Carbs gumming up has always been an issue. It wasnt so bad back when we had big V8's, the engine heat would boil them dry. But small engines have always had trouble, even 50 years ago and farther back. Yes, the gas is much worse today, and deteriorates much faster, but the same principles suggested by Dave, that apply to todays engines, applied back then. Most small engines back then had a fuel shutoff and carb drains. Many motorcycles, even in the 60's, had them as well.
So listen to that advice and follow it. Simply running it out of gas will alleviate so many problems its simply a no brainer. In addition, 2 stroke oil mixed with the 4 stroke fuel at 100:1 will do just about as good as any additive you can buy, while also offering corrosion protection.
My opinion is Honda is the Mercedes of boat motors. And here, you get what you pay for. But as stated, if you have a crappy dealer, the best motor in the world is going to be a nightmare. Unless you can fix it yourself.
