[abl1111]

Amen, Scott - I hope so. I have had many boats and all had o/b's. This is my first step into the " love 'em or hate 'em " world of i/o's.

It's a little unnerving; lower units/electrolysis, engine/overheating, manifolds, risers etc.

It's nuts how many opinions there are out there on which is the best drive or which motor is best. For a laymen like me it's very confusing.

I do rely on pro's like Joe though. I don't want any emotional opinions - just straight-up facts like; " we have put this motor in many boats like yours and they perform great and are durable " !

That is what I hear mostly about the Mercruiser Horizon 5.7 300 HP. As for the best drives, that seems to be an elusive point.

I guess that's the price I will pay for essentially building my own boat... The work is hard enough, but all the variables of how to do a specific part of the project or what drive to use can certainly 'drive' you nuts !