Kenthegreenkeeper

That has not been my experience.

I typically take a 45 minute cruise to the spot where I beach for the day, and my fuel consumption was significantly less.

Underdog88

I always run one motor when cruising no wakes or just putting around. I have twice the hours on the one motor w/power steering. I only start the second one when docking or obviously getting on plane.

It's not because of the fuel. Why add wear and tear as well as noise running the second engine?
My question would be why WOULD you run 2-3 motors to idle across the lake?

pondrunner

Yes, according to the numbers (various test result data) one engine idling at precisely 1000 rpm (not flat idle at 650 as some would think) , seems to be the best gas mileage one can achieve on a single off plane. It works out to double the mileage at typical cruise speeds (3000-3500 rpm). In addition, it might be beneficial from a financial standpoint to have the engine overhauls come due at different times, speading the cost out instead of getting hit all at once for both.

Kenthegreenkeeper

Yeah, I "cruise" on one. Again, I can pull a drive completely up and out so I have no drag.

With water sports and hotrodding, it's fun to have two.

Mine are '87 vintage motors, and I have no "Hobbs" meters on the boat, so who knows how many hours they have.

I do know I have no drips, pings, or tics, and I've never turn a wrench on these. Just routine maintenence.

pstorti

iTrader: (2)

my fuel consumption isn't much better on one motor than on two at low speeds. the problem is at 650 rpm on one engine unless it is flat calm steering becomes a pain with any wind or waves. If i am up at 800-1000 rpm one motor burns almost as much fuel as two because it has to work harder. I get around 10mpg at idle and 5-7 mpg at 900 rpm which gives me 2000 mile range but I only idle in and out of the marina or where it is required. it also bugs the heck out of me when the motors don't have the same hours.

US1 Fountain

iTrader: (1)

Plumb it up so PS can run off either motor. Not hard to convert if your second motor already has the PS pump installed.

twinskrewd

I guess I always thought that would put a bunch of stress on the one drive you are running because you're asking one drive alone to do the work that two drives are designed to do. I suppose the load would be less than trying to get on plane with only one drive, but (having already blown up 2 bravo drives myself) I think I'd rather just run the boat the way it was designed to run than take what I perceive to be a big risk like that just to save a couple o' bucks on fuel. Mind you, I run through a tank a month in the summer so not really like I drive 'er too far anyway...

low_psi

Your case is a bit different than others.. The reason I say this is.... I had a 1985 Baja Force 250 it only had a single 350/alpha 1... It could run almost 50 MPH. Your 265 is only a 1.5 larger and has twin 350s.... So running a single engine in your 265 isn't much more than running a single in a 250....... I think this senario in smaller boats is much different than in larger boats. In a smaller boat with twins, running on a single motor is much more efficent than it would be running a single engine in a much larger boat..... Kind of an apples to oranges kind of deal....

Kenthegreenkeeper

I'll agree with that assesment.

Griff

Most twin engine boats cannot even get on plane with one engine. Not to mention the load placed on one engine and drive from a 8-10k boat is just asking asking for detonation and broken gears.