Quote:
Originally Posted by whistler
. . . The details of the future power bracket combination are a bit fussy. I need to decide between twins or a single and between a 2 stroke or 4 stroke. I like the idea of having twins for the added perceived safety, but don't like the added costs and weight. Whatever I do, I do not want to degrade the ride! It seems that modern outboards are pretty reliable so I am leaning towards a Suzuki 300, or 250. I am also considering an Optimax or an E-tec (due to less weight). Whats is the best combo? Braket for twins with a single 30" Zuk 300? Something else? Are twin 4-stokes (Zuk 140's or even 175's) too much weight? Whatever power I get, I may buy slightly used or new, depending on whats available at the time.
Thanks for the suggestions,
Mike
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Welcome aboard Mike! Don't know where you're located, but if you're in S. Fl.,
ARG Marine is a good source of used motors. (It's a good idea to include your location in your profile if you want help from local sources.) They claim to be the largest E-TEC dealer in the country, so they take in a lot of used motors and also sell Honda's and Yamahas, so they take in trades of all brands. They're selling a lot of the new G2 models, so they often take in G1 models in trade. The G2's are just as heavy as the 4-strokes, so although they will beat the 4-strokes on fuel burn, they've lost their weight advantage, so I'm partial to the G1 models for use on a bracket, since, with the exception of the 115, they generally have the best power/weight ratio of any modern motor, with lots of low end torque. Keep in mind that the latest "Lightweight" 4-strokes got that way by removing the steel sleeves and just plating the aluminum blocks, which makes them throw-away motors if you ever overheat and seize a piston! As far as I know, non of the DI 2-strokes have gone to that extreme, so are easily repaired.
Brackets need to be mounted as low as possible to maximize flotation, but my experience is that with a 30" setback, the AV plate needs to be about 6" above the keel to get it out of the water where it should be when you're up on plane. Most brackets will not allow you to raise the motor that much, as it typically puts the lower mount bolts ABOVE the swim platform, so you will probably have to add a minimal-setback jack plate from
Vance Manufacturing to fully realize the performance benefits of a bracket. You may also have to run a stern lifting 4B prop and a fin on the AV plate to get the same low planing speed you'd have with a single engine mounted on the transom.
If you haven't read my "sticky" post on the pros & cons of brackets that's a good place to start. Although my experience is with the 20' hull, which is very sensitive to weight distribution, the same general comments apply to the 23, although a bracket will cause less of a CG shift due the larger mass and size. All modern motors are so reliable that I think it's hard to justify the extra cost, weight, and maintenance of twins that also have twice as much to go wrong! Their one advantage is that they will draw less water which may be important if you often run in skinny water, although a 23 is definitely more of an offshore boat than a flats boat! If you do go with twins, make sure one of them has enough low end torque to plane the boat on one engine! Many 4-strokes will not do that, in which case you'd be much better off with a big single and a sailboat-type kicker with a big slow turning prop that can easily push the boat to hull speed!
06-05-2017, 10:09 PM
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