Single or twin engine
#11
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Once you have owned a boat with twin engines you will never own another single engine boat. The docking and manuverability with twins is worth the price of admission. I currently have a 27' Hallett with twin Mercruiser Scorpion 377" small block Chevys. It uses less gas than the same boat with a single big block would use. My average fuel burn is 8-12 gph.
My $0.02
My $0.02
If you're comparing apples to apples (speed, distance equivalent), there's no way
#12
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i want to buy a used 29 to 32 ft performance boat(2000 to 2003) and not sure which way to go as fa as engines ,i am sure its an old question but what is the best way to go ....single engine with big HP or twin with normal HP advantages with weight gain versus HP ,handling etc i just want to run low 70 s.any recomendations ?
2002 Formula 292 Fastec twin 350 mags. will run 68-69 consistantly and has seen 72 or so on GPS from time to time as well. Very dependable boat and comes on a brand new aluminum triple axle trailer with EOH brakes.
send me a PM if interested and can send you more pics as well.
#14
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yup i had a single for 4 months. towed 12 hours from buffalo ny to lake cumberland for the poker run last year. splattered a drive half way through the run. an hour later i got lucky and tim brown (oso member) stopped and was nice enough to give me a 2 1/2 hour tow back to the launch. threw on the spare drive and finished the weekend. got home and sold the boat and bought twins. better cruising and top end. way better on fuel. and stock power the maintance is minimal vs the upkeep on a big hp single.
not bashing singles cus there are some bad a$$ singles that fly with mild power...warlocks, 29 fountains, ect. but from here on out i will get home on my own power
not bashing singles cus there are some bad a$$ singles that fly with mild power...warlocks, 29 fountains, ect. but from here on out i will get home on my own power
#15
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+1 on the better fuel consumption with twins over a single. I have personally experienced it. Yes, maintenance is double, but i do my own service on my outdrives and motors.
tom
tom
#16
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maintance is cheap. oil, filters, impellers even plugs wires and such. that stuff is peanuts. hell all that combined is cheaper than a drive coupler that a big single eats. or drive for that matter.
wave crushers like a pantera take big power to run in a single. the faster hulls definately take less power to get moving but you loose a little ride in the big water. it depends on what you boat in water wise.
the twins def dock easier too
wave crushers like a pantera take big power to run in a single. the faster hulls definately take less power to get moving but you loose a little ride in the big water. it depends on what you boat in water wise.
the twins def dock easier too
#18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tjred
Half the maintenance and gas.
I can!
Blue engines need top end rebuilds at 250 hours and full builds at 500.
Compare a couple of small blocks that won't need to be touched and do the math. The extra yearly stuff is cheap compared to a top end build on a blue engine. Also, a couple of black engines are easy on drives Vs. single blue being tough on one.
Bottom line is the up front cost and maintenance through the years ends up being a wash at best... if you start blowing drives twins actually win.
Originally Posted by tjred
Half the maintenance and gas.
I can!
Blue engines need top end rebuilds at 250 hours and full builds at 500.
Compare a couple of small blocks that won't need to be touched and do the math. The extra yearly stuff is cheap compared to a top end build on a blue engine. Also, a couple of black engines are easy on drives Vs. single blue being tough on one.
Bottom line is the up front cost and maintenance through the years ends up being a wash at best... if you start blowing drives twins actually win.
#19
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it depends on where you boat.If you staying on lakes and rivers, there will always be someone helping out if the single breaks. I'm boating on rivers and lakes, but on the ocean, there's a 26 mile stretch between my destinations and I wouldn't want to float for ever until Seatow shows up, hence owning twins. Someone said no way to DKhans's post on fuel economy with his 27 Hallett, running two 377 Scorpions. I have 377 black [ 6.2 MX ] engines in my 257 Mirage with SmartCraft. WOT @ 5000 with B1 26P props, fuel flow scan shows 20 gal per engine. Never seen a big block single engined boat run less than 40 gal per hour at WOT, especially carburated ones! I would choose twin small blocks in boats 33' and under.There's more room between the engines to work on, compared to having twin big blocks. Anything bigger than 33' ,I'd definitely go big blocks.
#20
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I'm sure Dave meant 8-12 gal/hr per engine.
I limped back to the launch ramp on the port engine when this happened. A testimony for having twins and external rams to keep the drive pulling out ,
Last edited by spectras only; 09-19-2012 at 12:54 PM.