This, with lots of luck, may be the year we go buy engines for our 50' homemade houseboat. We'd planned on putting on a pair of Merc 60hp BigFoots, and now a local custom boat manufacturer is encouraging us to consider going with e-Tec, maybe 75s. (This is a catamaran displacement hull. Theoretically, it ain't goin' faster than 9 knots, no matter how hard we push it, so lots of hp isn't a major consideration. Ability to swing a good-sized prop is. Efficiency is also a consideration, as is ease of maintenance- or lack of the necessity of maintenance, and some sensible way of connecting those motors to two steering stations, one topside and one inside, 42 feet forward.) Both brands have dealers within 40 miles of here who make all sorts of glib promises. Whether they'll be willing to come work on the thing in the water after the ink's dry is another question, as yet unanswered. There's no dealer for either in town as far as I know, but several repair shops, who are, I suspect, not excited about changing oil while up to their keisters in the Bay.
So- Lots of y'all have outboards on your houseboats. What's been your experience, bad, good, and spectacular? If you had to repower your boat this year, what would you buy? Why?
Thanks for the thoughts!!

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Amelia
Edenton, NC

I have a pair of 50 Hp Mercury Bigfoot outboards on my houseboat.

They are the biggest pieces of junk I have ever had to deal with.

The carburetors are just plain garbage. If the newer models are fuel injected then I would go for it but I would not buy another carbureted Big Foot from Mercury.

Here is the deal: My houseboat has the two outboards and a generator. One outboard runs off one tank, the second outboard and generator run off a second tank. When I bought the houseboat (used) the outboards had 16 hours on them and the generator had 102 hours.

The engines would not idle well and would would die when trying to accelerate. I didn't think that this would be an insurrmountable problem plus the outboards were still under factory warranty.

Was I wrong.

I had the houseboat hauled out of the water and the motors taken off so they could be brought to an authorized Mercury dealer and repair shop. When they tore the carburetors off (note: four carburetors PER ENGINE) they told me that the carburetors were corroded inside. Mercury claimed that this was due to water damage and they refused to cover it under warranty.

I had to buy 8 new carburetors, which took 6 weeks to get. One of them arrived broken. No more parts were avaiable, anywhere. With a little invention and robbing parts off of old carbs I managed to get the broken one useable.

With brand new carburetors the engines ran a little better but they are still the most unreliable motors I have ever had to use. They may idle, they may not. They may rev up when you need them, they may just die. Now, after only one year of service, one of the carburetors is failing again - this time with a stuck float.

As for the water issue: Two engines, two separate tanks, only 16 hours. I find it hard to believe that 8 carburetors suffered water damage from two seperate tanks after only 16 hours of operation. The generator, which draws from the same tank, has never had a problem and runs great.

When I first got the boat I installed water separating fuel filters on both engines. I have never, ever trapped any water in the filters. I do not believe that water in the fuel was ever an issue.

I am so dissappointed in Mercury for the way I was treated, their lack of support, the lack of essential repair parts on a 2 year old motor and most of all the poor design of the engine.

So, if you are thinking of Big Foots, make sure they are fuel injected.

Rod

I don't know if this helps, but diddo on Merc's. Also, when I was talking to a Canadian guide, asking why he chose yamaha 4 stroke engines for his business, the simple answer was, service, reliability, and performance. In other words he has to have equipment that works all of the time or he is losing money, and that way out in the middle of nowhere. How they work on houseboats, I don't know. I know the Honda 4 stroke I have is bulletproof, so far, and the yamamama's are supposed to be just as good. At one time I would have scoffed, now I believe.

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Riverliver

Yammi's are not bulletproof!

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Mike

1989 Sumerset 14x64
Twin Volvo AQ131C SP
Watts Bar Lake
Spring City, TN

Fully realize money is an object, so even if it meant spending a little more initially, believe I'd go Honda.

Understand, I own no outboards and don't intend to! But from all I've seen and read, and owners I've talked to Honda is head and shoulders above the rest. No track record yet to speak of, but since Bombardier bought Johnson/Evinrude they might be worth a serious look. Bombardier (SeaDoo) Ain't Gonna Peddle Junk. A good friend sells Honda and new Johnson, he's overwhelmed with both's commitment to customer satisfaction.

Bob

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I carry a gun because it's too tiring carrying a cop.

we just bought a new 4 stroke yamaha, oil changes are do able on the houseboat,

and I think the lower unit work or level check can be done with some help, I have a large cattel feed pan that can be slipped under the unit at full tilt then drain it

Yamaha is offering a 6 year warrenty right now, like you i shiver at the thought of the smilin salesman to send his service man over to the dock for warrenty work it wont be timely

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"Come OOON Back............