Far be it from me to even pretend I’m an expert opinion. I’m not familiar with Chapparal products or determining the proper resale market for boats……………..that’s what the guide books are for. But, I did want to relay an experience to you because it may have some merit of consideration toward your final decision.
My best friend bought a 1990(?) Grand Baron with the inboard (can’t remember the size) and it came with a 15hp kicker. On it’s/his maiden voyage, we had some issues to overcome and one of them dictated that we wouldn’t have use of the kicker motor for the weekend. Our go to plan was trolling cranks but we were afraid of doing it with that big ol’ inboard………even if we back trolled. It wasn’t looking good.
We went about trying it anyway and ended up being the top producing boat in our fishing group! We were trolling at a speed higher than we desired but it’s what turned out to be our advantage. So, if back trolling, it CAN be done but speed variance will be a challenge without a kicker and steering assembly. Drag buckets would help even more. Prop selection can make a difference too.
My point? While not ideal, it was able to produce and produce well. According to the captain, he said it was pretty challenging and did mention that if he was going to primarily fish with the boat, that kicker had to be there or he’d want something else.
Food for thought…………….
Good luck in determining what’s the best choice for you!
