aaronjod

Working as a Marine Mechanic I tend to have a bias towards Yamaha, although I have worked at a Yamaha dealer and haven't had much to do with ETECs. We used Yamahas on all of our workboats, from 2-stroke to 4-strokes, and each stood up to all the torture we put it through. From towing boats, to WOT from cold and even the odd ding on the bottom. At one stage it was replaced with a 4-stroke Mercury which wasn't as reliable as the previous Yamaha outboards. I smell a little bit of sales pitch in this video: https://www.youtube....h?v=tZvIw83uZgY although I am happy to be proven wrong. I'd really like to know what propellor size and pitch was installed on each motor, just to confirm it was a fair comparison. I don't think you can go terribly wrong with either brand, and provided it's fuel injected you'll be fine - just keep up with the maintenance and pick what you like the best.

Another point to take into consideration if you just bought the boat is safety gear. I'm not sure if the boat is brand new or you bought it 2nd hand, but if the latter it's worth going over it all. Often I find flares out of date, V-Sheets missing or EPIRBs expired. Also check that you have a bailing bucket, and the bilge pump is working. A full checklist of what is required can be found here: http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/safety-rules/safety-equipment/safety-equipment-table.html Is the boat fitted with a radio? If so I would recommend doing a radio course, so you get to know the ins and outs of communicating via radio. Driving out to near the heads can be a good way to gauge what you're going to be up against, but always check the forecast for any unexpected changes. Even these can be wrong and you can get caught in something. As for apps, I have used the SeaBreeze app. There is also a MarineRescue app where you can register your trip details with them before you head out.