starter dive boat advice: metzler juca/15 hp motor

[SwimJim]

Inflateables are a P.I.T.A. when they are in solid shape. I dove Point Sur/ Monterey off one in '81 or '82. I was there for six weeks diving with a Navy guy. Had a blast in general, but getting back into the inflateable contraption was a no good situation to put it nicely. Yes, OMC was bought out by Bombadier and parts may be an issue. Evinrude/Johnson have always been pretty bullet proof motors. As mentioned before, SEAFOAM used according to the instructions and a new set of plugs will get the motor humming again. Mercury engines? Has anybody used one and not had problems with them? Theres a saying among these parts. You want to go fast, get a Mercury. You want to get home, get an Evinrude/Johnson. That still holds true today. Every single Mercury owner I know is complaining about his engine. The Evinrude will be fine. Good luck with it, but for a few dollars more, you could probably buy alot more boat. Just my opinion. Look into it.

Jim

 

[Nemrod]

Well, not going to turn it into a Bombarider Evinrude vs Mercury thread. OMC is long gone and dead and Mercury is still here and the Mercury OptiMax is the JD Powers winner and I wager a bet that the reason you know so many people with troublesome Mercury engines is that 90% of the people you know with an outboard own a Mercury, the remainder are Yamahas and Hondas, I rarely see an Evinrude these days--but--they make a fine product present and past. I have owned numerous outboards and they have gotten better and better. The engines of today have little to do with those of twenty years ago--whoever makes them. My current Mercuy is the most fuel efficient and best performing and most reliable outboard I have ever owned including both OMC and Bombarider Evinrude and Johnson and Honda products.

My Novurania inflatable has served very well as did the Achilles before and getting in and out of them is super simple. Dupont Hypalon fabric is the premium prodcut for inflatables. My boat has seen several engines, an Evinrude 25 an a Merc 50. Both performed well. I still have the boat and even though it is 22 years old it is in superb condition. In fact, I sold the engine regrettably and now am saving for another for it.

When it comes to engines, some people just don't hold their mouth right or something, I have always had good luck with everything I have owned, no particular complaints.

When this thread first popped up I was figuring they were trying to sell the boat and motor for more money than it turns out. Make them an offer for 700 and like I said, what the heck, a few hundred dollars will not break your future and it could be a good learning experiment and may even work out decent. The launching wheels are neat and it seems well equipped. Post some picutres when you get it. Heck, if your rubber boat pops and sinks you are a scuba diver, you can salvage it--lol. N

 

[barnacleben]

i have motor pics, but not the boat. i'd like to post pictures here but (newb) don't know how. help?

 

[DiverLaura]

If it's one of the older Metzlers, the orange ones (well, may be babypuke carrot/green peas color if it's oxiadized, such as the elephant) they always look like they need regluing. In my experience (owning one, and a friend owning another) it's just the seam tape lifting. The Metzlers in my experience are actually a quite well made little inflateable. And since they are flat bottom (does yours have the wooden inserts?) they can get up and scoot with a small engine.

 

[barnacleben]

If it's one of the older Metzlers, the orange ones (well, may be babypuke carrot/green peas color if it's oxiadized, such as the elephant) they always look like they need regluing. In my experience (owning one, and a friend owning another) it's just the seam tape lifting. The Metzlers in my experience are actually a quite well made little inflateable. And since they are flat bottom (does yours have the wooden inserts?) they can get up and scoot with a small engine.

thank you laura, that's good relevant advice... yes what you say is what i see, the seam tape is lifting to be sure... that's the scariest part (cause it's happening all over!) guess it's not the end of the world, and even if it is, as one diver stated... worst case scenario and the thing sinks... i've got my dive gear on, right? oh, this one doesn't have the wooden floor, but it does "scoot" according to its owner (with a 15 hp motor and two divers and their gear.) i feel better now that i know this is a common occurance with these inflatables...

peace,
ben