Got to be the way to go?

[nicho]

Spent (wasted) some time today on YouTube watching boats coming in and out of the Haulover Inlet in Miami. Virtually every boat up to about 50’ was outboard powered, many with two, three, four and even five outboard engines of 350/450 hp. I know some boats (Parker) are arriving in the U.K. with outboards, but the majority if European manufacturers are staying with inboards. Makes me think multiple outboards are the future, but what might be the downsides?

 

[Frederick911]

Downside…. Petrol availability and consumption with that number of outboards!

 

[dunedin]

Downside…. Petrol availability and consumption with that number of outboards!

And European prices for petrol vs USA prices

 

[nicho]

Downside…. Petrol availability and consumption with that number of outboards!

True, but the Americans always go overboard (pun), surely not needing 1700/2000 hp on a 40/50’ boat. Surely we could make do with two? We have 400 hp on our S34, so a couple of 200’s would suffice. It would be nice to lift them clear of the water when berthed too.

 

[LittleSister]

I've previously wasted some time watching a few videos from Haulover Inlet demonstrating an excess of hp, speed, alcohol and machismo; and a severe shortage of competence in boat handling/launching and of clothing for female passengers!

 

[ST840]

and of clothing for female passengers!

I don't see an issue here!!

 

[benjenbav]

Another outboard issue is the relative ease of their removal by the light-fingered in possession of an A-frame and a van…

 

[julians]

Spent (wasted) some time today on YouTube watching boats coming in and out of the Haulover Inlet in Miami. Virtually every boat up to about 50’ was outboard powered, many with two, three, four and even five outboard engines of 350/450 hp. I know some boats (Parker) are arriving in the U.K. with outboards, but the majority if European manufacturers are staying with inboards. Makes me think multiple outboards are the future, but what might be the downsides?

Modern outboards are pretty good. We have the new V8 300hp mercury on our boat,it's quiet(unless you turn on the sports exhaust) ,smooth and fuel efficient.

I suspect they are the way forward for smaller new boats,not sure about them in larger boats in europe just because of the cost of petrol over here, although I guess it depends on the equation of hours run, purchase cost ,and maintenance cost versus a diesel inboard.

 

[Bandit]

A lot of the french boats Beneteau, Jeanneau etc the 30 to 35 ft boats are coming out with Outboards.

Down side fuel consumption, the weight being right at the back of the boat from a seakeeping point of view etc.

 

[Scubadoo]

Interesting you make this point. While at Cowes & Solent last weekend, I was a little surprised in seeing a few larger boats (30ft to 40ft) with outboards. So maybe increasing in popularity, but can't help thinking about the lower fuel economy and lack of petrol availability.

 

[julians]

Interesting you make this point. While at Cowes & Solent last weekend, I was a little surprised in seeing a few larger boats (30ft to 40ft) with outboards. So maybe increasing in popularity, but can't help thinking about the lower fuel economy and lack of petrol availability.

Is petrol availability (or lack of) a particularly British thing? Caused by the availability of red deisel.

I know where I boat (Majorca) there's no issue at all with getting petrol in the marinas, but I dont go anywhere else,so don't know if petrol is ubiquitous everywhere except the UK.

 

[henryf]

Fuel prices would be eye watering using outboards. No chance of a 60 / 40 split, instead vastly overpriced petrol. Then there's the risk of fire. A couple of thousand liters of petrol giving off flammable vapors......

Finally how do outboard engines fare in terms of torque? I can see them producing big HP numbers at higher revs but torque to get a heavy boat up on the plane and potentially drive bigger props at lower speed for efficient and economical displacement cruising ?

Someone far more intelligent than I will be able to provided the answers.

 

[Bouba]

Stern too berthing in the Med is a problem with outboard boats...although many designs have the swim platform aft of the engines to aid Med berthing...some people like to come in snout first, with a boarding ladder placed over the anchor. The problem is that when you connect the slime line to a stern quarter cleat, the boat sit ski-whiff.
I agree that modern outboards are amazing

 

[paradave]

Agree with all the positives and also must make a huge amount of extra space on board larger boats by having an empty engine room repurposed.
I said the other day how impressed I am with ours and my next boat will have an outboard I strongly suspect.

 

[julians]

Stern too berthing in the Med is a problem with outboard boats...although many designs have the swim platform aft of the engines to aid Med berthing...some people like to come in snout first, with a boarding ladder placed over the anchor. The problem is that when you connect the slime line to a stern quarter cleat, the boat sit ski-whiff.
I agree that modern outboards are amazing

Agree that stern to berthing with an outboard is nigh on impossible, even if you have a bathing platform either side of the outboard it doesn't really work because you tilt the outboard up and out of the water and it sticks out by a meter or more from the edge of the bathing platform making the boat too far from the quay.

With my old inboard boat we always berthed stern to, but with the new outboard boat we berth bow in instead, but it's not a big issue.

The slime line problem can be overcome by rigging a bridle to both cleats so the stern line is in the middle of the boat.

 

[julians]

Fuel prices would be eye watering using outboards. No chance of a 60 / 40 split

That's a very uk centric view of the world though, nowhere else (afaik) in the world has a similar tax arrangement.

In the UK though,I'd agree it (and the lack of petrol in marinas) makes petrol outboards a hard sell.

 

[Bouba]

Agree that stern to berthing with an outboard is nigh on impossible, even if you have a bathing platform either side of the outboard it doesn't really work because you tilt the outboard up and out of the water and it sticks out by a meter or more from the edge of the bathing platform making the boat too far from the quay.

With my old inboard boat we always berthed stern to, but with the new outboard boat we berth bow in instead, but it's not a big issue.

The slime line problem can be overcome by rigging a bridle to both cleats so the stern line is in the middle of the boat.

I was talking of full beam swim platforms (some hydraulic) leaving the outboards set far back from the stern

 

[SC35]

So let's look at the Mercury Verado 400.
Each Engine costs £40k
Mercury 400 Verado® Outboard Engine - 400 HP

Four of those will be £162,000

Fuel consumption at 3500rpm could be 40 litres/hr per engine, 160 litres per hour, which actually isn't terrible for 1600hp of engines.
Flat out could be 500 litres per hour

Also you have 1200kg engines with the weight rather higher up than with an inboard.

It all suits the USA market ... "Blat out through the inlet with the bikini babes, zoom around the bay at 60kts for half an hour, drop the anchor, catch fish, drink beer, zoom back at 60kts".
It's not quite the "Plod to Newtown Creek at 20kts, eat sandwiches, use binoculars to spot wading birds, read Kindle, plod on towards Lymington" experience that we are more used to over here.

 

[Mr Googler]

225 litres per hour at nearly flat out. £2.7k to fill up. Went well though

 

[Bouba]

View attachment 150801View attachment 150803View attachment 150802

225 litres per hour at nearly flat out. £2.7k to fill up. Went well though

You only need to burn that much fuel when the captain wants to go water skiing