Single or Twin??

Good points FZ.
A few more thing to considers is an extra start battery (50 pounds) and more complicated battery wiring and battery switches, throttle control and cables, another set of instruments on your dash, probably a separate fuel filter and less room on your swim grid/pod.
 
If you are factoring in the savings of kickers not needing multiple filters, oil and lube changes, belts, plugs, thermostats and water pumps I hope you are not counting on your kicker to save your butt.
 
Twins are not going to save your butt. Your going to die from either catastrophic thru-hull failure, capsizing, or falling overboard. Twins may save you from a super annoying day putting home with your kicker. Its all about the $$$. If money is no object get twins....if it is....get a single.
 
I've only ever owned single main engine/ kicker boats and haven't felt uncomfortable taking it offshore etc. If you have a big budget than I see no reason not to go with the twins but unless you are doing the 70 mile tuna runs often or running a charter business the twins are more of a luxury than a necessity. I think having all of your safety gear in order and having the boat maintained properly would be more important than a second big engine. One benefit to a kicker is while running its out of the water. If you smoke a log chances are it would still be ok and get you home , the twins could both potentially be damaged . Airplanes fly everyday with single engines .
 
I'll do offshore on my single no problem...................Buuut, If the feces does happen to make contact with the oscillating air-movement device, I also have a 6 man liferaft in a cannister, gumby suits, and an EPIRB......... Jus sayin...........;-)
 
finaddict said:
I'll do offshore on my single no problem...................Buuut, If the feces does happen to make contact with the oscillating air-movement device, I also have a 6 man liferaft in a cannister, gumby suits, and an EPIRB......... Jus sayin...........;-)
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6 man nice... I have a f 4 man.. I guess I will have to make ..game changer swim for home....:D
 
Derby said:
6 man nice... I have a f 4 man.. I guess I will have to make ..game changer swim for home....:D
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6 man on the label really means room for 4. Originally I just bought the gumby suits and Epirb, but I am not sure how good I would feel in a sinking boat with four people on board and only 2 gumby suits. "Ummmmm geez guys........sorry, but only brought suits for me and my boy. " "You guys know how to swim right?" "Ah well, no worries, the cold water is going to kill you soon anyways........ See yah around" SPLASH!
 
Most of the time there's no time to get the raft out of the cuddy where most people store them. That's why water taxis and other commercial vessels have them mounted on the transom.

Just a thought
 
Derby said:
6 man nice... I have a f 4 man.. I guess I will have to make ..game changer swim for home....:D
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Captain goes down with his ship! No? Keep it on track.

We had these life raft talks with the tuna recommendations. Boat roles over everything is in cuddy, what next?

Keep the twins vs single on track.
 
Fishtofino said:
Most of the time there's no time to get the raft out of the cuddy where most people store them. That's why water taxis and other commercial vessels have them mounted on the transom.

Just a thought
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Yep and mine is on top of the hard top with an auto release at pressure. Boat sinks it automatically releases and inflates. Sidetrack over. Apologies to OP
 
300 HP on your boat is probably overkill - a 250 on my 1977 24 Searay gave me about 50 MPH.

If you go the single motor route, a 15-20 HP kicker would be needed for those windy offshore days (i.e. a normal day). I have twins, & many times troll on both due to sea conditions.
 
Sir Reel said:
Here is where we got the data for twin 150's vs a 250 or 300

http://yamahaoutboards.com/owner-resources/performance-bulletins
F150 uses 25.4 liters per hour at 4200 and 30.4 knots
F250 uses 43.4 liters per hour at 4200 rpm and 35 knots
F300 uses 33.4 liters per hour at 3500 rpm and 32.8 knots

So 2 x F150 is 50 liters per hour compared to 33.4 for F300 and faster cruise
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IMO your math isnt correct on this

http://www.marineconnection.com/blo...02/SPT_Heritage251_F300UCA_2014-01-21_OCC.pdf
http://www.marineconnection.com/blo...2/SPT_Heritage251_t_F150XA_2014-01-21_OCC.pdf

compair these two pdf's -
better mpg goes to the single 300 2.92 vs 2.73 MPG
faster and quicker goes to the twin 150's 50.5 vs 49.1 MPH

however all numbers are within .2mpg, 2 mph and a second of each other


also i would want to compare those 3 engines at a constant parameter, ie same speed, same rpm or same gph or its just apples to cumquats
 
The link that I got those original numbers for is no longer available.
And yes it is hard to compare the engines as they run best at different rpm.
It costs more to have twins but gives you better low speed manuvering and a better get home option if one fails.
In the end it's up to the owner and as someone said previously 90% are probably happy with a single and a kicker for where and how they fish.
 
What about a 300hp with a 25HT kicker? They are much heavier than a 9.9HT, but would it give you much more top end than the 9,9HT, and get you home that much quicker?
 
eriks said:
What about a 300hp with a 25HT kicker? They are much heavier than a 9.9HT, but would it give you much more top end than the 9,9HT, and get you home that much quicker?
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pretty much my set up... 20hp kicker.. 7-8kts
 
I just put a new Suzuki 20 hp on my tub...it was 9 pounds heavier then the Yamaha 9.9 I had .... haven't run it yet... most likely loggers derby
 
stack all your trolling hours on a 9.9 = 3K motor not a 150 = 15K motor. I had twins and they are nice but one big main and a kicker makes to most sense if you watch your dollars and cents. If you have extra money to burn twins are nice for the operator no one else in the boat will notice a difference :) Twins make a rookie driver look like a pro but if you know your boat well with a single in that size range you can whip it around the dock no prob. When it's windy come in a little hotter than normal crank the wheel then hammer it in reverse draws your a## end in no problem.

As far as Etec's they look great and perform well of course there going to have more gitty up there two strokes and the torque curve is totally different than a 4 stroke. If they didn't burn expensive oil would be an option as far as getting to the fishing grounds it's not a poker run lol if the guy gets on plane 1 - 2 seconds faster than you because he's running the new etecs there will still be fish there when you arrive seconds after. Had optis and hated buying expensive oil and having to fill tanks. Straight gas and go :)

As far as the 300 Yamis I'm aware motors pre 2013 I believe did have issues which was redesigned and beefed up in 2014 forward. It think it was a 3 something thrust bearing issues that was not strong enough so they went up to a 4 piece thrust bearing. My wording is probably not totally on but that's the jist of it. I know of boats with over 3000 hrs on the new 300's
 
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I always thought one of the main benefits of twins was the handling and control it gives you for docking or tracking. Changes the feel of the boat.
 
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