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What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

Old 10-04-2004, 12:09 PM
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Default What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

Humor me please even though I may no my answer already.

I have been working on and gathering all the parts now for a little over 2 years to put
my project boat together. It is a 46' V-bottom Cougar with a triple engine 572's with
#6 drives pushing 720hp each. The boat is a kevlar Hull aswell.

All my boating would be pleasure boating, maybe one poker-run a year and maybe
one or two trips a year.

So after continueing to go through all this and the learning curve that goes with anything.
Ideally a 41' boat with staggereds would be a nicer balance. But Cougar's aren't the easiest
boat to sell unless your a cougar die hard. So I continue to work on this old Girl.

After watching Hot Ducks 45' Apache with twins get reworked and dialed in by Tres Martin,
I was intrigued. Out side of the money spent to convert it, would the trade off be worth
it to change this big of a boat from triples to a twin side by side or a staggered.

I would have to bump the power up some, how much ??
I wouldn't be the fastest guy out there, but that hasn't been a concern anyways.
Plus it's more fun watching WickedWon wake allot of these new boys up with his obsolete,
ride. I would be happy to run in the 80's...................

The V-berth was eliminated prior to me owning in to remove some weight. And I
have considered removing more and maybe running a 1/2 or 1/4 cabin for more
weight savings.

1) So who has run triples and changed to staggereds and why?

2) Or changed from staggereds back to triples and why?

3) Pro's and con's of (my) particular boat running it either way.

4) Forget the money rerigging, once it's changed to either set up. Would you like maintaining
a triple to run 80's or a staggered to run 80's. Both in feasability and exspence of daily maintance.

5) I talked to a few rig shops and it was suggested to pull the center engine
and leave it a side by side rather than all the work involved to make a staggered boat.
Right now if I pulled the center engine and left it a side by side, they would be
on 40" center's. Seems like the demensions would be to great vs. a traditional side by side??

6) I don't know what the hull currently weighs so I can't help you with calculations.
Of one set-up or the other vs. weight.

But unless I donate this old girl, looks like I might own it for some time. I know I would
love the room of a staggered. But would it all add up to enough bonuses to really love
it in staggered form with all the work that would go into it. Seems resonable to me to get
into the 80's let me know what ya think. Basically if I'm going to keep it for quite some
time I want to enjoy the most I can in everyway possible. From maintance, to feeding it,
to handling in the rough, to docking it.

Cougarman
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Old 10-04-2004, 12:10 PM
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Default Re: What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

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Last edited by CougarMan; 10-04-2004 at 12:12 PM.
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Old 10-04-2004, 12:54 PM
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Default Re: What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

Wow,

Let me see where to begin.

Triples.... Positive points;No re-rig costs and no open holes in dash, can run "mild power" and still go as fast as twins w/ big power (blown).

negatives: More fuel, more maintenance, more likely to break down, more, more...

Twins: positives:Stay side by side- dont mess w/ rerigging for staggered. Hot Ducks 45 is side by side. less fuel, maintenance, & weight. Spare drive.

Negatives: Need to go to bigger power & more frequent rebuilds.

You can get 572's w/ 700 hp for about $ 14-15k. Three costs you $ 45k

A 900 hp blower motor is about $ 22-25k? x 2= $ 45-50 k same price.

Wannabe
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Old 10-04-2004, 01:49 PM
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Default Re: What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

Looks like a lot of serious structural fiberglass work to make the stringers work. Also The fuel tank looks like its in the way of a foward engine. Im sure you have seen all of that but Thats the first thing i see. I know that the refit i am doing has been insane but that makes my ideas look basic. Just WOW! I can imagine going through with that and hopping that the combination worked.

I would like the same as wannabe said, mild engines in tripple. I love the look of 3 # 6's too.
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Old 10-04-2004, 02:03 PM
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Default Re: What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

I would sell the engines and #6's, buy two small 75 hp diesels for docking low speed (with alphas) and a 3 to 4 K HP turbine and arnson for the middle. Get out the marina spool up the turbine and go. No need for Neutral or reverse or power brake. Use the small kickers for that (trim them to trailer and spool up). Speed and economy (compared to 3-1200 HP Gas mils) and lower cost diesel as well. Have heard marine turbines (once set up) are extremely reliable and low cost to maintain. Plus it would flat smoke anything less on the water.
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Old 10-04-2004, 02:12 PM
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Default Re: What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

i love turbines, i am building a twin turbine boat right now, slowly. to start with that boat will never perform well with a single turbine. the boat would want to twist all the time. the only turbine worth putting in it if it were going to be a single woulf be a t55 and they are big buckr sight now. you could, for less money go with 2 t53-13 turbines like i am 1350-1500hp each depending on water injection or not. the turbines onley weigh 500lbs each and would work well with the #6 drives and tran. you have. once set up, and as long as you doo not over temp them. you will never touch them again. you could run them at 100% all day. they burn 84gph at wot each but thats prob not that much more than 3 bbc at wot. they wil run on several diff fuels as well. if you have any interest figure the -13b or -13ba will run you 15-20k each. i have people i can get them from if you have any interest.
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Old 10-04-2004, 02:31 PM
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Default Re: What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

CougarMan, I remember when you had it advertised, I love that thing. Looking at the engine bay I would have to think that it would be very costly to convert to staggered engines. I saw two for sale in a late edition of Poker Runs (I think) maybe you could check to see there configuration. If I could have convinced my better half I would have looked harder at the boat. Good Luck.

Dave B
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Old 10-04-2004, 02:33 PM
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Default Re: What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

I was in that same dillema with my hustler to stager and run real big power or keep it as trips. Stayed as trips for the last trip out I had a motor throw all belts and that left me to run in toto the docks and gather more belts and tools to reinstal. Was able to plane up and run at cruise spped dragging the third behind, if twins would have been idleing for about 35 minutes instead of the 10 minute ride that I was able to do. Also blew an outdrive on a poker run as well and was able to run into the start area grab the trialer yank the boat and replace outdrive before the rest of the boats stopped for lunch and cauch up with them, twins, I couldn't have done that, would have taken a lot longer to idle back in to the start area marina.Trips are for me thats for sure. let along the ahh factor when you fire up 1 then 2 and then the 3rd at the docks!!
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Old 10-04-2004, 04:48 PM
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Default Re: What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

Stay with the tripples John----heck, you have most all of the stuff now for tripples anyway. Just put that hog together and save yourself a TON of time, $$$, and headaches already. I will be giving you a call so I can swing over and look at that thing.
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Old 10-04-2004, 05:34 PM
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Default Re: What are your thought's on changing this Triple to a Staggered?

if you go twins leave it side by side it will be a large project to kil the center engine. It will be a MASSIVE project to set it up with a stagger.
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