows me an incredible range of fishing options. Durring the late fall and winter with the pump I can spend time in the rivers chasing salmon and steel, then switch to the prop for spring and summer on the columbia, puget sound, and open ocean.

PM me if you want to talk about how I set-up the boat.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/DSC_3169-sm.jpg

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/DSC_3170-sm.jpg

[backlash442]

Just read some info about the weights of the I/O and O/B's. My 4.3L is twice as heavy as an equivalent hp O/B. Not even sure that counts the outdrive either. However, if you are going to do the tubing, boarding etc. then I'd go with an I/O. With a boat that big the loss of space isn't going to be much of an issue imo. Plus it makes for a good seat and step down onto the swimstep when entering and exiting the water. Little swimstep hanging off the transom of an O/B doesn't cut it imo.

[Starfish]

Do you like to fish in the winter? I like outboards because cold weather prepping them takes about ten seconds: pull the boat out of the water, lower the motor long enough to let the water drain out, raise it up and trailer it home. At home, lower the motor back down enough to prevent rain or snow building up in the prop.

I've had friends tell of cracking a block on an I/O while trailering home before draining the engine in cold weather.

My opinion is that if you're running a prop, an outboard is the best way to go on any boat that is used at least partially for fishing. If you're running a pump, then either the combo prop/pump outboard setup, or an inboard pump, depending on your preference.

As stated many places, every choice is a compromise and whatever works best for you is the "right answer"! Don't let anyone else tell you what you like.

[bigredapes]

Just ordered a 22' intruder with 5.0L MPI engine (now I just need to find a way to make the next 3 months go by fast). Decided on Sterndrive because the woman was excited about towing people around behind it, and the ability to add a heater for her (and window defrost for those cold mornings) was nice. Dealer assured me that I'll have no cracked block problems with the FWC setup. Sterndrive setups were also rated for higher HP, which will make watersports a little easier. Not worried about shallow water, so Jet just didn't make sense.

Priced it out with offshore bracket and largest rated outboard and price was much higher (and adding a offshore bracket to 22' was getting a little too long for my current taste in boats and storage area).

[Starfish]

Sounds like a great setup. Like I said, the setup that is right for you... is the setup that is right for YOU!
Enjoy it, and don't be afraid to get some nasty fish blood all over that nice boat.

[SnowDog]

Big - Congrats on the new boat purcase!!! I remember the LONG 90 day wait for mine. I took delivery of Intruder last October, so I'm also waiting out this awefull winter.

Cheers!
SnowDog

[Chumley]

Bigredapes,
I read your post and I almost thought I had written it. Our situations parallel each other very closely and so.....

Thank you all for your time and comments. I really appreciate it. After review of them and discussion with family we've decided the I/O will work best for our needs and now we wait..............and.............wait............ ...

Waiting helps you appreciate it more when you get it plus you have the fun? of anticipation, sort of like planning a trip is morn fun sometimes than the trip itself.....yeah, right. Thanks again Guys.

[Chumley]

SnowDog,
Thanks for the pix. Looks like a really nice setup. If it was just my son and me, that is what I would have, but and its a big one, no pun intended, I am getting the boat kind of as an early inheritance for my kids and their kids to enjoy and my wife and I along with them and the four grand kids are 4,3,2 and 1 month, the kids are in their early 30s and we're in our early 60's, so I am trying to rig a boat that will fill all of our needs for more than a couple of years. Its probably a pipedream, but I'll give it a try anyway. They have plans to go camping and wakeboarding with it this summer already. Anyway, I just got my first real price quote on the boat I picked out and I am in sticker shock. Boat 22 ft intruder I/O 5.0 l MPI 270 hp w/ 9.9 Merc kicker and tandem axle Rogue trailer (all new) along with Minn Kota Power Drive elec troller, Lowrancance 337c and 125x, wakeboard tower and a few other things and its at 47K! This is all new. Yikes. I was figuring maybe 42K.
So, my question for you if you are still with me is, since you have gone through the process recently, how are boats sold? Are they like cars and RVs, negotiable or are you, as I was given, a list of prices and just add up what you want and that's what you pay. I am working through a friend of a friend and I may have lost my bargaining chip since the dealer tells me I'm family and they will take care of me and it seems like they are. Seems to me, I'm getting the shaft, but since I have never bought a boat before, I don't know how they do it. I don't think that is the way it's done, but how is it? I appreciate your time. Thank you very much.:whazzup: :whazzup: