Merc 9.9 4-stroke

Hey guys,

so i'm in the market to buy a 16 to 17' alluminum boat as a starter boat. I've decided to go with a tracker, due to the price and avalibility. An older fellow has a pro team 165 from '05 with a merc 9.9, which i don't believe is the big foot. I live in an area where hp limits are common. 4 out of the 7 lakes within a 30 mile radius have a 10 hp limit, so a 9.9 is a must. I've heard a lot about how the merc 9.9 without the bigfoot is really underpowered and that a 2 cycle engine which can easily be made into a 15hp is a much better option. Do you guys have any advice on the motor or boat?

sorry if this has been discussed, i can't get the search feature to work for posts over 3 months old.

thanks,

-jake