I always seriously tell Heidi I’m going to find a deal on a cruiser with bad engines. Then bring my 5HP Mercury down to limp it into a marina, then live on it.
My opinion, if you fly down and stay at my place for a couple days while you mount the trolling motor mount with the really long tiller handle, and do it sometime in January, you could probably leave and have it in Boyne in time for the spring thaw!
But, you should buy at least a 25HP outboard, your 5 won't make it upstream on the Mississippi!
Bob should buy it for sure. Although I'm not sure one roll is enough to get the boat from Port Charlotte to Boyne with a 25HP outboard???? For sure not enough if Bobcat's the crew chief/first mate!