What's a " perfect " single outboard for a 23' Sceptre ?
 

A single 250 etec ? Other ?

Asking so when I someday get a 23' Sceptre I'll know what's best !

I like this boat - if it rides nearly as much as it looks good, it might be my " holy grail " boat.

I think you will LOVE the ride, I do...

As for the Motor. 225-300hp Yamaha.

Nothing rides like a SeaCraft--VDH

my favorite model - 250 and up is fine, 300 makes it damn fast

This would work very well on a 23' Tsunami/Sceptre

Ditto on the above. If I had the money it would be a 300 hp, no less than 250 hp. The brand is a personal call, to me it would come down to the best price with rigging and gauges plus best warranty. This is where Yamaha gets hurt, they're the most expensive. Good luck.

I love my 250 Honda. Great on fuel, PLENTY of low end power, and quiet.

One year after installation of a 250 Etec... not once has it failed to start immediately. It has never choked out, stalled, or quit even when cold. Absolutely amazing. MPG is comparable to 250 4 stroke. Good low end torque. A little louder than a 4 stroke. Top speed depending upon load is 45-50 mph. Yes, it does use oil - about a gallon or less per 100 gal of gas with the synthetic oil. Best of all - NO oil changes. (Believe me, putting a gallon of oil in the tank is a LOT easier than taking the boat in for servicing.) In fact, my Etec has needed no service at all.

With a 2 stroke being simpler mechanically (no valves, timing belts/chains, etc) and the electronics either working or not, I can see why BRP says 3 years or 300 hours with no required service. Three close friends have similar boats with 250 4 strokes and all have had minor trouble or spent more money than they thought they would on service.

I thougt I had compromised, though I got a real deal on the price, by getting an Etec rather than a 4 stroke, but it's been flawless, and I'm a believer.

Good post Bill! Good information.

Ill second the endorsement of the 250 etec. I had one on my 23 cc and it ran flawlessly. However I would use some fuel treatment from time to time as mine had to have a knock sensor replaced but the warranty covered it. the boats new owner is pretty happy with it since. The etec has alot of low end tourque which is nice when your offshore with a couple of guys and gear on board. It was good on fuel too if you ran it around 4200.

That knock sensor is a neat feature because it can detect a lean misfire/detonation situation that can kill any motor! Fuel starvation/lean operation is a significant problem with E-10 gas because the extra oxygen in the fuel causes it to burn very hot and can cause piston/cylinder wall scuffing. I asked the wizards on the E-Tec owners forum if BRP had considered using an oxygen sensor in the exhaust to detect lean operation, ala Yamaha HPDI. The reply was that BRP did consider that, but O2 sensors are a PITA from a reliability/maintenance standpoint, and that knock sensors would do the same thing but more reliably.

make a spreadsheet that will give you a cost per hour to operate which will be different for each engine and different at each RPM. Use fuel (what kind you need), maintenance, oil, etc. Then input the burn per hour at different RPMs (running, trolling, idle), then you can make a "typical day" that will include the cost for the different uses. For me the numbers pointed to 4 stroke over 2, even after for account for the higher maintenance cost.

For 2 stroke, I used 90 octane ethanol free. For 4 stoke I used 89 octane pump gas. If I rand more than 150 hours of typical fishing, the 4 stroke paid off quickly.