+1 for 4-strokes. I would say lean more towards a helm style boat as the cc consumes a large portion of your fishing space on the smaller boats. Only boat I will talk not so kindly of is the 16' Hewes sportsman - worst ride I have ever had (did catch a lot of fish this summer though!).

Maybe this should be asked in a different thread? But, what is wrong with a merc 4-stroke? They have been building longer than the other two you mentioned combined. I'm sure they are as efficient as the others. I have not heard any bad reports on them. To be honest I have never really heard any reports on them. When I bought my boat< i looked into a Verado, I couldnt come anywhere near the price of the yamaha 150. I could have bought a 150 optimax for 1500 less but wanted to stay away from 2-strokes. I am totally happy with what I have, I think I would have been as happy with a merc though. As far as kickers go, I couldnt imagine anything other than a t-8.

uh... Merc was having yami build their 4-strokes for the first couple of years. I don't belive merc had their own until the verrado line. Probably why they didnt start having problems until the verrado line.

Merc, Yami, its all about what you like. I just did all the searching for a new main motor. I needed a jet drive, so a 4 stroke wasnt really a choice. I live in California, and the Yamaha 2 strokes dont meet the EPA standards, and you cant buy one in California. I went with a Mercury Optimax. They just came out with a 5 year warranty, still cant believe a 5 year warranty on an outboard. I have been happy with my choice. Good luck, and dont be in a hurry.

I had a merc 115 4 stroke and it was tight, no issues. i was referring to many of the used boats u were showing with the merc "black death" two strokes...u might as well get another 8 g's outta your wallet and repower if u go that direction...cheers

Lots of good advice in all of the posts but there is another approach to getting a good Puget Sound / lake fishing boat at a lot less cost. First you have to think of the purchase as three separate items, boat, motor, and trailer. For the kind of fishing you describe and your concerns the motor is the most important item because that is what you rely on to get you home fast when the weather turns bad. I think the trailer is also quite important if you travel any distance to launch because trailer problems can ruin a lot of trips. The boat is the least important item but does determine what size motor and trailer is needed. There are usually a good selection of old fiberglass boats for sale of all sizes and configurations, many times the motors are shot and the trailers are marginal so they are quite cheap. Often people want to get rid of them and will almost pay you to take them away. If it has a motor junk it and buy a new one. If the trailer works use it until you can afford a new one, it is easy to sell old trailers. Below is something I copied from a post I made on a similar thread from a few years ago.

"Back in 1980 when I was looking for a boat for Puget Sound I received some good advice from Puget Sound old timers. Any sturdy boat is OK, get a good trailer, and then spend more than you can afford get the best motor you can. Most motors will get you out fishing but if the weather changes you need a good motor to get you back fast or you can die. I don't recall all of the details but about 15 years ago at Port Angeles a surprise storm hit when several people were halibut fishing. I think 4 people and three boats didn't make it back. I talked to one person who was 2 miles west of Ediz Hook when he saw the storm coming from the west. He stopped fishing and headed for the harbor. By the time he rounded the hook the wind was 50 knots and he almost didn't make it to the ramp. I haven't encountered winds that strong but I have made more than my share of tense runs back to the ramp.

Finally, a tip, try to buy a used boat without a motor. Most of the time the motors are not in great shape and will require work. Boats without motors are in someone's way and they want to get rid of them fast. If you have the time identify the boat you want and then look for one with a junk motor and any kind of trailer. It should be cheap. New trailers are not so expensive, the cost of keeping a beater trailer fit for the road over ten years will probably be more than a new one. The boat I have today is the boat I bought in 1980, a 16-foot Pacific Mariner that was probably built in 1958. I am the third owner and yes the numbers are WN1A, supposedly the first boat registered when the Coast Guard begin registering boats in Washington. If you look aroud the ramps you will notice that people with the old fiberglass boats never use bumpers. The old hand layups are so strong that the only reason to use a bumper would be to protect the dock."

