The Rise of Outboards and Center Consoles

Outboards are rapidly gaining share in more than just fishing boats. MJM has 12 pre-orders for its new 35 ft outboard-powered cruising boat, Formula just came out with a 40+ foot outboard-powered cruising boat, and Pursuit makes some big outboard-powered weekenders. I even read that the Endeavour Catamaran manufacturer just delivered a 48' power catamaran with twin outboards.

The newer four-stroke outboards are amazingly reliable, quiet, with little vibration. Having them hang on the transom frees up so much space where inboard motors used to reside, plus there is no need for through-hulls or exhaust systems. Steering is much stronger when the entire prop flow is turned instead of partial turn of prop flow over a rudder. You can tilt up outboards for shallow water. I understand why outboards are being used more and more -- they have significant advantages over inboards for many types of boats up to the 40-foot range. Most important, a big center console with three or four outboards on the transom is really fun to drive.

Yes, but generally that will include oil changes, fuel filters and gear lube. If you're using it that much a more in depth service can be done at 200 hours (impellors, zincs, etc.)

Pre-orders are a boatbuilders dream. They may be dealer stocking inventory or for actual customers, but they sure do get the production machine rolling.

Dunno. High speed wouldn't be a goal for me, though.

No, haven't seen that. I've only seen pics of engine mounted further aft, under the deck. (Shamrock, maybe? Stamas? Can't remember) No fish box, I guess (and since I don't care about fishing, that didn't seem like a bad trade-off. Yep, losing the head would suck.

-Chris

Head, certainly. We'd probably shop for a "good head, with a center console attached."

At that point, again assuming our boating life has changed, we probably wouldn't care much about berth... though we did see a couple CC's with that when we shopped for our previous boat. Didn't seem bad, given they had the room to do it. Think they were a Grady and a Whaler, about 30' or so, outboard boats. Lots o' years ago, now. We ended up with an inboard express fishboat -- berth, galley, dinette, head/shower -- and that was about as much as I would want to be below-decks in a non-bridge-boat again.

But yes, I wouldn't much be interested in a trade-off between inboard diesel versus good head. I could live with outboards, if I had to. Just not my preference.

-Chris

I fish often on a friend's 65 Viking. Full time captain and mate make it easy. I own a 36 Invincible and have friends with Yellowfin, Sea Hunter and other top end CC fishing boats. On all but the sloppiest days, I would prefer to fish a large CC. There are some real benefits.

1. You can easily fish with 3 people, and even 2.
2. Speed - if the bite inshore is slow I can run offshore and be in the Gulf stream in 15 minutes in S. FL. Cruise speed is 40-45 knots with a top end of 60
3. Fuel efficiency - 1.2 nmpg at 40 knots and 1.4 at 30 knot slow cruise, and with 475 gallons a range approaching 600 nm.
4. 360 degree walk around is nice.

I personally would not want a SF; rather have a motor yacht for cruising.

Hello all, just joined the forum, but I thought I would join in with some insight.

While I absolutely agree the market will support and grow a larger number of XL CC's, I believe the next few years will also see a significant number of manufacturers release larger CC Catamaran style hulls as well. Especially since Freeman Boat Works released their insanely popular 37' and backed up their waiting list over 3 years.

I've worked closely with SeaVee boats for around two years now running one of their 430 Express models and have had the opportunity to rub elbows with a number of manufacturers in that time. None of the major players in OP's post have announced anything new, but I do hear rumblings of designs and CAD drawings.

While I'm a fan of twin screw boats, the Cat Boats offer a number of benefits to the hardcore fishing / big tender crowd. Shallow draft, great at rest, comfortable ride, and plenty of flat/usable deck space. The demand is there from the customers I speak with. Additionally, they can be moved efficiently with less power. Twin outboards is significantly easier to maintain that quads.

I agree, I don't have a crystal ball nor can I tell exactly what will happen. I'm just coming at it from a business stand point and as a curious consumer.

Freeman is right around 3 years from the time you buy a build spot to the time your boat is ready for delivery. That's direct from them. The only reason I can see not shortening that time frame for customers is a lack of infrastructure to meet demand. Your right, they don't crank out that many boats compared to the likes of SeaVee, but it seems they are gradually increasing the number of boats they can make per year. Increased demand keeps them from shortening that time frame. Cycle continues.

It's not just about Freeman however. I think an innovative company that has the capacity for mass production of quality boats would want a piece of that market share, IF they can create a model that performs. I'm just excited to see new developments in the industry over the next few years.

They tried that.......Grady White and some other large CC builder built some catamarans a few years back, they flopped. Problem is with CAT's and center consoles, to get the design right, to go longer, they get too wide to trailer which negates a center console in the first place.

That's a good point. Didn't consider the ability to take it home at the end of the day.

Hey there! We are proud of the boat for sure, but yes as you said we've never been pulled in Salerno. We have been on the trailer one time (new motors) and trust me, I was nervous seeing that much boat going down the road! Glad you like the products, we take a lot of pride in them.

The Grady White effort was not executed well and is a good example of bringing an entirely new product to market without the proper engineering up-front. They went way too far out of their comfort zone.

Catamaran center consoles are a growth market, and after taking a look at the entire CC market, a Freeman Cat would be my personal choice, that is a helluva wave eating machine they are building there.

Globally, Australia, NZ, South Africa have embraced the outboard powered Catamaran designs for decades, they are just getting some real good exposure in the US over the past 5 years. Not saying that they were not being sold in the US before that, the designs have just improved and are more tailored to our markets now.

The majority of people entering the larger CC Markets are the ones coming out of big SF yachts. They no longer stay on-board and would prefer to pull up to a marina with a nice hotel and dining. They can get to their destination faster and more efficiently and most of all - They love the reduced maintenance costs.

And then what I've been seeing is that these owners are also older, 45 years old or older. They get caught in a torrential downpour or rough seas once or twice where they get soaking wet, and now they're going to something easy, that rides good, with legs, and a dry helm and easy/dry/secure place to store their luggage and rods and tackle and are going to something like the Hatteras 45' EX.

Haven t seen that yet...

Hatteras has already sold around 7 or so Cabo 41's and plenty of 45' ex's running around.