Re: bracket on a 1978 23'
 

If I were to put twins on a 23, I would get the biggest bracket I could find, probably the hermco, it's huge. I haven't been on a 23' with a hermco, but I have been on single engine 23's with DnD and Armstrong, and it is a good upgrade. Personally, I wouldn't put twins on a 23, I would look at a 250 or one of the new 300's. You might be able to hit 50+ mph with the twins, but how often can you do that in the open ocean.

Re: bracket on a 1978 23'
 

Yes but the reliability you have with twins is very nice!

Re: bracket on a 1978 23'
 

I thought that twins were an overkill on a boat like a 23" SeaCraft (until I got a boat that came with twins)

Now I am on my 2nd SeaCraft with twins. They are great to have.

Re: bracket on a 1978 23'
 

Hermco also installed my bracket; it's the white Seafari "Restless Lady" in Gallery 2 on Don's web site.

Re: bracket on a 1978 23'
 

If your running the middle grounds or bahamas out of Florida, or the Canyons up north, twins are nice, but a bigger boat is even better :D. 23' seems to be the edge of where twins make sense. A big 23' with a big bracket is ok, but whether you have 1 or 2 motors, it's still a open 23' boat. I guess the reliability of twins is an option, but I would rather have a satilite phone, 2 radios, and SeaTow than a second motor. As for speed, you can rarely run wot in the open ocean.

Can you get a SeaCraft up on plane with 1 motor? I have never tried that. I wouldn't have twins unless I knew I could get on plane with one motor. Just my opinion...

Re: bracket on a 1978 23'
 

Good point.... ;)

Re: bracket on a 1978 23'
 

JohnB,

I cannot get up on plane with one engine. However, I did have an issue this past summer where I was 15 miles offshore and had to come home on one engine. I averaged 8 miles per hour but made it home.

Regarding some of your other comments:
I like to go offshore and cannot afford a bigger boat at this time. A satellite phone alone is not going to cut it. Redundency is the name of the game offshore.

I bet if you poll the users that have this setup most, if not all, prefer the setup to a single engine.

Please don't take this as a bash at a single engine setup. It is not. I have had both and merely prefer the twin setup.

Peter

Re: bracket on a 1978 23'
 

Maybe one of the guru's (Father Frank) can answer this....but if you had twins and lost one, and you had a much lower pitch prop for the remaining engine that would let the engine rev up to it's proper RPM but at the RPM would only be pushing the boat a little past it's minimum planing speed.....would that work....???

Re: bracket on a 1978 23'
 

That's the perfect scenario. But most would have to carry one each for counter-rotation.....and then one each for spun hub....for a total of (4) spares. Overkill? Yes, but what's the right answer??

Re: bracket on a 1978 23'
 

If I'm just trying to get home I guess the cheapest aluminum prop I could get would work...;)...if it'd work at all as I described. I know with a kicker it's best to get a much lower pitch prop.....