Used boat recommendation

[Far Beyond Driven]

It's better to not push a big motor and have the power in reserve than to be pushing a smaller motor hard all the time.

I've got a 215 Four Winns, 1987 (square transom with lot of room in the back and no molded in swim platform crap like the 90's and later hulls) and we test drove this hull with 4.3L, 300, and the 350. I ended up with a 350, as we had her full of people on the test drive and it just popped right up on plane and took off.

The Four Winns is a great family boat, but you won't find one with an outboard. If you want to extend your season, don't go IO. As for having a dog box to work around, well, I have one finger that doesn't work very well, but after a while you just know it's there and work around it and it's not an issue any longer.

I grew up in a tin boat and went straight to fiberglass. However, than tin boat is on motor #4 and still gets out after 41 years of chasing salmon.....