Sure sure you said that last time, LOL

I do know one thing, we have friends with OLD OB's and they are not what I would call reliable.

The new Merc V-8's like the 300R, yea those are freaking nice. I can not do a CC I don't like that you can not get out of the wind, at least in the one's I can buy. We do like our little dual console OB for putting around but still need a performance boat for when we want to get somewhere.

Haha, you are correct. If the Sunsation proves to be reliable after all this work, then sure, I'll keep running it for a while to make up my mind. I moved the Cig along after all that work and cubic dollars spent, because it still wasn't reliable enough for me to enjoy using it. Maybe with mostly stock EFI power this time it'll be different.

And no, old OBs aren't all that reliable, but you can work on them standing up instead of contorting an arthritic body into a deep-V bilge. That's the main appeal to me at this point - I'm hurting everywhere.

Yep - I check in each evening pretty much every day since I joined. It's just part of my routine.

Hope to have several more decades in an Big Block go-fast, but I guess we will see. Life happens though so we will see.

I feel like if I need "easy" it's pretty easy to get a CC, but at this point I have no passion for one. Really want a CAT, but that might be a couple years off!!

I just dropped a bundle on a Pursuit 295DC, and trust me, I have no passion for it LOL. However, it's a really nice frickin boat that I think is going to serve me well. It has twin Yamaha 300s but it's heavy and sort of wide so it really doesn't smoke anything. When we went for the sea trial they brought it up to WOT for the test and the driver looked at me with a smile and said "pretty nice huh?" I just stared at him with a blank look, he's like what's wrong? I say is this it? He looks at me, I say is this thing going to get on top of the water or is this what I get...you know the answer to that. That's something I'll have to live with but it's a damn nice piece of machinery and it's going to be fun. But I'll miss the thrill.

Funny. I jumped on the mti forum after being along on the New Years run down to Hawks Cay to see if there were any pics. And nothing for years. Believe me people are buying and enjoying them they just aren’t posting on here. People post on Facebook, a snap gram or instant chat. I rarely even look on here sadly, just isn’t the way it used to be.

When we lived in Fla, and we’re in the Keys all the time, I was always blown away at the amount of inventory at one of the big CC dealers down there.
Never remember it’s name….

We’d often get caught at a light right in front of it and I’d count boats.

Has been several yrs but (only assume there’s more now) they always had multi quad powered boats, triples, and at least a dozen twins!

As to some of them being big/heavy….., I see it as purely physics.
The mfgs are building what they think market wants which is, space/storage everywhere, creature comforts everywhere, a mega stereo, generator, high zoot interior, giant hard top, high zoot floor coverings etc,……
Do the weight of all of that!
A builder down there told me their hard top was a 1000 lbs!

And being an OB guy, I can tell you the 4 strokes aren’t all the same.
The 300 Yammis are great motors but heavy.

So are the Yammis.

I see the 50’ boats w/four Merc 450R’s and just start doing the math……., weight, fuel use etc.

Fla is CC central!

Used to see them all.

I always liked the fast ones.
But, they were all narrow, light and missing 50% of the upgrades and space that sell the new ones.

I can see the transition from a fast offshore boat to a large CC be a normal one though.

Started seeing it on Lake Erie yrs ago.

Think of it like an offshore boat but, can take the grand kids, stroller, dog, bikes, water toys etc.

And then when it only does 45 mph……, you’re the only guy in the boat that cares!
I think almost all my friends/family think same.

If built right it should be, my HP500EFI's have been crazy good but are getting to the end of life. Like we were talking at the Christmas party, not a OB conversion candid. I really would love to do a set of these with some E-tops so I could do a plug change, lighter, more power, much newer design, closed cooled.
Look at the dyno numbers. Pretty sure they would last me till I am done but $$$$$.

https://www.kemequipment.com/marine-...#product-title

But then again the cost of converting 2 450R's on the back would also be crazy money and I still do not like the idea of moving weight back and high on a boat that was designed for I/O's.

Pursuits are super nice!

Very true. My current boat does a blistering 48 MPH, but I'm sure my crew does not care. I think some of my previous boats scared passengers that were not used to being in a fast boat.

I got tired of the tiny cockpits. 1/2 the boat was cabin that I never used. 1/4 engine compartment and 1/4 cockpit.

All that said, I will likely be buying something small and fast to scratch my itch.

but you could bump up both the 500efis and to 600ish very easily and for the cost of one of a new engine.

Old story, pay to play. Speed costs money, how fast do you want to spend it? Your boat runs so well with its current power that it's hard to imagine needing 100hp more per side for any "sensible" reason.