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Havalina, I can tell you this, I have 3 boats. ( 4 if you count 1/15 of a houseboat )
One of my boats has a 150HP Honda that is a thing of beauty, another has a 30HP Evenrude E-Tech oil injected 2 stroke that is so smooth you would swear it’s a 4 stroke that is also fantastic, and my pride and joy is a 1977 Jetboat with a 460 ford V8 and. Dominator jet with a place diverter that I totally rebuilt and is like brand new.
The Jet boat has to run much higher RPM for the same performance and is a bit of a gas sucking pig.
An reverse is sort of mushy.

I think you’ll be very happy with the Honda 4 strokers,
They will serve you well and are so darn reliable and much better on fuel than a jet drive,
Although I do admit I like to go to the bitter end of canyon with my jet drive as I can drive in just a few inches of water.
I’ve run aground multiple times and had to get out in ankle deep water and walk the boat back a ways to get going again.

Put on stainless steel props and you can drag them through some silt and not hurt them much.
Best not to find the bottom if you can.

So report back on your outing and let us know how the boat performed and how that joystick docking Optimus deal did. That sounds really cool.
 
TR. said:
Your gonna make dworwood jealous! Beauty, good luck! When I was down a few weeks ago the right side of the plate ramp was good. I think @Dworwood is there now and will have a better update.

TR
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Unloading is still good and I hope stays that way for a while! We loaded while they were loading a big house boat today with no problems. I will post when I catch my breath, just got home and had trailer problems on one of the boats so we were late getting home. More to follow.
 
Havalina said:
Twin Honda 225’s because they were the only engines that they could find. I am not complaining though, they bumped me up an extra 50 hp. I did a happy dance when my sales person sent me this picture. Thunderjet and yamaha both told him that all major boat engine manufactures are saying that they are least a year out.
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You'll love those Hondas!
 
Wet1 said:
You'll love those Hondas!
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Well, now I am not getting Honda’s. The dealer mounted them and the new Hondas and Mercurys have larger shrouds. So, they will not fit on a 2020 Thunderjet offshore. They apparently start to rub together when you turn the wheel. I am now going with two Suzuki 175’s that they just pulled off a new delivery. New pick up date is now mid October to early November barring some new unforeseen pandemic event.
 
Suzuki makes a good engine. In my mind the downside is service availability if needed.

What does the dealer expect as far as difference in performance between the 250s vs the 175s? That’s a big drop in HP.
 
Ryan said:
Suzuki makes a good engine. In my mind the downside is service availability if needed.

What does the dealer expect as far as difference in performance between the 250s vs the 175s? That’s a big drop in HP.
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The boat was originally supposed to have twin yamaha 200’s, but the were pulled off and sold a last year. I looked at a formula to predict boat speed and used 8000 lbs as the boats displacement ( most of the weight being my daughters beach toys.) There is only eight miles per hour between the Hondas and the Suzukis. They were only able to get the Suzukis because the distributor sent them by mistake. The only outboards that you can find at all right now are mechanical. I signed for the boat in April and should have it by the end of the month. The boat has been sitting in their lot for two years now, because of the pandemic. As long as I have that optimus 360, I can handle going a little slower.

I will be glad when the supply lines normalize again. I know I am spoiled, but I know what I am missing.
 
Havalina said:
The boat was originally supposed to have twin yamaha 200’s, but the were pulled off and sold a last year. I looked at a formula to predict boat speed and used 8000 lbs as the boats displacement ( most of the weight being my daughters beach toys.) There is only eight miles per hour between the Hondas and the Suzukis. They were only able to get the Suzukis because the distributor sent them by mistake. The only outboards that you can find at all right now are mechanical. I signed for the boat in April and should have it by the end of the month. The boat has been sitting in their lot for two years now, because of the pandemic. As long as I have that optimus 360, I can handle going a little slower.

I will be glad when the supply lines normalize again. I know I am spoiled, but I know what I am missing.
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That's really a bummer. Although I have heard and read good things about the Suzuki motors I think the biggest difference you're going to see getting 30% less horse power is not so much your top end speed but rather fuel economy reduction. You'll be running those Suzukis at higher RPM for cruise speed and there might be a significant increase in fuel consumption. You could just settle for a slower cruise speed based on whatever the max fuel efficiency rpm is for the Zukis though. I hate compromising for something much less than what I originally had planned when I convinced myself to spend the money.
 
The dealer Master Marine has bent over backwards to get me the boat. Then again they want it off of their lot. They are giving me 2020 retail prices on the engines. It was only going to cost an extra $3400 to bump up from the yamaha 200s to the Honda 225s. It is going to be close to the amount that they will drop off the price of the boat. I could roll the dice and wait possibly another six months for engines, but then interest rates are going up fairly soon. I trade the 10 year as a hobby, and the fed along with the deficit can’t afford another 6% yearly inflation rate.
 
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Wet1 said:
That's really a bummer. Although I have heard and read good things about the Suzuki motors I think the biggest difference you're going to see getting 30% less horse power is not so much your top end speed but rather fuel economy reduction. You'll be running those Suzukis at higher RPM for cruise speed and there might be a significant increase in fuel consumption. You could just settle for a slower cruise speed based on whatever the max fuel efficiency rpm is for the Zukis though. I hate compromising for something much less than what I originally had planned when I convinced myself to spend the money.
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Agreed. Plus the ability to get the boat up on plane.

