Single outboard stability

You're welcome, and politeness is always highly appreciated whatever the formal etiquette. Best regards.

 

powerabout "Hi Ilan
Just wondered how the BRP Etecs do down there as you didnt mention them?
Cheers"
Nobody uses it here, simply because the closest dealer is at about 300 miles... So I have not first hand data and information. However there is dealer at Merida (Yucatan) who is selling this brand, and model since a long time, and that's a good point.
When the engines have serious flaws, the dealer disappears in 2 or 3 years. The market is at 90% for working boats -dive, snorkel tours and light fishing boats-.

BMcF. Very interesting point which illustrates that there is not universal solution. Each solution must be adapted for the task asked to the boat.
And also that until 150 HP each engine, outboards may be an excellent solution for a small sport boat, specially deep V and only 25 feet, where total weight and space on the boat are important issues. Furthermore, these sport boats are generally designed primary for outboards.
Also, efficiency is not a priority and happily it will never have to run commercially 1000 hours year on a tight budget. It's normal, it's a leisure sport boat, not a workhorse.

Besides, the 3L 4 cylinders 140HP is not the best engine in its category...and truly 2 inboards with stern drives of only 140 HP each on a 25 feet boat is a lot of complication, overweight and space eater .

 

They were pretty ubiquitous though, those Volvo 4-bangers..and frankly, those tough little Volvos were running just fine when they were yanked, even though they had very high hours. When I bought the boat, it was 12 years old (as were the engines), and I wanted more 'zip' and preferred the outboard solution, but I was never under the delusion that I was replacing the inboard setup with something longer lived or more reliable. I knew I wasn't.

Cheers.

 

Not that many years ago sport fisherman had no use for OBs, always in the way noisy, poor fuel consumption, etc. However, today you see a lot of 25' to40' sport fisherman with OBs. Why the change? Until you get into the bigger SFs gas engines are more budget friendly, however, with inboards the getting under way proceedure is more lengthly (time required to vent machinery spaces, check fluid levels, hoses, etc.) With OBs top up the fuel and go. In a planing hull weight is a big enemy, yes the big OBs are heavy but not compaired to an inboard of the same hp. As for IOs they have all the problems of the inboards and outboards. Just my $.02