2004 190 NANTUCKET: Engine with only 150-hours

[46er]

I may buy a 2004 190 NANTUCKET powered with a 2004 Mercury 135 OptiMax with 150 hours. I am aware of problems with live wells and through-hulls. The low hour running time is my concern.

On my OUTRAGE 23 I had a 225-HP OptiMax, and had no faults. I believe the 135-HP engine is a detuned 150-HP engine, and the 135-HP and 150-HP engines have a good reputation. I asked the dealer-seller to provide an engine history.

[Based on your] real-world experience, what areas should be looked at?

Consider the very low use the engine has had. Thanks.

[Phil T]

Most of the comments [about the NANTUCKET] I recall reading from early owners "back in the day" revolved around the lack of horsepower. This time period was the transition from 2 stroke to 4 stroke and Mercury was a bit slow to market. Several Nantucket owners have repowered to 150hp or more.

Research show the Nantucket, renamed Outrage 190, is now sold with a 150-HP FOURSTROKE as the standard engine and maximum power is now 200-HP This increase in power is due to improvements in lowering the engine weight of modern motors.

Read: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/001203.html

[jimh]

What historical information can be obtained from a c.2004 Mercury OptiMax engine itself? Other than the run-time, does the engine provide other operating history data?

A model-year 2004 boat could have been purchased in July 2003, so in January 2020 it would be about 16-years 6-months old. To have only run 150-hours suggests very little use, less than 10-hours per year. Or perhaps a lot of time in storage and not used at all.

Any engine left unused for long periods is subject to some decay unless the engine was very well prepared for storage. I don't think there will be any electronic records of that to be obtained from the engine itself. Also, the climate where the engine was left in storage, and the storage facility--indoor or outdoor, heated, air-conditioned, or not--would all have an effect on the boat and engine condition.

Before proceeding with the purchase, on-water testing would be very appropriate.

[46er]

Thanks for the responses. The boat is in very good condition, some cosmetic repair needed, but no cracks, scrapes or chips. Even the rub rails are unmarked. The dealer is the selling dealer and has all service records, has a good reputation in this area, has been a Boston Whaler dealer since 1959. The OptiMax engine was clean, skeg and prop showed no damage, and nothing unusual in the service records. Based on what I saw and heard from the dealer and service tech, I placed a refundable deposit conditioned upon water testing sometime in March, weather permitting. The boat show schedule begins around here this month and that usually gets the juices flowing for buyers. Hopes are high, but we shall see.

[biggiefl]

Where is it located? Salt or fresh water use? In the beginning of DFI I thought the smaller engines were the problem motors, not the 200/225's. That could have been before 2004 though.

[roundle1979]

I bought a freshwater 2004 Nantucket 190 with a Mercury OptiMax 135-HP with 175 hours in July. 2019. I love the boat.

To be honest, I was nervous about buying a boat with a Mercury. However, it's been a good experience so far. [The 135-HP engine] has decent power for the boat; the boat gets up on plane quickly and hits about 40-MPH. That said, engine is a little loud, and the age of the engine does not inspire huge confidence when I'm out in the middle of the sound. In time, I'll replace with a Yamaha or Suzuki 150-HP engine.

Prior to putting my boat in the water, I had a Mercury OptiMax nerd look at the engine. He popped the cowl and said, "This thing is wicked clean." Then he replaced:

--zincs
--gear case oil
--air pump air filter

I have the SmartCraft gauges, and they are pretty smart for a boat from 2004. The real-time water pressure and engine temperature readings are great. I got one alarm at about 195-hours stating that the oil reserve reservoir was at 99%. This was caused by a faulty oil reservoir level sensor, the one under the cowl. [Failure of this sensor is] a common problem, and the fix was easy and only $200.

In addition to the engine, make sure that the boat's through-hull fittings are in good shape. These should have been replaced by now. If they fail and are not addressed, some water can get into the transom, which has a wood core. Also, check if the transom is dry.

[roundle1979]

Research shows the Nantucket, renamed Outrage 190, is now sold with a 150-HP FOURSTROKE as the standard engine and maximum power is now 200-HP This increase in power is due to improvements in lowering the engine weight of modern motors.

Read: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/001203.html

I contacted Boston Whaler about the maximum power for my 2004 Nantucket. Their (very timely) response:

On Tue, Dec 10, 2019 at 7:13 AM BW Tech Support <techsupport@whaler.com> wrote:

I am not allowed to recommend anything rated above what boat was certified for in 2004.  I can tell you that there have not been any hull design changes to the model between 2004 and today.

And the current maximum power has been upgraded to 200.

[roundle1979]

Some of the questions I asked here on Continuous Wave prior to buying my Nantucket are found at:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4639&p=28981&hilit=preparing#p28981

[46er]

I bought a freshwater 2004 Nantucket 190 with a Mercury OptiMax...

Thanks for some good info.

I put around 1,500-hours running time on my Mercury OptiMax 225-HP engine with an Outrage 23. The OptiMax 225 never missed a beat. [I experienced the] normal maintenance. [The OptiMax 225 engine] was supposed to have problems.

I sail out of Barnegat Inlet most of the time or Manasquan occasionally, chasing finny things. Both are in New Jersey.

[46er]

Interesting situation developed here in NJ yesterday. Due to the pandemic and high number of positive tests in the state, our Governor has shut down, among many things, all non-essential business; boat dealers are included in his list. I was due to water test the Nantucket this coming week, but that apparently won't be happening until God knows when. I hope this is the right course of action; actually it is the only course of action. Stay safe all.