Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - View Single Post

BassyiusMaximus · 07-03-2007, 10:14 AM

I'm here in Southeastern MA.

The new boat is just incredible. The Verado 250 is amazing! From the DTS/Digital Throttle and Shift, the shift/throttle handle just moves so smoothly from gear engagement to putting the hammer down and getting things moving it is a wonder that cables still exist but I'm sure most if not all will move towards it in the not too distant future. The throttle and shift tension is even adjustable, it is awesome. Even the true power steering is a delight, I didn't even really notice it until I drove a boat with just hydraulic steering, it was like going from power steering in a car to one without power steering, besides, how many of us even remember what it is like to drive a car with no power steering? It was like parallell parking with no power steering, just grab the suicide knob and turn away, the effortlessness is addicting and makes docking or steering so pleasant and after a while I take it for granted as it just works so well.

Before I bought the boat I had no idea what the engine would be like, I was concerned that the boat/motor would be a dog out of the hole and even the owner's son of the boat mfgr. alluded to the fact that the Verado was "doggy" out of the hole and tried to sell me a Suzuki, and while I know Suzuki's are good, they just didn't have what the Verado has right now, but I now know that the engine launches the boat out of the hole and has incredible power all the way to WOT. I have no concerns with power as it has all of the 250 horses all through the rev-range, from idle to my 6,400 redline, never mind the quiet of the engine and the smoothness and total lack of vibration, it is exactly what I wanted in a motor.

I got to take the boat out for a long weekend Memorial Day and while the boat only had from 3-15 hours on it at the time, I did have to take the engine to WOT to aid in break-in and with a light load/no load and my girl with me I was able to get 50 mph on the GPS. This totally surprised me as others with E-Tec 250's and Suzuki 250's were only able to get 44-46 mph at WOT so I figured the Verado would be good for about the same and not 50, even though 50 is no big deal, when I've got the silver hammer to the stop and am moving at that speed, I feel like I'm humming along and it is quite a thrill for sure. 50 mph is what many 26' twin engined 250's get so I'm happy with it for sure.

I had to spend 2 weeks dewaxing the entire bottom, the bracket and the trim tabs, then priming everything, then putting 3 coats of paint on everything as I leave the boat in the water for the season and another concern was losing speed and fuel economy with all the paint. It turns out that I did not lose anything at all. I still got 50 after I painted it and tested it at WOT and around 50.3-50.4 mph on the GPS this past Sunday so no more worries about that either. Overall I get an mpg average of 3.3-3.5 depending on the load/how many people I have on board and the sea conditions of course. So long as I keep the revs under 5,000, the fuel mileage is not that bad for a 5,000 lb boat with a single 250.

Then the ride, of course, going from a boat that weighs around 2,500 lbs to one that is around 5,000 lbs is going to be a big difference and while the overall length is at least 3 1/2 feet longer than the boat I had been running for the past 20 years, including the bracket, every other dimension is larger as well and with a set of 12 X 12 trim tabs, the ride is just incredible, smooth and dry. A 20 degree deadrise and a 50-something degree entry with a huge flare in the bow will do that. Thanks for asking.

07-03-2007, 10:14 AM	#3
BassyiusMaximus Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 353	I'm here in Southeastern MA. The new boat is just incredible. The Verado 250 is amazing! From the DTS/Digital Throttle and Shift, the shift/throttle handle just moves so smoothly from gear engagement to putting the hammer down and getting things moving it is a wonder that cables still exist but I'm sure most if not all will move towards it in the not too distant future. The throttle and shift tension is even adjustable, it is awesome. Even the true power steering is a delight, I didn't even really notice it until I drove a boat with just hydraulic steering, it was like going from power steering in a car to one without power steering, besides, how many of us even remember what it is like to drive a car with no power steering? It was like parallell parking with no power steering, just grab the suicide knob and turn away, the effortlessness is addicting and makes docking or steering so pleasant and after a while I take it for granted as it just works so well. Before I bought the boat I had no idea what the engine would be like, I was concerned that the boat/motor would be a dog out of the hole and even the owner's son of the boat mfgr. alluded to the fact that the Verado was "doggy" out of the hole and tried to sell me a Suzuki, and while I know Suzuki's are good, they just didn't have what the Verado has right now, but I now know that the engine launches the boat out of the hole and has incredible power all the way to WOT. I have no concerns with power as it has all of the 250 horses all through the rev-range, from idle to my 6,400 redline, never mind the quiet of the engine and the smoothness and total lack of vibration, it is exactly what I wanted in a motor. I got to take the boat out for a long weekend Memorial Day and while the boat only had from 3-15 hours on it at the time, I did have to take the engine to WOT to aid in break-in and with a light load/no load and my girl with me I was able to get 50 mph on the GPS. This totally surprised me as others with E-Tec 250's and Suzuki 250's were only able to get 44-46 mph at WOT so I figured the Verado would be good for about the same and not 50, even though 50 is no big deal, when I've got the silver hammer to the stop and am moving at that speed, I feel like I'm humming along and it is quite a thrill for sure. 50 mph is what many 26' twin engined 250's get so I'm happy with it for sure. I had to spend 2 weeks dewaxing the entire bottom, the bracket and the trim tabs, then priming everything, then putting 3 coats of paint on everything as I leave the boat in the water for the season and another concern was losing speed and fuel economy with all the paint. It turns out that I did not lose anything at all. I still got 50 after I painted it and tested it at WOT and around 50.3-50.4 mph on the GPS this past Sunday so no more worries about that either. Overall I get an mpg average of 3.3-3.5 depending on the load/how many people I have on board and the sea conditions of course. So long as I keep the revs under 5,000, the fuel mileage is not that bad for a 5,000 lb boat with a single 250. Then the ride, of course, going from a boat that weighs around 2,500 lbs to one that is around 5,000 lbs is going to be a big difference and while the overall length is at least 3 1/2 feet longer than the boat I had been running for the past 20 years, including the bracket, every other dimension is larger as well and with a set of 12 X 12 trim tabs, the ride is just incredible, smooth and dry. A 20 degree deadrise and a 50-something degree entry with a huge flare in the bow will do that. Thanks for asking.