Michael Dilday

I have a 2006 Bass Tracker 175 TXW that is in pretty good condition. I bought it second hand in 2010. Now it is 14 years old. I changed the oil on the 40 HP Mercury 4 stroke the beginning of the season and have put about 4-5 trips on it since then. Yesterday just as we were returning to the ramp the engine started loosing power. When I got the boat home I checked the oil and there was none showing on the dipstick. I filled the oil and now the engine is smoking terribly and it is obvious the engine is toast. Now the question is should I replace the engine with a 40 for $5,500, a 60 for $6,500 or buy a new boat with a 60 for $19,000. Not sure if it is a good idea to put that much into a new engine on a boat that old. Plus the new boats come with a lifetime hull warranty which I do not have on my current boat.