CONTINUOUSWAVE

I'm thinking of converting my RAGE 15 to outboard engine propulsion. I love the boat styling and version but I'm not sure if this would be a wise decision. I'm planning to power the converted RAGE 15 with at most a 50-HP engine.

Q1: in my particular case, would I be wasting my money to convert a RAGE 15 to outboard power?

[Separated from a prior discussion in which the engine mounting height on a converted RAGE 15 was being discussed. Rather than change the topic of that discussion to a completely new participant’s questions about his RAGE 15 plans, a new topic has been started, to discuss the residual value of a possible RAGE 15 conversion to outboard propulsion.—Moderator.]

In my opinion, a RAGE 15 with a reliable, working original jet-drive engine might be an interesting boat, but I think that the number of owners of an outboard-engine-powered 15-foot Boston Whaler who would swap their boat for a RAGE 15 is very small—if at all greater than zero.

On the other hand, unless the conversion of a RAGE 15 to an outboard-powered boat were done exceedingly nicely, a converted RAGE 15 might be less attractive than a stock RAGE 15. Of course, here I am assuming the stock RAGE 15 runs like new, and that may not be typical.

Ketkev wrote:Q1: in my particular case, would I be wasting my money to convert a RAGE 15 to outboard power?

For your particular situation, with no knowledge of you skills as a boat builder, to answer your question is impossible.

But a RAGE 15 converted to outboard propulsion in a very well-designed and well-done manner probably will result in an increase in the boat value. Whether the increase in value exceeds the cost of the conversion is impossible to know.

I just finished converting my [unknown year and unknown model] RAGE to outboard power. Everything was already pulled from the boat when we bought it. We put on a CMC jackplate with an Evinrude 70-HP engine and it runs great.



Links to a photograph and a motion picture recordings are below.

Photo: https://1drv.ms/i/c/ce7ccf00cdaf2aff/ETlUxxN8qGpLsHLp_PgnqgYBExEgI0UZlFhv-1UD8A95UA?e=VF1KI2

Motion picture:https://1drv.ms/v/c/ce7ccf00cdaf2aff/EXwtjlI2sf5LhtUJbTSN4W0BEU5AGD7nPONsScQhTxx-Nw?e=vhImzh