i thought about just not saying anything, but after giving it alot of thought i believe i will chime in. it seems acording to your statement about it being reckless to venture out on lake erie without a 40' boat with a inboard engine is reckless. if this was true 98% of the sport fisherman that fishes erie is reckless. i usely fish out of geneva marina and just about all the fishing boats i see go out there are under 30'. i personaly fish from a 21 ft cobia and have never felt i was in any danger with it. now last year while in a 28 ft sea ray we had a water spout get to close for comfort.

i feel if you watch the weather and dont go out when there is a chance of rough weather a good 18' boat is all that is really needed to be safe. there is some 18' charter boats that runs out on erie. i feel just as safe on my 21' boat as i did the 28' sea ray. and an outboard engine is just as safe as inboards. i run a 19' cherokee aluminum with an 80 hp mariner for close to 20 yrs on erie and never had the first problem. i had a 22' sea ray cabin boat that broke the fan belt and had to be towed. it had a 305 chevy engine. i had to be towed in my 21' cobia when a water line came loose and melted the exhaust bellows. then the same boat the oil line came loose on the remote oil filter and we had to have oil brought to us. that was with a brand new 5.7 vortec chevy engine. so anything can brake down. the one good thing about the 28' sea ray it has 2 engines. so if one brakes down you can limp in on one engine. but outboards are just as safe as inboards.
sherman