I'm Probably Making a Mistake

[Jakey_Recline]

So I was bullshitting with a friend about boats, and he mentions hes got a 16 foot Sidewinder that is complete sans seats and an outboard.
I know nothing about these and three days of interenting hasn't really turned up a ton of info. I can get my hands on a Suzuki 115 for it, do I need it? Do I need bigger? How big can I go? Call me dumbass or hold my hand whilst I attempt to kill myself on the Tennessee River.

 

[clodhopper]

A hole in the water into which you throw money. As if a hole on 4 offroad tires isn't bad enough.

 

[Arickvan]

do eeet! boats bring da wimmins


115hp is okay, 200hp or more would probly raise your heart rate

 

[Jackie Treehorn]

I don’t know what a sidewinder is but a 115 should be more than enough power for a 16 footer.

 

[Jakey_Recline]

A hole in the water into which you throw money. As if a hole on 4 offroad tires isn't bad enough.

It's pretty much decided that I hate money, I just bought a 4Runner project Saturday.

 

[pdangerp]

A 115 Suzuki probably costs more than the entire hull. Outboards are stupid expensive.

 

[Jakey_Recline]

A 115 Suzuki probably costs more than the entire hull. Outboards are stupid expensive.

It does, but I already "own" it so it not really out of budget.

 

[larboc]

A hole in the water into which you throw money. As if a hole on 4 offroad tires isn't bad enough.

You can take your anti-boating cliche's and shove them right up your butt.

OP-Cheap boats are always a good decision.

 

[samy crawler]

Transom will have a max hp rating. Get that size motor.

 

[woods]

A hole in the water into which you throw money. As if a hole on 4 offroad tires isn't bad enough.

Ya know, people say this all the time. I've got a small Whaler and my folks have four other boats. We use them constantly.

 

[DirtRoads]

Do it, boat cliches are spawn from people with shitty boats who don't know how to take care of them. That engine will be great.


Where abouts on the TN river? We are usually on pickwick lake. I impulse bought a Cobalt 22T this year with a 454. It's the shiz and a huge step up from the 86 malibu skier it replaced.

 

[Arps]

I don’t know what a sidewinder is but a 115 should be more than enough power for a 16 footer.

for sure, and Suzuki makes a damn good outboard.

 

[TRINDU]

Transom will have a max hp rating. Get that size motor.

Dont listen to this guy.

Always get a bigger engine. Jeremy Clarkson strapped a 225 to a nissan tailgate and went across the english channel. Youll be fine

 

[Arps]

exactly, like nobody ever questions a bigger motor in a car...

 

[AK_F250]

One of these? If so looks like 105hp

http://www.sidewinderboats.com/docs/Sidewinder_1600_SS_OB.pdf

 

[clodhopper]

Ya know, people say this all the time. I've got a small Whaler and my folks have four other boats. We use them constantly.

Just being irate for the iraters. It does depend on where you live and how mechanically capable you might be. In my experience, the vast majority of boat owners know nothing of how to maintain, fix or deal with a boat, but wanted to be in the "boater" crowd, and end up spending gobs of money to keep the up. Kinda struck me that someone using an offroading forum to solicit advice on whether or not to buy an incomplete boat may need to give it some more thought.

 

[larboc]

I will say that if it's a fiberglass boat with wood core transom check the transom with a straight edge and a hammer. If the transom is bowed in at all where the engine was hanging/loading it the core is shot. It's easier to tell with an outboard mounted because you can have someone jump on the trim tab while you hold a straight edge against the transom and look for flex. With a good wooden core, they are very rigid and you won't see anything.

There is no such thing as a transom with "a little rot but it's okay", once they start to show any symptoms, the core is saturated and rotted. BTDT.
Transom replacement can suck, but is doable. I've got a whole write-up on the other site from doing it to my cabin cruiser with seacast.

 

[Jakey_Recline]

One of these? If so looks like 105hp

http://www.sidewinderboats.com/docs/Sidewinder_1600_SS_OB.pdf

Mine is the "lo-pro" it doesn't have the windshield.

 

[Jakey_Recline]

Do it, boat cliches are spawn from people with shitty boats who don't know how to take care of them. That engine will be great.


Where abouts on the TN river? We are usually on pickwick lake. I impulse bought a Cobalt 22T this year with a 454. It's the shiz and a huge step up from the 86 malibu skier it replaced.

We're looking at getting a place on Catfish lane or on the Northside of 64 at Savannah. I had an in on a Cobalt 23 with twin 4.3s
but it needed a trailer and too much work to get it good, so I passed.

 

[Weasel]

if it';s not a river jet boat it's not worth it... looks cool.

 

[Jakey_Recline]

Kinda struck me that someone using an offroading forum to solicit advice on whether or not to buy an incomplete boat may need to give it some more thought.

Well here much like the last place is full of people who have other experiences in life besides "XTREME ROCKCRAWLERZ" so I generally ask questions here if its
something I don't know a lot about i.e. fiberglass boats from the 70s.

 

[landscraper]

Transom will have a max hp rating. Get that size motor.

This if you want to play it safe. But, is the rating based on the weight of the engine hanging off the transom or the thrust it makes? I'd be inclined to get the most hp/lb that would still stay attached to the boat.

 

[Stuck]

A hole in the water into which you throw money. As if a hole on 4 offroad tires isn't bad enough.

Its only a hole for unknowing people. Ive made money on every boat ive owned and sold. Some of them Ive turned enough profit to even covering the operating costs for the years I owned them. Got to know what youre dealing with and what youre buying just like anything on tires.

115s are pretty common on those boats. I grew up around one of those party lakes with the dirty dancing style resorts from the 1950s on it. Used to see a lot of the sidewinder style boats that size with 115 mercs (might of been 90 mercs)on em. We had a few of those type of boats growing up. My favorite was the tahiti with a 455 olds with a berkley jet. Lots of fun.

 

[Jakey_Recline]

115s are pretty common on those boats. I grew up around one of those party lakes with the dirty dancing style resorts from the 1950s on it. Used to see a lot of the sidewinder style boats that size with 115 mercs (might of been 90 mercs)on em. We had a few of those type of boats growing up. My favorite was the tahiti with a 455 olds with a berkley jet. Lots of fun.

My friend I'm getting it from has a Sanger V hull with a 396 and my other boy has a Marlin Aquarius jet with a 455. We like to keep it classy out here.

 

[DirtRoads]

We're looking at getting a place on Catfish lane or on the Northside of 64 at Savannah. I had an in on a Cobalt 23 with twin 4.3s
but it needed a trailer and too much work to get it good, so I passed.

Oh ok. Y'all some hillbillies, I get it

I've got some buddies that go down thataway. It sounds legit. If you want to get out on the Mississippi at Memphis, holler at me. I know some spots and am always down to drink some beer on a sand bar.

 

[subybaja]

I . I've got a whole write-up on the other site from doing it to my cabin cruiser with seacast.

There's a way to correct that, you know. It's a cool thread.

 

[Jakey_Recline]

Oh ok. Y'all some hillbillies, I get it

I've got some buddies that go down thataway. It sounds legit. If you want to get out on the Mississippi at Memphis, holler at me. I know some spots and am always down to drink some beer on a sand bar.

My boy with the Marlin is talking about running it on the Mississippi and Wolf. We fuck around out there with Jet Skis a lot.