I would not do a topend in the boat. That's a pain in the ass. 1-2 hours and the motor is sitting on the garage floor. So much easier to install heads, manifold, dist, etc.... Plus you can take the opportunity to look at the bottom end of needed.

Time for a poll? lol

My vote is for pulling the motor BUT it could be an age contingent thing. The last time I pulled the exhaust diverters to replace the O-rings it = about 20 motor R&R's in my 30's!

You can't really go by me, I take crate engines apart and go through them to make sure they are good!
I have everything needed to pull a motor, as Seafordguy said, in a couple of hours, but it wasn't always that way! I have pulled many a head and swapped many a cam IN the boat. It's messy, and requires 20 trips in and out of the boat to get crap you need-but forgot! LOL!
If you don't have, or have access to, a motor hoist or gantry, drive alignment tool or friends with beer to hand you tools, here's my thought:

In real life, as a Single engine boat with 180 hours (if true???) I say there was a better than average chance the bottom end is ok (good oil pressure, no noises, no leaks, no milkshakes?). Seems you have room to work(remove the back deck cushion, take out those white dividers, they just unscrew -my small boat is the same) and pull the heads IN the boat. You can set stuff off to the side still connected, etc. If all is ok, heads to the shop, check your valvetrain and cam lobes, and put it back together. If you're real rambunctious, you might even warm up the cam, but I digress. IF you see something in the holes, you can still pull the motor then. (at some point, you had to pull the heads anyway) No harm, no foul. It's a gamble, but if it's all in the heads, could save some time and aggravation.

That is spot on what I've been thinking also.

I do not have the tools to remove the engine myself. I did speak to my mechanic, and he says it will be no problem removing it for me. Just need a couple days adavnce notice and he says about an hour or less and it will be out.

Still waiting for the engine builder to get back to me though. I need to speak to him and see what he has to say about the problem, and what his schedule looks like.

I am contemplating removing the top end for inspection. As you said, no prob removing the engine anyway. However.... The cam in this engine (Crane Cams HR 284-2S-10 .576/.598 222 230 110 LSA) has always had me concerned about low RPM and reversion. It would be a good time to upgrade/replace the cam to something with 112* lobe separation.

It would be nice to bump up the HP a little, but I don't want to destroy my Bravo 1 in doing so.

Thanks again for the replies guys

Dont worry about a cam change hurting the drive...........look for one with a 114 split like the 525 cam

Thank you. Will discuss that option with the builder.

I know I'm starting to approach the threshold of HP the Bravo I is able to handle reliably.

you can add rpm and wind it up higher as that does not hurt the drive its the torque down low thats hard on them

Merc 500hp is the crane 721 which has 222/230 at .050" with 110lsa
Crane 731 is 226/234 at .050" 112lsa
Merc 500 EFI is Crane 230/236 at .050 " with 114LSA
Crane 741 is 236/244 at .050" with 112lsa
Merc 525EFI is Crane 236/244 at .050" with 114LSA

Work on the engine in the boat !?. Hard pass! So much easier to work on it sitting in a shop as mentioned.
Can`t be that hard to pull the thing out .. I pul mine to change the oil