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Sportfish converted to Outboards!

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by motoryachtlover, Jan 27, 2023.

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  1. motoryachtlover

    motoryachtlover Senior Member

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    Sorry for the poor picture quality but this is the first Sportfish converted to outboards that I have seen in the wild actually moving. Heard about them in the forums and such. I believe this is an older Post. Wonder how it does offshore and what they did with all the engine room space.

    Attached Files:

  2. DOCKMASTER

    DOCKMASTER Senior Member

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    Interesting. One would think there must have been some form of ballast added for stability to offset the low weight removed ? I wonder how performance and fuel consumption compares?
  3. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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  4. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Hopefully, the engine bracket is a box down to the hull bottom adding buoyancy.
    That would be a blast to get the owner onboard here to talk about his package.

    I am so much looking forward to VP & Merc to ad diesel power heads to their new outboard drive packages.
  5. Jorge Lang

    Jorge Lang Senior Member

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    Lots of 31' Bertrams out there with outboards.
  6. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    bayoubud likes this.
  7. motoryachtlover

    motoryachtlover Senior Member

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    That appears to be the same boat. It does seem to plane off very quickly. Says it is a 55 Ocean. I thought maybe a 50 post. That is a lot of boat to move with OBs. My Viking 54 MY has 1640 hp total and over a cliff I can get 27 knots. Seems like it would be a handful to dock even if it does have the joystick gizmo. I have noticed on OB powered boats that upon docking the props seems to aerate the water and you have a lot of RPM yielding very little thrust.
  8. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    A byproduct of joystick algorithms.
  9. chesapeake46

    chesapeake46 Senior Member

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    There is a 32 ft Marinette near me with a 200 or so Hp outboard hung off the back of her swim platform.
    He uses it regularly and he just idles down the river and back.
    I don't think I would want to be on it in bad weather but a nice sunset cruiser .
  10. bayoubud

    bayoubud Senior Member

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    When that happens there will be a lot of conversions to older inboards. I would even consider that too!
  11. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    If you kids remember the OMC transom drive / Sea Drive setup (1980 ish), then you may remember Huckins Yacht mounted 4 of these big-uns to a new Huck.
    th-3284141194.jpg th-3376897642.jpg
    Now, this was all mechanical, the long clutch/throttle cables were a head ache.
    It ran fair/well for a couple of years and then the outboards were removed, standard engine package was installed.

    Just imagine 4 x 200HP on the stern. Trim-able also.
    All 4 the weight of the single inboard standard 8v71n with clutch.

    With today's drive by wire, I could see it happening often and soon, with great results.
    Sadly, It's going to be a money thing again. No money, No trick pony.
  12. bayoubud

    bayoubud Senior Member

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    It has always been a money thing. Four engines to maintain...I don't think so:eek:!
  13. MBevins

    MBevins Senior Member

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    I'm having a hard time justifying the dollars on a sportfish O/B retro. The motors have got to be real close in value to a couple of diesels. Then you've got a huge amount of labor to create the brackets .
    So what would the attraction be?
  14. motoryachtlover

    motoryachtlover Senior Member

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    I think the attraction is the power to weight ratio and additional space inside. I wonder if he increased the fuel tankage? I have a single 300hp Yamaha on a 23 footer and according to the display it burns 16 gallons and hour at 4300 RPM. So 4 300s will burn approximately 64 gal/hr with out the generator. My 54 Viking with 2 820 MANs burns 60 gal/hr with genny delivering 21 knots. Not knowing his performance it is hard for me to evaluate. When it gets rough are the props coming out of the water enough to be a concern? Plus I don’t want 4 engines to maintain. I try to keep an open mind but not for me.
    cleanslate likes this.
  15. bayoubud

    bayoubud Senior Member

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  16. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Ah, I got it.
    He wanted a new 4 engine fancy boat. Wife wanted a big cabin with galley/head.
    Enclosed center consoles don't come with a full head and 40" TV.
    The things you can do with money.

    OTOH;
    Could some engine thinker be working on a test-bed??
    Not really a personal boat but research?
    ,,,, Getting some real time (personal) use??

    Huckins captured a lot of data on that boat in post #11.
    They are marketing a sportman 38 with diesels, Diesel/electric or outboards now.
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2023
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  17. Slimshady

    Slimshady Senior Member

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    That boat won't fish. Typical conditions offshore will swamp those motors. Can't backdown worth a darn, lots of whitwater to hinder fish seeing the baits, outboards in the way when fighting and landing fish. Bad cg and thousands of gallons of gas on a boat. Not me.
    SplashFl and chesapeake46 like this.
  18. chesapeake46

    chesapeake46 Senior Member

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    That was my first thought also.

    Like an elephant, cool to look at what I wouldn't want one of my own.
  19. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    I hate posting, not in agreement my friends, Butt;;
    Some of those old SeaDrives had a snorkel that went thru the transom and drew dry air from the boat.
    I have run outboards and lost sight of the outboard under the water and they kept dry under the cowl, the air/water baffles work great.
    On the OP picture, by the time the water laps over the transom, the cowling top and air vents are still exposed.
    The big-uns are taller than the transom.
    Air to the power head is not an issue...

    The later secondary exhaust ports do keep the gasses from fowling the prop when backing.
    I'm sure you don't troll with all 3, 4, 5 or 6 engines running. 1 or 2 may work fine.
    And fishing with an outboard is done with a better captain that keeps the fish on the beam than behind the boat.
    There are just to many outboard boats out there winning the tournaments now to support your comments.
  20. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    When designed correctly, the newer boat / outboard CG is good.
    Somehow, That OP picture, the bow level looks good.

    Lots of fuel?? If you can afford the new monster outboards, fuel cost is not a big deal.

    Now, when they start placing diesel power heads on the new drive packages, so much fuel on board may not be needed.
    Or, Keep the capacity anyway. Again, way over my check books limits.