You're gonna need a bigger boat

Some of you might know that line from the famous movie Jaws and some of you might remember my post a while back displaying my 12' jon boat. Well, if you didn't see it, here it is again.

The engine's propellor managed to sheer off a blade on a rock and I can't find a new one. It's an old, discontinued 2-stroke build by Tanaka, a Japanese company. On top of that, I suspect the magneto or an ignition wire may be cracked due to the relentness starting issues I face after every humid early morning here in Florida. If you don't know what I mean, dew gets everywhere and can be related to a 5 minute long downpour. Well, electrics don't like water and thus, the engine never produces a spark after being left outside overnight. The engine is old, most of the stainless steel bolts have corroded to the engine block and can't be backed off so getting to the magneto coil is impossible without some serious work.

So, I've been thinking I need to upgrade my boat anyway to accommodate more people. And with a boat 4' longer than my current one, the engine has to be replaced with a more powerful one.

So this is where I ask you fellow mariners about your engine of choice. The boat I plan on getting is an Alumacraft V16. The one I want is the one pictured farthest to the left with the person reaching in for his bag. These boats seem like nice, dependable work boats and the overall cost would be cheap to afford too - say anywhere from $2000.00 to $3000.00. I've sent an e-mail to my local dealer regarding the pricing and additional information on the V16 but they have yet to get back to me. Of course, one of these Lund boats wouldn't be a bad buy either, both being in the same class.

Well, now for the powercenter, what to buy? What can I afford and what can't I afford not to buy? I want reliable, cheap and finally powerful, all in order of preference. Since I am environmentally aware, used 2-strokes are not an option. However, I love the added torque a twin cylinder design gives when dealing with 4-strokes and I managed to find what I think would fit all 3 catagories. The Honda BF6 is a prime candidate for what I want. A small, twin cylinder, 6hp engine with only the necessity bells and whistles. Plus, it's a Honda and the only names I personally trust on the water are Honda, Mercury and Yanmar diesel - with OMC/Johnson/Evinrude coming in 4th.

I choose the Honda BF6 mainly due to the fact that it's the smallest twin cylinder they make. I really don't like 4-stroke, single cylinder outboards since they have a level of lag on the throttle from the obsolete torque they produce. Also, a 6hp is fuel efficient, portable and will produce enough thrust to motor along a 16' modified V boat.

Any better suggestions? I'm on a budget of about $5000.00 here.

Thanks for reading, if you did.