bought a 21' have a couple of questions

[cichlid]

I just purchased a 21' with a 150 e-tec. The dealer will be storing the boat for me for the winter. Does anybody own one with a 150 e-tec? If so how does it perform? I'm wondering if I should spend another $1400 to upgrade to the 175, or if I have to the 200. I'm not concerned much about performance, I just don't want to strain the engine and shorten its life.

Also, I will be installing trim tabs. Are there any special instructions concerning drilling and mounting them to the ropelene? Do I have to do anything special to keep the screws from backing out? Thanks for any help.

[Bob5292]

I just sold a 215 with a Suzuki 140 and it was great a great boat. The fuel efficiency was amazing however when the boat was loaded with 7 or more people, it was a bit of a dog. If you plan on fishing offshore, carrying lots of people, or doing water sports, I would go with the 175. For $1400 it is well worth it and should come back to you when you sell it. The 150, 175, and 200 E-tec's are all 427lbs so your not losing anything there. I would much rather run the 175-200 at 75% throttle than the 150 wide open. Your going to get better economy running those larger engines as well. Running a marginally powered boat can be frustrating and even dangerous if you need to stay on the back of a wave crossing the bar or are trying to outrun a storm. For some reason when I bought my boat they wanted $3500 to go from the 140 to the 175. Even at that price I regret not going for more power.

Bob

[NCangler]

I think Bob is exactly right. I would rather have the extra power than wish I had it.

[BuckShot]

I also agree, the 140 is great on gas but when the boat is loaded you really want a little more power.

[Mike in Maine]

cichild, good choice,
I've got a 2007 215cc with a 150etec on it. It's got plenty of power for me. It gets out of the hole real quick, even with a heavy load. It will run in the mid to high 30's depending on weight and seas. It would go alot faster without the T-top. It is soooo quiet and no smoke. I can't believe how good it is on fuel, sometimes I wonder if it is running on salt water. I'd spend the $1400 on other goodies.
Trim tabs are a must. I'll never own another boat without them. I've got the Lenco electric ones. I only wish I got the trim tab indicator switch, but I think it is easy enough to change.
I hope this helps and best of luck with your new boat.

M I M

[cichlid]

Thanks, its nice to hear from someone else with this setup. I didn't think there would be much improvement by going with the 175. I'm going to stay with the 150. What prop are you running Mike, and what RPM's are you cruising at? Thanks again

[Mike in Maine]

I think it's a 14.8 x 15 aluminum. Started with a 14.8 x 17 but dealer gave me a 15 due to lower RPM's (below 5000). Now running at about 5200 - 5400 RPM's. Average load about 34 kts. You could get a little more out of a stainless steel, I'm considering putting one on next season.

M I M

[cichlid]

Thanks Mike