188 OB vs IO

longlake

Hey Hurricane owners, I'm brand new to the forum. Getting close to making a purchase of a new 188, but I keep going back and forth between a 220 IO vs. 150 hp Yammy 4 stroke.  I know both are great motors. I'd just be interested in hearing from owners of either of these packages what you like or dislike about your choice, what's your experience with pulling up a slalom skiier with either package, and any other insights you might have.  Thanks!

nquirk

@longlake.  Welcome to the forum and congratulations on considering a new 188.

I'm a current 188 owner and love my boat.

The question you're asking is tough as you'll get many opinions but it really is a matter of preference.

I have a 200HP Mercury OB on the back of mine so I'll share with you why I picked what I picked.

I've read many forums and threads on this topic.  One advantage many folks who choose an OB over an IO is running in shallow waters.  When fully trimmed up, you get a more shallow draft.  I believe this is valid but we're talking 1-2" max in difference.  However, to some, it matters.

I choose an OB for several reasons:

- Maintenance.  Simply put, the engine hanging of the back is easier to perform maintenance on versus crawling into the engine compartment for an IO.

- Repowering.  Again, if you wish to change your engine or have major repairs, the labor involved in changing an OB vs an IO is different. (less)

- Drivability.  I have driven many IOs and many OBs and I find the OB more stabile in steering.  What I mean by that is that the slightest change in direction on the IOs, I find it moves back/forth more quickly when going really slow (such as docking)  I found docking in an IO felt more like steering a snake than a boat.  Again, you should be able to water test either of these for your preference.

So if you don't do your own maintenance, and you find them equal to drivability, than it really comes down to a HP vs HP comparison.

The 220 will give you more HP.  What that means is a loaded boat and a slalom skier on the back won't be any problem.

The 150HP will be fine as well but a may take more effort/skill to get the slalom skier up (particularly if the start on 1 ski and the boat is loaded with passengers)

More importantly, propping it correctly for watersports has a better impact.  You want the skier up quickly so the prop (4 or 5 blade) will give you better hole shot. You'll trade of top end speed, but once the skier is up, the 150 vs 220 is irrelevant.

Hope this provides you some guidance and doesn't confuse the situation further.

tone100

I've got a 188 with a Yamaha 150 on it. I've never pulled a slalom skier but it doesn't take any effort to pull anything else. Even with the boat loaded. I wanted an OB because IO's were always a pain to winterize. I know they've made it easier now but I've done it enough to IO's and didn't want to mess with it. I live in TX and it doesn't get that cold here but its nice to be able to lower the motor and just let the water drain.

I'm not certain but I think OB's are more expensive than IO's for the same model.

MichelBee

I don't have much to add to nquirk's comment. He is spot on.

I'm running a Evinrude E-Tec 150 on a 187 and I don't regret the purchase. I have only used it a couple of times for knee boarding so I can't speak to water skies.

The one thing that I envy from the IO models is the possibility of adding a full width swim platform at the back. If you are going to use it to water-ski then the platform provides a nice staging area for the skier. For fishing (In my case), it provides another fishing platform. The bimini does get in the way of fishing from the rear of the boat.

Good Luck

bshippjr

I will comment on IO vs OB.  We went from a 1999 FD GS248 IO with a 5.7 Merc to a 2000 SD 217 with 150 Johnson (both used) for the windshield, but principally for the OB and not having to winterize.  Our boat stays on a lift at the lake and there are some times during the winter that it is warm enough to drop the boat and take it out.  With the IO we would have to re-winterize which is a pain and would discourage us from using the boat.  With the OB I just need to make sure the motor is straight to drain the water.  I also agree with the points made by nquirk, particularly the ease of maintenance.

Also another point is that an unexpected benefit for us was that even though the 217 is 3 ft shorter than the 248, without the IO taking up space, we lost very little deck/seating space with the move.  So you might want to compare seating/deck space between the two 188s.  You mayhave more room in the OB.

cjjjdeck

I have owned both outboard and I/O powered boats and I can honestly say I don’t have an overly strong opinion of one over the other as far as performance goes.  I can tell you what I like about my current I/O configuration and I’ll share some thoughts.

 

1) The full length swim platform, absolutely great for fishing, watersports and ingress/egress to the boat

2) Having better access to “things” mounted below deck (like bilge pump, sonar transducer, fresh water and gas tanks, batteries etc.)

3) Access to engine components while on the water without “dropping things” into the water (I know, that NEVER happens to anyone but me!)

4) Option to have a dual prop drive (great for hole shot, lower plane speed, trolling/docking, high speed handling and performance)

5) Usually quieter engine noise level as long as you don’t have the exhaust thru-the-hull (although I’ve heard some very quiet outboards too).

6) Engine and drive are supported by hull stringers, not the transom, which distributes the weight and torque forces differently than an outboard hanging on the transom.

 

Outboards also have some advantage when it comes to how far the motor and drive can come out of the water.  This is a really good benefit when boating in shallower areas; you can actually “see” where the drive location is.  The full swim platform can somewhat “hide” the drive position on an I/O (unless you boat in clear waters).  Also, the outboard can completely come out of the water where as the I/O remains submerged.

The outboard is absolutely easier to service, especially when it's out of the water.

SpeedyMike

I have a Hurricane 188 Sport Deck with a 190 HP 4.3  Mercruiser. The down-side, winterizing, but I have the dealer do my maintenance. One advantage of winterizing by the dealer is that they maintain all systems when it goes in the shop.  The upsides; the big sundeck on the back. speed, I can hit almost 50 on a flat day. No one ever mentions ethanol, I only will by a boat with a carb. Ethanol is a real headache. It is much cheaper to fix a carb than injection, the minute you poke you head under the hood for ethanol problems with injectors the bill will be big. parts is a big area of concern with outboards, I/O pars are plentiful and cheap. repowering is the biggest issue, I can buy an after market 190HP for around $3000 and a new rear unit for $1500, try that with an outboard. finally, fuel consumption, my 190hp is great on the pocket book. There is one big draw back to I/O and that is saltwater. I only run in fresh water, if I ran in salt or brackish water it would be an outboard built for salt. 

longlake

Hey gang,

Great comments and input.  I really appreciate you all taking the time to give me your insights.  It's very helpful to me.  I just sold a fishing boat with a 150 E-Tec. Super motor.  I've had a runabout with a 4.3 liter IO. Going with a deck boat believing/hoping it will give me a little something for everyone.  Wife and kids miss the comfort of the runabout.   My adult age son and I both slalom ski so I've been concerned about hole shot of the 4 stroke Yammy, but maybe as one of you suggested could be addressed with a 4 or 5 blade prop.  Great forum!  Thanks.

longlake

Thanks cjjjdeck for you io insights.  Very helpful.