THE POWER DECISION
To repower or not to repower – that is the question most boaties will face
at least once in their on-water lifetime. Chris Pucknell has just gone
through the process and passes on some valuable tips.
W
ith the hours racking up on my
original Evinrude E-Tec, I was faced
with a decision regarding my ongoing
power choice. The options included
repowering my boat, trading the boat in
on a new one or curtailing my offshore
activities. With nearly 1500 hours on the
clock, the 150hp E-Tec had provided good
service, although as the hours racked up,there were a few expected wear and tear
related repairs required. These included
a tilt relay replacement, two replaced
injectors and a starter motor, each being
encountered post 1000 hours.
All in all though, the motor never
stranded me and performed admirably
for the six years I owned it. Looking at
my options, trading up to a new boatwasn’t going to happen. The cost was
prohibitive, and more importantly, I like
my boat and have engineered its set
up over time to fit my needs. Curtailing
my offshore pursuits was again not an
option, as trying to restrict my cross-
gulf or blue water trips would just not
happen. It would be like denying a ‘tradie’
the customary morning Farmers UnionuoS
th^ A
ustralian (^) An
(^62) rleg http://www.saangler.com.au