But I’m also the guy that thinks every boat is underpowered. Next time I buy new, I’ll personally follow the adage of maxing out the HP rating. Not everyone has that affliction, and those that don’t are likely better off than I am.

Absolutely sweet boat with whatever is hanging off the back.
 
Ryan said:
Agreed. Plus the ability to get the boat up on plane.

But I’m also the guy that thinks every boat is underpowered. Next time I buy new, I’ll personally follow the adage of maxing out the HP rating. Not everyone has that affliction, and those that don’t are likely better off than I am.

Absolutely sweet boat with whatever is hanging off the back.
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Ryan said:
Agreed. Plus the ability to get the boat up on plane.

But I’m also the guy that thinks every boat is underpowered. Next time I buy new, I’ll personally follow the adage of maxing out the HP rating. Not everyone has that affliction, and those that don’t are likely better off than I am.

Absolutely sweet boat with whatever is hanging off the back.
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I'm that guy too. I once had a boat with a 175 HP rating and had a 125 on it. Beautiful calm days it was fine other than a weak hole shot, and slower top end but when the weather sneaks up on you and get's nasty there's no substitute for having the response you get with max HP. For me it's become a safety issue. Never have run a boat the size of the one Havalina is getting and maybe 350 HP will be plenty I just don't have that experience but it sounds like we'll know by this time next year.
 
do you plan to mainly run at Lake Powell which is approximately 3,600 foot elevation, at the level you lose about 10% power.
I have a 25 foot Nomad Houseboat with a 150 HP Honda on it and it is a little underpowered,
I have done some different prop pitches at different elevations to figure out what works best,
at sea level to about 3,000 feet I run a 15 pitch prop and it does about 30 MPH on plane
at 3,000 to about 5,000 feet I run a 13 pitch prop and it does about 25 MPH on plane
and at 5,000 foot and up I run a 11 pitch prop and it does about 22 MPH on plane

this varies a bit depending on fuel load, water tanks, number of passengers etc.

I've considered adding hydraulic trim tabs to help get on plane at lower speeds,
I wonder how your boat might do with different props and trim tabs,

I would say give it a go with what the dealer recommends at Lake Powell elevation and then see what you think.
 
Tracy Speer said:
do you plan to mainly run at Lake Powell which is approximately 3,600 foot elevation, at the level you lose about 10% power.
I have a 25 foot Nomad Houseboat with a 150 HP Honda on it and it is a little underpowered,
I have done some different prop pitches at different elevations to figure out what works best,
at sea level to about 3,000 feet I run a 15 pitch prop and it does about 30 MPH on plane
at 3,000 to about 5,000 feet I run a 13 pitch prop and it does about 25 MPH on plane
and at 5,000 foot and up I run a 11 pitch prop and it does about 22 MPH on plane

this varies a bit depending on fuel load, water tanks, number of passengers etc.

I've considered adding hydraulic trim tabs to help get on plane at lower speeds,
I wonder how your boat might do with different props and trim tabs,

I would say give it a go with what the dealer recommends at Lake Powell elevation and then see what you think.
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I usually run a 13 pitch prop, because I fish every elevation from sea level to 8000 ft. My sales guy said the they normally put twin 200’s, but have put a single 250 verado on a couple. The twin 175’s should put my max speed somewhere around 45 mph. I am looking forward to being able to post what the actual speed is going to be once I get the boat in the water.
 
Well, I just had another agonizing month waiting for my new boat. The Hondas were to big, the Susuki 175’s turned out to be mechinical so no joystick capability. They were missed labeled on the box. Then yesterday my next set of engines (Yamaha 200’s) were not in the conex box when it was opened up in Los Angelos. Yamaha told my dealer that they are missing over 100 engines and that their inventory control is messed up.

My dealer just talked with Lund, Thunder Jet, and Mercury and was told that their will be no repower Mercurys available until 2023. I never thought that I could put sixty percent down on a new boat and possibly not get it. Now it is a race to see if they can find engines or if the feds raise rates. One day soon hopefully.
 
Havalina said:
Well, I just had another agonizing month waiting for my new boat. The Hondas were to big, the Susuki 175’s turned out to be mechinical so no joystick capability. They were missed labeled on the box. Then yesterday my next set of engines (Yamaha 200’s) were not in the conex box when it was opened up in Los Angelos. Yamaha told my dealer that they are missing over 100 engines and that their inventory control is messed up.

My dealer just talked with Lund, Thunder Jet, and Mercury and was told that their will be no repower Mercurys available until 2023. I never thought that I could put sixty percent down on a new boat and possibly not get it. Now it is a race to see if they can find engines or if the feds raise rates. One day soon hopefully.
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My Heart goes out to you.........this is very stressful.............I could wax eloquent and put the blame on ___________

But we all know who is to blame.

If I were you I'd give 'em a deadline.....then take my $$ back If they can't produce AS THEY PROMISED.....(that's a big one, they need to be held accountable)

These crazy days call for clearly defined, decisive personal boundaries.

There's plenty O' boats out there.....if it ain't this one....another one will find you....:)

:cool:
 
Hate to say it again but I bet that sucks, worse than a hook in the leg? I afraid I don't have your patience so I hope things work out for me in Jan. You have a plan B I've been looking at different models and makers but not a lot out there . I hope things work out for you. Take care. PS Have you ever looked at Stabicraft there's some in Oregon 4 sale in the Pilots size.
 
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