I have owned my 150CC since 5/9 and overall it is a fine little skiff for inshore fishing, the Yamaha 40 four stroke is not a bad engine although I am somewhat disappointed at its performance with this garbage California gasoline. (See my ethanol post)
That was an easy fix for $147.00, I just think Yamaha should have alerted the dealers to insist on the installation of a Raycor ten mike filter with the new boat since they knew there was a problem. And of course I lost two weeks of out already short salmon season.
The ride is good although one needs to watch the speed as it is easy to get a little airborn if the swells are right and you can smack down, not an unusual issue with lighter boats and it's a lot better than a tin boat.
I'm impressed with the fuel economy, if I keep an easy paw on the go fast lever and keep the speed down aroud 17-19 knots I get an impressive 9 per gallon. On one trip I kept the speed to 15-16 as a test and got ten per gallon.
Top speed is right at 30 kts @ 5900rpm.
(Just fyi, I added a planing fin on the motor and can plane out as low as 14 knts)
It fishes well, I have killed a bunch of salmon here this year, and the cleanup is easy even with all the blood the salmon toss around the boat. They can bloody a boat as bad as an albacore; all it takes is a hand brush, a hose, a little soap and about 15 minutes to clean.
The console starts to get crowded when you add the electronics, but with some forethought and care, you can add your gear and not shoot yourself in the foot with blocked vision.
The dry storage is in short supply, stuff up under the console gets damp and the seat box (Icebox) fills up pretty quick with need to have gear, and that does not stay dry either.
The battery storage also could be a lot better, the off the shelf battery box just does not fit correctly.
One would think that while molding a plastic boat the design engineers could think about little (But important) details like battery storage.
The grab rail on the top of the console is shiny stainless steel, looks great sitting in the lot but it sucks rocks at sea when you grab it on a bumpy day going around to the bow and you have wet hands. It gives a completely new meaning to “Loosing your grip”.
That was another relatively easy fix, I took black woven nylon cord (aka Tuna cord) and did as traditional “Navy” style wrap on it.
I ended up doing the steering wheel too as not only is it slippery it’s also cold and it makes an arthritic pair of hands ache after a while. Sure looks nice on the lot though.
Some miscellaneous items…
The deck screws still work out of the deck in spite of the Rule sealant and the deck is noisey.
The motor well always has a bit of water in it, as the drains are too high.
The console creates a lot of condensation in cool damp weather, and if the boat is on a slight angle, you get puddles in the bottom… Spray those wires people! (also drill a small drain hole)
The dirt trapping bubbles on the surface of the rails and other inside areas on the boat are to me a real source of irritation and a PIA to keep clean.
The only way to clean the surface of these areas is with a pressure washer; otherwise, the boat looks dirty all the time.
There is a serious need for some debris screens over the deck drains as they drain into the bilges and the bilge pump can clog up with the stuff that gets through.
This post isn't intended to bash the boats, I'm happy with mine and am glad I have it. Moreso just some owner observations that folks can use... and it also points out that there is no such animal as the perfect boat.
And if you are wondering, I'd get the same rig again (Although I might go with a different engine )