On an Outrage you will need more than an anemic Honda 90, not sure that would even plane an Outrage 20. Ours is a 19 foot Outrage actually sold as a package deal some years back as a Nantucket. It is currently sold with engines to 200 horses and I would consider on my boat anything under 135 underpowered, the absolute minimum horsepower was originally 115 horses but nowadays it is 135 for the same hull. Boston Whalers are not lightweights, the foam and double hull to the gunwale crown, the heavy build in areas makes for a heavy boat, one that also feels concrete solid, no shimmy, no shake, no squeak or give. The weight helps with a boat in rough water as it makes the boat feel and act stable and bigger than it really is, however, the downside is that it needs good power. Even the "classic" Outrage 18 footer would want at least 135 horsepower. The "classic" Montauk 17 foot would perform well with a 90 horsepower.
Do not forget that many of today's engines are heavier, in the case of four strokes, considerably heavier than engines outfitted in the 70s and 80s and often make older boats stern heavy. Modern hulls are designed to support the additional weight but even there, some of us still prefer two strokes and such engines as the Opti Max and Evinrude are very fuel efficient and lighter than equivalent four stroke engines.
There is a BW web forum, continuous wave. I do not get along well there, imagine that, lol, they are a bit blue blood and yankee coat sweater and pipe types, wink, wink, for me--but --some there are helpful.
Why are Boston Whalers hated, because, boats bring out much more heated "better, gooder, bester" type arguments than scuba ever could. BW really popularized the center console design. The "unsinkable" claim (fact) also riles the owners of the chief nemesis of BW, Grady White, whose boats will not float nearly as well, see photo above. Thus the "unsinkable" argument carries on as does the "unsinkable legend" which has become a boating icon, now for 52 years. There are lot's of larger boats I would love to own more than a BW but when it comes to small open skiffs the BW is the standard, even the smaller Grady White owners look away fuming and frothing. Wink, wink.
I hit some sort of submerged object floating in the Gulf, my wife saw it after I passed it and said, good thing we did not hit that. Well, in fact we did. I never felt anything, but green paint and a gouge down the bottom was proof we did. No worries, fixed better than new, cannot even see it, I imagine had I hit it in a lighter boat it would have holed or at least I might have felt it.
N
