My Dad's boat in the mid 70's was a 25' Bayliner. It had a Volvo/Penta stern drive (inboard/outboard) which was supposed to be the best available at the time. We would leave the boat at my brother's house as it was a much shorter trip to put it in the water off the Jersey shore (we mostly went out of Shark River Inlet).
Since we ran it on salt water, there were ALWAYS electrical issues with both the boat and trailer, and the trailer brakes. The motor was a small block chevy with internals that ran in the opposite direction (I'm sure this was done just to make it easier to get parts).
We often fished 5 - 10 miles off shore, and I can remember the weather "picking up" and the motor not starting. Often, you had to be up side down to fix the problem, and with the waves building, it did not take long for you to think you were going to blow lunch. My brother and I would "take turns" doing the work, but luckily he was better at it that I was.
Luckily it was a gas engine, because when you are out on a party boat in bad weather and smell diesel ... there is nothing worse!
But we did catch a lot of fish, and had a lot of fun. A lot of the limits on fish they have now did not exist back then. My brother and I caught 64 Bluefish one day, and we were surrounded by boats that could not catch a thing! We had learned some secrets that worked well there! We were using a specific lure, with a specific technique, and all the boats around us were using bait.
Unfortunately, what works in some areas often does not work in other areas. It was often a learning game! A local guy had shared some "secrets" with us after my brother and I stood with him during a dispute at the boat ramp. The other guys were being obnoxious SOB's.