What the South Lake Worth Inlet does to an outboard
The Boynton Inlet — properly the South Lake Worth Inlet, at the south end of the Lake Worth Lagoon — is narrow, shallow and short, with a tidal jet that runs hard through a sand cut. On an outgoing tide against an east wind it stands up into a steep, breaking chop in a few hundred feet of water column that has nowhere to go.
Two mechanical consequences. First, sand. Boats running that cut ingest grit, and grit scores the water pump housing and wear plate. An impeller alone in a scored housing is a repeat visit within a season, which is why our water pump and impeller service at $250–$450 per engine includes the OEM housing rather than the rubber alone.
Second, load. Punching a loaded boat through inlet chop shock-loads the gearcase, wears clutch dogs and finds any seal that was already marginal. Lower unit seal kits run $350–$600 pressure tested before and after; a full rebuild is $800–$2,500.
Short runs to the reef mean lots of cold cycles
The reef line sits close to shore off Boynton Beach — close enough that the city's drift-fishing and dive-charter culture is built on it. Boats clear the inlet and are on the numbers in minutes.
That is a good day out and a bad duty cycle. A short run means the engine barely reaches full operating temperature before it is back at idle, then shut down, then restarted, then run again. Repeated part-warm cycles are how four-stroke outboards accumulate moisture in the oil, carbon on the valves and deposits on the plugs, and how a thermostat sticks without ever throwing an alarm.
Boynton boats therefore need scheduled service on calendar as much as on hours. A 25-hour service is $459 per engine for 150–200 HP and $499 for 225–300 HP. The 100-hour service is $799 and $1,089 respectively, or $949 and $1,389 with the cooling system and water pump included — the version most Boynton boats should be buying.
Where we work in Boynton Beach
| Location | Detail | Typical boats |
|---|---|---|
| Boynton Harbor Marina, Casa Loma Boulevard | Municipal marina at the downtown waterfront, | Drift, dive and charter fleet; owner consoles |
| Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park ramp, Federal Highway | Public boat ramp on the ICW | Trailer boats, ramp-day failures |
| ICW docks and lifts, 33435 | Residential dockage east of Federal Highway | Impellers, seal kits, electrical, scheduled service |
| Palm Beach Yacht Center | 84 wet slips, Hypoluxo, just north | Slip-kept boats owned in Boynton Beach |
| Loggerhead Marina – South Lantana | 80 wet slips, Lantana, just north | Rack and slip boats |
| Marina Delray | 78 wet slips, Delray Beach, just south | Boats owned north, kept south |
| Driveways in 33426, 33436 and 33437 | Inland Boynton, trailer-kept | Trailer bearings and brakes, fuel, commissioning |
We work on boats kept at these facilities. AquaRepair claims no vendor approval or gate access anywhere — the owner arranges a gate pass or notifies the dockmaster, and we send a certificate of insurance to the dock office on request.
What it costs in Boynton Beach
| Service | Detail | Price | Member |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dockside diagnostic | Fault codes, live data, compression, written cause | $149 per engine | Waived |
| 25-hour service | 150–200 HP | $459 per engine | $413 |
| 100-hour service + cooling | 150–200 HP, includes water pump | $949 per engine | $854 |
| 100-hour service + cooling | 225–300 HP, includes water pump | $1,389 per engine | $1,250 |
| Water pump / impeller | OEM impeller and housing | $250–$450 | 10% off |
| Lower unit seal kit & gear oil | Pressure tested before and after | $350–$600 | 10% off |
| Full lower unit rebuild | Gears, bearings, clutch dog, seals | $800–$2,500 | 10% off |
Second engine is 15% off. Parts are extra unless stated; Florida taxes parts and labor both, about 7% in Palm Beach County. Written estimate before work and a call before any overrun beyond 10%. The $149 diagnostic comes straight off authorized work on the same visit.
Next-day window, weekend text coverage, documented every time
Boynton Beach is Tier 2: next-day response window, under the written commitment that a technician is at the boat within 24 hours or the trip fee is waived. Hours are Monday–Saturday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM. Weekend emergency coverage is by text to 561-312-7308 — relevant in a city whose boats mostly go out on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Every job produces a photo-documented digital service record — ECU engine hours, part numbers, torque specs, before-and-after photos — emailed and texted before we leave the dock. One technician,, does the work, so the history is continuous. How it works covers the process.
Membership suits high-cycle Boynton boats: Logbook $39/month or $399/year; Standard $79/month or $899/year with the 100-hour service, a mid-year inspection, the diagnostic waived and 10% off parts and labor; Premium $129/month or $1,499/year adding quarterly inspections, weekend and after-hours response, an annual detail and a sea-trial check. Additional engine +$39/month. Memberships transfer to the next owner when the boat sells.
Questions Boynton Beach owners ask
How fast can you get to Boynton Beach? Boynton Beach is a Tier 2 city with a next-day response window, backed by the written guarantee that a technician is at the boat within 24 hours or the trip fee is waived. Call or text 561-312-7308, Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Weekend emergencies are handled by text — most Boynton breakdowns happen on a weekend inlet run.
Do you charge more to come to Boynton Beach? No. The rate card is flat and published and identical in every city we serve. Water pump and impeller work is $250–$450 per engine in Boynton Beach and the same in Jupiter, 40 miles north. There is no mileage charge, no trip fee difference and no travel line on the invoice.
Why does my impeller keep failing? Because the Boynton Inlet is a sand cut and grit goes through the pump. Sand scores the housing and wear plate, and a new impeller inside a scored housing loses its seal fast. If the last shop replaced the rubber only, the failure was built into the repair. Our price includes OEM housing for that reason, and we photograph the old housing so you can see what it looked like.
Do you work on boats at private docks in Boynton Beach? Yes — ICW docks and lifts in 33435 are routine. We need dock access and, in a gated community, whatever pass or notification the association requires; tell us when you book. Lift-kept boats need to be in the water for cooling-system work, impeller verification and anything requiring the engine under load.
Can you service a charter or drift boat that runs daily? Yes. High-cycle boats are why the extended-interval 200/300-hour service exists at from $1,200 per engine, and why the 100-hour service with cooling at $949 is usually the right buy rather than the base service. Premium membership at $129 monthly adds quarterly inspections and weekend response, which is cheaper than a cancelled trip.
Do you do warranty work on a new engine? No. Warranty repairs and OEM-financed repowers are referred to an authorized dealer — we are an independent operator and will tell you when your problem belongs to the manufacturer. Everything outside warranty is ours: service to OEM specification with OEM parts, factory diagnostic tools and procedures, documented to warranty-proof standard.
Book a Boynton Beach visit. Call or text 561-312-7308 or email contact@aquarepairmarine.com. Nearby: Lake Worth Beach and Delray Beach.