INBOARD or OUTBOARD Preference

r.s craven said:
What did you buy ?
Click to expand...

I got a 185 Malibu Hardtop Scott. I wanted a boat not too big/not too small with a place with forward area for kids/small porta potti. I looked and looked for an outboard style but many were pretty expensive... I found this one I am going to try it for the season if I don't like it will pod it... But already liking the boat with the cuddy in front and moving from my little 16.5 DE is a big upgrade for me...
 
SV I have the same boat. Ran it for the first couple years with the inboard and found it too cramped with the doghouse. It was ok for 2 people fishing but 3 was tough. Pulled the I/o last spring and went with a pod and outboard. Very happy with the conversion!
 
I like the inboard for the familiarity (coming from a auto mechanic)
Cheep parts and plumb up a buss heater for a cosy canvas enclosure
 
Ya. Ya get a free heater with an inboard.
 
Shermanater said:
SV I have the same boat. Ran it for the first couple years with the inboard and found it too cramped with the doghouse. It was ok for 2 people fishing but 3 was tough. Pulled the I/o last spring and went with a pod and outboard. Very happy with the conversion!
Click to expand...

Yeah already notice that too with doghouse...But the deck space matches what I had previously.... Lots of storage and room.... But yes in future I may look at the pod.. I am going to be putting the heater in for sure...
 
Hi SpringVelocity,
Can you elaborate on the outboard conversion to your 185, maybe some pictures. I have an 18' K&C hardtop I would like to convert but I hear a lot of talk the 18' is too short to properly pod. How is the ride and performance?
 
I haven't done it...I want to try the inboard out for summer... I may love it or hate it, but I like the hull design, so to me that is what is most important at the moment.....

It was Shermanater who said he had the pod...
 
I have a 185 too... Went from outboards all my life to an I/O for the first time. There are a few compromises... dog house, winterizing, noise, but on the whole I'm pretty happy with the boat. I find the fishing room only gets tight when you are landing a fish. I am pretty strict about keeping stuff off the floor and if there are more than two guys, they stay up front. My wife actually likes the dog house for using as a table. The cuddy cabin is fantastic for the kids. My daughters love to play and nap up there and the porta-potty is good for both kids and wives. If you take a look at the 182 (outboard version) you still loose a lot of deck space to the engine well and it makes the transom a bit awkward. I think a 185 with a pod would be pretty sweet, but then its not really an 18 footer anymore more like a 19 or 20!

I'm just in the process of swapping out the soft top for a hard top to see which I like better...
 
Just one more thing... If your boat doesn't have Bennett trim tabs, get some one there! I put some on last season and they make a huge difference. Keeps the bow down in the chop and you can level her out so she cuts the chop way better.
 
I bought a boat with an I/O last year and to be honest id prefer an outboard. After doing tons of maintenance on it I have learned a lot which is nice but I'd rather not have to tinker all the time. One thing that's nice about getting an I/O is that they are usually a bit cheaper to buy. I couldn't have afforded the boat I got if it had a 4 stroke on it.
 
Balding Mechanic, I think there are a lot folks who would gladly buy a new car or truck without some or most of the new technology (if only they could but as you know you can't) and especially for half the price and especially if you were driving your car or truck as infrequently as your boat.

New outboards are way more expensive to buy/replace, and you can't rely on their warranties any more than you can rely on a few nice stories of longevity, and most people can't work on them, but if money were not an issue, I would buy one.

Is extra weight in a boat always a bad thing?
 
I've got an inboard, an outboard would be sweet. We'll run the inboard until it shows any major issues and then its getting yanked and podded.
 
Have had an inboard Jetboat for 12 years .Live in Abbotsford and fish Fraser and Harrison systems lots.
Also run over the Bamfield a few times a year with the boat. Got all the necessary saltwater trolling gear and electronics. Not the ultimate saltwater boat, but it does ok . Fish out as far as 7 mile regularly.Plus the heater in the cabin is nice.
At the end of the day, you gotta use what you got... Personal preferences are what they are ...
If I wanted, I could buy a complete turn key Kodiak crate engine to drop into my boat today for $6500. The 4.3 will last a few more years hopefully. Would it be nice to have a separate boat for saltwater use,of course!., will it happen? When hell freezes over maybe...
 
My Malibu 185 had a Volvo I/o as well and I got tired of always having to tinker and fix things on it. Corrosion from moisture was a problem as the boat doesn't have a plug to drain the bilge and it was impossible to get all the water out. The dog house was not too bad at first because it was an upgrade from my 16ft hourston I had before. As time went on it got really annoying trying to fight fish with the dog house in the way in an 18ft boat with a hard top. I ended up pulling the motor, glassing over the transom hole and Larry at DSS welding in Duncan did an awesome job of building me a pod. Finding a good used motor in the 140-150hp range was tough and the ones that were out there had a lot of hours or were almost as expensive as new. I ended up going with a new 150 Yamaha 4 stroke. There are a lot of things to consider when podding and you really have to like your hull because it is very expensive to convert. I will try to write a more detailed version (in a new thread) when I have more time and add some pictures for anyone who is thinking about doing this.
 
I wonder how many of the people on here with strong opinions against I/O have actually owned one? I've owned 4 of them and have nothing bad to say about them.
That being said, if I was buying a boat meant strictly for fishing I'd probably lean towards an outboard on a pod.
 
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