Seafari 20 Power

[Bushwacker]

Either of those bays can build up a short steep chop, so I would think ride (and lighter motor) would be a top priority. The boat will be better balanced with the lighter V-6, and you're right, they are much cheaper to rebuild than a 4-stroke. The exhaust valves are the weak link on the 4-strokes, so I wouldn't buy one without doing a leak down test.

Since none of those compression numbers are real low, I'd bet there is a good chance you just have some stuck rings, esp on the stbd bank. Those motors were prone to carbon build up anyway, so I'd definitely try doing a decarb on it, as that's all it may need. It's also very easy to pull the heads to check for scored cylinders. If it needs a rebuild however, I'd start pricing some newer used 2-strokes before diving into it!