Re: OMC Boats for Newbies [omc-boats] New Member

Lee,

I really want to stay with an outboard. Before I discovered that OMC made
BOATS, I was looking at various tri-hull open-bow boats....always with the
caveat that they had an OMC outboard. OMC's build quality was second to
none.....I regularly mow my lawn with 3 Lawn-Boys that are in excess of 25
years old.

My wife and I know next to nothing about boats, and this will be our first
experience, but I can say that I want an open-bow boat with an outboard
motor that we can use for cruising and water-skiing.

I am a bit if a shade-tree mechanic, and have rebuilt engines before, so I
could definitely handle working on the Outboard motor.....the question will
be whether I can find an OMC boat with a solid-enough hull, etc.

The ones I'm looking at right now are the Evinrude Outboard models from 64
and 65 (sport '16 and sweet '16 even though it's closed-bow)....and If I see
a Johnson one, I'd consider it.

Thanks for the help!

Joe

>From: <lib1@...>
>Reply-To: omc-boats@...
>To: <omc-boats@...>
>Subject: Re: OMC Boats for Newbies [omc-boats] New Member
>Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 09:30:18 -0600
>
>Welcome aboard, Joe! I think you can learn a lot by hanging out here. Let
>me
>take a humble stab at de-mystifying the legend of OMC-Evinrude-Johnson
>boats. Especially if you're new to this or didn't live thru the sixties
>boating era.
>
>1) These boats all share one thing in common: Excellent build quality. They
>were all solidly built in the same Waukegan, IL factory, using expensive
>methods and materials. If you look at the relative weights of boats in
>comparison to boats of similar length, you'll be surprised to find that
>they
>weigh some 10 - 20 percent more. Other than styling and color options (and
>personal brand loyalties aside), Johnson and Evinrude boats are from the
>same mold (I mean parent company, OMC).
>
>2) Basically there were only four, possibly five hull designs. By length
>the
>are: 14.9', 16.2', 17, and 19. There were two versions of the 16.2 hull.
>The
>later versions (68 &up) were redesigned with a 4-inch deeper deadrise in
>the
>hull, which resulted in deeper freeboard or higher sides and transom. The
>17's came out first and were only offered by Johnson and OMC. Evinrude
>followed with the 16, then the 14.9, then the 19's. I have no production
>data, but the 17's seem fairly rare, as do the 14.9's. The 16's and 19's
>seem to be more popular. If you find a boat but aren't sure of it's exact
>model, use my handy-dandy guide to look up it's model/year number at:
>http://hhscott.com/evinrude/all_omc_boats.htm
>
>How do you go about selecting the best hull size to fit your needs? That's
>a
>tough one, but it's going to determined largely by your towing vehicle and
>storage requirements and possibly the type of water you want to run. The
>early 16's and 14.9's are able to be 20-foot-garage-stored, without
>resorting to special folding trailer tongues. Later 16's also depending on
>height restrictions.
>
>3) Next you need to think about power options, Outboard vs.
>Inboard-Outboard. If you lean toward Outboards, your choices will be pretty
>much the early (64-66) 16.2 Evinrudes, possibly some hard to find (65)
>14.9
>Erudes, with a few very rare (63-65) 17' Johnsons. Outboards have the
>advantage of being easier to change out, with many more options available.
>The I-O route is pretty much a given with the post-66-67 models and larger
>boats. OMC offered the 2-stroke, V4, the 4-cyl. 120, the V6-150/155, and a
>V8 (either a 300 CID-Buick or 307 CID Chevy). The downside to the OMC I/O
>is
>they need TLC, and parts can be hard to come by and the guys that know how
>to rebuild them right are all getting on in years. Properly respected and
>maintained the OMC electric stringer can provide years of service. But it's
>also driven a lot of previous boaters out of the sport. It's probably, no
>--
>it is --- the weakest (most expensive to properly repair) link in these
>boats.
>
>4) Lastly you should consider learning about the various Johnson vs.
>Evinrude boats trim, color and top deck designs. Do you want a closed or
>open bow? Do you prefer the racy lines of the Playboy, Caprice or Reveler
>vs
>the practical aspects of a Sportsman or Seasport? IF you don't are about
>ugly (IMHO) check out an Explorer or FrontRunner, if you can find one.
>
>5) Lastly -- ask yourself if you really are ready for this adventure.
>Restoring a 40-year, boat or anything for that matter, can be rewarding or
>frustrating depending on your mindset. There are a lot of technical things
>to look out for when trying to find the perfect boat, but I would always
>choose, condition over all else. Soft goods, like tops, covers and
>interiors, while expensive -- are fairly easily restored, replaced, or
>repaired. Fiberglass integrity of these boats, particularly when compared
>against their peers of the time, is usually not a problem, but can be
>difficult to detect (check for soft floors or transoms). Mechanical systems
>are usually suffering from years of storage or worse neglect, but they can
>usually be brought back to life with the right tools and experience. I
>would
>however not recommend you try to rebuild a OMC electric stringer as a DIY
>project. Find someone who knows these lower units inside-out and all the
>minor mods and improvements that were made to them over the years. I've
>also
>got some OMC electric stringer & prop info posted at:
>http://hhscott.com/evinrude/omc_stringer.htm
>
>Don't forget the trailer, as well. Most of these boats came with a
>factory-designed, matching heavy-duty trailer, but these also need
>attention
>to tires, bearings, brakes, rollers, winches, lights, etc.
>
>Hope this has helped. It can be a lot of fun and it's rewarding when
>other's
>see and ask about your unique piece of history out on the lake or river.
>Again,
>
> welcome aboard, Joe!!
>
>Lee Shuster
>Salty Lake City
>http://hhscott.com/evinrude
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Joe McGill" <jmcgill89@...>
>To: <omc-boats@...>
>Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 6:19 PM
>Subject: [omc-boats] New Member
>
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > My name is Joe McGill, and I don't own an OMC boat, but am seriously
> > considering buying one in the very near future. I joined this list to
>learn
> > as much as I can about these neat little boats before I make a purchase.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any help!
> >
> > Joe
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Is your PC infected? Get a FREE online computer virus scan from McAfee®
> > Security. http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963
> >
> >
>

_________________________________________________________________
FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar – get it now!
http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/
Received on Thursday, 22 July 2004