New member here. Pleasure to be among fellow Checkmate/classic-runabout enthusiasts. I recently bought a 17' 1987 Checkmate Predictor. I have a '70s 16' Sidewinder, but the transom is questionable (nb., for sale, Ontario; low price, negotiable; message if intrigued), so my mechanic happened to find this Checkmate for sale nearby, and thought it would be a much better boat for me. Aesthetically, I prefer my Sidewinder, but the Checkmate is stylistically similar and almost as nice.
The Checkmate came with a 70-hp Chrysler (assume original), but it had no automatic tilt and trim, so my mechanic swapped it out for the motor that came with the Sidewinder when I bought it 4 years ago, a 1991 70-hp Evinrude. The motor stinks and pollutes, so I would like to upgrade to a newer used motor, 90-hp or 100-hp, that stinks and fumes a whole lot less. Problem is, I don't know if my Checkmate can handle a heavy 90-hp 4-stroke, which would be at least 100 lbs more than my ~250-lb Evinrude. I don't want to risk slowdown swamping, transom failure, or whatever else. I should mention that the boat's original gas tank, about 60" x 12", unknown capacity but high, is near the stern, under the back bench, and will be used, so that's another weight consideration. (Boat is not yet out on the water, but will be shortly, with my 70 Evinrude for the time being.)
Thoughts/insights?
Bonus unrelated question: what are your "ultimate" examples of this sort of classic 1970s powerboat? I don't know if there's something of a "holy grail" consensus on this forum. For me, it's a Hydrostream; models Vision, Vaquero, Vector, or Viking, which all look very similar. No more beautiful boat has ever been designed, imo.
The Checkmate came with a 70-hp Chrysler (assume original), but it had no automatic tilt and trim, so my mechanic swapped it out for the motor that came with the Sidewinder when I bought it 4 years ago, a 1991 70-hp Evinrude. The motor stinks and pollutes, so I would like to upgrade to a newer used motor, 90-hp or 100-hp, that stinks and fumes a whole lot less. Problem is, I don't know if my Checkmate can handle a heavy 90-hp 4-stroke, which would be at least 100 lbs more than my ~250-lb Evinrude. I don't want to risk slowdown swamping, transom failure, or whatever else. I should mention that the boat's original gas tank, about 60" x 12", unknown capacity but high, is near the stern, under the back bench, and will be used, so that's another weight consideration. (Boat is not yet out on the water, but will be shortly, with my 70 Evinrude for the time being.)
Thoughts/insights?
Bonus unrelated question: what are your "ultimate" examples of this sort of classic 1970s powerboat? I don't know if there's something of a "holy grail" consensus on this forum. For me, it's a Hydrostream; models Vision, Vaquero, Vector, or Viking, which all look very similar. No more beautiful boat has ever been designed, imo.
