at what point does one consider a new boat

[StingerII]

I thought they all had Dog Ear Clutches with exception to the newest Bravo Units (like 04 or 05+) I know my 02 Bravo 1 has
the Dog Ear just like my Merc Outboard had...

If I was facing major repairs that made it sensible to just buy a new boat then that's the route I would probably go... But you
can get into rebuilt lower units for "reasonable" prices... And you could always sell the one you have on ebay for a decent sum
if if it needs work..

It could be something more simple to fix.. Hard to say without tearin it apart.

[downtown]

if you LIKE your boat and it's in reasonably good shape, and the repairs are within reason, do it. if not, find the boat you want and, of course, can afford and do it.

i guess it's similar to a car. after years of driving sh**boxes, it's nice to have something, safe, reliable and nice to drive in. my brother in law won't go into debt to finance a nice car. he's always under the hood, has about four or five cars at any given time in his yard. always juggling parts, etc.

at some point you have to treat yourself. who can take care of you better than you. if you don't do it, nobody else will.