Under Powered??
 

I'm considering buying a 22' Devanti that has a 4 cyl. 3.0L engine. Will use the boat for cruising around the Lake Superior Apostle Islands, not tubing or skiing.
I like the idea of a 4 cyl to save on gas, but worried it is under powered.
Any thoughts on this or experience w/a 4 cyl.
Thanks in advance for your comments.

Re: Under Powered??
 

I would be really concerned..
That's a pretty good sized boat for a smaller engine.....
Just my 2 cents....

Re: Under Powered??
 

I spent a little time behind the helm of a 21' Bayliner with a 3.0 and 21" 3-blade prop a couple years ago. I was surprised how well it got on plane and even pulled a 200+lb wakeboarder out of the water and stayed on plane at decent boarding (low) speeds. The owner of that boat lives near Long Beach and is a fisherman.
That said, a Mariah is no Bayliner. I hope you get some good feedback here.

Re: Under Powered??
 

I think you will be a little disappointed in the performance sooner or later & wished you had one with at least a 4.3L (& maybe a 5.0L) in it. You are asking a lot of a little 3.0 to push a 3400lb+ boat thru the water particularly when full of fuel, accessories and say 5-6 passengers.

And Dredd's right. It aint a Bayliner. :)

Re: Under Powered??
 

Some years back I had a 21 ft Mark Twain bowrider with a 3.7LX 4 cyl (180 HP). The boat weighed in at 3300 lbs and it got up and went without much trouble. It topped out at around 33 MPH but I always wished I had a 4.3L or better yet a V8. The 3L is probably only 130+ HP, I think the missing 50HP is going to be noticable and you will be disappointed in performance.

Re: Under Powered??
 

Thanks guys for you input.
At my age I'm not into performance, my brother-in-law will want to test me w/his 20' SeaRay 6 cyl.
One comment that caught my eyes was a full tank of gas and 4-6 passengers - maybe not enough power.
Any more options?

Re: Under Powered??
 

What do you mean "it ain't a Bayliner"?

Re: Under Powered??
 

The owner of the boat did tell me top speed was 33-35 mph.
Is there anything I should look for when inspecting a used boat before buying?
What should I look for in the engine and lower unit?

Re: Under Powered??
 

Yep, kind of like powering a Hummer with a 4cyl engine. Yes it will get you from point A to point B but i suspect you wont like the trip. The 6 cyl wont use much more gas as it wont work as hard as the 4 banger will to push all that weight around. That "33 - 35mph" was likely per his speedometer which usually are notorious for being on the high side of actual speed.

Re: Under Powered??
 

Pic... :rolling_laugh: