Ok, I will bite.  Are you saying the inducer assembly was gone completely or the blades of the impellor are broken off of the hub?
Regardless, it is time to pull the pump apart.

The entire inducer was gone. I kept looking in there and thought something is missing.  Well it was!!  The shaft appears to be ok.  Are you supposed to see the impeller like this?

Any and all info is welcome, constructive critisism!  Bought the boat a few years ago.  I have been under the boat a few times, mainly been focusing on the top side (int and major motor detail) and was sure there was an inducer.  There is a key way on the impeller side of the shaft, but couldnt get the camera in for a good enough shot.  There is a bunch of minor pitting inside that cavity area, but assuming its from debris.  Pulled the snoop end off, but did not see any damage.  Man, I dont know!

That looks like an untouched shaft. There would be a smaller diameter machined section right in front of the impeller which also would create a shoulder for the inducer to rest up against as well as an extra keyway machined there as well. I do not see it in those pics.
T.J.

Well as usual thanks for the input.  Maybe im going crazy!   Your comments make total sence.  Anyways, cheers

As most of the guys have already said, when a shaft is set up for an inducer, there is a shoulder and additional keyway machined on the shaft farther up from the impellor.  The inducer slides up against the shoulder.  A spacer is then slid on the shaft between the inducer and the impellor.  Shims between the spacer and the impellor are used to control clearance between impellor and pump housing if using straight wear ring and the shoulder of the wear ring if a shouldered wear ring is used.  If you had an inducer in the pump and it is now gone and  no sleeve was added, there would be nothing to keep the impellor from moving towards the thrust brg and making contact with the pump housing. (At least that is the setup in my pump)  The stains on the impellor beginning on the very nose make me think your impellor is butted up against either a sleeve or the shoulder on the shaft.