Single or Twins

[Cracker Larry]

Another option not mentioned is a big single with a kicker of about 10 hp. Most twin engine boats won't plane with one engine out anyway. Some will if you change props. But a long shaft 10 hp low geared kicker will get you home almost as fast as a big engine that won't plane the boat, for a lot less money.

[bly]

The first time you get caught out 20 miles plus with a broke boat you will wish you had twins...... For 3 years now I have owned my first twin engined boat. It really helps put me at ease being I run out 40 + miles.

I have a sailfish 2360 with twins and have very little I can say negative about the boat. It really is a very good ride and easily converts to a family cruiser. Good Luck

I have fished off shore with a single a lot but I guess age is catching up finally? I now have a twin for this season. I had a hpdi that went boom and I alays believed the 140 bananas were worth the tow service. I guess the twin bite latched on after the hpdi got really guiet

[ReelTuna17]

You should be alright with single and seatow but personally i like the idea of a second engine god forbid something happened to the other one.

[greg]

You should be alright with single and seatow but personally i like the idea of a second engine god forbid something happened to the other one.

I used to have a twin engine outboard. Felt very safe when I had older two strokes, but with new four strokes it seemed kind of overkill.

So what can wrong that would have you floating around?

Bad fuel will cripple both engines, no joy there.

Hitting something and ruining a prop? Or maybe spinning a prop? I guess you could carry a cheap spare. Changing it might be a challenge, but it's doable.

Anything more serious probably won't happen to a new engine. But you never know.

I'd probably go with the single and sea tow. Get yourself a good sea anchor as well as the other stuff mentioned, and a sat phone to call when you are out of radio range.

Oh, and double up on maintenance and spare parts/filters.

[Sea Snake]

I have a 2001 Proline Sport 23 footer, and I bought it with the single 225 merc. Later on I added a kicker, a 15 hp bigfoot by merc....and it fit the bill fine for a couple of years. But you need to use that kicker almost each trip out to keep it serviceable for when you really need it. I troll alot, so that wasn't as problem for me. When it came time to replace my big main motor, I thought long and hard and was about to just replace my 225 EFI with a 225 Opti....but for the same money....I could repower with twin 115 Opti's. So that's what I did....I repowered with twin 115 optimax's, for 400 dollars more than it would've cost to go with the 225 opti....and couldn't be happier.

My old motor got 1.1 mpg....and the twin optis get around 3.1 mpg, running both motors. So I'm liking the economy. So, if you are on the fence, you might consider lesser powered twins....just don't go too lesser. Twin 115's on my 23 proline is the bare minimum, imo.....

Steve

[greg]

I have a 2001 Proline Sport 23 footer, and I bought it with the single 225 merc. Later on I added a kicker, a 15 hp bigfoot by merc....and it fit the bill fine for a couple of years. But you need to use that kicker almost each trip out to keep it serviceable for when you really need it. I troll alot, so that wasn't as problem for me. When it came time to replace my big main motor, I thought long and hard and was about to just replace my 225 EFI with a 225 Opti....but for the same money....I could repower with twin 115 Opti's. So that's what I did....I repowered with twin 115 optimax's, for 400 dollars more than it would've cost to go with the 225 opti....and couldn't be happier.

My old motor got 1.1 mpg....and the twin optis get around 3.1 mpg, running both motors. So I'm liking the economy. So, if you are on the fence, you might consider lesser powered twins....just don't go too lesser. Twin 115's on my 23 proline is the bare minimum, imo.....

Steve

This isn't an apples to apples comparison. Twins will get lower fuel economy than a like single of comparable hp. Older engines will get lower economy than newer.

If you went to a new single, you may have yet higher economy.

[cracker]

If you are worried what little bit extra you might be spending in gas in a twin versus single situation maybe offshore boating is not the right sport... #1 concern on my boat is safety and twin engines are just that a safety feature. While I agree most new engines are more reliable than older, plenty of things can happen other than gas and spun prop to stop an engine.... The other thing to remember is that the bad gas situation will show itself much earlier than when you get 30+ miles offshore fishing...

[greg]

If you are worried what little bit extra you might be spending in gas in a twin versus single situation maybe offshore boating is not the right sport...

Someone should tell Sig Hanson. He has no business being offshore with one engine.

The other thing to remember is that the bad gas situation will show itself much earlier than when you get 30+ miles offshore fishing...

Not necessarily. Filters will clog over time, and if you fill up just before heading out it could easily take 30 gallons of dirty fuel through a filter before you see issues.

But that wasn't my point. I was just pointing out that a 300 hp 4 stroke will use less fuel than two 150 hp four strokes of the same brand. That has nothing to do with safety.

Yes, all other things being equal two engines are better than one. But all other things aren't equal in this or any other world. You always have tradeoffs.

Some would (and do) say that going that far offshore in a small boat isn't safe regardless of how many engines you have.

[cracker]

I am sure in a 23 foot situation we are talking outboards and not diesel engines, totally different animal so Sig is not in question.

As far as filters, whether you have a single or twins you should be carrying spares? Again, after one time of being stranded with weather moving in your opinion might change... Good Luck all

[greg]

I am sure in a 23 foot situation we are talking outboards and not diesel engines, totally different animal so Sig is not in question.

As far as filters, whether you have a single or twins you should be carrying spares? Again, after one time of being stranded with weather moving in your opinion might change... Good Luck all

It's all good. I'm not saying you are wrong. My Parker had twin engines so clearly I felt they were needed in my situation. I could feel perfectly comfortable with a single though.