I am on the thrid trailer, thrid kicker, and third motor. The motor is a 60 hp 4 stroke Mercury that has been quite reliable. The kicker is a Yamaha 8 horse 4 stroke, a great motor, a 3 gallon tank of gas lasts for a week rather than days.

That's some real good advice WN1A.

I've owned these different boats over the past 5 years. 17 reinell , 20 trophy, 19 rienell, 17 hewes, 15 arima, 18 hewes, 19 arima (still have it). My 2 cents, while a little different, they all do basically the same thing in the end. Get you out fishing.

Boat priority on a budget for me goes like this.

First thing, new 4 stroke outboard motor. Trolls all day, sips fuel, no kicker (blech), starts instant, quiet, no smoke, warranty, etc. 8-10grand 90-135hp zuk or yam.

Second comes the boat. Biggest you can tow safely. Late 70's or newer, solid hull, closed bow with cuddy, stored under roof pref inside. If original vinyl interior looks good it prob didn't see to much weather. 1-3grand.

Trailer not as important as long as its road worthy. You can always find a good galvanized trailer in the off season for 500 to 1000 bucks.

If done right should provide years of hassle free boating.

5 simple steps to hapiness...

1. Post a message on piscatorial pursuits seeking advice from a bunch of knowledable folks
2. Read responses and use the information contained in them to purchase a new boat.
3. Spend ten hours getting the boat you bought set-up just the way you want it.
4. Take said boat to one of your favorite fishing spots.
5. Catch fish

Thanks for all the advice guys!

Right on Aaron!

Size?

Too many personal variables.

Performance?

The two areas your most interested in are static stability and dynamic stability. They are completely interrelated thru the geometry of the hull and it doesn't have to be a trade off. There are some really stable boats at rest that run out really well under varying loads. Some of these are on craigslist cheap. Most can be refurnished without blowing the bank. By comparing hulls with great characteristics to those that you are looking at, you can gauge how much you will enjoy running that particular boat.

Your ride and comfort level is effected most by your helm position relative to the center of gravity of the boat and basically dead-rise angle on a planing hull. The rate at wich the deadrise changes along the length of the hull is called dead rise progression and is no accident. Having a helm position shoved all the way fwd or having a low dead rise is asking for poor performance in the sound.

Final note: Most guys havent run enough boats to know if there boat is running out well. If a guy has owned 5 or 6 different boats in the length your interested in or is paid to run boats (testers) than you can probably use his opinion. Everyones comfort level is different so take em all with a grain a salt and try and actually run the boat you want.

Dave

Nice boat and a successful break-in trip. Congratulations.

Aaron,... you aint messin' around!

Nice Looking Boat! I like that hardtop setup alot...

Nice! looks like the Chaser cought a couple.

That is exactly the setup I was going to recommend as I read though this thread. We had a 19 Arima hardtop for a couple of years, if I had to do it again I would look for one just like the one you have.

That is a sweet setup! Nicely done!

Nice boat Aaron, did you get the Etec on that? Wanted to wait a few years to see what the feedback has been but I have heard nothing but good things regarding that engine...have fun out there...cheers

Guys - Thanks for the validation. Was wondering what everyone would think.

Summer - Yeah, it came with a 90HP E-Tec. I did a bit of research on it before I closed the deal and found all positive. The fish checker at Shilshole commented on it. Something to the effect, "That's a nice motor. It's what we use on our work boats. Really reliable with good fuel economy and power." So far (two days on the water), it's been great.

Aaron

Aaron -

I also did a lot of research and concluded that the e-tec motors were the way to go. There are a lot of people who are passionate about their 4 strokes, but I think you will see a lot more people moving back to 2 strokes given the new technology, clean emmissions, lighter weight, lower maintenance, quiet operation, and greatly improved fuel economy these motors provide compared to the old 2 stroke motors.