[bigeasy1]

My setup and results are similar to the above reply.I have a 350 260hp Mercruiser,with an Alpha drive in my 74 Tsunami.
My top speed is right around 38-40 mph (gps)and I cruise around the mid to high twenties at about 3200-3500 rpms.Somwhere I have my fuel burn numbers from the Flo Scan,and I think that depending on water/wave/wind conditions,and weight of fish and crew I'm burning anywhere from 9 to 12 gallons per hour at cruise speed.
My setup is raw water cooled,not the best in salt water,but I fish the great lakes,so it isn't an issue for me.
If money and time were not an issue,I'd love to change the out drive to a Bravo III dual prop setup,but I think the Alpha will have to do the job.
Without a doubt,outboards have more pros on the salt than outdrives,but a well maintained fresh water cooled outdrive can give you good service on the salt.

For the fishing I do(salmon trolling)I love the outdrive setup.The boat never stops moving forward,all our fish are netted off the stern so the high transom,and lack of outboard engines and rigging make netting big kings easier.In over 25 years of salmon trolling,I can count on one hand the times I had a fish run forward of the boat(a very ugly scenario)
The out drives are definitely more prone to corrosion,as they can't be tilted completely out of the water,and a disadvantage for fishermen like me in the northern areas is that I have to make the decision to pull the boat out and winterize it at some point.
I can't just decide to fish a nice day in november or in early march,as I'd have to re-winterize it each time I did.
That wouldn't be an issue with an outboard powered boat.