Yamaha 250 OX66 Saltwater Series

The good - It is very reliable so far. Starts in an instant every time. Maintenance is simple.<p>The bad - Uses a lot of gas. This motor is sucking the gas like Mama Cass on a strawberry milkshake. Big Bend marine is working on the problem. They say I should get close to 2mpg. I wish.
Makes a lot of noise. I had a 4 stroke on another boat before this one and I sure miss the quietness and fuel economy. (update 5/30/05) This motor still uses a lot of gas, I get about 1.3 smpg, but I have gotten used to the noise and have grown to appreciate the reliability of this motor. Almost 600 hours on it now and has not let me down.

Performance aluminum w/tandem axles and 4 wheel disc brakes. The trailer is fine now but I have been using it about 13 months and have replaced all the lights and the brake pads and the tires. When I first got it it had loose brake lines which leaked all the fluid out. The tires only lasted 6 months and I replaced them with Goodyear Marathon radials. These tires are wearing real well. Oh yeah I also had to replace the rubber keel rollers at the front of the trailer. They were rusted up real bad after about 8 months. I replaced them with the polyurethane type and they are holding up real well.<p>(update 6/30/05) -Time to replace the brakes and springs. Will go with stainless rotors this time.

I trailer it 60-80 miles each way all the time and it is not too bad. Some of the narrower roads like the one into Steinhatchee can get scary sometimes when another big boat is coming at you but no problems so far. The trailer tracks real good. I pull it with a Chevy 1500 w/ 5.3 motor and 4wd. The truck does ok but a 3/4 ton with a little more power would be better. I pulled it once with a friend's Duramax diesel and that truck didn't even know the boat was back there.<p>(update 6/30/05)- I now tow with a Ford F250 diesel. This truck is built for this kind of load.

2

The boat does not ride well in a steep head sea. You just have to slow down or it will beat you up at the helm. The ride in a beam or following sea is pretty good. The wide beam is great for fishing but not so great for running. I fish a lot more than I run. Overall I have a lot of confidence in the boat to get us home safely and we stay dry and warm no matter what the weather is doing.<p>(update 6/30/05)- I replaced the 12x12 Lenco's that came on the boat with 12x30 Bennetts. This has made a world of difference in the ride. I can now keep the bow down in a head sea and stay on plane at a lower speed.

Bottom fishing or trolling. I fish 6 people on day trips quite often. Overnight trips are best with 4 or less people on board.

There is adequate storage for the way I use the boat. It has two compartments under the vee-berths. A big anchor locker that easily holds 600' of 7/16" rope. There is a cabinet/seat in the pilothouse that has a lot of room in it. There are no fish boxes built into the floor. Lots of room to customize the way you want it.

I have run this boat for 13 months so far and I have 300 hours on it. There is not one crack or creak in the whole boat. I have been as far as 85 miles out and have pounded it pretty hard on a few occasions. The boat is very well built.<p>(update 6/30/05)- I have almost 600 hours on the boat now and there are no stress cracks or any other problems with the boat structure. The Easy Anchor Puller has been problem free also and it gets a pretty good workout most every trip and I fish about 50 days a year. I am very happy with the way this boat has held up. We have pretty much worn the non-skid off the cockpit floor so I will be re-doing that soon.

The ruggedness and the simplicity of the boat are what I like most about it. Easy to clean and maintain. Very seaworthy. Lots of fishing room. All weather comfort.<p>(Update 6/30/05)-I have been caught in bad weather several times in this boat in the past couple of years and it is very stable and buoyant. I have been in honest 6'-8' seas a couple of times and we felt very safe. Just have to slow her down to hull speed and keep on pluggin along.

The ride in a head sea is probably the worst thing about it. You just have to be willing to slow down to the boats pace. The forward position of the pilothouse makes the ride harder for the pilot. <p>(6/30/05)- Changing the trim tabs to 12x30 Bennetts has really helped the ride. I am much happier with this boat now.

No

Absolutely. This is a great fishing boat.<p>(Update 6/30/05)- Still yes. The more time I get with the boat, the more I appreciate the design. This boat will get you out there and back safely and comfortably.

50,000 with everything on it.

None. I looked at a lot of boats before I bought this one. The ones that I liked more than this one were way too expensive for me.

This is a no frills boat. Don't expect things from it that it was not designed to do.