Are outdrives really that bad

[alandalus11]

I have owned boats with outdrives and shafts. Out of personal choice shafts win for me all the way. Outdrives are the devils creation ?for those who have been bad and have been doomed to spend their lives in purgatory, inhabited by the souls of other sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven. I am happy to say that I have expiated my sins and have now seen the light ?after many years of suffering.

 

[Rappey]

Nowadays things have changed as outboards come with up to 600hp so it's a lot easier to add more power. It seems the outdrive In the USA is now very rare.

 

[ontheplane]

I have owned boats with outdrives and shafts. Out of personal choice shafts win for me all the way. Outdrives are the devils creation ?for those who have been bad and have been doomed to spend their lives in purgatory, inhabited by the souls of other sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven. I am happy to say that I have expiated my sins and have now seen the light ?after many years of suffering.

Hmmm

I think your problems are a lot deeper than outdrives lol…..

 

[ontheplane]

I have owned boats with outdrives and shafts. Out of personal choice shafts win for me all the way. Outdrives are the devils creation ?for those who have been bad and have been doomed to spend their lives in purgatory, inhabited by the souls of other sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven. I am happy to say that I have expiated my sins and have now seen the light ?after many years of suffering.

can you list 5 or 6 smaller sports boats that have shafts??

as posted to the OP when buying secondhand I’d have whatever was on the boat I wanted to buy, not buy what came with a particular drive….. and unless he wants a steel riverboat which will be shaft, chances are it will have outboard or stern drive - they will pretty much be the choices open to him.

 

[alandalus11]

can you list 5 or 6 smaller sports boats that have shafts??

Antares 8
Blackman 27
Nimbus 27
Broom 29 Sport
Rhea 28
Appeamare 750
Rodman 870
Merryfisher 8

I've given you 8 just for good luck

 

[QBhoy]

I have changed Volvo Penta duoprops with the boat in the water without getting excessively wet .

Haha. Me too…Excessively wet is understood!
on the alpha, it’s easier done to be fair.

 

[QBhoy]

Antares 8
Blackman 27
Nimbus 27
Broom 29 Sport
Rhea 28
Appeamare 750
Rodman 870
Merryfisher 8

I've given you 8 just for good luck

Great list. I’d add in a few of the Arvor models too perhaps. Maybe a skibsplast 700 too.

 

[alandalus11]

Oh Yes. The Skibsplast 700, great use of space. Completely forgot about these. Can't believe they even managed to make a shaft driven 600 D which for a 20 foot boat on shafts is quite an achievement. I think the 600 had a Yanmar 63 hp engine and the 700 D came with Yanmar 100 or 135 hp. I even think Nick Burnham owned a 660 D featured in one of his aquaholic you tube vid's but that was on an outdrive though.

 

[Momac]

Haha. Me too…Excessively wet is understood!
on the alpha, it’s easier done to be fair.

I would have been less wet if the waders had not sprung a leak in one leg.
Not a job to do in the depths of a UK winter.

 

[QBhoy]

I would have been less wet if the waders had not sprung a leak in one leg.
Not a job to do in the depths of a UK winter.

Haha. It was the other end of me that got wet, changing props on an old 290 years ago.

 

[julians]

Antares 8
Blackman 27
Nimbus 27
Broom 29 Sport
Rhea 28
Appeamare 750
Rodman 870
Merryfisher 8

I've given you 8 just for good luck

None of those are sports boats though, they're fishers or cabin cruisers .

 

[ontheplane]

Agree with ^ they are pretty much all fishing boats…..

 

[Flynnbarr]

Just on this place……
Forum member has an outdrive Levi boat.
Forum member has an outdrive Betram boat.

Almost boating royalty in my book but some on here would dismiss them out of hand…..

 

[Momac]

 

[Scarron]

Just on this place……
Forum member has an outdrive Levi boat.
Forum member has an outdrive Betram boat.

Almost boating royalty in my book but some on here would dismiss them out of hand…..

I thank you kind sir, each to their own eh. ;-)

 

[ari]

People who bang on about outdrives being no good with no substance tend to be the same people who says things like 'the best two days of boat ownership are the day you buy and the day you sell'. Just soundbites that they think make them sound knowledgable.

All drive systems have pros and cons, you need to look at what works best for your circumstances. I've had many outdrive boats and, just like everything else, you simply need to look after them properly.

 

[ari]

It’s the “ looking after “ you say that’s crucial .There in lies the variable experiences reported on here .

We had a VP DPG 300 KAD boat professionally maintained by a VP franchise .At a long range .
The drives came off every 2 yrs , totally striped , measured bits for tolerance and inspected .Reassembled, fresh seals / gaskets , pressure tested over night , refitted to the boat with new ancillaries inc the bellows of course .
Fresh oil / anodes every year .They needed ar least 3 days to carry out this .

I'm intrigued by this, what on earth for?

When you get your car serviced, do you get them to spend three days stripping down the engine and measure bits for tolerance and inspected?

 

[oldgit]

Antares 8
Blackman 27
Nimbus 27
Broom 29 Sport
Rhea 28
Appeamare 750
Rodman 870
Merryfisher 8

I've given you 8 just for good luck

Rodman 760.
Not sure its sports boat but it does whizz along.
Down side, the engine is in the wheel box is and boy dont you know it, very noisy compared to something with o******s or a outboard.
However, its really a day boat and only likely to be underway for short periods mebbe not problem.

 

[DavidJ]

Rodman 760.
Not sure its sports boat but it does whizz along.
Down side, the engine is in the wheel box is and boy dont you know it, very noisy compared to something with o******s or a outboard.
However, its really a day boat and only likely to be underway for short periods mebbe not problem.

Noise was never on my criteria list when boat buying over the last 40 years but if I was buying again it would be up there with space, performance and looks.
Modern outboards seem quite quiet these days but I don’t know how they compare noise wise.

 

[alandalus11]

To be fair the OP did say the boat would be used on fresh water rivers and canals so speed is going to be dictated by the regulations imposed on the canals and rivers and I don't think he will be whizzing along.

Agree with ^ they are pretty much all fishing boats…..

I also wouldn't class a Nimbus, Antares, Broom, Apreamare or Rhea's as fishing boats but each to their own.