Re-power or sell and buy newer used?

[Know Shenanigans]

Hi GW Owners,

My Adventure is a '94 with a 175hp Yamaha. After owning the boat the past 14 years and it running really well, it overheated this past weekend and I am beginning to ponder how much life is left in my outboard, and when that time comes, will it be worth re-powering with a new engine ($18k plus), re-power with a used outboard, or, just sell and buy a newer year used Grady. Anyone in a similar situation, curious what you did and interested to hear what folks think. Appreciate any advice you all have.

Thanks!

 

[mmiela]

If it was me I would sell it and buy newer and bigger. I am in the same boat with a 17 year old boat now. 1200 hours on the engine and hoping it lasts a few more years.

 

[steveditt]

You might be surprised how much your Yamaha is worth last year sold 96 175 for 3250 after dealer check compression new seals in lower unit , I repowered with 150 G1 Etec HO rated at 165 HP 4k cruse at 30mph gas is less than 1/2 closer to 1/3 ,jumps on plane never a hint of exhaust smell . Dealer installed new hydraulic steering ,controls ,upgraded gauges came about 12K with after the sale of the old engine which the dealer removed and placed on a palette loaded in new owners vehicle . Weight was my first concern this engine is the same as the old Yamaha . It depends on your boat ,trailer ,what you have done via upgrades . My boat now with what's invested would have gotten me a 10- 12 year old Adventurer I decided for me the best option was new from the key back I've upgraded so many things over the years know the boat inside and out , Good luck with what ever you decide .

 

[Ky Grady]

My Seafarer is 15 years old and the F225 has 1260 hours. It has had the exhaust done, injectors cleaned, fully serviced. So far, so good, but it could take a dump at anytime or continue to run for years. I'll keep what I have and repower down the road. Only reason to sell or trade would be to move up to a Sailfish. I've replaced many parts and pieces to where I'm almost a new 2004, the bones are solid and I know my boat pretty much inside and out, so I have a good platform and it meets my needs.

Good luck on your decision, nothing at all wrong with upgrading.

 

[scott1949]

Well, I have a 1996 Islander which meets all of my needs. Repowered in 2011 with a Yam 300. Rebuilt the transom in 2016 and know every inch of that boat. Made other mods through the years of which I now consider it to be perfect for me and family. So, if your Adventure has a lot of short comings, by all means, get a boat that will fit your needs.

 

[jip40]

My 330 with F225's is 17 years old. I have owned it for 8 years. I have averaged approx. $3,000 per year in maintenance and upgrades (including electronics, full enclosure, etc). The engines have 1400+ hours on them & run great, have not had exhausts done and tech says all is OK (?). If the engines were to go I would not hesitate to repower with Suzuki 300's. I was on this boat when it was 3 years old & today she is as solid and pretty as she was in 2005.

 

[SkunkBoat]

There are a lots of varibles in that decision.
Sticking with a 20 footer? Dream of bigger?
Where do you use it? Big water or small water?
Is a breakdown a calamity of epic proportions or a phone call and a tow to the ramp?
Do you have money you don't mind parting with?
How long will you keep the next one? How long will you keep this one if you drop $18k on a repower?
How good is your 94?
Look at it like you were buying it for $18k. Then look at it like someone gave you a free boat and you just have to keep it running....or fix it up and paint it....replace all the old stuff that's breaking...
Then decide if you want to spend money on that free old boat or buy a nicer one....or a bigger one


Ahhhh...boating......

 

[Ky Grady]

Could the overheat be as simple as a new impeller and housing or was it detrimental to the motor requiring a rebuild?

 

[Green Mountain Grady]

I just went through the same exercise with my 1991 Tournament 225 and I decided to repower with a new Yamaha 250 and did a bunch of work to the boat. It wasn't cheap but I'm very happy with the decision. The first and biggest question to answer is, does this boat work for what I want to do with a boat. The answer will help you make a final decision. The other thing I thought of was I knew this boat good and bad. I looked at other used boats in the 2006-08 vintage. Some nice stuff out there but there is the unknown of a new, used boat that was a decade or more old. Good luck!

 

[enfish]

FWIW, I've got the same hull and motor as you with about 1900 hours on it. 5 years ago, we got an overheat alarm while offshore one day. We shut it down for a while until the alarm cleared, and it came back after running for about 20 minutes. Shut down again, and I hooked up the washdown hose to the engine flush for a few minutes. Disconnected the washdown, fired it up, and the alarm has never come back. Maybe we sucked up a piece of kelp or other debris that eventually cleared out of the system. Who knows. But an overheat alarm is not necessarily a reason to repower.

That being said, as others have stated, a lot will depend on what works best for you. It's hard to get all your money back out of repowering an old hull with a new motor. But if you're happy with the boat you have and plan on keeping if for a while, re-powering is definitely a good option. If you really want to move up in size or different style, then selling as-is and buying something else might be the better option.

For my situation, the Yamaha SWS motors are considered one of the most bullet-proof motors ever made, though they are a bit thirstier than newer motors. I plan to run this motor until it dies and making a decision when that time comes. I have a hard time giving up on a motor that still has great compression and fires up first try, even after sitting for 6 months. The only way I'd repower with a used motor is if I had a catastrophic failure with my current motor and couldn't afford new. I prefer running an old motor I know the history of, rather than taking on an unknown used motor that another owner got rid of for some reason.

That's just my 2 cents...

 

[seasick]

Should you need a new motor ( and I would find out first what the cause for the overheat was, it may be a simple fix) I think that how long you plan on keeping the boat is a big factor. You won't recoup your investment if in a few seasons, you decide to sell.
See what the issue is and if fixable, go that route until the motor is either unreliable or blows up

If you are leaning towards repowering with a new motor, get the transom hull checked out first for moisture and have the tank pressure tested. There could be issues that make a repower not such a good investment.

 

[Michigan Brian]

I would definitely find out what wrong with it before deciding anything.

I have a 1995 Adventure 208 with the original 200 Johnson Ocean Pro on it. I have owned the boat since 2008 and the motor has been flawless. The past few years I have not used it as much as I would like and a few years ago changed out the impeller since it was never done since I owned it. It looked brand new.

Shortly after that I would once in a great while get the overheat buzzer, I figured it had something to do with the impeller install so I took it all back apart and found nothing wrong.

Then fishing this past summer I went on a 10 mile run to the fishing grounds and it came on again. To make a long story short it was just one of my thermostats, I took both out (they had to be original from the looks of them) put them in hot water and one would only open up part way. The other one opened completely. So I replaced them and it runs like new again.