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I have a 1991 Outrage 25 Cuddy Whaler Drive with twin 1989 150 Johnsons with VRO's. The motors have just over 1000 hours and they do run pretty good. I use this boat primarily for fishing and several offshore trips, 50-60 miles out. I love the power of the twin 150's and the cruise is pretty good at 30-31 mph. The FUEL MILEAGE is TERRIBLE but doesn't sting too bad as my fishing buddies and I split the cost of a fill up.
The question of repower has been on my mind since I bought the boat in 2002 (especially when I'm out on the water looking at all the new motors!) I've been to boat shows, dealers, internet sites and just can't decide what I should do? Twins? Big Single?
I'm hoping to get a couple more years out of these motors before any major failures (I've been saying that since I bought the boat.) My buddy has a 25 Parker center console, 16 degree deadrise and 4000 lb. dry weight, that performs pretty well with the single 225 Yamaha 4-stroke. I'm not sure how the 225 4-stroke would perform on my hull. My real problem is the cost to repower my Outrage with twins, $25K-$26K, money I just don't have. I like the 300 hp Suzuki 4-Stroke but I hear it will cost $18K (a lot of money, not sure I want all that hp in such a small package, could mean reliability problems?) I've talked to a couple of Outrage 25 owners over the internet who say the 250 hp is adequate. I guess I need reassurance.
The Whaler Drive is rated up to 950 lbs. so my choices are somewhat limited. The hull is in excellent condition and well maintained. What to do? I'm looking for opinions. Thanks.
I will give you my opinion and that's just what it is... My opinion.
I believe any boat that ventures far offshore should have twins. No ifs, ands, or buts.....
It is also much better if and when something happened to one engine, that the remaining twin will put the boat up on plane.
I had twin 70 hp Evinrudes on my Outrage 18' and with one engine, the boat would get up on plane and do around 30 mph.... One engine will get you home quick at that speed.
You can't go anywhere near that fast with a kicker and if you're 50 or 60 miles from shore, it would take you a long time to get back home at 6 or 8 mph tops.
As you already know, when trolling with a twin engine boat, you shut one down which obviously saves on fuel and running hours on the other engine.
My preference would be for twin 150 HP Evinrude E-Tec engines. By the time you are ready to replace your engines, these new E-Tecs would have had any and all bugs worked out of them.
New Etec's are the way to go if money was to problem. I would skip the 150hp bracket and go for 175's or 200's but, that is just me.
I would look at putting 175's or 200's on the stern because the 150, 175, and 200 all wiegh in at 416 LBS. Or heck the Johnson DFI 2 Stroke for the 150, 175hp at ONLY 383lbs (most likely the cheapest 2 strokes)!
The Merc Optis would be another option with the 150 and 175 at 431 lbs and the 200 is 497lbs.
If you would not need them for a few years I am sure you could find a nice pair of motors for sale at a great price.
I would not even conside the 4 stroke options. The weight is a factor not to mention the weak torque curves compaired to the same hp 2 stroke. Also if you are buying a used 4 stroke you will need to conside the cost of rebuilds down the road. A 4 stroke will cost WAY more to overhual than a 2 stroke which has much less parts to it.
Here is another vote for the E-TECs. Although the weight Jeff listed is for the 20" model. The version with the 25" shaft weighs 427 lbs. A pair of those with props is still under the WD weight rating.
Eventually I'll have a similar decision to make. So far though my 1988 Johnson 150s are running fine.
I've looked closely at the twin 140hp Suzuki's (4-strokes). They weigh 428lbs each....I also like the E-tecs but they appear to be more expensive? It really boils down to what I can afford. I'm looking for used motors especially after all the Hurricane motors floating around the internet.....I do agree twins are the way to go when venturing far offshore and my twin 150 Johnsons have served me well. I'll be holding on to them as long as they are reliable. They are well maintained and always start up usually on the first turn of the key. They smoke like crazy when I start them up. The other day there was a 24 Grady next to me at the ramp in the water with a new Yam 4-stroke. I started my old dogs up and all the smoke blew over and hovered over their boat (it was abit embarrassing)....We got out of there quick. Went offshore and caught 10 Mahi-Mahi, 1 yellowfin Tuna and 1 King Mackeral...Thanks for the replies, keep them coming! I'm always looking for opinions or experiences....
I've read great things about the Suzuki 140 and the price should be several thousand less than the Evinrude E-TEC 150. The displacement of the 140 is only 2.0 L or 124.7 ci. There are not many Suzuki dealers in my area.
There is no way in Hell you are ever going to save any money by repowering a boat. It is just simple arithmetic. Spend the money on fuel and enjoy the power and reliability you have.
Your right, I plan on keeping my old motors 2 more years. I bought the boat used in 2002 and have done much rehab work to it. My original plan after buying the boat was to repower after 5 years....My finances will be better in 2008 for repowering. I fish 60+ miles offshore so relibility is most important.
A couple weeks ago my port motor overheated 40+ miles offshore and the starboard motor began to run very rough. I changed out the fuel/water seperater filters (both motors) and they ran great! The filters had approx. 400 gallons of fuel run through them so they were due to be changed. Anyway, it got me thinking of the Ethanol fuel problems out here on the east coast and just another reason to repower. I'll have my tank cleaned over the winter...Peace of mind is priceless when your far offshore with new motors...Thanks for the replies.
